One of the major OT feasts. It specifically commemorates the exodus from Egypt as an act of God's deliverance. In Israel's calendar of feasts it was always celebrated with the Feast of Unleavened Bread.
The institution of the Passover
Exodus 12:25–27 The Hebrew term “Passover” derives from a verb meaning “to pass over” with the sense of “to spare”.
When you enter the land that the LORD will give you as He promised, you are to keep this service. When your children ask you, ‘What does this service mean to you?’ you are to reply, ‘It is the Passover sacrifice to the LORD, who passed over the houses of the Israelites in Egypt when He struck down the Egyptians and spared our homes.’” Then the people bowed down and worshiped.
Celebrating the Passover
Instructions concerning its observance
See also Exodus 12:2–11, Exodus 12:46–47; Numbers 9:1–5; Deuteronomy 16:1–8
Combined with the Feast of Unleavened Bread
The need for ritual cleansing
Provision for ritual uncleanness
Provision for non-Jews
Exodus 12:43–45, Exodus 12:48–49; Numbers 9:14
Its observance in the OT
These occasions are times of spiritual renewal, when the nation remembered how the LORD had saved them: Joshua 5:10; 2 Kings 23:21–23; 2 Chronicles 30:1–5, 2 Chronicles 30:13–20; Ezra 6:19–21
Ezekiel's vision of the future observance of the Passover
The Passover in the NT
Its observance
Luke 2:41–42; John 6:4; Acts 12:4
It was celebrated by Jesus Christ
Luke 22:15 At Passover time Jesus Christ himself was sacrificed and he inaugurated the Lord's Supper. See also Matthew 26:17–19 parallels Mark 14:12–16, Luke 22:7–13; John 2:23 Jesus Christ observed the Passover like other Jews.
And He said to them, “I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before My suffering.
Jesus Christ identified with the Passover lamb
1 Corinthians 5:7 See also John 1:29, John 1:36, John 19:36 This may refer to the Passover victim; Exodus 12:46; Revelation 5:5–6
Get rid of the old leaven, that you may be a new unleavened batch, as you really are. For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed.
Related themes
Dictionary of Bible Themes © 1999 Martin Manser, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Bible Aquifer. Formatted for this site, with Scripture from the Berean Standard Bible.