Passover – Seder
The Prophecy
In His first coming, Yashua fulfilled the first four feasts.
In His second coming, He will fulfill the last three feasts.
Passover or Easter?
Passover – 1st Feast – Hebrew Calendar Month of Nisan
Passover (or Pesach in Hebrew) is one of the most sacred and popular feasts. It occurs during the month of Nissan, which is the first month of the sacred (religious) Hebrew calendar year. This is the time Jews celebrate the story of Israelite’s departure from Egypt. They celebrate their freedom from captivity and bondage.
The Month of Nissan
The month of Nissan begins on the New Moon, closest to the Spring Equinox. In relation to the Gregorian calendar, it begins around mid to late March and ends in April.
Passover occurs on the 15th day of Nissan. Every year Passover is celebrated 15 days after the New Moon in Nissan.
Interestingly, Easter starts on the first Sunday after the Full Moon closest to the Spring Equinox.
Why Are We Comparing Passover with Easter?
When was Yahshua actually crucified? Was it on Passover or was it on the Good Friday before Easter? The scheduled dates are decidedly different appointed times; Passover is 15 days after the New Moon and Easter is on the first Sunday after the Full Moon. Easter and Passover can occasionally overlap, but often they do not.
The answer is easily found in Scripture. Its not hidden nor is it a mystery, but once we find out what the true appointed time is, it will be interesting to see why the other date is designed to be on a different day.
Passover and the Last Supper
The first Passover began when the angel of death came through Egypt, killing all of the firstborn. The lamb’s blood on the doorposts prevented the angel of death from entering the homes and “passed over” their households. (There are deeper meanings to the word “Passover,” but we will get into that another time.)
The Passover lamb within the sacrificial system symbolizes redemption. The Jews were redeemed and set free from death and bondage of Egypt. The Passover Feast has since been celebrated for thousands of years. This celebration is the first of the seven Feasts commanded by Adonai to observe.
When Yahshua walked this earth, the Feast of Passover was well established. Yahshua observed the Feasts along with His fellow Jews.
When Yahshua made preparations to have His Last Supper with His disciples, it was the actual Passover Feast. Christians easily connect the Last Supper with Yahshua’s crucifixion, but often don’t realize the Last Supper was the Passover Feast. This Biblical fact is typically overlooked when churches celebrate Easter.
Luke 22:14-16 (CJB), When the time came, Yahshua and the emissaries reclined at the table, and he said to them, “I have really wanted so much to celebrate this Seder with you before I die! For I tell you, it is certain that I will not celebrate it again until it is given its full meaning in the Kingdom of God.”
Mark 14:12 (NIV), And on the first day of Unleavened Bread, when the Passover lamb was being sacrificed, His disciples said to Him, “Where do You want us to go and prepare for You to eat the Passover?
Matthew 26:2 (CJB), As you know, Pesach is two days away, and the Son of Man will be handed over to be nailed to the execution-stake.”
The timing is impeccable. Yahshua’s Last Supper, conviction, execution, and resurrection follows in exact alignment with the Passover events.
The Prophecy of Passover
Old Testament New Testament
Exodus 12:3,5 The Passover Lamb is selected.
On the tenth day of Nisan (the first sacred month in the Jewish calendar) a male lamb, not more than a year, was inspected to see if there were any blemishes. If it was without defect, then it was sacrificed on the fourteenth day of Nissan
Yahshua: The Passover Lamb
On the tenth day of Nisan – Yahshua rides into Jerusalem on a donkey. The prophecy was fulfilled: (Mat 21:5)
“Rejoice with all your heart, daughter of Tziyon!
Shout out loud, daughter of Yerushalayim!
Look! Your king is coming to you.
He is righteous, and he is victorious.
Yet he is humble — he’s riding on a donkey,
yes, on a lowly donkey’s colt.” (Zach 9:9 CJB)
The Passover Meal
Exodus 12:14 – “This will be a day for you to remember and celebrate as a festival to Adonai; from generation to generation you are to celebrate it by a perpetual regulation.” Bread and wine was a regular tradition during Passover.
The Passover was to be kept as a remembrance forever
The Last Supper = Passover Meal
The Last Supper was the Passover meal. He celebrated it with his disciples and then was arrested that evening. He was crucified the next day. Yahshua refers to the bread and wine as “my body given for you: do this in remembrance of me” (Luke 22:19)
Passover Lamb is slaughtered (Nisan 14)
Adonai commanded Israel not to break any bones of the sacrificed lamb.
Yahshua is crucified (Nisan 14)
Typically Roman soldiers would speed up the death by breaking the legs. However Yahshua was already dead, so his bones remained unbroken. They wanted him dead and removed before sundown.
So Why Do We Have Easter?
Most churches’ rationale for Easter is that they wish to celebrate the day Yahshua was resurrected. That sounds noble. Unfortunately, with the inception of Easter, came pagan traditions of the Easter bunny and eggs. All these icons represent fertility gods and spring equinox. Furthermore, all the traditions with Passover, Unleavened Bread and Firstfruits were abandoned.
The split was established at the Council of Nicea in 325AD. There was much animosity between the Jews and the New Believers over what the Jews did to Yashshua, that the Council wished to abandon all traditions of Jewish nature and completely separate themselves from anything associated with the Jewish culture and traditions. This is anti-semitism in its boldest form. They abandoned all tradition and established a new day which they called Easter.
“It was declared to be particularly unworthy for this, the holiest of all festivals, to follow the custom[the calculation] of the Jews, who had soiled their hands with the most fearful of crimes, and whose minds were blinded. In rejecting their custom, we may transmit to our descendants the legitimate mode of celebrating Easter…
We ought not, therefore, to have anything in common with the Jews, for the Savior has shown us another way…. We desire, dearest brethren, to separate ourselves from the detestable company of the Jews.
Council of Nicea
As difficult as it is to realize that the Jews did set in motion Yahshua’s crucifixion, we can look in hindsight and see that these events fulfilled prophecy.
The Council of Nicea attempted to justify their decision to move the appointed dates, but nowhere in scripture does it say to do so. In fact, Adonai commanded Passover to be a permanent appointed Feast.
Exodus 12:14, This will be a day for you to remember and celebrate as a festival to Adonai; from generation to generation you are to celebrate it by a perpetual regulation.
Yahshua observed Passover. Yashua’s prophetic death and resurrection occured during Passover. Shouldn’t our observance of Yahshua’s resurrection be during the appointed time Adonai commanded? Should we still be participating in the pagan Easter traditions? Easter egg hunts are not part of Yahshua’s legacy. These are idols. Let’s walk in Adonai’s appointed times and celebrate the Feasts as they are intended.
Amen and Shalom