Yeshua and Passover

‭In this bible study I tell you what Jesus have in common with the Passover lambs. First I tell shortly why Passover is celebrated.‬

The 10th plague of Egypt was the killing of every firstborn in Egypt. Yehova’s people were slaves in Egypt. They were ordered to kill a lamb. Put the blood of the Lamb on the doorposts and eat the Lamb hastily with the whole family. If they did do that their firstborn will stay alive. After this plague they left Egypt. They crossed the sea and they were free. Because the Egyptian army was drown in the sea together with their pharaoh. Yehova told His people to celebrate this event every year on the 14th of Abib. Nowadays this month is called Nissan. This is one of the months in the Hebrew calendar.

We start with:

Exodus 12:3‬

Speak to all the congregation of Israel, saying, ‘On the tenth of this month they are each one to take a lamb for themselves, according to their fathers’ households, a lamb for each household.

Yehova tell His people to take a lamb for themselves on the 10th of Nissan.

‭Exodus 12:6 ‬‬

You shall keep it until the fourteenth day of the same month, then the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel is to kill it at twilight.

Yehova’s people have to keep their lamb till the 14th of Nissan. On this day, at twilight, they have to kill the lamb. This lamb they will eat in the evening. This night is called the Passover night. Yehova’s people celebrate the Passover every year.

‭John 12:1 ‬‬

Jesus, therefore, six days before the Passover, came to Bethany where Lazarus was, whom Jesus had raised from the dead.

Jesus visits Lazarus on the 9th of Nissan.

‭John 12:12-13 ‬‬

On the next day the large crowd who had come to the feast, when they heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem, took the branches of the palm trees and went out to meet Him, and began to shout, “Hosanna! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord, even the King of Israel.”

On the 10th of Nissan Jesus rides on a donkey's foal as he enters Jerusalem. The people welcome Him as their King. It’s the same day as when the people of Jehova takes their lambs and keep them till they slaughter them on Nissan the 14th.

‭Luke 22:7-8 ‬‬

Then came the first day of Unleavened Bread on which the Passover lamb had to be sacrificed. And Jesus sent Peter and John, saying, “Go and prepare the Passover for us, so that we may eat it.”

It was the 13th of Nissan that Jesus told Peter and John to start with the preparation of the Passover.

‭Luke 22:14-20‬‬

When the hour had come, He reclined at the table, and the apostles with Him. And He said to them, “I have earnestly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer; for I say to you, I shall never again eat it until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of Jehova.” And when He had taken a cup and given thanks, He said, “Take this and share it among yourselves; for I say to you, I will not drink of the fruit of the vine from now on until the kingdom of Jehova comes.” And when He had taken some bread and given thanks, He broke it and gave it to them, saying, “This is My body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of Me.” And in the same way He took the cup after they had eaten, saying, “This cup which is poured out for you is the new covenant in My blood.

It’s the evening between the 13th and the 14th of Nissan. Jesus eats supper with the disciples. He tells them He wanted to celebrate Passover with them, but it will not be like that. When He is with them again in the Kingdom of Jehova, He will celebrate Passover with them. It’s also on this night that He tells the disciples that they have to eat His body and to drink His blood. This is not the Passover meal.

‭Luke 23:33-47

When they came to the place called The Skull, there they crucified Him and the criminals, one on the right and the other on the left. But Jesus was saying, “Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing.” And they cast lots, dividing up His garments among themselves. And the people stood by, looking on. And even the rulers were sneering at Him, saying, “He saved others; let Him save Himself if this is the Messiah of Jehova, His Chosen One.” The soldiers also mocked Him, coming up to Him, offering Him sour wine, and saying, “If You are the King of the Jews, save Yourself!” Now there was also an inscription above Him, “THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS.” One of the criminals who were hanged there was hurling abuse at Him, saying, “Are You not the Messiah? Save Yourself and us!” But the other answered, and rebuking him said, “Do you not even fear Jehova, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? And we indeed are suffering justly, for we are receiving what we deserve for our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong.” And he was saying, “Jesus, remember me when You come in Your kingdom!” And He said to him, “Truly I say to you, today you shall be with Me in Paradise.” It was now about the sixth hour, and darkness fell over the whole land until the ninth hour, because the sun was obscured; and the veil of the temple was torn in two. And Jesus, crying out with a loud voice, said, “Father, into Your hands I commit My spirit.” Having said this, He breathed His last. Now when the centurion saw what had happened, he began praising Jehova, saying, “Certainly this man was innocent.”

The crucifixion of Jesus was on the 14th Nissan on the same time as the sheeps were killed. I already told you that the sheeps were eaten in the evening between the 14th and 15th of Nissan. This is why Jesus told us to eat His body and to drink His blood.

On the first Passover the eating of the lamb saved them from the death of the firstborn. Eating the body and drinking the blood of Jesus is saving us from the curse of the Law of Jehova.

Not only took Jesus the punishment that we deserved by dieing on the cross. By eating His body and drinking His blood you become a partaker of the new covenant. This means that you get a new heart with Jehova’s Law written on it and a new spirit that only seeks to do the Will of Jehova. And when we do the Will of Jehova, we’re not sinning. This way Jehova helps us not to sin. This way we’re are liberated from the curse forever. And we’re liberated from the kingdom of satan.

Jesus differs in one way from the sheep in a very special way. He came alive after He was dead.

We’re now going to read about Jesus’s resurrection:

‭Luke 24:5-9 ‬‬

And as the women were terrified and bowed their faces to the ground, the men said to them, “Why do you seek the living One among the dead? He is not here, but He has risen. Remember how He spoke to you while He was still in Galilee, saying that the Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again.” And they remembered His words, and returned from the tomb and reported all these things to the eleven and to all the rest.

So Jesus died on the cross and stood up out of the grave on the third day as He foretold us. That one we celebrate always on the Sunday after Passover. This celebration is called First Fruits with us. Most people know this celebration as Easter. But Easter has not much in common with First Fruits. If you want to know more about this, you need to do another study, that’s too heavy and too long to do it in this bible study.