Introduction
Pesach (Hebrew: פֶּסַח), commonly known as Passover, is one of the most significant festivals in the Bible, commemorating the Israelites’ deliverance from slavery in Egypt. It is a Biblically mandated observance, rich with historical, theological, and prophetic significance. For Christians, Pesach (Passover) holds profound Messianic implications, prefiguring the sacrificial death of Yeshua (Jesus) as the ultimate Passover Lamb. This article will explore the meaning, observance, and spiritual significance of Pesach (Passover), while addressing frequently asked questions with Biblical references and scholarly insights.
Quick Facts About Pesach (Passover)
- When in Pesach (Passover) 2025? Passover 2025 Begins at sundown on Saturday, April 12, 2025, and ends on Sunday, April 13, 2025. Contrary to popular belief, Pesach is not a seven-day celebration but a one-day celebration. The Feast of Unleavened Bread is an adjoining celebration commanded by God to be observed immediately after Pesach. The Feast of Unleavened Bread lasts for several days, and because of its proximity and relationship to Pesach, it is often mischaracterised as Pesach, hence why some people believe Pesach is a seven-day feast.
- Is work permitted on Passover? No work is permitted on Pesach (Passover).
- Some Scripture references about Pesach (Passover) Lev 23:5, Luke 2:40-43, Luke 22:7-8, Luke 22:14-15
- What is Pesach?
Pesach is the Biblical celebration primarily celebrated by Jews, Messianics, Messianic Jews, and some Christians. Pesach or Passover commemorates the Exodus from Egypt, symbolizing freedom and redemption. It is celebrated with a Seder meal, during which the story of the Exodus is retold. - What does “Pesach” mean?
The term Pesach means “to pass over,” referring to God “passing over” the homes of the Israelites during the final plague in Egypt (Exod. 12:13). - What is the Passover Seder?
The Seder is the ceremonial meal on the first night (and second night in the Diaspora) of Passover. It includes symbolic foods and the recitation of the Haggadah, a booklet recounting the Exodus. - What foods are forbidden during Pesach?
Leavened products (chametz) are prohibited, symbolizing the Israelites’ hasty departure from Egypt, during which their bread did not have time to rise (Exod. 12:15).
The Biblical Origin of Pesach
The origins of Pesach (Passover) are recorded in the book of Exodus, which describes the enslavement of the Israelites in Egypt and their miraculous deliverance. God sent ten plagues upon Egypt, with the tenth being the death of the firstborn (Exod. 12:12–13). The Israelites were instructed to slaughter an unblemished lamb and place its blood on their doorposts as a sign for God to “pass over” their homes, sparing them from the plague of death.
“For I will pass through the land of Egypt that night, and I will strike all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast… The blood shall be a sign for you on the houses where you are. And when I see the blood, I will pass over you” (Exod. 12:12–13, ESV).
God instituted Pesach as an eternal ordinance for all who believe in and follow Him:
“You shall keep it as a feast to the Lord throughout your generations, as a statute forever” (Exod. 12:14).
Key Pesach Observances
1. The Seder Meal
The Passover Seder is the central ritual of the holiday, replete with symbolic foods and the retelling of the Exodus story. Each item on the Seder plate carries profound meaning:
- Matzah (Unleavened Bread): Represents the haste with which the Israelites fled Egypt (Exod. 12:39).
- Maror (Bitter Herbs): Symbolizes the bitterness of slavery (Exod. 12:8).
- Charoset: A sweet mixture of apples, nuts, and wine, symbolizing the mortar used by the Israelite slaves.
- Zeroa (Shank Bone): Represents the Paschal lamb sacrificed on the eve of the Exodus (Exod. 12:3–11).
- Beitzah (Egg): Symbolizes mourning for the destruction of the Temple, where the lamb was once sacrificed.
2. The Prohibition of Chametz
During Pesach, the Children of Israel are forbidden from eating or possessing chametz (leavened bread), symbolizing the Israelites’ quick departure from Egypt:
“Seven days you shall eat unleavened bread. On the first day, you shall remove leaven from your houses…” (Exod. 12:15).
3. The Haggadah
The Haggadah (הגדה, “telling”) is the text used during the Seder, recounting the Exodus narrative. Some Haggadahs include rabbinic commentary, prayers, and songs. It is designed to fulfill the commandment:
“And you shall tell your son on that day, ‘It is because of what the Lord did for me when I came out of Egypt’” (Exod. 13:8).
Messianic Fulfillment in Yeshua (Jesus)
For Messianic Jews and many Christians, Pesach holds profound theological significance as it foreshadows Yeshua’s redemptive sacrifice.
1. Yeshua as the Passover Lamb
Yeshua’s crucifixion occurred during Pesach, fulfilling the requirements of the unblemished lamb whose blood brings salvation. Hence, when John the Immerser saw Yeshua, he declared, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29).
The Apostle Paul wrote,
“For Christ, our Passover Lamb, has been sacrificed” (1 Cor. 5:7).
2. The Last Supper was a Pesach Seder (Passover Seder)
The Last Supper was a Passover meal, during which Yeshua “took bread, and when He had given thanks, He broke it and gave it to them, saying, ‘This is My body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of Me’” (Luke 22:19).
Keep in mind also that, it would have been an unleavened bread that Yeshua gave during the Pesach Seder. Leaven, in the Feast of Unleavened Bread, represents sin. Thus, when Yeshua broke the unleavened bread and likened it to His body, He also declared that He is without leaven, which means without sin. In Yeshua’s context, His disciples would have known that completely.
Scholars such as Joachim Jeremias and David H. Stern argue that the Last Supper was a Passover Seder, noting the references to wine, bread, and covenantal language. Jeremias writes: “The Last Supper was a Passover meal with all its symbolic elements, which Yeshua infused with new meaning through His words and actions.”¹
Pesach in the Eschatological (End Times) Context
Pesach not only commemorates the past redemption from Egypt but also foreshadows the future Messianic redemption. The prophets depict the Messianic age with imagery reminiscent of the Exodus:
“For the days are coming, declares the Lord, when they shall no longer say, ‘As the Lord lives who brought up the people of Israel out of the land of Egypt,’ but ‘As the Lord lives who brought up and led the offspring of the house of Israel out of the north country and out of all the countries where he had driven them’” (Jer. 23:7–8).
The Book of Revelation uses Pesach imagery to describe the Lamb who redeems the nations:
“Worthy is the Lamb who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing!” (Rev. 5:12).
Conclusion
Pesach is far more than a historical commemoration—it is a profound celebration of redemption, freedom, and God’s covenantal faithfulness. For Jews, it recalls the Exodus and the birth of the Israelite nation. For Messianic believers and Christians, it symbolizes the greater redemption through Yeshua, the true Passover Lamb. As the Bible proclaims, the celebration of Pesach is to be observed “forever,” reminding all generations of God’s deliverance (Exod. 12:14).
Bibliography
Jeremias, Joachim. The Eucharistic Words of Jesus. Translated by Norman Perrin. London: SCM Press, 1966.
Stern, David H. Jewish New Testament Commentary: A Companion Volume to the Jewish New Testament. Clarksville, MD: Jewish New Testament Publications, 1992.
Yitzhak, Berger. “Exodus and Redemption: The Pesach Paradigm in Jewish Theology.” Journal of Biblical Literature 127, no. 3 (2008): 485–501.
Wright, N. T. The Day the Revolution Began: Reconsidering the Meaning of Jesus’s Crucifixion. New York: HarperOne, 2016.
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