First in God’s Plan – The Passover

God’s seven annual feasts provide an overview of His plan of salvation, with each feast depicting a separate vital step in His Plan.

Before listing each feast and describing how each one was to be observed, Leviticus 23:4 presents the following statement: “These are the feasts of the Lord, even holy convocations, which you shall proclaim in their seasons.”

After the new sacred year begins each spring on Abib 1, God’s feasts occur in a particular sequence at specific times. Seven is God’s special number signifying completion and perfection. There are seven feasts in God’s Master Plan as well as seven Holy Days. A Holy Day is an annual feast day in which no servile work is done and God commands an offering.

Passover, the first feast, is not a Holy Day in which no work can be done, nor is an offering commanded on this day. Yet this day precedes a Holy Day in which an offering is commanded.

Passover does require a convocation of God’s people. Passover immediately precedes the First Day of Unleavened Bread and makes possible the steps depicted by all the remaining feasts that follow it.

The Beginning of God’s Plan—Not the End

Many modern religionists claim that the issue of salvation ended at the “cross” (though Christ probably died on a stake, an upright pale)—that the acceptance of Christ’s death is all there is to salvation.

They further proclaim that beyond the acceptance of this sacrifice, there is nothing more to do, since we are already “saved.” They mistakenly take the very first step in God’s plan of salvation and proclaim that this is the end of the matter.

The Bible shows there is much more to this matter and that man’s obligation was not finished at the cross.

Jesus Christ did come to offer Himself for the sins of the world, and successfully finished this phase of God’s Plan, as He expressed in His dying words, “It is finished” (John 19:30).

Before this, Christ had fulfilled His commission to preach the good news of the Kingdom of God and to teach, train and prepare His disciples to continue this Work until His Return at the end of this age.

Concerning this phase of the commission, Jesus stated, “I have finished the work which You [the Father] gave Me to do” (John 17:4). Yet today, Christ is busy and active in His current role as High Priest, interceding on behalf of those God has called (Rom. 8:34), as well as guiding His Work and Church.

Christ’s sacrifice was the first crucial step in the overall Plan of God that made all of the following steps possible.

The Need for a Living Savior

(1) Why is it necessary for mankind to have a Savior? Romans 3:23; 6:23.

Without the penalty for our sins being paid by someone of greater worth or value than all mankind, everyone would have to pay the penalty of death individually.

(2) Did God plan before Creation for Christ to become the Savior of mankind? I Peter 1:18-20.

(3) Would Jesus’ death and shed blood have saved us had He not been resurrected? I Corinthians 15:17.

(4) If Christ’s death alone does not save us, then what does? Romans 5:10; John 14:19.

We are reconciled to God by His death, but saved by His life. Jesus has saved (rescued) us from the death penalty because He suffered death in our stead.

Once having been rescued in this way, we are saved (preserved) by the living Christ, who sends His Holy Spirit, which strengthens and preserves those God calls in this age.

The Passover Lamb

God allowed the tribes of Israel to remain in Egypt for almost two and a half centuries before delivering them from bondage. He used Moses to reveal to Israel what was to take place to free them from Egypt. As nine of the ten plagues had already been unleashed upon Egypt, Moses relayed to the Israelites the details of what to do in preparation for the final plague.

God revealed that the month of Abib was the beginning of the sacred year and that Israel was to take a lamb on the 10th of that month to keep until the 14th of the month, when it was to be killed. The lamb was to fulfill a special purpose.

(1) Did Isaiah prophesy of Christ as a lamb taken to the slaughter? Isaiah 53:7-8.

(2) Did the Passover lamb represent Christ? John 1:29; I Peter 1:19.

(3) When the lamb was killed, what was to be done with the blood? Exodus 12:6-7.

(4) As the 10th plague struck Egypt, what purpose did the blood serve? Exodus 12:12-13.

Wherever blood had been smeared on the door posts, the death angel passed over that particular house—hence the term “Passover.” The blood signified that the house was protected. This event symbolized the fulfillment of the Passover lamb, the One who would come in the flesh many centuries later as Jesus Christ.

(5) For how long were the Israelites commanded to keep Passover? Was it left up to each succeeding generation as to whether and how they would observe it? Exodus 12:24.

Jesus Kept the Passover

(1) Did Jesus’ parents keep the Passover and go to Jerusalem on an annual basis? Luke 2:40-42.

(2) As an adult, did Jesus continue to keep the Passover? John 2:13, 23.

Jesus, long before His human birth, worked with God the Father to establish the Holy Days in ancient times. In the flesh, Christ submitted to the laws of God and to the will of His Father in heaven.

(3) Did Christ faithfully keep the Passover with His disciples up until the time of His death? Matthew 26:19-21; Mark 14:16; Luke 22:14-16.

Christ Introduces a New Ordinance to Passover

As Jesus Christ and the disciples were eating the Passover lamb the evening before His crucifixion, He took this opportunity to show how His Church should observe Passover from that time forward.

(1) What action did Christ perform during the Passover meal? John 13:1-5.

It was actually “during supper” that Christ interrupted the meal in order to demonstrate a new ordinance the disciples were to carry out in each succeeding Passover service. The phrase in verse 2, “and supper being ended,” should be translated as “during supper.” It was at this point that the devil put the inclination into Judas Iscariot to betray Christ.

The foot washing ordinance was entirely new, having never previously been a part of the Passover service.

(2) What was the significance of Peter’s refusal to allow Christ to wash his feet and Christ’s response? John 13:6-9.

Peter’s impetuous response gave Jesus the opportunity to explain that unless one participated fully in this ordinance, then he could have no part with Him. Once Peter understood this, he went to the opposite extreme. However, Christ emphasized that only the feet were to be washed.

(3) What did Jesus stress as the reason for this new ordinance? John 13:12-15.

In verse 12, after He had washed their feet, Christ asked the disciples, “Do you know what I have done to you?” In verses 14 to 15, He stressed, “If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet; you also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have given you an example, that you should do as I have done to you.”

These were explicit instructions for His servants to keep this ordinance of foot washing—a task normally performed by the lowest servants.

The point is undeniable that Christ was also referring to a level of service beyond Passover observance—to the way His servants would live their lives. If Christ extended Himself to the point of laying down His life, they had to be willing to do the same.

The Passover ordinance of foot washing carries far more meaning than the physical act. The 11 loyal disciples went on to become apostles and, perhaps excluding John, eventually laid down their lives.

(4) Did Jesus proclaim a blessing associated with keeping this ordinance? John 13:17.

Concerning the phrase, “happy are you if you do them,” the term “happy” means more than meets the eye. It comes from the Greek word makarios, which means supremely blessed, fortunate, well off, blessed and happy. The verse could more appropriately read, “If you know these things, supremely blessed are you if you do them.” This is a promised blessing for keeping the ordinance that Christ had just instituted.

New Symbols for Passover Service

(1) At what point during supper did Jesus introduce the new symbols? Luke 22:20.

This verse shows that the new symbols, which constituted another new ordinance, were given “after supper,” whereas the ordinance of foot washing had been introduced during supper.

(2) What was the first symbol to be taken after the foot washing had been carried out (and as supper was drawing to a close)? Matthew 26:26.

(3) What kind of bread was always eaten during the Passover meal and was broken and given to the disciples? Exodus 12:8; Numbers 9:11.

The Passover had always been eaten with unleavened bread. Unleavened bread represents being pure from sin and pride, both of which are symbolized by leaven.

(4) What did the broken bread symbolize? Matthew 26:26; I Corinthians 11:24; I Peter 2:24; Isaiah 53:5.

This bread symbolized the broken body of Christ, and that eating that bread is tied to having eternal life (John 6:58). The broken body is directly related to our physical healing.

(5) What other symbol was introduced along with the broken bread? Matthew 26:27; Luke 22:17-18.

This “fruit of the vine” referred to in Luke 22:18 (also Matthew 26:29) could only have been wine.

Many professing Christians insist that this was referring to grape juice. In the spring of the year, the grapes from the former year’s harvest could have only existed as wine, vinegar or syrup. Grape juice simply did not exist beyond 40 days from the time the grapes were harvested. Wine was a prominent drink in ancient Israel and in Judea during Christ’s time (Hastings Dictionary, pp. 973-974). It was a staple with meals and on special occasions (John 2:1-11).

(6) What was the significance of drinking a small amount of wine? Matthew 26:27-28; Luke 22:20.

The wine was symbolic of Christ’s shed blood—the sacrifice of His life—which He as High Priest would later apply to cleanse the sins of those called by God.

(7) Are Christians to follow Jesus’ example in taking the symbols of bread and wine during the Passover service? Luke 22:19-20; I Corinthians 11:24-25.

(8) How often was the Passover service—the memorial of Christ’s death—to be observed? Exodus 12:14; 13:10; Leviticus 23:5; I Corinthians 11:26.

A memorial is observed annually or once a year—not every week or month.

The phrase in I Corinthians 11:26, “for as often as you eat this bread, and drink this cup” does not mean as often as you decide to eat this bread and drink this cup. It simply means at every memorial of this event—at Passover, which occurs only once a year. As you take these symbols, you acknowledge and honor Christ’s death until He returns.

Our Passover Lamb

(1) Is Christ explicitly called our Passover lamb or sacrifice? I Corinthians 5:7.

(2) Did the Passover lamb’s blood serve a purpose after it was slain? Exodus 12:6-7.

(3) Why was it necessary for Jesus to shed His blood? Hebrews 9:22.

(4) Was Christ prophesied to pour out His soul (physical existence dependent upon His life-blood) unto death? Isaiah 53:12; Leviticus 17:11.

The life of all flesh exists in the blood, as these verses make plain.

The Broken Body of Christ

(1) Why was Jesus scourged (beaten with whips containing sharp metallic pieces to tear the flesh) before His crucifixion? John 19:1; Isaiah 52:14.

Christ was beaten beyond recognition, as “His visage was so marred more than any man.” This was prophesied to happen and ties directly to what was stated in Isaiah 53:5: “and with His stripes we are healed.”

(2) How does the broken body of Christ bring about our healing? Isaiah 53:5; I Peter 2:24; I Corinthians 11:29-30.

The terms “wounded for our transgressions…bruised for our iniquities” and “bore our sins in His own body” relate to physical sins or transgressions, which are distinct from the spiritual sins covered by Christ’s blood.

The apostle Paul clearly made the connection between the failure to discern the meaning and significance of Christ’s broken body and those who are sick or have died from ill health (I Cor. 11:29-30). Read James 5:14-15 in regard to healing being tied to the forgiveness of sins. And notice Psalm 103:2-3 with respect to the benefits tied to the meaning of the wine and bread.

Read our booklet The Truth About Healing for a thorough explanation of this topic.

True Church Upholds Observance of Passover

(1) Did the early Church refer to “Easter” as a benchmark in time, indicating they must have been observing it? Acts 12:4.

The word Easter is a mistranslation from the Greek term pascha, which means Passover. The same Greek word was correctly translated Passover over 25 times in other places in the New Testament.

(2) Does secular evidence exist to support that the Church of God continued to keep Passover on the 14th day of the first month—well after the time of the apostles?

Polycarp, Polycrates and other loyal servants of God refused to compromise God’s commanded feasts.

In Ecclesiastical History, the historian Eusebius recorded words from Polycrates, who emphasized of the early church and its leaders: “All these kept the fourteenth day of the passover according to the gospel, never swerving, but following according to the rule of the faith.”

Our book Where Is the True Church? – and Its Incredible History! provides more information on those who faithfully kept God’s true Passover from the time of the apostles, even to this present time. To learn more about the Spring Holy Days, review the booklet God’s Holy Days or Pagan Holidays?