Passover was instituted by God in Exodus 12. The Israelites were commanded to choose an unblemished lamb on the 10th of the month of Nisan. They had to watch the lamb until the 14th to ensure no harm came to it. It had to be a pure lamb. When the 14th arrived, the Israelites were to slaughter the lamb. Upon killing it, the Israelites were to take the blood and apply it to the doorposts and lintels of their homes. This act of faith, the application of the lamb’s blood, ensured that God’s judgment would “pass over” any Israelite home. The firstborn males, both people and beasts, would be spared.

Around 1500 years after the Passover event, Jesus arrived on the scene. The divinely ordained parallels between the Messiah and the Passover event are fascinating. Knowledge of the Passover story brings appreciation for Messiah’s story. For example, did you know that Jesus entered Jerusalem on the 10th of Nisan? Of course, this is the same date that the unblemished lamb had to be chosen by the Israelites in Egypt. Just as the Passover lamb was slain on the 14th of Nisan, so Jesus was slain on the 14th of Nisan. Just as the Passover lamb in Egypt could not have any broken bones, so Jesus did not have any broken bones. None of this is a coincidence.

Aside from dates, there are other ways the Easter event is connected to the Passover event. One way in which the New Testament authors teach is through their use of Passover imagery. For example, in John 1:29 we read about Jesus’ appearance to John the Baptist. John sees Jesus coming towards him and says, “Here is the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” John’s readers were familiar with the Passover. They would have understood the divine weight that John’s words carried.

Another reference to Passover is found in 1 Corinthians 5:6-8. Paul admonishes the Corinthians that their “boasting is not good.” He uses leaven as an illustration for their sin. Leaven is like yeast and Israelites were commanded by God to remove all leaven from their home for Passover. One could not keep or eat leaven. Paul used this concept from Passover to illustrate the importance of removing sin.

Just as Israelites in ancient Egypt had to apply the blood of the unblemished lamb to the doorpost and lintels of their homes, so people today must apply the blood of the unblemished Lamb to the doorposts and lintels of their hearts. If a Hebrew slave chose not to listen to Moses’ instructions about applying the blood to their doorposts, they would have suffered the consequences of losing the firstborn. So today, if someone chooses not to apply the blood of the unblemished Lamb, Jesus the Messiah, they will suffer the judgment of God for their sins, namely death and separation from God for eternity. The blood of the lamb was God’s way of escaping judgment back in Egypt. Not much has changed. The blood of the Lamb is still God’s way of escaping judgment. Have you applied the blood of the Lamb, Jesus the Messiah, for the forgiveness of your sins?

Levi H., and his wife Stephanie, live in Chicago where they work as Field Ministry Directors with Life in Messiah and he studies at Moody Theological Seminary. As Gentile followers of our Jewish Messiah, they are passionate about sharing the good news of Yeshua with unbelieving Israel and educating the Church about the rich Jewish foundation of our faith.