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What the Bible says about Jesus Christ as Passover
(From Forerunner Commentary)

Exodus 12:3-14

Notice in verse 3 that on the tenth day each person was to take a lamb for himself. In verse 5, the lamb must be without blemish and a male of the first year.

Think of Jesus in reference to these instructions. The meat could be either from the sheep or the goats. Jesus is a type of both sheep and goat.

Verses 6-8 show that the innocent lamb bled to death. Scripture also says that the bones were not to be broken, and it must be roasted whole. Jesus' bones were not broken either.

Through these verses, we see that Jesus was the perfect antitype of this lamb that was slain at the Passover service. By means of the blood that was smeared on the lintel and the doorposts, Israel was saved from the tenth plague, the death of the firstborn. The blood of the lamb redeemed, bought back, the firstborn of Israel. Otherwise, they too would have been killed.

Jesus' ghastly death and the terrible scourging He endured do the same for us; it redeems us, buys us back. Some Protestants say He died of a broken heart, but that is not true. Like the Passover lamb, He bled to death; His blood spilled onto the earth, and He expired an innocent and pure man. He had never sinned, just like the lamb without blemish and without spot.

Therefore, we call Him our Savior and Redeemer. Once we accept Him as our Savior, because He was sinless and He died for us, His blood covers our sins. He redeems us from the second death—from the death angel.

He is the firstborn among many brethren, and we are called the firstfruits. We are the firstfruits of spiritual Israel that are protected from that death angel, the second death.

God often works in dual stages, as shown here. The first is the type of the lamb slain at Passover, and the second is the antitype or the perfect fulfillment in Jesus Christ. For the type of the Passover lamb to be fulfilled perfectly and completely in the antitype of Jesus Christ, His crucifixion and death had to occur on Nisan 14. There is no other day in which the type would have been fulfilled because that is the day of the Passover.

Richard T. Ritenbaugh
Christ's Death, Resurrection, and Ascension

Exodus 12:8

In the annual contemplation of the Passover and Exodus stories, the question occasionally arises of whether or not the Christian Passover must be observed according to the original instructions in Exodus 12—specifically, with a lamb, bitter herbs, etc. Jews typically partake of a Seder meal. Seder is the Hebrew word meaning "order," describing the punctilious and exacting procedures that are followed in this Jewish ritual. Is all this still required for Christians?

The institution of Passover certainly is eternal (Exodus 12:14), but that is not to say that all the symbols and details have remained unchanged. For example, the original command involved putting lambs' blood on the doorpost (Exodus 12:7, 12-13). We recognize the significance of that act, animal sacrifices are not part of the New Covenant, and God does not send the Death Angel every year. That part of the institution has played its role and does not contain a literal application for us.

Rather than lambs' blood, we partake of wine to symbolize the blood of Christ (I Corinthians 11:25), which is infinitely superior to the blood of sheep and goats (Hebrews 9:12-14). His blood does not just save us from the Death Angel, as it were, but it actually allows for the forgiveness of sin. The blood on the doorpost indicated those who were marked out for protection, pointing forward to the supreme sacrifice of the Messiah, but it could in no way forgive sin.

Similarly, the original institution called for the Passover to be eaten with a belt on the waist, sandals on the feet, and staff in hand (Exodus 12:11). God had the Israelites do this so they would understand that they would soon be traveling and needed to be prepared. As Christians, we recognize the implication that we are likewise "pilgrims" (see I Peter 2:11-12), and should always be ready to follow God. However, this detail in Exodus 12 should not be regarded as a mandatory dress code for observing the Passover.

A third example: The original institution held that the Passover lamb had to be set aside on the tenth day of the month and observed until the fourteenth day (roughly three-and-a-half days later) when it was killed. The gospel accounts of the Passover, though, show the preparations being made more or less on the day before (see Mark 14:12; Luke 22:7-8). It does not show Christ and the disciples picking out a lamb days before. Yet, interestingly, at the beginning of Christ's ministry, He was identified as "the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world" (John 1:29). He was "observed" for three-and-a-half years, and seen to be without blemish by an untold number of people.

As far as the bitter herbs are concerned, it is interesting that "herbs" is actually not in the original Hebrew, but only implied. Exodus 12:8 literally says, ". . . and with bitter they shall eat it." In the Bible, bitterness is symbolic of sin. It is a sin itself (Deuteronomy 29:18; Acts 8:23; Ephesians 4:31), as well as a sign of mourning or lament as a result of other sins (Proverbs 17:25; Lamentations 1:4; Ezekiel 21:6; 27:31). The ancient Israelites had no way of having their sins removed. Offerings were prescribed to be given when sin occurred, but the book of Hebrews makes it plain that the blood of bulls and goats cannot actually take away sin (Hebrews 10:4). The life of an animal is not worth anything near the life of a man—and sin causes the life of man to be forfeit (Romans 6:23). Their sins could not be forgiven under the Old Covenant.

In the New Testament examples and instructions regarding Passover (John 13:1-30; Matthew 26:26-30; Mark 14:12-26; Luke 22:7-23; I Corinthians 11:17-34), the emphasis is on Christ Himself—His example and His sacrifice—rather than on the bitterness of our sins. Certainly, we should remember that it was because of our sins that Christ had to die, but our sins are not something to be memorialized! Our "bitterness" has been taken away if we have accepted Christ's blood. His sacrifice is what we remember each year.

The symbols change from a lamb, something bitter, and unleavened bread in the Old Testament, to unleavened bread (still representing a sinless life), wine, and footwashing in the New. The requirement of a lamb has been fulfilled because Christ became the Passover lamb for us. Our Savior took our sins (bitterness) on Himself, so when we memorialize His death, it is not with bitterness, but with solemnity and joy because we have been redeemed. This makes possible the wonderful opportunity to enter into a rare relationship with God the Father and His Son.

David C. Grabbe
Without Bitterness

Exodus 12:12-13

The blood was a sign to the death angel to "pass over" their homes when it went through Egypt. Because of it, Israel's firstborn were saved, while Egypt's firstborn died.

The yearly ritual of Passover represents the death of Jesus Christ, who was God in the flesh. The innocent lamb had to be without blemish because it represented the only Man who ever lived a perfect, sinless life. Jesus Christ was the Lamb of God who gave His life and shed His blood so that we may be saved from eternal death by paying the penalty for our sins. Through faith in His sacrifice, we receive forgiveness of sin and come into a right relationship with God. Because His life was worth more than all human life combined, His sacrifice paid the price for all sin. He redeemed us from the penalty that the breaking of God's law imposes and freed us to live righteously.

Earl L. Henn
Holy Days: Passover

Matthew 26:2

Two days before Jesus fulfilled the Passover, He prepares His disciples for His death by telling them that after two days would be the Passover and that the Son of Man would be delivered up and crucified. Thus, He was crucified on the Passover. For further proof of that, John shows that it was preparation day for a high day, the first day of Unleavened Bread (John 19:31). Obviously, preparation day for the first day of Unleavened Bread is the day of Passover, the fourteenth day of Nisan/Abib.

Christ is specifically named as "our Passover" in I Corinthians 5:7. Jesus is called "the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world" (Revelation 13:8). John the Baptist, when he first saw Him after He began His ministry, as He approached the River Jordan for baptism, said, "Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world" (John 1:29). It is easy to see the strong connection between Jesus and the lamb killed at Passover.

Richard T. Ritenbaugh
Christ's Death, Resurrection, and Ascension

Matthew 26:26-29

Jesus told His disciples to partake of unleavened bread and wine during the New Testament Passover service. Through this command, He charged His followers to observe it as a memorial of His death for all time. Since Christ's death completely fulfilled the symbolism of killing a lamb, we no longer need to slaughter a lamb in keeping the Passover.

Earl L. Henn
Holy Days: Passover

John 19:14

The word "Passover" in this context requires some explanation. At some time before Christ's day, the Jews had begun calling the day of Passover and the following seven-day Feast of Unleavened Bread (Leviticus 23:6-8) by the single name "Passover." This has caused great confusion for non-Jews, especially when they read the account of this particular Passover. But John 19:31 should clear up any confusion: "Therefore, because it was the Preparation Day, that the bodies should not remain on the cross on the Sabbath (for that Sabbath was a high day) . . ."!

So, without a doubt, Jesus was crucified on a Passover day, Nisan 14, and the Sabbath that followed was the first day of Unleavened Bread, an annual holy day, a high day. This only makes sense, for the apostle Paul says in I Corinthians 5:7, "For indeed Christ, our Passover, was sacrificed for us."

Richard T. Ritenbaugh
'After Three Days'

1 Peter 1:18-21

Jesus lay dead and buried three days and three nights. His resurrection is the foundation of our faith, and His glorification is God's pledge to us that there is hope for our future. I Peter 1:20 emphasizes that "He indeed was foreordained before the foundation of the world" to be that sacrifice. That is not merely foresight, that is planning! God's plan included redemption from the very beginning.

Verse 19 stresses the value of His sacrifice by using the word "precious," translated "honor" three times in chapters 2 and 3. The Greek word means "to place a value upon," and this is exactly what we are to do in preparation for Passover! We are to assess the value of His sacrifice to us personally. What would you be willing to pay for His sacrifice?

Verse 18 emphasizes "knowing." The Christian lives his life knowing the redemption Christ accomplished. The price of our redemption is the value we place on the Life given for our forgiveness. Our former lives were "aimless" because of the value we placed on possessions and our own satisfaction. Now our lives have direction because we count Christ's sacrifice as priceless!

John W. Ritenbaugh
Christ, Our Passover


 




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