Chag Same'ach! Happy [Passover] Holiday! Passover starts April 8th this year.
So much of the Bible is written in "Passover language" If you don't know something about how Jews celebrated it in Bible times, as well as today, you're missing something!
Check out these passages, and this year, if you want a Passover seder for your church that will elaborate on these connections, contact me either through www.scripturesdramatized.com, or send me an e-mail.
Passover Scripture Verses
Exodus 12:12 - Establishment of Passover, importance of Lamb's blood, reason for the name "Passover".
Exodus 12:38 - The "mixed multitude" who left Egypt (not just ethnic Hebrews), heralding the nature of God's acceptance: not by ethnicity, but by adoption.
I Corinthians 5:6-8 - Paul's use of Passover language to illustrate the nature of New Testament fellowship.
Matthew 26:26,27/Luke 22:20 - "This is My body". Christ's fulfillment of the Seder's ritual eating of the matzoth and the drinking of the four wine-glasses.
John 13 through 17 - The "Passover Discourse": Christ's fulfilling of the Seder's "hagaddah" [the "telling"] when the master of the feast applied the Exodus lesson for all in attendance.
John 11:55 - The first century rabbinical schools with their pilgrims arrive in Jerusalem for the holiday.
Psalms 120 through 124 - The "Psalms of Ascents" [as in "to ascend"/to go up] sung by first century pilgrims during their climb up Mt. Zion to sacrifice the lambs in the Temple.
Matthew 26:18 - The Passover purification, including the removal of leaven from each dwelling.
Luke 12:1 - "Beware the leaven of the Pharisees": Christ's use of the earthly purification ritual to illustrate its ultimate spiritual significance.
Exodus 12:8/Numbers 9:11 - The Torah's requirement that the lamb be eaten with bitter herbs.
Acts 5:35/Acts 22:3 - NT reference to Paul's teacher Gamaliel, the rabbi who is quoted each year during the Seder meal.
John 13:21 & 26 - Jesus and Judas mostly likely "dipped the sop" in bitter herbs at this time. This is a ritual dipping ceremony illustrating the bitterness of slavery.
John 6:32-35 - Jesus declared Himself to be "bread", a fulfillment of the liturgical "This is the bread of affliction" statement made by the master of the feast.
Exodus 12:39 - The reason why matzoth [unleavened bread] was eaten - it was "the bread of haste". They were fleeing the Egyptian army, and they needed to hurry it's preparation, without time for the yeast to rise properly..
I Corinthians 11:25 - The "cup after supper", most likely the drinking of the 3rd of four liturgical cups of wine, still offered today in the modern Seder.
Matthew 28:29 - The cup that Jesus would not drink until his brethren were in heaven with him; most likely the 4th of the four cups.
Matthew 24:1,2 - The reason why Jews cannot sacrifice lambs anymore: the Temple's destruction and their world-wide dispersion ["Diaspora"].
Mark 7:3 - a reference as to why Jews historically had so many needless washing rituals: their conscience was defiled due to the Law's effect on their hearts.
Matthew 15:3 - Christ argues with the Pharisees: grace vs. legalism; a confrontation between the traditions of the elders and the pure word of God.
John 21:20 - The "reclining at table" Passover custom, reflected in John's reclining with Jesus: a freed man reclines at a feast, expressive of his freedom; a slave either stands or sits on a stool when eating.
Deuteronomy 28:58 - The plagues on the Egyptians, and a warning to the Covenant People, both Jews and Gentiles, that the same shall happen to them if they spurn God's kindness and offer of mercy.
Leviticus 26:44/Romans 11:12 & 15 - a promise to regather the Remnant - both ethnic Jews and Gentiles in a "New" Jerusalem, despite former covenant disobedience.
Matthew 26:30 - The singing of the Great Hallel (Psalm 136) at the end of the Passover Seder, a custom still preserved today.
Matthew 11:7-15 - the Seder's chair for Elijah the Prophet is the Jewish way of demonstrating their expectancy of Elijah's arrival, the precursor to the Messiah's arrival (Malachi 4:5). According to Jesus, John the Baptist fulfilled Elijah's coming, but which Jews today see as yet-unfulfilled, since they reject Jesus as that Messiah, and reject John as that precursor-prophet.
Ephesians 2:20/I Peter 2:5 - the rebuilding of the final temple; not of stones, but of human beings, and the fulfillment of the Seder's concluding prayer, reflected in the Passover songs at the end of the feast, especially that of "Eliahu Ha-Navi" (i.e. "Elijah the Prophet")
Chag Same'ach! Happy [Passover] Holiday! Passover starts April 8th this year.
So much of the Bible is written in "Passover language" If you don't know something about how Jews celebrated it in Bible times, as well as today, you're missing something!
Check out these passages, and this year, if you want a Passover seder for your church that will elaborate on these connections, contact me either through www.scripturesdramatized.com, or send me an e-mail.
Passover Scripture Verses
Exodus 12:12 - Establishment of Passover, importance of Lamb's blood, reason for the name "Passover".
Exodus 12:38 - The "mixed multitude" who left Egypt (not just ethnic Hebrews), heralding the nature of God's acceptance: not by ethnicity, but by adoption.
I Corinthians 5:6-8 - Paul's use of Passover language to illustrate the nature of New Testament fellowship.
Matthew 26:26,27/Luke 22:20 - "This is My body". Christ's fulfillment of the Seder's ritual eating of the matzoth and the drinking of the four wine-glasses.
John 13 through 17 - The "Passover Discourse": Christ's fulfilling of the Seder's "hagaddah" [the "telling"] when the master of the feast applied the Exodus lesson for all in attendance.
John 11:55 - The first century rabbinical schools with their pilgrims arrive in Jerusalem for the holiday.
Psalms 120 through 124 - The "Psalms of Ascents" [as in "to ascend"/to go up] sung by first century pilgrims during their climb up Mt. Zion to sacrifice the lambs in the Temple.
Matthew 26:18 - The Passover purification, including the removal of leaven from each dwelling.
Luke 12:1 - "Beware the leaven of the Pharisees": Christ's use of the earthly purification ritual to illustrate its ultimate spiritual significance.
Exodus 12:8/Numbers 9:11 - The Torah's requirement that the lamb be eaten with bitter herbs.
Acts 5:35/Acts 22:3 - NT reference to Paul's teacher Gamaliel, the rabbi who is quoted each year during the Seder meal.
John 13:21 & 26 - Jesus and Judas mostly likely "dipped the sop" in bitter herbs at this time. This is a ritual dipping ceremony illustrating the bitterness of slavery.
John 6:32-35 - Jesus declared Himself to be "bread", a fulfillment of the liturgical "This is the bread of affliction" statement made by the master of the feast.
Exodus 12:39 - The reason why matzoth [unleavened bread] was eaten - it was "the bread of haste". They were fleeing the Egyptian army, and they needed to hurry it's preparation, without time for the yeast to rise properly..
I Corinthians 11:25 - The "cup after supper", most likely the drinking of the 3rd of four liturgical cups of wine, still offered today in the modern Seder.
Matthew 28:29 - The cup that Jesus would not drink until his brethren were in heaven with him; most likely the 4th of the four cups.
Matthew 24:1,2 - The reason why Jews cannot sacrifice lambs anymore: the Temple's destruction and their world-wide dispersion ["Diaspora"].
Mark 7:3 - a reference as to why Jews historically had so many needless washing rituals: their conscience was defiled due to the Law's effect on their hearts.
Matthew 15:3 - Christ argues with the Pharisees: grace vs. legalism; a confrontation between the traditions of the elders and the pure word of God.
John 21:20 - The "reclining at table" Passover custom, reflected in John's reclining with Jesus: a freed man reclines at a feast, expressive of his freedom; a slave either stands or sits on a stool when eating.
Deuteronomy 28:58 - The plagues on the Egyptians, and a warning to the Covenant People, both Jews and Gentiles, that the same shall happen to them if they spurn God's kindness and offer of mercy.
Leviticus 26:44/Romans 11:12 & 15 - a promise to regather the Remnant - both ethnic Jews and Gentiles in a "New" Jerusalem, despite former covenant disobedience.
Matthew 26:30 - The singing of the Great Hallel (Psalm 136) at the end of the Passover Seder, a custom still preserved today.
Matthew 11:7-15 - the Seder's chair for Elijah the Prophet is the Jewish way of demonstrating their expectancy of Elijah's arrival, the precursor to the Messiah's arrival (Malachi 4:5). According to Jesus, John the Baptist fulfilled Elijah's coming, but which Jews today see as yet-unfulfilled, since they reject Jesus as that Messiah, and reject John as that precursor-prophet.
Ephesians 2:20/I Peter 2:5 - the rebuilding of the final temple; not of stones, but of human beings, and the fulfillment of the Seder's concluding prayer, reflected in the Passover songs at the end of the feast, especially that of "Eliahu Ha-Navi" (i.e. "Elijah the Prophet")
