Passion Week – The Passover Feast

The first Passover was designed to prepare the Israelites for their escape from Egypt.  Everything about their preparations indicates that they would be leaving in haste (Exodus 12:11).  God was about to bring tragedy on the Egyptians but would spare the Israelites so long as they followed His instructions (Exodus 12:12, 13). Later, He designated the Feast as a permanent reminder of the Lord’s deliverance (Exodus 13:3-5). While the Jewish leaders added various requirements to the celebration over the years, three key elements remained constant: remembrance, purification, and praise.

The miracle of God’s deliverance was one the Israelites had to remember, so they would be reminded not just of God’s great power but also of His love and care.  It was God’s “mighty hand” that delivered them, and generations to come needed to remember that.

The Feast was also sacred, a holy day (Exodus 12:16).  In the days of King Hezekiah, the Passover Feast was reinstated.  It had been neglected because the priests had not consecrated themselves (II Chronicles 20:15).  When the Israelites returned from captivity, Ezra called the people to celebrate the Passover, only after the priests and Levites had purified themselves and were made ceremonially clean (Ezra 6:20).

Finally, praise was an essential part of the Feast.  Psalms 113 and 114, known as the Hallel Psalms, may have been sung by a Temple choir as the lambs were slaughtered.  They were sung again by the individual families, both before and after the Feast. 

Remembrance, purification, and praise.  These are all reminders of another Feast, one that our Lord instituted for us at His last Passover Meal.  We celebrate communion as a reminder of the sacrifice our Lord and Savior made for us.  However, before the celebration, the Apostle Paul reminds us to “examine” ourselves (I Corinthians 11:28), which should lead to repentance and the purification that only Christ can provide (I John 1:7).  Finally, the Lord’s Supper is a celebration of the new life we have in Christ and a reminder that He is worthy of all praise!

Read: Exodus 13:1-16, II Chronicles 35:1-19, Ezra 6:19-21, & I Corinthians 11:17-32

Food for Thought:

• Why do you think purification was a key component of the Passover Feast?

• Why is Christ our Passover Lamb? See I Corinthians 5:6-8.

• How should we celebrate our “Passover Feast,” the Lord’s Supper?

For a fictional account of what a Passover Feast might have looked like in Jesus’ time, read Chapter 16 of The Shepherd’s Quest, by Elaine C. Duncan, available on Amazon.