Passover (Pesach) – The Feast of Redemption
Opening Scripture
Exodus 12:11–14 (KJV)
“And thus shall ye eat it; with your loins girded, your shoes on your feet, and your staff in your hand; and ye shall eat it in haste: it is the LORD’S passover.
For I will pass through the land of Egypt this night, and will smite all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgment: I am the LORD.
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.
And this day shall be unto you for a memorial; and ye shall keep it a feast to the LORD throughout your generations; ye shall keep it a feast by an ordinance for ever.”
1. The Nature of Passover
Passover is the first of the seven Feasts of the LORD and marks the beginning of Israel’s religious year (Exodus 12:2).
It commemorates God’s deliverance of Israel from Egyptian slavery through the blood of a lamb.
Hebrew Name: פֶּסַח (Pesach) means “to pass over” or “to spare.”
It points to the night when God struck down Egypt’s firstborn but “passed over” the houses marked with the lamb’s blood.
2. Historical Foundation
The Setting – Egypt’s Oppression
Israel had been in Egypt for 430 years (Exodus 12:40), moving from favor in Joseph’s time to slavery under Pharaoh. God raised Moses as the deliverer, and after nine plagues, the tenth—death of the firstborn—would break Pharaoh’s grip.
The First Passover Instructions
Exodus 12:3–6 (KJV)
“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:
And if the household be too little for the lamb, let him and his neighbour next unto his house take it according to the number of the souls; every man according to his eating shall make your count for the lamb.
Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male of the first year: ye shall take it out from the sheep, or from the goats:
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.”
Key elements:
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Chosen Lamb: Without blemish, set apart for four days.
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Blood Applied: On the doorposts and lintel with hyssop (Exodus 12:7).
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Roasted Flesh: Eaten in haste with bitter herbs and unleavened bread (Exodus 12:8–10).
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Judgment Night: The LORD Himself struck Egypt, sparing homes under the blood.
3. The Hebrew Mindset – Redemption by Blood
In Hebrew thought, blood is life (Leviticus 17:11):
“For the life of the flesh is in the blood: and I have given it to you upon the altar to make an atonement for your souls: for it is the blood that maketh an atonement for the soul.”
Passover imprinted into Israel’s consciousness that deliverance comes only through the blood of the lamb—a divine exchange where the innocent dies for the guilty.
4. Prophetic Significance – Christ Our Passover
The New Testament clearly identifies Jesus as the fulfillment of Passover.
John the Baptist’s Declaration – John 1:29 (KJV)
“The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.”
Paul’s Confirmation – 1 Corinthians 5:7 (KJV)
“Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us.”
Parallels Between the Passover Lamb and Christ
| Passover Lamb | Jesus Christ |
|---|---|
| Without blemish (Exodus 12:5) | Sinless Lamb of God (1 Peter 1:19) |
| Chosen on 10th of Nisan | Triumphal entry into Jerusalem on 10th of Nisan (Matthew 21:9–11) |
| Examined for 4 days | Jesus examined by leaders, found faultless (Luke 23:4) |
| Slain at twilight on 14th of Nisan | Jesus crucified at Passover (Mark 15:25, 34–37) |
| Blood on doorposts | Blood of Christ on the cross covers believers (Romans 5:9) |
| Flesh eaten for nourishment | Christ’s body given for our life (John 6:51) |
5. The Blood as Protection and Deliverance
Hebrews 11:28 (KJV)
“Through faith he kept the passover, and the sprinkling of blood, lest he that destroyed the firstborn should touch them.”
The blood on the doors did not remove Israel from Egypt instantly, but it secured their safety from judgment and marked the beginning of their redemption journey—just as Christ’s blood saves us from wrath and begins our new life.
6. The Memorial and Rehearsal
Exodus 12:24–27 (KJV)
“And ye shall observe this thing for an ordinance to thee and to thy sons for ever.
And it shall come to pass, when ye be come to the land which the LORD will give you, according as he hath promised, that ye shall keep this service.
And it shall come to pass, when your children shall say unto you, What mean ye by this service?
That ye shall say, It is the sacrifice of the LORD’S passover, who passed over the houses of the children of Israel in Egypt, when he smote the Egyptians, and delivered our houses. And the people bowed the head and worshipped.”
The Feast of Passover became both a national identity marker and a prophetic rehearsal for the cross.
7. The Last Supper – Passover Transformed
On the night He was betrayed, Jesus celebrated the Passover meal with His disciples and redefined its symbols.
Luke 22:19–20 (KJV)
“And he took bread, and gave thanks, and brake it, and gave unto them, saying, This is my body which is given for you: this do in remembrance of me.
Likewise also the cup after supper, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood, which is shed for you.”
Here, the unleavened bread and the cup of redemption became the New Covenant memorial of His sacrifice.
8. Spiritual Application for Believers Today
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Salvation Is Through the Blood Alone – No human effort can save; it is the applied blood of Christ that delivers from wrath (Ephesians 1:7).
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Urgency of Readiness – As Israel ate in haste, believers must live ready for God’s call (Luke 12:35–36).
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Removing Leaven – Passover leads into Unleavened Bread; salvation calls us to holiness (1 Corinthians 5:8).
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Worshipful Remembrance – Regularly recalling Christ’s sacrifice deepens our love for Him.
9. Devotional Reflection
Passover is not just history—it is your story if you are in Christ. The blood of the Lamb has marked the doorway of your heart. Judgment has passed over you, not because you are better than others, but because the Lamb was slain in your place.
10. Key Takeaways (SOPHIARCH Style)
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Passover is the foundation of redemption in both Old and New Testaments.
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It reveals the necessity of the blood of a spotless substitute.
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It prophetically foreshadows Christ’s crucifixion with remarkable precision.
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It calls believers to live as a redeemed, unleavened people.
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The Lord’s Supper is the New Covenant expression of the Passover meal.
Closing Verse
1 Peter 1:18–19 (KJV)
“Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers;
But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot.”
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