The Feast of Passover

The nation of Israel had been in the bondage of slavery in Egypt for over 400 years just as God had prophesied to Abraham in Genesis 15:13-14. But that was all about to change. God had raised up Moses to be the instrument through whom He would deliver Israel from their bondage. After nine plagues, and Pharoah refusing to let the people go, there was one more plague that God would release to change the Egyptian leader's mind. It is this tenth and final plague that would be the foundation of what we know as the Feast of Passover or "Korban Pesach" (the sacrifice of Passover).

God instructed the chosen nation to take a lamb into their homes on the tenth (10th) day of the month of Nisan (March or April on the Gregorian Calendar). The Lamb was to be a mature male without spot or blemish. The people were to inspect the lamb for four days to make sure it met these qualifications set forth by Yahweh. Then on the fourteenth (14th) day the people were to kill the lamb and apply its blood, with hyssop, to the top and two sides of their doorposts. When God sent the death angel into Egypt that night, every family that had applied the blood to their homes would be "passed over." And in every home that was not protected by the blood of the Passover Lamb, the first born of that family would die! And so in this tenth and final plague God broke the power of Egypt as the death angel carried out God's judgement on Pharoah by killing the first born of both animals and people. He had no choice but to let the chosen nation of Israel go free! So Israel, for the first time in 400 years, was free! Amazingly that freedom came by the power of the shed blood of the Passover Lamb! Imagine that, over two million people set free from the most powerful empire in the world by the power of the blood of an innocent Lamb!

God spoke to Moses and commanded that Israel was to remember/reherse this grand event at a "set time" every spring at the Feast of Passover. And so for over 1400 years the nation of Israel celebrated the Passover Feast every spring. And then one day around 2,000 years ago, Yeshua/Jesus rode into Jerusalem on the foal of a donkey as prophesied by the prophet Zechariah in Zechariah 9:9, "Rejoice greatly, Daughter of Zion! Shout, Daughter Jerusalem! See, your King comes to you, lowly and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey." This is called the "Triumphant Entry of Christ" that took place on what the Church calls "Palm Sunday." By the way, this also took place on the 10th day of Nisan, the very day that the Jewish pilgrims who had made their way to Jerusalem from all over Israel had brought their lambs to be examined by the priests to make sure that they qualified as passover lambs. This examination would take place over the next four days or until the 14th day of Nisan. Ironically, also for the next four days, Yeshua/Jesus, "the Lamb of God," would be examined by the Priests as they asked Him questions! And the result? In the words of Pontius Pilate, "I find no fault in Him!" God's Korban Pesach was a mature male (33 years old in the prime of His life) and without spot or blemish! What comes next is stunning!

After the temple was built by the chosen nation, during the Feast of Passover, the Priest would bind the Passover Lamb to the altar at the third hour of the day (9am). According to Mark 15:25 Yeshua/Jesus was bound to the cross or crucified at 9 in the morning! Then at the ninth hour of the day(3pm) the Priest would say, "It is finished," and then slay the Passover Lamb. Matthew 27:46 and John 19:30 tells us that at 3pm Yeshua/Jesus said, "It is finished," and then He gave up His Spirit! To the very days and to the very hour, Yeshua/Jesus the Messiah had fulfilled the Feast of Passover!

I conclude today by telling you that the way to God, the way to freedom from sin, the way to be delivered from eternal judgment, and the way to eternal life is not by your goodness or by your being "religious." Rather it is by trusting TOTALLY in the shed blood of God's Korban Pesach or Passover Lamb! As the old hymn says, "Nothing in my hand I bring, only to the cross I cling!" Those who know what that means are free indeed!

I am a voice of one crying in the wilderness, prepare the way of the Lord, for the Kingdom of God is at hand.

Shalom