By Messianic Rabbi Eric Carlson
The “Feast of Passover” or “Pesach” in Hebrew is a “Feast to the L-rd” (Exodus 12:14), not just a Jewish holiday. This biblical Feast should be celebrated by Jew and Gentile. G-d commands us to celebrate this holiday forever. This Feast is directly related to and fulfilled by the Jewish Messiah, Messiah Yeshua! (Jesus Christ). John the Baptist refers to Yeshua as “The Lamb”, “Behold the Lamb of G-d who takes away the sin of the world.” (John 1:29). Celebrating Passover for over 1,500 years, thousands of Jews understood the profound meaning of this statement. Isaiah 53, written hundreds of years before Messiah Yeshua came, prophetically records the suffering the human lamb would experience for us. Isaiah. 53:7-10: “7 He was oppressed and treated harshly, yet he never said a word. He was led as a lamb to the slaughter. And as a sheep is silent before the shearer’s, he did not open his mouth. 8 From prison and trial they led him away to his death. But who among the people realized that he was dying for their sins – that he was suffering their punishment? 9 He had done no wrong, and he never deceived anyone. But he was buried like a criminal; he was put in a rich man’s grave. 10 But it was the L-rd’s good plan to crush him and fill him with grief. Yet when his life is made an offering for sin, he will have a multitude of children, many heirs. He will enjoy a long life, and the L-rd’s plan will prosper in his hands.”
Leviticus 17:11 states: “for the life of any creature is in its blood. I have given you the blood so you can make atonement for your sins. It is the blood, representing life, that brings you atonement.” There must be blood to atonement for sin, Yeshua provided that blood and was sacrificed for all our sins. G-d said sins cannot be forgiven without blood, praise G-d that through His Son, Yeshua, our sins can be forgiven and known no more. You can partake of this new blood covenant, all you have to do is ask Yeshua into your heart, accept Him as your personal savior, and G-d will know your sins no more! We have listed the reference scriptures first so you will understand the Biblical significance of this Feast then the Seder follows. This is just an outline of the basic Passover Seder. We encourage you to personalize this outline and make it your family tradition “In Remembrance” of Yeshua’s sacrifice for the world! SCRIPTURAL REFERENCES FOR PASSOVER (New King James Version) The First Passover:
Exodus 12:12-19 “12 For I will pass through the land of Egypt on that night, and will strike all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgment: I am the L-rd. 13 Now the blood shall be a sign for you on the houses where you are. And when I see the blood, I will pass over you; and the plague shall not be on you to destroy you when I strike the land of Egypt. 14 So this day shall be to you a memorial; and you shall keep it as a feast to the L-rd throughout your generations. You shall keep it as a feast by an everlasting ordinance. 15 Seven days you shall eat unleavened bread. On the first day you shall remove leaven from your houses. For whoever eats leavened bread from the first day until the seventh day, that person shall be cut off from Israel. 16 On the first day there shall be a holy convocation, and on the seventh day there shall be a holy convocation for you. No manner of work shall be done on them; but that which everyone must eat–that only may be prepared by you. 17 So you shall observe the Feast of Unleavened Bread, for on this same day I will have brought your armies out of the land of Egypt. Therefore you shall observe this day throughout your generations as an everlasting ordinance. 18 In the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month at evening, you shall eat unleavened bread, until the twenty-first day of the month at evening. 19 For seven days no leaven shall be found in your houses, since whoever eats what is leavened, that same person shall be cut off from the congregation of Israel, whether he is a stranger or a native of the land.” Instructions on how to observe Passover
Exodus 12:21-28: 21 Then Moses called for all the elders of Israel and said to them, “Pick out and take lambs for yourselves according to your families, and kill the Passover lamb. 22 And you shall take a bunch of hyssop, dip it in the blood that is in the basin, and strike the lintel and the two doorposts with the blood that is in the basin. And none of you shall go out of the door of his house until morning. 23 For the L-rd will pass through to strike the Egyptians; and when He sees the blood on the lintel and on the two doorposts, the L-rd will pass over the door and not allow the destroyer to come into your houses to strike you. 24 And you shall observe this thing as an ordinance for you and your sons forever. 25 It will come to pass when you come to the land which the L-rd will give you, just as He promised, that you shall keep this service. 26 And it shall be, when your children say to you, ‘What do you mean by this service?’ 27 that you shall say, ‘It is the Passover sacrifice of the L-rd, who passed over the houses of the children of Israel in Egypt when He struck the Egyptians and delivered our households.’ ” So the people bowed their heads and worshiped. 28 Then the children of Israel went away and did so; just as the L-rd had commanded Moses and Aaron, so they did. Upon the death of the first-born of the Egyptians, the Israelites left Egypt and were freed!
Exodus 12:29-36 “29 And it came to pass at midnight that the L-rd struck all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, from the firstborn of Pharaoh who sat on his throne to the firstborn of the captive who was in the dungeon, and all the firstborn of livestock. 30 So Pharaoh rose in the night, he, all his servants, and all the Egyptians; and there was a great cry in Egypt, for there was not a house where there was not one dead. 31 Then he called for Moses and Aaron by night, and said, “Rise, go out from among my people, both you and the children of Israel. And go, serve the L-rd as you have said. 32 Also take your flocks and your herds, as you have said, and be gone; and bless me also.” 33 And the Egyptians urged the people, that they might send them out of the land in haste. For they said, “We shall all be dead.” 34 So the people took their dough before it was leavened, having their kneading bowls bound up in their clothes on their shoulders. 35 Now the children of Israel had done according to the word of Moses, and they had asked from the Egyptians articles of silver, articles of gold, and clothing. 36 And the L-rd had given the people favor in the sight of the Egyptians, so that they granted them what they requested. Thus they plundered the Egyptians. Entry of the Lambs
As biblically prescribed, Passover lambs were chosen by the High Priest outside of Jerusalem on the tenth of Nisan (Exodus 12:3). The Priest then lead these lambs into the city while thousands of Israelite worshippers lined the streets waving palm branches and singing Psalm 118, “Blessed is He that comes in the name of the L-rd.” Messiah Yeshua entered Jerusalem that same day, on a donkey (Jewish custom of that time was that a King riding on a donkey meant he was coming in peace, if he was riding a horse that meant war or hostility.), right behind the High Priest’s procession. The crowds that had celebrated and announced the entrance of the Passover Lambs heralded the entrance of the “El Ha She” or “Perfect Lamb of G-d”. Yeshua identified himself with the Passover sacrifice (John 12:9-19). Most Israelites knew that it would be in Jerusalem that the Messiah would be crowned as their King. Jewish bible historian Alfred Edersheim writes, Everyone in Israel was thinking about the Feast, Everyone was going to Jerusalem, or had those near and dear to them there, or at least watched the festive processions to the Metropolis of Judaism. It was a gathering of universal Israel, that of the memorial of the birth-night of the nation, and of its Exodus, when friends from afar would meet, and new friends be made; when offerings long due would be brought, and purification long needed be obtained and all worship in that grand and glorious Temple, with its gorgeous ritual. National and religious feelings were alike stirred in what reached far back to the first, and pointed far forward to the final Deliverance.
The lamb was taken to the Temple, where it would be tied in public view so that it could be inspected for blemish. In the same way, Yeshua sat and taught in the Temple courtyard for four days. He was inspected and questioned as the Sadducees, the Pharisees, and the scribes sought to snare and entrap Him. They failed because He is the WORD! John 1:1-5 ” 1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with G-d, and the Word was G-d. 2 He was in the beginning with G-d. 3 All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. 4 In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. 5 And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.” The Passover – Yeshua fulfills Biblical Prophecy through Passover
Matthew 26:17-” 17 Now on the first day of the Feast of the Unleavened Bread the disciples came to Yeshua, saying to Him, “Where do You want us to prepare for You to eat the Passover?” 18 And He said, “Go into the city to a certain man, and say to him, ‘The Teacher says, “My time is at hand; I will keep the Passover at your house with My disciples.” 19 So the disciples did as Yeshua had directed them; and they prepared the Passover. 20 When evening had come, He sat down with the twelve. 21 Now as they were eating, He said, “Assuredly, I say to you, one of you will betray Me.” 22 And they were exceedingly sorrowful, and each of them began to say to Him, “L-rd, is it I?” 23 He answered and said, “He who dipped his hand with Me in the dish will betray Me. 24 The Son of Man indeed goes just as it is written of Him, but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been good for that man if he had not been born.” 25 Then Judas, who was betraying Him, answered and said, “Rabbi, is it I?” He said to him, “You have said it.”