Passover: Week of celebration

This year, Passover begins at sunset on April 10 and ends at sunset on the 18th.

Okay, I know most calendars mention “Easter,” but I prefer to call the event by the correct historical term: Pascha, derived from Pesach, which is Passover.

The eight-day festival is a week-long celebration which dates back roughly to 1450 B..C when the Israelis were set free in Egypt and left in that famous mass-exodus. And by following the rituals of Passover, the Jewish church has the ability to relive and experience the freedom that their ancestors gained. But as you read through Scripture, you find that the Passover, in which innocent lambs were sacrificed, foreshadowed the crucifixion of Jesus; for Jesus, the Christ, was ultimately the true innocent Passover Lamb.

Let’s briefly recap the history that led to the Passover Celebration.

Ten of Jacob’s sons were jealous of young Joseph because Jacob had given Joseph the “coat of many colors” — the robe of authority denoting family leadership. Eight of the nine sold Joseph to a trade caravan and Joseph was taken to Egypt.

Rising in authority in Potiphar’s household, he was falsely accused of attempted rape and sent to prison — probably under Potiphar’s jurisdiction. Joseph interpreted dreams and was taken to the reigning Pharaoh — probably of the Hyksos people who were not native to Africa.

After Joseph died, the native Africans (Biblical Cushites) defeated the Hyksos and regained control of Egypt. But because the descendants of Jacob resembled the Hyksos, the Africans thought the Israelis would rise up and fight. Therefore, the “Pharaoh who knew not Joseph” ordered them enslaved.

Eventually, Moses was born, placed in the Nile, rescued by Pharaoh’s daughter, and raised in the Egyptian court. He was schooled in every phase of Egyptian aristocracy, could speak several languages, and traveled throughout the kingdom.

However, although becoming a general in the Egyptian army, Moses never forgot his roots and killed an Egyptian task-master who was brutalizing an Israelite. But killing an Egyptian officer without the Pharaoh’s permission was a capital offence — even for the esteemed Moses — and he fled for his life.

Deprived of his royal background, he became a lowly shepherd for 40 years; but God never abandoned Moses, and commissioned him to return to Egypt to be the human element in setting the Israelis free.

It was understandable why the Pharaoh refused to free his subjects: By now, economics prevailed. So God began to apply leverage to force Pharaoh’s hand. The last straw was the 10th plague. God set the day when this would take place, and Moses gave the order how to prepare the last supper, including what to do with a portion of the blood of the lamb.

God gave specific instructions about how to prepare the last meal in Egypt, for each item and its preparatory procedure would reflect, in some way or other, on the death of the final Sacrificial Lamb.

The 10th plague that Egypt experienced was death of the first-born male. Cows, mules, and horses also suffered this fate. The term “passover” derives from “pesach” which essentially means to pass over something; and in the Land of Egypt, the death angel passed over the houses which had the blood applied to the doorposts. The people who were “covered” with the blood of the lamb were spared.

Pharaoh’s son died, so Pharaoh finally submitted to Moses, allowing Moses to lead the people out of bondage and into freedom. (Many tumultuous years were in store for the Israelis, but that’s another story.)

In Israeli history, Moses became their servantruler, which reflects on our Savior, our Redeemer.

The Temple Sacrifice was instituted to reveal the severity of sin (disobeying God), and also pointed to the final Sacrifice — Jesus, the Messiah.

But there is a significant difference between the traditional sacrificial lambs and our final Sacrificial Lamb. Where the yearly lamb died to gain forgiveness of sin for a year, Jesus died and raised from the dead to grant us forgiveness forever, and inherit eternal life.

Passover is a picture of the sinless Lamb of God — Jesus — who suffered the penalty of sin for us (death), raised Himself back to life, and set us free. All we need to do is to accept Jesus into our lives, ask Him to forgive us, then purposely live for Him. We will be “covered with the blood of the Lamb” and be set free from sin.

Passover points to Calvary.

— Gene Linzey is a speaker, author, mentor and president of the Siloam Springs Writers Guild. Send comments and questions to masters.servant@cox.net. The opinions expressed are those of the author.