Topical Bible: The Feast of the Passover: Christ Always Observed

Bible > Topical > The Feast of the Passover

◄ The Feast of the Passover: Christ Always Observed ►

Jump to: Torrey's • Library • Subtopics • Terms

Topical Encyclopedia

The Feast of the Passover, one of the most significant Jewish festivals, commemorates the Israelites' deliverance from Egyptian bondage as described in the Book of Exodus. This annual observance, instituted by God, is a profound symbol of redemption and liberation. The Passover holds deep theological significance, prefiguring the ultimate sacrifice of Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God.

Biblical Foundation

The origins of the Passover are found in Exodus 12, where God commands the Israelites to sacrifice a lamb without blemish and mark their doorposts with its blood. This act would spare them from the plague of the firstborn, which God sent upon Egypt. The Lord instructed, "This day is to be a memorial for you, and you are to celebrate it as a feast to the LORD; as a lasting ordinance for the generations to come" (Exodus 12:14).

Christ's Observance of Passover

Throughout His earthly ministry, Jesus Christ faithfully observed the Passover, underscoring its importance and continuity. The Gospels provide several accounts of Jesus participating in this feast, highlighting His adherence to the Law and His role in fulfilling its deeper meaning.

In the Gospel of Luke, it is recorded that Jesus' parents went to Jerusalem every year for the Feast of the Passover. When Jesus was twelve years old, He accompanied them, demonstrating His early commitment to the observance (Luke 2:41-42).

During His public ministry, Jesus continued to observe the Passover. In John 2:13, it is noted, "When the Jewish Passover was near, Jesus went up to Jerusalem." This passage indicates His participation in the festival, aligning with Jewish custom and law.

The Last Supper

The most significant Passover observance by Christ is the Last Supper, which He shared with His disciples on the eve of His crucifixion. This meal, described in the Synoptic Gospels, is a pivotal moment where Jesus reinterprets the Passover elements, instituting the Lord's Supper. In Matthew 26:26-28, Jesus takes bread, gives thanks, breaks it, and gives it to His disciples, saying, "Take and eat; this is My body." He then takes the cup, gives thanks, and offers it to them, saying, "Drink from it, all of you. This is My blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins" .

Theological Significance

Christ's observance of the Passover is not merely a matter of ritual compliance but a profound theological statement. By participating in the Passover, Jesus affirms His identity as the fulfillment of the Law and the Prophets. He embodies the true Passover Lamb, whose sacrifice brings ultimate deliverance from sin and death.

The Apostle Paul echoes this understanding in 1 Corinthians 5:7, where he writes, "For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed" . This declaration encapsulates the transition from the Old Covenant to the New, with Christ's atoning work as the centerpiece of God's redemptive plan.

Conclusion

The Feast of the Passover, as observed by Christ, serves as a bridge between the Old and New Testaments, illustrating the continuity of God's salvific work. Jesus' faithful observance and ultimate fulfillment of the Passover reveal the depth of God's love and the profound mystery of redemption through His Son.

Torrey's Topical Textbook

Matthew 26:17-20
Now the first day of the feast of unleavened bread the disciples came to Jesus, saying to him, Where will you that we prepare for you to eat the passover?
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Luke 22:15
And he said to them, With desire I have desired to eat this passover with you before I suffer:
Torrey's Topical Textbook

John 2:13,23
And the Jews' passover was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Library

Christ Our Passover
... the expounder of the laws of the feast, the feast's own Founder. ... In the Passover
men fed on the Sacrifice ... Jesus Christ presents Himself to each of us as at once ...
/.../expositions of holy scripture st john chaps xv to xxi/christ our passover.htm

The Question Then Agitated Concerning the Passover.
... should be observed as the feast of the ... the Church, celebrated the Christian passover
always on the ... Christendom, celebrated the death of Christ always on Friday ...
/.../pamphilius/church history/chapter xxiii the question then agitated.htm

The Disagreement in Asia.
... not to observe what he had always observed with John ... of Nisan, were commemorating
the last passover feast and the ... imply that they believed that Christ died on ...
/.../pamphilius/church history/chapter xxiv the disagreement in asia.htm

The Thirty ??ons are not Typified by the Fact that Christ was ...
... the special month in which the passover was celebrated ... Some modern scholars think
that the feast of Purim is ... Christ would therefore be present at four passovers ...
/.../irenaeus/against heresies/chapter xxii the thirty aeons are.htm

Fragment v. --That up to the Time of the Destruction of Jerusalem ...
... true Lamb, was sacrificed for us in the feast of the ... typical Passover, therefore,
then ceased, the true Passover being present: "For Christ our Passover ...
/.../peter/the writings of peter of alexandria/fragment v that up to the.htm

Judas Exposed.
... some purpose; for things needed for the feast week of ... He ate the sop, Christ spoke
to him at once ... After the passover meal the Supper was ordained; then followed ...
/.../johnson/the new testament commentary vol iii john/judas exposed.htm

The Last Supper.
... had furnished the guest chamber for the feast, had provided ... He had to arrange for
the passover with his own ... When Christ wept with sympathy, or fed the hungry ...
/.../johnson/the new testament commentary vol iii john/the last supper.htm

Appendix xv. The Location of Sychar, and the Date of Our Lord's ...
... This would allow ample time for Christ's stay in Jerusalem during the Passover and
for ... As we are discussing the date of the unnamed Feast, it may be as well ...
/.../the life and times of jesus the messiah/appendix xv the location of.htm

Polycrates, Bishop of Ephesus.
... came together to consider this matter of the Paschal feast. ... These all kept the passover
on the fourteenth ... 28:20) of plenary authority given by Christ Himself to ...
//christianbookshelf.org/unknown/the decretals/polycrates bishop of ephesus.htm

The Fifth Day in Passion-Week - Make Ready the Passover!'
... provision of all that was required for the Feast. ... Levitical inspection, since on
the Passover-day there ... But this prescience of Christ afforded only further ...
/.../edersheim/the life and times of jesus the messiah/chapter ix the fifth day.htm