Should Christians Celebrate Passover

Should Christians Celebrate Passover?
By: W W Know

new of the more disturbing trends in the Church today is the proliferation of people who no longer seem to understand the enlightenment of returning to observances of Old ceremonial laws. It is a testimony to this knowledge that many have asked, "should Christians celebrate Passover?" They are seeking honest answers as to why there are so many in the Church today willing to partake in this obviously Old biblical practice?

The answer is that people have become acclimated to such ideas. Chiefly due to influences in the media, a growing number of professing Christians believe that the Bible teaches that the "nation" of Israel remains God's chosen people. Thus they surmise that if they can just align themselves with Israel's culture, land, language, history and traditions, that will bring them favor with God. Sort of like taking out extra insurance. But in truth, they are actually placing themselves back into the Old Covenant signs, which prefigured things that have already come. Anyone looking to the nation of Israel to curry favor with God, is doomed to failure from the start. Because God's people today are a spiritual nation made up of chosen people from all lands, including Israel. We must not get confused.

1st Peter 2:9-10

"But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvelous light:
Which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy."

Today God looks upon every soul that is chosen unto salvation, as His sons and daughters in Christ "by blood." There are none who are children of Israel who obtain mercy by flesh (Romans 9:6-8), because ultimately we are all of one flesh (Adam). God is no respecter of persons. We are all children of God by relationship to Christ, and each soul chosen of God is fully accepted of Him, receiving a full inheritance, regardless of lineage.

Acts 10:34-35

"Then Peter opened his mouth, and said, Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons:
But in every nation he that feareth him, and worketh righteousness, is accepted with him."

Peter is declaring that he very plainly understands that the partition wall between Jews and Gentiles has been broken down (Ephesians 2:13-14). All the nationalistic peculiarities, sanctification, special rights, covenants, and unity of body, are now found in the New Covenant body of Christ. This is the only place where the Jew and the Gentile alike will find their excellence. It will not be found in their bloodline, for God is no respecter of persons. What that means is that God does not favor or reject anyone based on his or her outward respects, and no external qualifications will engender favor and acceptance with God. Contrary to popular opinion in our day, there is no Jewish Christian, or Italian Christian, or African Christian in God's sight. We are all now "one body" in Christ Jesus.

Galatians 3:27-29

"For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ.
There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.
And if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise."

There are countless people who read those scriptures, but still have not truly understood exactly what they say. In other words, they are still attempting to separate into a Jewish Christian and a Greek Christian, and affording the Jew a higher position. In doing so, they are making God "indeed" a respecter of persons. And this is the core reason why many professed Christians have looked to the Jewish celebration of Hebrew feasts, and have concluded that they should take part in the Old Covenant Jewish Passover.

Strangely enough, anyone who affords Jewish people "EQUAL" status with non Jews, are more often than not labeled anti-Semitic. How equal equates to anti-Semitic no one can "rationally" explain, but that doesn't stop the charges. This, despite the fact that God is no respecter of persons, has broken down the wall and made us all one body and declares there is neither Jew nor Greek as far as salvation in Christ goes. There are still those who want to place Israel on a pedestal and look at their Old Testament ordinances as eternally binding. Justifiably so in some ways as it is very biblical. But with new symbols and meanings.

Nevertheless, the question remains, should Christians celebrate the Old Covenant Biblical observance of Passover? I believe that the only Biblical answer to these questions is an unequivocal yes. Of course I fully understand that by giving such an "absolute" answer in an age of irrational caution, political correctness, Church compromise and appeasement will be disdained and leave many aghast. But I believe that such observances "unquestionably" would be quite biblical. For and as all of the Old Covenant ceremonial laws were, the Passover feast was also instituted as a "sign" or token foreshadowing Christ's dying on the cross. It is one of the oldest festivals in the bible, commemorating God's deliverance of Israel from slavery in Egypt. And it pointed towards Christ fulfilling a greater more perfect deliverance.

Exodus 13:3

"And Moses said unto the people, Remember this day, in which ye came out from Egypt, out of the house of bondage; for by strength of hand the LORD brought you out from this place: there shall no leavened bread be eaten."

This was a token for Israel signifying that as it was not by man, but only by the sovereign hand of God that Israel was saved, Salvation is by Grace though faith alone. The festival of unleavened bread signifies our trials, and that we truly they would be made sinless only by eating of the broken body of Christ. He would be their sacrifice Passover Lamb and their unleavened bread of righteousness. The Old Covenant/Testament Passover in Exodus was merely instituted as a "pattern," or as a "model" that pointed to the characteristics of Christ, who was the better sacrifice that would truly purge sin from God's people. The prophecy signified by the token, would be fulfilled (magnified) in Christ. He tells us to keep the feast... (see below)

1st Corinthians 5:7-8

"Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us:
Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness; but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth."

The feast we keep is with their New Covenant realities. Here in this verse as plain as day is God's instruction concerning who is the new bread, the Christian Passover. It is Christ that we eat of. Christians who are Jews and Gentiles alike should understand from the Old Covenant "types" that the true exodus was from spiritual Egypt, and the true deliverance was from spiritual bondage to Satan, and that Christ is our true Passover. His sinless body is our unleavened bread, and His shed blood is our wine. It was for this reason that Christ became flesh and came to earth, that the "sign" of the New Covenant with Israel. Partaking of the bread is part of our continuing relationship with God.

Hebrews 2:14-15

"Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil;
And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage."

Clearly it was by the death of Christ that God's people are delivered from the taskmaster Satan, and brought forth out of the spiritual bondage in Egypt. Like the token or sign Israel, we were delivered by sovereign God and established as the free (John 8:33-36), chosen people of God.

The first Passover celebration was actually a prophecy of the coming Christ and true deliverance from bondage.

It commemorated their deliverance from being bondservants in Egypt. Christ's death on the cross represented the "true" act of deliverance that the Passover looked towards. All the Old Covenant festivals were given to teach God's people, through ceremonies, the true nature of His plan of salvation.

The knowledgeable Christian asks the question; What can we do in our physical lives to bring us closer to our Savior? The new breed of Christian says we can't keep or observe any of the ceremonies or rites. The knowledgeable Christian understands that these holy days were shadows of things to come. The average church goer that claims to be a Christian don't even know these ceremonies exist or even why they were instituted, and they just blow this understanding away by saying they passed away with the coming of the New Testament congregation.

Colossians 2:16-17

Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the Sabbath days:
Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ."

The reason why Christians should not judge with respect to meats, times, or holy days is because those ceremonies were [skias] of things to come. The were patterns showing the outline of the "truth" So should Christians celebrate Passover which was the pattern?

Hebrews 9:22-25

"And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission.
It was therefore necessary that the patterns of things in the heavens should be purified with these; but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these.
For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true; but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us:
Nor yet that he should offer himself often, as the high priest entereth into the holy place every year with blood of others;"

The festivals and sacrifices in the Old Covenant holy Temple were meant to continue. Likewise, we keep the feast observance not of the shadow in killing a literal Lamb, but in the New Covenant observance of Christ's Passover Ceremony. We observe it in having put off the sin of the flesh in our Passover sacrifice, Christ. Christ has already come as our Passover lamb, and His blood cleanses us from all unrighteousness. He has already come as our unleavened bread through which we are purged from the leaven of sin.

Luke 22:16-20

"And he said unto them, With desire I have desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer:"

When Christ gathered the Apostles in the small room in Jerusalem, he led them in the annual Passover or Passover dinner. And there in instituting the Lord's table, He effectively did away with the Old Passover observance. His words, "this do" in remembrance of me is declaring that the Passover festival is replaced by His broken Body and shed blood, and this is the New Covenant ceremony for Israel. This is our New Covenant feast observance instituted by Christ.

Luke 22:16-20

"For I say unto you, I will not any more eat thereof, until it be fulfilled in the kingdom of God.
And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and said, Take this, and divide it among yourselves:
For I say unto you, I will not drink of the fruit of the vine, until the kingdom of God shall come.
And he took bread, and gave thanks, and brake it, and gave unto them, saying, This is my body which is given for you: this do in remembrance of me.
Likewise also the cup after supper, saying, This cup is the New Testament in my blood, which is shed for you."

In instituting this new bread observance, Christ (a Jew) was making the disciples (who were Jews) to understand that the "whole purpose" of the Passover feast was to prefigure His broken body.

And any New Covenant requires a new seal and symbol. God himself has thus substituted a new Covenant/Testament feast ceremony in place of the Jewish Passover. Because the original ceremony "represents" the Old Testament/Covenant observance, it is of current significance to Christians today.

Romans 6:9-11

"Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him.
For in that he died, he died unto sin once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God.
Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord."

As Christians who study to rightly divide the word of truth, we should recognize that our Christian Passover was in the body of Christ. That was our Passover feast. We were given the elements and symbols of the New Covenant with Israel in what is known as The Lord's supper or to some the Communion. By Christ first doing this at Passover, He is transitioning from the "shadow" to the "true," illustrating that His broken body is the transformation. It's not that the true meaning has changed, but the position and observance has changed. Thus the symbol had to change for the New Covenant Israel (Hebrews chapters 8-10) congregation representation. We would no more desire to go back to the old as we would want to go back to Gentiles being unclean, or to sacrificing Lambs blood, or to the laws of separating threads in our clothing.

1st Corinthians 11:23-26

"For I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you, That the Lord Jesus the same night in which he was betrayed took bread:
And when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me.
After the same manner also he took the cup, when he had supped, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me.
For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do show the Lord's death till he come."

Jesus' death on the cross did away with the animal sacrifices and rituals. He instituted the New Covenant/Testament Symbols in the shedding of His blood.

Hebrews 10:8-10

"Above when he said, Sacrifice and offering and burnt offerings and offering for sin thou wouldest not, neither hadst pleasure therein; which are offered by the law;
Then said he, Lo, I come to do thy will, O God. He taketh away the first, that he may establish the second.
By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all."

Yet, there are other reasons given for these ideas.

I have heard some say that the reason they celebrate a Christian Passover is because it is historically beneficial, is part of our Christian heritage, leads to a greater understanding of the Bible, and gives us a first-hand experience of the Christian Passover. Probably quite true in conceptualization.

Hebrews 10:11-14

"And every priest standeth daily ministering and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins:
But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God;
From henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his footstool.
For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified."

We can continue to observe Old Covenant feasts, and eat unleavened bread of Passover, which figures in Christ. We can learn from the symbols and know that they point to Christ and understand how it transitioned from the physical to the spiritual. The spiritual is the foreshadow of things to come. That is a time when the New Covenant will be fulfilled with the return of our savior Jesus the Christ. The Lord's Supper "is" the New Testament Passover observance of eating Christ. Why do you think Christ instituted it on His Passover? And did we just read that Christ was our Passover? We take on Christ in our lives.

In conclusion, the question, "Should Christians celebrate Passover" or "Should we have a Christian Passover," is not a matter of Christian liberty or of the conscience of each individual Christian. Rather it is a matter of discernment, understanding, of biblical principles, and of spiritual wisdom.

When I hear the question, "Why do Christians celebrate Passover?" My answer is if we celebrate it, it teaches us about Christ and his marvelous sacrifice for us, the forgiveness of sin and the love that He had for us. We take a moment in our busy schedules on that anniversary day, just like we observe other anniversaries, and acknowledge what Christ's death meant for us.

May the Lord who is gracious and merciful, guide us all into a better understanding of His will and His word, and instruct us in the way wherein we should go.

Amen!