Should Christians Observe the Passover Feast?
In the Old Testament, the Israelites were to eat only unleavened bread every year during Passover as a commemoration of their Exodus from Egyptian bondage. The Lord said, “Do not eat it with bread made with yeast, but for seven days eat unleavened bread, the bread of affliction, because you left Egypt in haste—so that all the days of your life you may remember the time of your departure from Egypt” (Deuteronomy 16:3 also Exodus 12:8; 29:2; Numbers 9:11). And on that night of deliverance, the destroying angel passed over the homes where the blood of sacrifice was seen on the doorposts (Exodus 11:7; 12:29).
The slaying of the Passover lamb was a shadow of Christ’s death. Therefore, in the New Testament, lambs are no longer sacrificed for Jesus Himself offered His body for humanity. And He instituted the service of communion to commemorate His sacrifice. “And he took bread, and gave thanks, and brake it, and gave unto them, saying, This is my body which is given for you: this do in remembrance of me” (Luke 22:19). Paul set forth the same service in I Corinthians 11:23, “For I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you.”
Today, every Christian should keep the Passover but with a new meaning. Paul teaches in 1 Corinthians 5:7 teaches, “Therefore purge out the old leaven, that you may be a new lump, since you truly are unleavened. For indeed Christ, our Passover, was sacrificed for us.” The church of God must be a pure church. It must be entirely free from all corruption and imperfection, such as are here typified by “leaven” (Matthew 5:48; Ephesians 1:4; 5:27; Galatians 5:9). The church must be covered by the blood of Jesus, who is here set forth as the antitypical Passover Lamb.
Whenever we have the Lord’s Supper, we are keeping the feast of Passover and the angel of judgment passes over our lives because of our faith in the blood of Jesus, the same way he did for the children of Israel. “In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace” (Ephesians 1:7 also Hebrews 9:12-14; Revelation 7:14).
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In His service,
BibleAsk Team
