Passover: A Foreshadow of the Cross

Rationale

The Feast of Passover is the annual commemoration of the Israelites' deliverance from slavery under Moses' leadership. Now, this raises the question: Is remembrance of this ancient historical event still relevant today? The answer is an emphatic yes! Here are some of the reasons why Passover still matters: 1) it is one of God's appointed holy days, 2) Passover points to Yeshua's (Jesus') crucifixion, 3) Yeshua observed Passover, and 4) Passover has yet-to-be-fulfilled prophetic significance.

Mark your calendars. Passover: Sundown Wednesday, April 21, 2027 to Sundown Thursday, April 22, 2027

Historical Background

The story of Passover begins when God sends Moses to the Egyptian Pharaoh with a message: “Let My people go” (Exodus 5:1). Some 400 years prior, the Israelites settled in Egypt to escape a severe famine that devastated their homeland. Initially, the relationship between the Egyptians and Israelites was congenial. However, over time, their descendants multiplied greatly, becoming so numerous that the Pharaoh saw them as a threat. This Pharaoh's paranoia led to his enslaving the Israelite people (Exodus 1:1–14). Then, upon hearing the captives' cry, God sent Moses to liberate His people. But Pharaoh stubbornly refused to set the slaves free, which set off a series of nine devastating plagues, each more severe than the previous—a showdown if you will—between the true God and the gods of Egypt. It is from the tenth plague that we get the name Passover.

The tenth and final plague would be the death of all the firstborn sons in the land. Nevertheless, God made a way to protect the Israelites from the deadly plague. God instructed the heads of every household to sacrifice an unblemished lamb and to apply its blood on the doorframes of their homes. Only then would He “pass over” them. While God struck down the Egyptian firstborn sons, He passed over the homes with the sacrificial blood of the lamb applied to their doorposts. The Feast of Passover, commonly called Passover, is an annual commemoration of the Israelites' deliverance from slavery in Egypt. But there's more, much more.

Yeshua, our Passover Lamb

Leviticus 23:4–43 describes seven annual appointed times of the Lord. These appointed times, also called feasts or festivals, are holy days on which the Lord has summoned us to come before Him. Each annual feast of the Lord foreshadows a different part of God's ongoing plan of redemption and restoration for humanity. The first of these feasts, Passover, points to Yeshua's (Jesus') sacrificial death as “the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world” (John 1:29).

On the night before His crucifixion, Yeshua (Jesus) shared a Passover meal with His disciples. And He said to them, “I have earnestly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer” (Luke 22:15). Significantly, Yeshua gave the bread and wine new and deeper meanings. He taught that the unleavened bread (matzah) represented His body and the wine represented His blood. It is the blood that makes atonement for sin. He then instructed His disciples to partake in the bread and wine in remembrance of Him (1 Corinthians 11:23–25; cf. Matt 26:26–28; Mark 14:22–24; Luke 22:19–20). In this, He initiated the Christian sacrament of Holy Communion, a scaled-back reenactment of Yeshua's final Passover. The blood of Yeshua, the ultimate Passover Lamb, saves everyone who trusts in Him from eternal death, just as the blood of the lamb protected the Israelites from physical death.

There's a remarkable parallel between the times of Yeshua's (Jesus') crucifixion and death, and the times of the daily sacrifice. During the Old Testament era, priests sacrificed lambs daily, once in the morning and again in the evening (Exodus 29:38–39). From Jewish history, we know that priests offered the morning sacrifice at the third hour (9:00 a.m.). This is relevant because Mark 15:25 explicitly states that “It was the third hour when they crucified Him.” Soldiers crucified Yeshua at the exact hour when priests sacrificed lambs on the Temple altar!

Furthermore, Yeshua (Jesus) died at the ninth hour (3:00 p.m.), the same hour that priests offered the evening sacrifice (Mark 15:33–37, Matthew 27:45–50, Luke 23:44–46). You might find it strange that the “evening” sacrifice takes place during what we typically consider the afternoon. This is because in Jewish timekeeping, days end at sunset, which is roughly 6:00 p.m. in Jerusalem. (Actual sunset times range from around 4:58 p.m. in winter to 7:47 p.m. in summer.) The timing of Yeshua's death aligned perfectly with the Temple sacrifice.

Is it a mere coincidence that Yeshua's crucifixion and death coincided with the morning and evening sacrifices, or is divine orchestration at play? Consider this: not only were the third and ninth hours set aside for sacrifice, but they were also designated as hours of prayer. Accordingly, Yeshua prayed at the precise time when Jews gathered at the Temple to pray. At the third hour, while hanging on the cross and in agony, Yeshua prayed, “Father, forgive them, for they don't know what they are doing” (Luke 23:34). Then, at the ninth hour, after declaring “It is finished,” He prayed, “Father, into your hands I entrust My spirit” (John 19:30, Luke 23:46). It is clear that God meticulously orchestrated this part of His plan of redemption with precise timing.

Passover and the New Covenant

After the supper, He took a cup of wine and said, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood, which is poured out for you” (Luke 22:20). With this act, Yeshua (Jesus) inaugurated the new covenant prophesied in Jeremiah 31:31–40. There, God promised He would make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah.

The once unified nation of Israel split into a Northern Kingdom, the “house of Israel,” and a Southern Kingdom, the “house of Judah,” after the death of King Solomon. God's new covenant with a future reunified nation of Israel included the promise that He will put His laws in their minds and write it on their hearts (Jeremiah 31:33, cf. Hebrews 8:10, Hebrews 10:16). Furthermore, God declared that in that day, “they will all know Me” (Jeremiah 31:34, cf. Hebrews 8:11). This is a prophetic picture of the end-time day when “all Israel will be saved” (Romans 11:26). But, before this glorious day, there will be great tribulation, “the time of Jacob's trouble” (Jeremiah 30:7).

There is a clear connection between the Exodus plagues and the judgments in Revelation. Five of the ten plagues of Exodus closely parallel the trumpet and bowl judgments in Revelation. Notice the following similarities:

While not every Exodus plague directly aligns with a trumpet or bowl judgment, and vice versa, there are enough similarities between them to suggest that they allude to one another. Additionally, Revelation 15:2–4 describes a great multitude singing both the song of Moses and the song of the Lamb. Similarly, Moses and the Israelites sang a song of victory and praise after God delivered them from Egypt by safely leading them through the miraculously parted Red Sea (Exodus 15:1–21). The crowd in Revelation 15 likely are the Tribulation martyrs who overcame the beast, his image, and the number of his name (cf. Revelation 6:9–11, 7:9–14, 12:11). Now they, too, sing a song of victory and praise, yet another allusion to the plagues of Egypt.

It's worth noting that the Egyptians had a plethora of false gods. More importantly, the ten plagues not only freed the Israelites from slavery but also acted as judgments against several Egyptian gods. Each plague directly challenged a specific god, showcasing God's power and supremacy over Egypt's false gods.

Passover in the Kingdom of God

Passover is more than a remembrance of Yeshua's (Jesus') sacrifice; it also points to a future Passover when the Kingdom of God has come. Yeshua pledged to His disciples: “I will not drink again of this fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father's kingdom” (Matthew 26:29, cf. Mark 14:25, Luke 22:18). We know the Passover celebration will continue throughout the millennium (see Ezekiel 45:21). Now, imagine this: someday, we could all find ourselves lifting our cups in the presence of the Lamb of God, who washed away all our sins. What an incredible privilege and honor that would be!

Final Thoughts

For followers of Yeshua (Jesus), observing Passover goes beyond merely remembering how God saved the Israelites from their Egyptian slave masters. We should remember that the blood of the Passover lamb not only served as a protective shield for the Israelites but also foreshadowed the redemptive blood of Christ. When we realize that Yeshua's blood, which He shed on Passover, is what saves us from the penalty of sin, that can make celebrating Passover truly rewarding.

Also, recall that God dramatically showcased His superiority over the false gods of Egypt through a series of devastating plagues during the Exodus. After that, He led His people into the Promised Land. During the future Tribulation (Revelation 2–16), God will use similar judgments to demonstrate His supremacy over Satan, the god of this world. After Yeshua vanquishes Satan, He will welcome His called, chosen, and faithful followers into His Millennial Kingdom. We can only imagine what an incredibly joyous celebration Passover will be in the Kingdom!