Easter/Passover

Easter/Passover

2018

The word “Easter” only occurs once in the Scriptures (Acts 12:4), and that in the old King James version.

The word “Easter” comes from the pagan “Ishtar,” which was another name for Semiramis, the wife of Nimrod (of Tower of Babel fame), the mother of Tammuz, and the founder of the mother-child cult that was found in the pagan cults, and even comes down to us today in the form of Mary, the mother of God worship.

That word in Acts 4:12 is the Greek word pascha (G3957), and means the Passover, the Passover supper or lamb.

To understand Passover, we must understand the first 3 of 7 feasts that were Scripturally mandated for Israel to observe.

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The first three feasts Passover, Unleavened Bread, and First Fruits occur in rapid succession in the spring of the year over a period of eight days. They came to be referred to collectively as “Passover.”

Most of the feasts were related to past historical events. Passover, of course, celebrated the salvation the Jews experienced when the angel of death passed over the Jewish houses that were marked with the blood of a lamb (Ex. 12:11-13). Unleavened Bread was a reminder of the swift departure from Egypt so swift that they had no time to put leaven into their bread.

All the feasts were related to the spiritual life of the people. Passover served as a reminder that there is no atonement for sin apart from the shedding of blood. Unleavened Bread was a reminder of God’s call on their lives to be a people set apart to holiness. Leaven was a symbol of sin. They were to be unleavened that is, holy before the nations as a witness of God.

What the Jewish people did not seem to realize is that all of the feasts were also symbolic types. In other words, they were prophetic in nature, each one pointing in a unique way to some aspect of the life and work of the promised Messiah.[2]

1) Passover — Pointed to the Messiah as our Passover lamb whose blood would be shed for our sins. Jesus was crucified on the day of preparation for the Passover, at the same time that the lambs were being slaughtered for the Passover meal that evening.

2) Unleavened Bread — Pointed to the Messiah’s sinless life, making Him the perfect sacrifice for our sins. Jesus’ body was in the grave during the first days of this feast, like a kernel of wheat planted and waiting to burst forth as the bread of life.

3) First Fruits — Pointed to the Messiah’s resurrection as the first fruits of the righteous. Jesus was resurrected on this very day, which is one of the reasons that Paul refers to him in I Corinthians 15:20 as the “first fruits from the dead.”

As we prepare for this communion time, we need to apply I Cor. 5:6-8 & 11:28, along with I John 1:9 to remove the leaven (which always represents sin) from our lives.

This year the first full day (began at sundown on Friday) of the Feast of Passover fell on Saturday, March 31, 2018, and runs through the first week of April.

On Friday, March 30, 2018, Jewish homes were being cleansed from all leaven (represents sin) as they took part in the “search for leaven. This was a cleansing & ritual purification preparing for the 3 Feasts that took place during this week.

Passover celebrates the freeing of the Israelites from their Egyptian bondage/slavery.

The Passover is celebrated by the Seder service, known as the Haggadah (to tell), based on Ex. 13:8: “And you shall tell (wə·hig·gaḏ·tā[H5046])your son in that day, saying, ‘This is done because of what theLord did for me when I came up from Egypt.’”

In keeping with Jewish tradition, the Messiah, our Lord Jesus Christ, made preparation to keep the Passover.

7Then came the Day of Unleavened Bread, when the Passover must be killed.8And He sent Peter and John, saying,“Go and prepare the Passover for us, that we may eat.”9So they said to Him, “Where do You want us to prepare?”10And He said to them,“Behold, when you have entered the city, a man will meet you carrying a pitcher of water; follow him into the house which he enters.11Then you shall say to the master of the house, ‘The Teacher says to you, “Where is the guest room where I may eat the Passover with My disciples?”’12Then he will show you a large, furnished upper room; there make ready.”13So they went and found it just as He had said to them, and they prepared the Passover. (Luke 22:7-13 NKJV)

The central symbols for the Seder supper are the cup & the unleavened bread - which speak of Christ’s first & second comings.

During the Seder, 4 cups are drank, based on Ex. 6:6-8:

6”Therefore say to the children of Israel: ‘Iam theLord; I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, I will rescue you from their bondage, and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with great judgments.7I will take you as My people, and I will be your God. Then you shall know that Iam theLord your God who brings you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians.8And I will bring you into the land which I swore to give to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; and I will give it to youas a heritage: Iam theLord.’”(Ex. 6:6-8 NKJV)

The First cup is called the Cup of Sanctification. “I will bring you out.”

The Second cup is called the Cup of Judgment or Thanksgiving. “I will rescue you from their bondage.”

The Third cup is called the Cup of Redemption. “I will redeem you.”

The Fourth cup is called the Cup of Praise or Completion. “I will take you as my people.”

The name “Matzah” (Matzos are the Kosher Passover crackers) comes from Deut. 16:3. “Unleavened Bread” is matstsah (H4682): unleavened bread or cake, and is the bread of affliction. It becomes a symbol for Divine providence.

In Matt. 26:26-28, Jesus clearly stated that the Matzah bread was to be viewed as representing His body. Note that the Matzah is unleavened (without sin), baked (by the fires of suffering), it is striped (by the Roman whip), & it is pierced (by the nails in His hands & feet, & by the spear in His side - see Zech. 12:10 & Ps. 22:16.

Soon after the drinking of the first cup (the Cup of Sanctification. “I will bring you out.”), the ceremony of the Afikomen, or the middle matzah, takes place.

As the Passover meal was being prepared earlier, three unbroken pieces of matzah were placed into a special cloth container called the “matzahtash,” also called the “Napkin of Unity.”

Now, the middle matzah is removed & broken in two. One half is placed back between the two whole matzahs. The other half is placed in a linen cloth and hidden. It is recovered and used toward the end of the Seder supper.

At this time, all drink together the second cup of wine (the Cup of Judgment or Thanksgiving. “I will rescue you from their bondage.”).

Then, the three matzahs (in the napkin of unity) are held up and a blessing is recited by all, and all eat together of the matzah, followed by the eating of bitter herbs & horseradish, speaking of the sorrow, persecution, & suffering of the Israelites under the hand of Pharaoh.

Dinner is now served, and the Seder continued after the meal. During the meal, the leader of the Seder hides the afikomen.

After supper, the children search for the afikomen. The leader then redeems it by giving the child who found it a coin. The matzah is then broken & distributed, in olive size pieces, to each of the guests.

Note: At this point, distribute the communion elements to the congregation.

32Then Jesus said to them,“Most assuredly, I say to you, Moses did not give you the bread from heaven, but My Father gives you the true bread from heaven.33For the bread of God is He who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.”34Then they said to Him, “Lord, give us this bread always.”

35And Jesus said to them,“I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst.

48I am the bread of life.49Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and are dead.50This is the bread which comes down from heaven, that one may eat of it and not die.51I am the living bread which came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever; and the bread that I shall give is My flesh, which I shall give for the life of the world.”(John 6:32-35; 48-51 NKJV)

Concerning the afikomen, it is written: 19And He took bread, gave thanks and brokeit, and gaveit to them, saying,“This is My body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of Me.”(Luke 22:19 NKJV)

Afikomen means, “I have come.”

Note: At this point, all partake of the matzah.

The third cup (the Cup of Redemption. “I will redeem you.”) is then filled and elevated - the “I will redeem you” cup.

This is God’s promise that He would redeem His people from slavery, meaning that He would buy them back.

It is this cup that, after supper in the Upper Room, Jesus raised and stated,20”…“This cupis the new covenant in My blood, which is shed for you.” (Luke 22:20 NKJV)

Note: At this point, all drink of the cup.

Now, the fourth cup (the Cup of Praise or Completion. “I will take you as my people.”) is filled, and all drink. This cup speaks of the time when the Lord is coming back to take up His followers to be with Him (see I Thess. 4:16, 17 for Church Age believers).

The Seder of Passover is now complete, even as our salvation & redemption are complete.

A blessing is given, and a hymn sung to complete the service.

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