Should Christians Celebrate Passover?

As followers of Christ near the season of Easter, Jews around the world are preparing for the celebration of Passover. Historically, Passover is the remembrance of the final plague of Egypt (Exodus 11-12). According to Scripture, God tells Moses that this plague, the death of the firstborn, would break the hardened heart of the Egyptian Pharaoh and that, as a result, he would release the Israelite slaves.

For the nation of Israel, this plague could be avoided through the sacrifice of an unblemished lamb. God dispensed clear instructions directing the people to swab the lambs’ blood over the entryways of their homes. Later, when the Spirit of God would pass through the land to claim the lives of the first born, He would recognize the sign of the blood and would “Passover” those homes…sparing their lives.

It’s no coincidence that over one-thousand years later Jesus, a Jew, gathers together with his disciples in the evening before He is arrested to eat not just any meal…but the Passover meal. This “Last Supper” would have included the traditional elements…unleavened bread, bitter herbs, wine. Famously, Jesus broke the bread, calling it His body, and shared it with His followers. Likewise the wine, which symbolized His blood, was passed around in a common cup. Jesus said, “…do this, as often as drink it, in remembrance of me.” (1 Corinthians 11:25) In other words, Passover will never again simply be a celebration of what God did for some estimated four million slaves, but what Jesus has done for the whole of humanity.

With that in mind, it is surprising how few Christians even associate communion with the traditional Passover. For many the connection is unclear, and there are two primary reasons for this:

1. Communion can easily become empty ritual.

For years the debate has raged in Protestant circles about how often The Lord’s Supper should be taken. Every week, every month, every quarter?? I actually lean towards the idea that “as often as” the Jewish disciples would have been celebrating the meal would have been yearly…since it was, after all, the Passover meal. Just imagine what this supper must have been like for the Apostles on the one-year anniversary of Jesus’ arrest. That said, there is no such thing as remembering His sacrifice too often. The meal loses all significance, however, when we receive it unprepared. It becomes empty when there is neither personal reflection on the cross nor an internal examination of the soul.

2. The story of Jesus is often not told in light of the larger story of God.

It has been said that the Bible is really the story of Jesus. In other words, the narrative of Scripture is all about God’s redemption and longsuffering grace through the Messiah. I couldn’t agree more. Think about how the Gospels are written…containing not just the Christ story but also the prophetical evidence. Even though Jesus didn’t show up in human form until the New Testament, the Old Testament contains over three hundred prophecies about Him. The point is that what happened in Egypt thirteen hundred years prior to Jesus, isn’t just a part of the story of the Bible…it is a part of the gospel. Just as the Spirit of God passed over and spared the lives of those who had sacrificed a lamb, so today the blood of Jesus, the true unblemished lamb, covers the hearts of those who choose Him. It is through the sacrifice of the Lamb that all are offered salvation.

In the language of literature, the historic Passover is a harbinger, a sign of things to come. The death and resurrection of Jesus doesn’t void the celebration, instead it contextualizes it. Jesus contextualized everything…sin, the law, righteousness. In reference to the traditional Mosaic Law, Jesus said, “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I did not come to abolish but to fulfill.” (Matthew 5:17) In other words, His life brought context to the law. In the same way, Jesus’ death brought about a full understanding of the meaning and significance of Passover. It was about Him all along.

Followers of Christ do well to do Passover “in remembrance of Him”. You may not be Jewish, but that’s not the point. Jesus died for Jew and Gentile alike. This Easter, pray about making the Passover meal, this Lord’s Supper, a part of your family’s experience. Prepare your hearts and enter into this season ready to look introspectively at your heart and to celebrate the gift of a risen Savior.