The Feast of the Passover, also known as Pesach, is one of the most significant and ancient festivals in the Jewish calendar, commemorating the Israelites' deliverance from slavery in Egypt. The central rite of this feast is the eating of the Paschal Lamb, which takes place on the first day of Passover. This observance is deeply rooted in the biblical narrative and holds profound theological significance.

Biblical Foundation

The institution of the Passover is detailed in the Book of Exodus. God commanded Moses and Aaron to instruct the Israelites to select a lamb without blemish on the tenth day of the first month, Nisan, and to keep it until the fourteenth day. On that evening, the lamb was to be slaughtered, and its blood applied to the doorposts and lintels of the houses where the Israelites would eat it. This act served as a sign for the Lord to "pass over" the houses of the Israelites during the final plague—the death of the firstborn in Egypt (Exodus 12:3-13).

The Paschal Lamb

The Paschal Lamb, or Passover Lamb, is central to the observance. It symbolizes the sacrificial offering that secured the Israelites' deliverance. The lamb was to be roasted whole and eaten with unleavened bread and bitter herbs, as prescribed in Exodus 12:8 : "They are to eat the meat that night, roasted over the fire, along with unleavened bread and bitter herbs." The consumption of the lamb was to be done in haste, reflecting the urgency of the impending exodus (Exodus 12:11).

Ritual Observance

The eating of the Paschal Lamb on the first day of Passover is a ritual steeped in symbolism and obedience to divine command. The lamb's blood, applied to the doorposts, was a sign of faith and obedience, marking the Israelites as God's chosen people. The act of eating the lamb was a communal experience, reinforcing the identity and unity of the Israelite community as they prepared for liberation.

Theological Significance

From a theological perspective, the Paschal Lamb prefigures the ultimate sacrifice of Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world (John 1:29). The New Testament draws a parallel between the Passover Lamb and Christ's sacrificial death, emphasizing redemption and deliverance from sin. The Apostle Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 5:7 , "For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed."

Historical and Cultural Context

Historically, the Passover has been a time of pilgrimage and celebration for the Jewish people. It is one of the three major feasts that required Jewish males to appear before the Lord in Jerusalem (Deuteronomy 16:16). The Passover meal, or Seder, has evolved over time, incorporating additional elements and traditions, yet the core observance of the Paschal Lamb remains a testament to God's deliverance and faithfulness.

Contemporary Observance

In contemporary Jewish practice, the Paschal Lamb is no longer sacrificed due to the absence of the Temple in Jerusalem. However, the Seder meal continues to be a central aspect of Passover, with symbolic foods and rituals that recount the account of the Exodus. For Christians, the Passover is often seen as a foreshadowing of the Last Supper and the sacrificial death of Christ, celebrated in the Eucharist or Communion.

The Feast of the Passover, with the Paschal Lamb at its heart, remains a powerful reminder of God's redemptive power and the enduring covenant between God and His people.Exodus 12:6,8
And you 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.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

When Christ Ate the Passover.
... A far more difficult question is whether the Lord's paschal feast was eaten at the ...
to conclude that the Savior died on the day the passover lamb was slain ...
/.../the new testament commentary vol iii john/when christ ate the passover.htm

Preparation for Passover. Disciples Contend for Precedence.
... It was a feast commemorating a great deliverance from ... The passover was typical of
the Lord's suffering before ... secure the room in which the paschal supper was ...
/.../mcgarvey/the four-fold gospel/cxvii preparation for passover disciples.htm

The Fifth Day in Passion-Week - Make Ready the Passover!'
... the Day of Unleavened Bread came, on which the Passover must be ... Sabbath following
on the first day of the feast - and that the Paschal Lamb was therefore ...
/.../edersheim/the life and times of jesus the messiah/chapter ix the fifth day.htm

The Passover: an Expiation and a Feast, a Memorial and a Prophecy
... a teacher, when He brushed aside the Passover, and put ... that He Himself was the true
Paschal Lamb, whose blood ... judgment, and on whom the world may feast and be ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture k/the passover an expiation and.htm

The New Passover
... His own household together for the family feast of the ... Lord's Supper in the place
of the Passover, if He ... not mean that He was the true Paschal Lamb, that His ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture b/the new passover.htm

Blessed be that First Day of Thine, Lord, Wherewith this Day of ...
... in the wilderness, into the Womb the Paschal Lamb entered! ... the flowers [411] of peace,
let us keep Thy passover. ... Let Thy feast then, O Thou that enrichest all ...
/.../ephraim/hymns and homilies of ephraim the syrian/hymn iii blessed be that.htm

The Last Supper
... day, which would be unlawful; that the feast day would not ... Christ with the sacrifice
of the passover (I. Cor ... about the time of the killing of the paschal lamb. ...
/.../rhees/the life of jesus of nazareth/vii the last supper.htm

Fragment v. --That up to the Time of the Destruction of Jerusalem ...
... 2374] but Himself suffered as the true Lamb in the Paschal feast, as John ... the true
Lamb, was sacrificed for us in the feast of the typical Passover, on the ...
/.../peter/the writings of peter of alexandria/fragment v that up to the.htm

Christ Our Passover
... the Passover and substituted the memorial feast of the ... fairly take the identification
of the Paschal lamb with the ... Take into account that the Passover had a ...
/.../expositions of holy scripture st john chaps xv to xxi/christ our passover.htm

The Ceremonies and Discipline Op the Church as Illustrated by ...
... A lamb was shut up on a certain day; it was ... or Fourteenth Day Men, held that the
Paschal feast was to ... the Jews had been accustomed to eat the Passover, that is ...
/.../killen/the ancient church/chapter xii the ceremonies and.htm

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