Passover from a Christian Perspective

Passover is a service that is celebrated each year by the Jewish people; it is a reminder to them of what the Lord did for them in bringing them out of bondage from Egypt. The Israelites were told to dress in their travel clothes, and sandals, as if preparing for a long journey. They are to celebrate as prescribed by God each year; there is to be no leavened bread in the house, nor even the leaven itself, they are to slaughter an unblemished lamb, drain all the blood from it, and with Hyssop they were to paint their door-posts on each side, and at the top. Thus when the angel of the Lord saw the blood he would bypass their home, and they would be protected from the plague that was sent by God to kill the first born of all animals, and man alike. The celebration is a seven day event which is to be celebrated each year as laid out by God; on the first day, and the seventh there is to be a holy convocation, or service. But, does this celebration hold anything for us as Christians?

Of course the answer is yes, as it was the beginning of the first real Church of God, and it led to the formation of what was eventually to be called Christianity. The Passover does not only hold meaning for the Jewish people, but also for the Christians as it is speaks for the love of God for His people, and what He is willing to do to help us find redemption and eternal life. "Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male of the first year." (Exodus 12:5) It was specified by God this way as the lamb without blemish who was to be led to the slaughter for redemption of the soul would be the Son of God, Jesus Christ.

As His final meal to be shared with His apostles prior to His arrest, and subsequent execution, Jesus would celebrate the Passover. During this meal Jesus introduced the celebration of the first Holy Communion to his disciples.

^{"And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, blessedand broke it, and gave it to the disciples and said, 'Take, eat; this is My body.'
Then He took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, 'Drink from it, all of you. For this is My blood of the newcovenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins. But I say to you, I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you in My Father's kingdom.'" (Matthew 26:26-29, NKJV)}

This service of Communion which Jesus first celebrated with his disciples in the Upper Room has become one of the most important celebrations for Christian believers. It represents to believers the blood, and body of Christ; reminding us what God was willing to give in order that we should be forgiven. As a Christian who accepts Christ as our Savior and asks humbly for the forgiveness of our sins, we are then reborn anew in Christ; we are cleansed through the Sacrifice of Christ, God own sacrificial lamb. Jesus was tempted, and found clean, He resisted the temptation of Satin in the desert, thus He was the only one found worthy enough to be God's perfect sacrifice. This is the very basis of our religion without Christ we would still be wallowing in our sin, and thus we would never be found worthy of God's forgiveness; through the blood of Christ we are seen as pure and holy, worthy of God's love.

Jesus Christ is the first born son of God, and being without blemish He went to the cross for us all so that we could be saved from eternal damnation. Passover was just the beginning, and the death and resurrection of Christ is only the second piece of a very large puzzle made by God; Himself. The next piece will take place when Jesus calls all believers to join Him in heaven at the time of the Rapture, and after this will come the Great Tribulation a seven year period when Antichrist shall rule the peoples of this world that remain; piece number four. At the end of the Great Tribulation Jesus will return to earth with the armies of heaven to defeat antichrist, and he and his minion shall be thrown into the river of fire, piece number five.

^{"Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, having the key to the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. He laid hold of the dragon, that serpent of old, who is the Devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years; and he cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal on him, so that he should deceive the nations no more till the thousand years were finished. But after these things he must be released for a little while." (Revelation 20:1-3, NKJV)}

The imprisonment of Satin then is piece number six, and then Christ will rule on earth for a thousand years along with the saints who were beheaded for worshipping Jesus, and not antichrist, during the tribulation; He shall reign for one thousand years, piece number six. Then Satin will be loosed for a little while to stir up the non-believers and meet in the great valley of Megiddo for the battle of Armageddon; but they will be defeated by Christ, number seven. Then the books will be opened and all will be judged according to his deeds on earth, and those not found in the Book of Life shall be cast into the river of fire with Satin; number seven. Then God will create a new heaven, and earth then He shall reside on earth with His people. Thanks be to God for His first Passover, and His redemption of mankind's souls in the final piece of the puzzle. It will again be as it was always supposed to be, in the Beginning.