CHRISTIAN
PASSOVER
Christ our Passover Lamb has been sacrificed. Therefore, let us celebrate the feast
~ Paul (I Corinthians 5:7-8)
Should Christians celebrate Passover?
Many Christians today, having come from non-Jewish backgrounds, believe that we are to follow only what is in the New Testament and disregard what came before. And that would include celebrating Passover. Except, Passover is in the New Testament. In fact, Passover was celebrated by Jesus every year (Luke 2:41) and Passover was His final meal that He celebrated with His disciples (and recorded in all four gospel accounts).
Who are we to imitate?
“Be imitators of me, just as I also am of Christ.”
(I Corinthians 11:1)
And what did Paul tell the Ephesians?
“I must by all means keep this coming feast [Passover] in Jerusalem” (Acts 18:21). Paul made that statement after he said this: “From now on I will go to the Gentiles” (Acts 18:6). Paul, after turning to the Gentiles, being the apostle to the Gentiles, and telling his largely Gentile audience to imitate him, does what? He celebrates Passover. Even AFTER the old covenant had been fulfilled by Christ, Paul is still celebrating Passover and instructing us to do the same.
Is Passover only for the Old Covenant?
“This day shall be for you a memorial day, and you shall keep it as a feast to Yahweh; throughout your generations, as an eternal ordinance, you shall keep it as a feast.” (Exodus 12:14)
An Eternal Law
When Moses says that Passover is to be an “eternal ordinance,”
he provides the necessary context to understand that celebrating this feast should not end with the old covenant. However, we read this and think, “Yeah, he is giving this instruction to Israel, so it doesn’t apply to us (Gentiles).” But what did Paul tell the Gentiles?
Remember that you [Gentiles] were at that time separate from Christ, excluded from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who formerly were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For He Himself is our peace, who made both groups into one (Ephesians 2:12-14)
Must Christians celebrate Passover? No!
“Therefore no one is to act as your judge in regard to food or drink or in respect to a feast or a new moon or a Sabbath day— things which are a mere shadow of what is to come; but the substance belongs to Christ.” (Colossians 2:16-17)
But should we celebrate Passover? Yes!
Why? Because “the substance belongs to Christ.” Jesus provided the reason to celebrate Passover at His Last Passover — to remember!
"Do this in remembrance of Me."
~ Jesus speaking during Passover (Luke 22:19)
Paul calls on both the Jew and the Gentile to Remember!
“For Christ our Passover lamb also has been sacrificed. Therefore let us celebrate the Feast, not with old leaven, nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.”
(I Corinthians 5:7-8)
How do we celebrate Passover?
The traditional Passover seder focuses on the first Passover — deliverance from Egyptian slavery. Christian Passover focuses on the second Passover — deliverance from sin and death. To see how Christians celebrate Passover, click below: