PASSOVER...

Only one of the MOST AWESOME holidays there is! Why is it awesome, you ask? Well Passover has to do with one of the most incredible stories written in the Bible, and you celebrate it with a feast! During this feast, we all tell the story of the Exodus and what God did! So the question is asked, what did God do? The Passover is mentioned a few times in scripture and we will start with the beginning of the Passover. 

The First command for Passover was given in Exodus 12...
and we read, “14 This day is to be a memorial for you. You are to keep it as a feast to Adonai. Throughout your generations you are to keep it as an eternal ordinance. 17 So you are to observe the Feast of Matzot, for on this very same day have I brought your ranks out of the land of Egypt. Therefore you are to observe this day throughout your generations as an eternal ordinance.”

Immediately we are captured with a command given to the Israelites to keep. However, one of the most important things to know is that not all the Israelites leaving Egypt were the original children of Israel that were leaving Egypt. However, in seeing the hand of God, there were those that became a part of the community of Israel through the obedience of God’s Word. Passover is a celebration of redemption for all those who believe and obey God’s Word. The Passover as said is celebrated in commemoration of the Lord bringing us out of Egypt. This commemoration relays God’s Sovereignty to make Salvation Sprout! Passover is about obedience and trust in what God is doing. So much so that in Deuteronomy God gives us an interesting command. “You are to cook and eat it (the passover sacrifice) at the place ADONAI your God chooses, then, you will turn around in the morning and journey home.” God tells the community of Israel here to commemorate in the place that He chooses! This is incredible, because our congregation has had some great times in how the Lord wanted us to celebrate the Passover. We would wonder where we would celebrate the feast, and the Lord brings us to our congregation. So G-d chooses for us a place to celebrate the Passover, and following the celebration, the next morning, we turn around and recognize... There is our home! 

Many events took place recognizing God as Sovereign, and it is really special when God’s promises take place in our midst. When the Israelites were finally entering into the land of Canaan, God had to reignite the covenant with the Israelites before they could go back home. This time Joshua was leading the people, and after bringing the people back to the covenant God made with Abraham, we read, “ADONAI said to Joshua, “This day I have rolled away the reproach of Egypt from you.” In so, the Israelites observed Passover and ate for the first time from the land that God had promised to them.

God was evident and was ready to send the destroyer, however, those who observed the Passover, they were saved. This is a possible reason for why Rahab (2 chapters before this event) was asked to use a scarlet thread in the window used to save the Israelites on top of gathering her father, mother, brothers, and all her father’s household. It was a plausible observance of Passover. Nonetheless, God brought the walls of Jericho down only saving Rahab and her family and bringing the Israelites through. Again, The Passover Celebration brought together Jew and Gentile who feared and obeyed God, and following the celebration we see one people saved by G-d’s covering/pesach. 

And it continues! With Ezra, Hezekiah, and Josiah, and more! God heard the cry of His people as it is written, “Adonai heard their voice, for their prayer reached heaven, His holy dwelling place.” It is so interesting to see how God moves when the Passover is celebrated. What’s even more incredible is that Passover is many times about God bringing His people into the most difficult places in order to show His Mighty hand. When Passover takes place, you are placed in a position of need. Joshua needed God to bring Israel through, but this massive city was in the way. Ezra needed the miraculous okay from the Assyrian King in order to bring the Israelites together. Hezekiah needed the House of Israel together in order for God to hear the prayers of the people. And during Roman rule, the people were crying out for the Messiah to bring salvation to the Jewish community. God heard the cry of His people, and on the last Passover He celebrated with His disciples, He saw His own and became deeply distressed saying, “My soul is deeply grieved, even to the point of death.” Yeshua was brought to the point of need, but prayed, “not what I will, but what You will.” Yeshua is now as he was in the midst of His people accomplishing the things of the Father - ‘to be counted with the lawless’.

Just think about it, so many people today would say… I mean come-on, so the plagues happened and we celebrated…. That’s old news! Let’s get to the part where we made it. Let’s forget the law, because the sacrifice is already made. Let’s not be strengthen for the journey ahead, because God delivered us already! It’s not about the Old Testament… It’s about the New Testament now days! Well, Guess What? if Yeshua did not celebrate the Passover, He would not have been strong enough to save us… Following Scripture to observe the feast and submit the will of the flesh to God so God's will would take place is what allowed Yeshua to be Strengthed. So much that the Scripture says an Angel strengthened Him. While Yeshua was in the anguish, His disciples recline while Yeshua prays. The disciples fall into temptation while Yeshua takes on all the pain and agony and intercedes for His life, and He hands His life over to the will of God... “Father, glorify Your name!”

Then a voice came out of heaven, “I have glorified it, and again I will glorify it!” God was going to glorify His Name as He has Glorified it before. Yeshua responded, “This voice hasn’t come for My sake, but for yours. 31 Now is the judgment of this world! Now the prince of this world will be driven out! 32 And as I am lifted up from the earth, I will draw all to Myself.” 33 He said this to show the kind of death He was about to die. And so while in trial, THE HIGH PREIST questioned Yeshua asking, “ARE YOU THE MASHIACH, SON OF THE BLESSED ONE?” Guess what Yeshua said…. “I AM, and you shall see the Son of Man sitting at the Right Hand of the Powerful One, and coming with the Clouds of Heaven!"

Now it was just before the feast of Passover, and Yeshua knew that His hour had come to depart from this world to the Father. Having loved His own who were in the world, He loved them until the end.

Passover is all about the Love of God that sees us all the way to the end, however, it begins with trusting in the One He sent to save! Passover is all about God’s judgment to those who do not believe and about God’s Mercy to those who do. Passover is about God hovering over us as the canopy of Grace. But Grace only comes to those who are willing to enter in.

 

The Passover in the Bible:
First Five Books : Exodus 12, 34, Leviticus 23, Numbers 9,28,33, & Deuteronomy 16
The Writing & Prophets: Joshua 5, 2 Kings 23, Ezekial 45, Ezra 6, 2 Chronicles 30,35
The Gospel: Matthew 26, Mark 14, Luke 2,22, John 2,6,11,12,13,18,19, Acts 12, 1 Corinthians 5, Hebrews 11

How to prepare the Passover Meal?: Learn the Passover

What if I miss the Passover?: It's Okay, the Passover can be celebrated in the second month if you were not able to celebrate it in the first month according to Numbers 9:6-14

Other Passover Resources: Messiah Our Passover; Find a Messianic Congregation (IAMCS) near you!
Passover Calendar (Non-Messianic Site)