Both noun and verb, pass is a contextual word that can be multi-faceted and ambiguous. Several examples follow.
Passed by would indicate some proximity. As we passed by the market, we decided to stop for some fresh fruit and vegetables.
Passed through may imply some greater distance or another state. When I passed through San Diego, I decided to take a selfie at the Border Wall in Mexico.
Passed away conveys sadness and loss. My beautiful friend passed away after a long battle with cancer, but I know I will see her again.
Passed over can infer rejection or something negative. He was passed over for the promotion.
What if being passed over was a good thing?
In this sacred season of remembrance, we honor our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ for the salvation He provided by His brutal death and glorious resurrection.
Not everyone celebrates the risen Jesus of Nazareth. In fact, most Jews don’t acknowledge Him at all, as they continue to wait for their Messiah.
Wait, isn’t Passover just Jewish Easter?
Nope. Both are redemption stories but the similarities end there.
After 400 years in Egyptian bondage, God sent Moses to Pharoah to demand immediate freedom for His people.
By refusing, stubborn Pharoah faced a series of worsening plagues on the land including frogs, locusts, and hail.
With continued resistance, God prepared his grand finale- the death of each family’s firstborn.
God instructed Moses to tell the Hebrews to kill a lamb and smear the blood on their doorposts, so that the Angel of Death would pass over(!) that home, thus sparing their child.
Hurriedly eating their last meal, more than one million Hebrew slaves prepared to leave Egypt, as broken-heartened Egyptian parents prayed to their sun gods for comfort.
In their desperation to stop the plagues, they showered the Hebrews with their valuables, encouraging them to leave.
Scripture (Exodus 9:12) says God hardened Pharoah’s heart once more. He frantically made one last-ditch effort and pursued them to the Red Sea.
At God’s command, Moses placed his staff in the sea and the waters parted, allowing this multitude of people to pass through with dry socks.
So what about the Easter Bunny?
Ancient paganism is rife with fertility and rebirth rituals and symbolism, which is where an egg-laying rabbit originated.
While I am not trying to rain on anyone’s Easter parade, we need to look at the facts. Even more so, if we claim to know and love God.
Constantine was a Roman emperor reigning from 306 to 337. In an effort to strengthen the Empire, he converted to Christianity and proceeded to blend Pagan worship and Christian beliefs. This is the origin of today’s “holidays”.
God gave us His 7 feast days (moedim) in Leviticus 23. It is here He tells us exactly how He wants to be worshipped.
If we truly love Him and seek His protection, we should be diametrically opposed to anything that is not written in His Word.
Add thou not unto his words, lest he reprove thee, and thou be found a liar.
It’s the same with Santa Claus, the tooth fairy, and Halloween. In the name of fun, we tell our children lies, while proverbially thumbing our nose at our Creator.
As we teach them about Jesus alongside these childhood myths and legends, what happens to that belief when they learn the truth about the others?
I fully understand and appreciate a parent’s desire to soften the hard edges of life for their kids and to add some fun. However, we need to find the proper place for it, and stay away from God’s sacred ground.
Aren’t the Feast days just for the Jewish people?
After crossing the Red Sea on dry ground, consider that the 11-day journey from Egypt to Canaan took the Israelites 40 years.
Exodus 13:21 KJV
And the LORD went before them by day in a pillar of a cloud, to lead them the way; and by night in a pillar of fire, to give them light; to go by day and night:
They mumbled, grumbled and complained. About the manna, about their lack of fresh meat and veg, about everything…
They endlessly discussed the wonderful food they had enjoyed in Egypt- cucumbers and melons and fish.
They grew fearful and sinned by making graven images, most notably the golden calf.
Stubborn and stiff-necked, they wandered in the wilderness until all of that first generation had died out, never stepping foot in the Promised Land. Such a shame!
I’m not Jewish, so why is this my problem?
Romans 11:11 KJV
I say then, Have they stumbled that they should fall? God forbid: but rather through their fall salvation is come unto the Gentiles, for to provoke them to jealousy.
What does it mean that I am a Gentile?
The term Gentile doesn’t really describe who someone is, but rather who they are not – a Jew. There are Jews (God’s chosen people) and then there’s everyone else.
Romans 11:25 NKJV
For I do not desire, brethren, that you should be ignorant of this mystery… that blindness in part has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in.
You can see the above scripture places a sizable burden on the Gentile followers of Yeshua/ Jesus. It is now up to us to bring the Good News to the Jews, and certainly to everyone.
So what’s with the flat bread called matzah?
Bread baked without yeast (leaven) won’t rise, remaining dense and flat. Because of their haste to leave Egypt, the Hebrews ate it this way, thus becoming a symbol of the Exodus.
In a traditional Orthodox home, all goods containing yeast (chametz) are removed from the home prior to sundown on the eve of Passover. The house gets a “spring cleaning” to be sure it’s all gone.
You can eat them, give them to a non-Kosher neighbor or simply dispose of them. Some go one step further and burn them up.
Don’t plan on sneaking down to the corner shop for a midnight sandwich. Everything containing leaven is off-limits.
The traditional seder table is set with specific foods representing the first Passover. As the Haggadah is read, all participate.
My first seder meal was via Zoom due to the plandemic in April 2020. It actually worked well and was fun!
Although I’m not Jewish, my faith in Yeshua as my Savior has granted me access to God’s promises to His chosen people. I follow the ten commandments, keep the Sabbath, and celebrate God’s moedim.
I even tried my hand at making flatbread using flour, water and oil.
When I added cocoa powder to the dough to symbolize His bruises and stripes (Isaiah 53:5), they kind of just looked like chocolate chips.
So how are Passover and Easter related again?
You might say the Passover events (types and shadows) point to the crucifixion of Jesus Christ about 1500 years later.
Jesus was crucified on Passover and died at 3PM, the time that all the lambs were to be killed.
This fulfilled biblical prophecy, because He is the Lamb of God Who bore all the sin of the world.
His precious blood became our protection against the angel of eternal death (Satan).
- According to Exodus 12, Passover begins on the 15th day of the new year, which begins on the new moon after the barley is ripe (abib) in Jerusalem.
- Celebration continues for one week, with days 1 and 7 being a high sabbath (holy days in addition to the weekly sabbath).
- Jesus was crucified, died, and was buried before dark on Passover (Thursday). He fulfilled scripture by spending 3 nights in the grave, rising on the first day (Sunday).
Although Passover and Easter fall in March-April, they are based on different celestial events.
- Easter is the Christian celebration of the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
- It is observed on the first Sunday after the first full moon after the vernal equinox.
- Since the Jewish Christians in the early church continued to celebrate the Passover, regarding Christ as the true paschal lamb, this may have passed over into a commemoration of the death and resurrection of Our Lord, or an Easter feast.
Let’s wrap this up and put a bow on it!
- Religion doesn’t matter, relationship with your Heavenly Father does.
- If you believe that Jesus Christ (Yeshua Ha’mashiach) was crucified and rose from the grave to provide eternal life for you, well done.
- Now read your Bible and spread the Gospel. Get into fellowship with other like-minded believers and stop sinning!
- Go deeper in your relationship with God. Pursue Him! He loves you and wants to hear from you. No, He’s not too busy- He’s supernatural. He has plenty of time for all of us.
- If you want God’s blessings, you must be obedient. Always. Immediately. It’s up to you. He’s not going to arm-wrestle you for it.
- If you want to be forgiven, you must repent and ask Him to forgive you. The answer is always yes. Just make sure you’re genuinely sorry and then stop doing whatever it is you need forgiveness for.
- Forgive others. This is a MUST! The prisoner you really free is yourself. Believe me, you’ll grow to love it.
Love, hugs, and God’s shalom! MH
Such a clear and inviting explanation of Passover and Easter. As usual, you rocked it!
Well done my friend, you are a special friend and blessing to me
Beautifully said Marie! Thank God for the Blood of THE LAMB! D
As always a wonderful piece.
Thanks for doing this Marie, I enjoyed it a lot.
You’ve made it so easy to understand. I love all the references and tags…I learned so much!
BRILLIANT!!! BINGO!!! Accurate!!! Informative!!! Clear!!! True!!! Ok readers, if you’re not already, get on board!!! Thanks again Marie!!!