Historical Background

The Lord’s Passover begins at twilight on the fourteenth day of the first month. On the fifteenth day of that month the Lord’s Feast of Unleavened Bread begins; for seven days you must eat bread made without yeast. On the first day hold a sacred assembly and do no regular work. For seven days present an offering made to the Lord by fire. And on the seventh day hold a sacred assembly and do no regular work (Leviticus 23:5–8).

The meaning of Passover is found in Leviticus 23. The Hebrew word “pesach” means “to spring, jump or pass over” something; hence the English name, Passover. This is a historical reference to God’s deliverance of Israel from the bondage of Egypt as recorded in Exodus.

Because of the increasing hardness of Pharoah’s heart, God had to send ten plagues to persuade the blinded leader to let Israel go. As devastating as the first nine plagues were, it wasn’t until the tenth and final plague that Pharoah acquiesced to the God of Israel. In this judgment, God said he would send the Angel of Death over the land of Egypt to take the firstborn boy of every household.

With every judgment of God there is also a way of escape. Any household that put the blood of the sacrificial lamb on its doorpost was given a special promise: “...when I see the blood, I will pass over you. No destructive plague will touch you...” (Exodus 12:13).

Passover clearly typifies redemption in a dramatic way. It is a holy day commemorating God’s deliverance of Israel from the slavery of Egypt. Yet Pesach also holds a greater prophetic picture of God’s plan for world redemption.

Traditional Jewish Observance

Because of its historical meaning for the Jewish people, the celebration of Passover is perhaps the most elaborate feast. The Torah says the people should remove any leavened products from their households (Exodus 12:15). This was to remind them that they had to flee Egypt so quickly that the bread in their ovens did not have time to rise. Every spring, in Jewish homes, a furious housecleaning takes place to remove any leavened products before Passover begins.

God told the Israelites the evening shall be commemorated by eating three things: lamb, matzah (unleavened bread) and bitter herbs. Rabbis later added numerous other elements, including green vegetables, a roasted egg, kharoset (apple/nut mix) and four cups of wine. These are arranged on a ceremonial seder plate, and the cups are sipped from a decorative kiddush cup (wine goblet).

Later in history rabbis added a fifth cup, called the Cup of Elijah. This particular cup is filled with the hope that the prophet Elijah will come, drink from the cup and announce that the Messiah has come (Malachi 4:5).

Passover, like most of the biblical holy days, features special, meaningful foods. All this reminds us that, from a Jewish perspective, theology is not only taught, it is also eaten. This is one more reason I believe all people—Jews and Gentiles, adults and children—can learn so much by celebrating the feasts.

A structured order of service was developed into the Haggadah, a booklet that retells the history and significance of Pesach. The Passover seder is a ceremonial dinner centered around reading the Haggadah. Through the symbolism and celebration, Jewish families are reminded of the great redemption of the first Passover.

Messianic Observance

It is not surprising to see numerous references to Passover in the Messianic Writings. Passover is mentioned in the Gospel accounts (see Luke 2:41 and John 5:1, 6:4), as well as the book of Acts (see Acts 12:3–4). By far the most famous account is the last Passover celebrated by Yeshua and his Jewish disciples in an upper room (Matthew 26 and Luke 22). In these passages one sees the traditions of the first century, and some spiritual lessons taught by the Messiah.

Among the traditional items mentioned are the lamb (Luke 22:8), bitter herbs (Matthew 26:23), the washings (John 13:1–15), the four cups of wine (Matthew 26 and Luke 22) and matzah (Matthew 26:26). The lamb reminds one of the means of redemption, the blood of the sacrifice. In this case, Messiah became our Pesach (John 1:29). The bitter herbs speak of terrible bondage to an oppressor. Not surprisingly, it was in the bowl of bitter herbs that Judas, a man who came to a bitter end, dipped his matzah. The hand and foot washings typify the need for cleansing before approaching a holy God.

Each of the four cups of wine teaches an important lesson. According to ancient rabbis, these four cups are based on the four promises given to the children of Israel in Exodus 6:6–7:

Therefore, say to the Israelites, “I am the Lord and I will bring you out from under the yoke of the Egyptian. I will free you from being slaves to them and will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with mighty acts of judgment. I will take you as my own people, and I will be your God...

The Cup of Sanctification appears at the start of the Seder. How appropriate to sanctify, or set apart, this service as special to the Lord. The second cup is known as the Cup of Plagues, when we praise the Holy One who has done such great miracles. The third Cup, the Cup of Redemption, was designated by Messiah Yeshua as a special memorial through all generations. It was once a memorial cup of physical redemption for the Jews from Egypt. For believers in Yeshua this cup symbolizes the spiritual redemption found in Messiah’s sacrifice.

The Cup of Praise, is the fourth cup, and a fitting close to the Seder service. After Sanctification, Plagues, and Redemption, this cup reveals the wonderful symbolic truth of God accepting his people. It is around this cup that some of the Hallel psalms are sung.