The Passover 

Most people of any church or temple going background know of the story of Passover. But many do not understand the prophetic implications of this Jewish Holiday. As we will come to see in this and other studies, God uses his holidays (holy-days) to paint a picture of his plan to come. God did not only use this event to strike fear into a stubborn Pharaoh and to show favor to his chosen people back in 1500BC, but he also used this event as an object teaching to forecast the ultimate plan for our salvation....let's dive in to see his plan come to life. 

Leviticus 23:5 In the fourteenth day of the first month at even is the Lord's passover.

Exodus 12:2 This month shall be unto you the beginning of months: it shall be the first month of the year to you.

The day of Passover takes place on the fourteenth day of the first month. The first month on the Jewish calendar is known as Nisan, and the Jewish day begins at sundown (or "at even"-they worked off of a lunar calendar).

Exodus 12:3, 5 Speak ye unto all the congregation of Israel, saying, In the tenth day of this month they shall take to them every man a lamb, according to the house of their fathers, a lamb for an house: Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male of the first year: ye shall take it out from the sheep, or from the goats:

In God's system, the penalty of sin is death (Romans 6:23). Therefore, if a human sins, there had to be a blood sacrifice made in order to cover the penalty of that sin. Why blood? Because life is in the blood (Leviticus 17:11). In the old covenant system, the blood of a perfect (without blemish) lamb or goat would symbolically satisfy the sin/death exchange. Being without blemish implied the creature's purity. Only a perfect sacrifice could substitute for our imperfection. The lamb is taken on the tenth day and is kept until the fourteenth day to ensure the animal is pure. 

Exodus 12:6, 8, 10 And ye shall keep it up until the fourteenth day of the same month: and the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill it in the evening. And they shall eat the flesh in that night, roast with fire, and unleavened bread; and with bitter herbs they shall eat it. And ye shall let nothing of it remain until the morning; and that which remaineth of it until the morning ye shall burn with fire.

The lamb is taken on the tenth day, kept until the fourteenth day, to make sure it is without blemish, then on the fourteenth day the sacrifice is killed by the whole assembly of Israel. Once the sacrifice is killed, it is cooked and eaten, with unleavened bread and bitter herbs. Every piece must be consumed, and if there are any remains of the meal, it must be burnt by fire. 

Exodus 12:13, 23 And the blood shall be to you for a token upon the houses where ye are: and when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and the plague shall not be upon you to destroy you, when I smite the land of Egypt. For the Lord will pass through to smite the Egyptians; and when he seeth the blood upon the lintel, and on the two side posts, the Lord will pass over the door, and will not suffer the destroyer to come in unto your houses to smite you.

The Israelites are then instructed to cover the outside of the door in the blood of the sacrificed lamb. When God sees this blood he will "pass over" the door, and allow the child to live. Otherwise, the child will be put to death. 

Exodus 12:46 In one house shall it be eaten; thou shalt not carry forth ought of the flesh abroad out of the house; neither shall ye break a bone thereof.

Numbers 9:12 They shall leave none of it unto the morning, nor break any bone of it: according to all the ordinances of the passover they shall keep it.

None of the lambs bones could be broken. Not only is this echoed in the book of numbers (above), but it's also reflected in the Psalms (below). What is the significance of the bones? 

Psalms 34:20 He keepeth all his bones: not one of them is broken.

Psalm 34 is a beautiful worship of God. It seemingly has nothing to do with the Passover...which makes you wonder why this is written. When the Lord says "he keepeth all his bones", who's bones is he talking about? 

John 1:34, 36 And I saw, and bare record that this is the Son of God. And looking upon Jesus as he walked, he saith, Behold the Lamb of God!

The book of John in the New Testament opens up with John the Baptist identifying Jesus Christ as the son of God. The very first thing he calls him is the Lamb of God. John could have chosen any of Jesus' names or titles (there are over 100), but he immediately points us to the lamb. 

John 12:1, 12 Then Jesus six days before the passover came to Bethany, where Lazarus was, which had been dead, whom he raised from the dead. On the next day much people that were come to the feast, when they heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem

Passover takes place on the evening of the fourteenth day of the month. Six days before the Passover, Jesus was in Bethany. On the next day, he entered into Jerusalem. That means that Jesus entered into Jerusalem on the tenth day of the month. 

Bethany was on the 9th (the First day), the 10th was the Second day, the 11th-Third day, the 12th-Fourth day, the 13th-Fifth day, the 14th (Passover)

The entire assembly of Israel was gathered in Jerusalem for the Passover. Jesus entered into the city on the tenth. The Passover lamb was to be taken on the tenth, until the Passover when the lamb was to be sacrificed on the fourteenth. During his time in Jerusalem, Jesus was constantly questioned by the pharisees. He was tested by the people, he taught lessons and parables, he performed miracles. During these days, he was fulfilling the testing period of the lamb. He was proving his purity. The pharisees tried to catch him in sin but Jesus had the perfect reply to each one of their tests or accusations. He was the sacrifice without blemish. The man without sin. 

Luke 22:1, 7, 8, 15 Now the feast of unleavened bread drew nigh, which is called the Passover. Then came the day of unleavened bread, when the passover must be killed. And he sent Peter and John, saying, Go and prepare us the passover, that we may eat. And he said unto them, With desire I have desired to eat this passover with you before I suffer

Matthew 26:17-19 Now the first day of the feast of unleavened bread the disciples came to Jesus, saying unto him, Where wilt thou that we prepare for thee to eat the passover? And he said, Go into the city to such a man, and say unto him, The Master saith, My time is at hand; I will keep the passover at thy house with my disciples. And the disciples did as Jesus had appointed them; and they made ready the passover. 

Here we find that Jesus enjoyed the Passover meal as his last supper with his disciples-taken by Judas and Pontius Pilate soon after that meal. The following day (which was still Passover, until evening) was known as the "preparation" day for the feast of unleavened bread. The preparation day took place before the next feast. These holidays are celebrated back to back (Luke 22:1 above shows us that because the holidays were celebrated back to back the terms feast of the unleavened bread and Passover could be looked at interchangeably). 

Mark 15:25, 33 And it was the third hour, and they crucified him. And when the sixth hour was come, there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour.

The Hebrews discerned between AM and PM by using the terms "watch" and "hour". In ancient times they used to have sentries keep "watch" over the city at night. The new day began at 6PM, or first "watch". Third watch would mean 9PM, whereas the third hour stood for 9AM. Just so we understand the timeline, Passover happened at "even'. Jesus ate the passover with his disciples. Later that night, he was taken by the assembly. He was crucified at the third hour the following morning (9AM). Jesus came into Jerusalem on the 10th. He was kept for 5 days in the city as a testing period (the lamb without blemish). He was taken and crucified on the day of Passover. 

John 19:31 The Jews therefore, because it was the preparation, that the bodies should not remain upon the cross on the sabbath day, (for that sabbath day was an high day,) besought Pilate that their legs might be broken, and that they might be taken away.

33 But when they came to Jesus, and saw that he was dead already, they brake not his legs:

After the two criminals and Jesus were crucified, the congregation of Israel would not leave dead bodies up during a high holy day and Sabbath. The day before the sabbath was the day of preparation because all work had to be done before that high holy day. When the congregation went to take down the victims, they didn't have to break the legs of Jesus because he was already dead. This fulfills God's Passover commandment in Exodus 12:46 and Numbers 9:12. This reveals the verse in Psalms 34:20, and confirms Jesus Christ's identity as the Lamb of God. His perfect sacrifice. We can look to Isaiah 53 for further confirmation. add genesis 22:7-8, 13.

Isaiah 53:7, 10 He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth. Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand.

Matthew 27:12-14 And when he was accused of the chief priests and elders, he answered nothing. Then said Pilate unto him, Hearest thou not how many things they witness against thee? And he answered him to never a word; insomuch that the governor marvelled greatly.

He openeth not his mouth. Prophesied in the book of Isaiah... 

The Bible is an incredible puzzle, and it's beyond amazing to learn how the pieces fit together. Some say that the Old Testament is the New testament concealed, and that the New Testament is the Old Testament revealed. Jesus Christ is the key, and he unlocks all the doors to this puzzle. We can find him on virtually every page of this book if we know where to look. The fact that his sacrifice was prophesied 1500 years before the event occurred is just one example proving that the scriptures operate beyond the constructs of time. These words come from the Divine. From our father in heaven. 

Remember in Exodus 12:23 (above), when the Lord sees blood on the two posts and the lintel, he will pass over the door, and will not suffer the destroyer to come in to smite you. In God's created system, the wages for sin is death. In order to "cover" one's sin, a blood sacrifice had to be made. Life is in the blood, and blood is required to pay for life. But the ancient sacrifices made unto goats and bulls were never enough to take our sin away forever. That's why the Hebrews had to make these sacrifices annually-and this is why the sacrificial system is no longer in use. The true sacrifice (Jesus) was made, once and for all. The death of Jesus Christ is the ultimate and complete payment for all sins. If his blood covers you, God's judgment will pass over the door. Jesus Christ is the door. Faith in him is the only way to salvation. It is a free gift from our Almighty God. 

John 10:9 I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.

1 Peter 1:19 But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot