Passover--What it Means to Me as a Christian and a Brief History of What it Means to the Jewish People
Passover is named as such because it means to literally "pass over." This "passing over" ended Moses' acts of convincing the Egyptian pharaoh to allow the Hebrew slaves to be let free. Moses turned Aaron's staff into a snake but the pharaoh was not impressed as his magicians could do the same. It did not matter that Aaron's staff/snake swallowed the others. With God's help Moses and Aaron then caused there to be locusts, boils that would not heal to form on the people, and six other plagues before it ended with the deaths of the firstborn Egyptian sons. Only three of the minor plagues directly affected the Hebrew people.
To avoid the Hebrews being affected by the final and most vicious plague, they were to sprinkle lamb's blood on their doorposts. When the Angel of Death passed through it would be aware a Hebrew family lived in the home and would skip the family. The following day, the Egyptians woke up horrified. The pharaoh, who had been very reluctant to let the Hebrews be free changed his mind.
As a Christian, we do not celebrate Passover in the manner the Jewish people do. In spite of this fact, it remains an important part of our history as well. Passover is a holiday that celebrates God's promises and should be respected as such for that reason.
Passover begins on the fifteenth day of the month of Nisan in the Hebrew calendar. Nisan roughly coordinates with March and April in the Gregorian calendar which is what is used in most of the secular world. In 2010, Passover begins on Tuesday, March 30.
Many Jewish families celebrate Passover by not eating leavened bread, rice, corn, or beans. The Jewish people had to leave Egypt so quickly there was no time for the bread they were baking to rise. This unleavened bread is called the Matza. Families who celebrate Passover have a special meal called the Seder meal. This bread is one type of food likely to be on the plate but the other foods have meanings to them as well. The meal usually takes a few hours.
As someone who has recently began to learn more about the Jewish faith, I welcome your comments on how to make this article reflect the Jewish interpretation of Passover more clearly. I am not one to check my comments section so please press the contact button at the top of the page if I have stated something incorrectly or you can help me to make the celebration more clear.
If you would like to learn more about the Passover holiday it is in the KJV, the Exodus chapter of the Old Testament
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ten_Plagues
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Passover
http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_do_Jewish_people_eat_on_Passover
Published by Andrea Rowe
Born in NE Arkansas six miles from where my dad s family lived as long ago as 1820. College grad in psychology field. My children and I have a very rare genetic disease that seriously impacts our lives. I... View profile
- The 4th of July: What it Means to MeLife gives new insight to the meaning of what this holiday really stands for.
What it Means to Be EMOEmo is short for emotional and that's what these teens are. They have their own style of dress, music, and attitude. - What it Means to Be Asian?To me, Asian is people of Asia that is unique in many ways of his own. First and foremost
What it Means to Be African American Being African American is learning to have compassion and understanding for issues and matters that pertain to our heritage and past.- H1N1 "Swine Flu" and What it Means to YouThe recent outbreaks of the swine flu have America on the edge and people would like to know how they can help prevent the spread and contraction of the virus.
- The Meaning and History of Passover
- Rodef Sholom Temple: The Jewish Faith, Religion and Customs
- How to Prepare for Passover: The Steps and Rituals (fun!)
- History, Ritual and Symbolism Involved in Passover
- Understanding the Jewish Passover
- Passover: The Feast of Freedom
- What it Means to Be an American