This content may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn on qualifying purchases at no additional cost to you. Learn more at the bottom of this page or read my full disclosure policy.

Sharing This!

When I hear the term “biblical feasts” my mind goes to celebrating the Passover Feast. When the topic of Passover for Christians comes up people immediately have questions. My guess is you have them too. Questions like,

Who is the Passover for?
Do Christians celebrate Passover?
How is Passover celebrated today?

There are a lot of cultural traditions within Passover that are beautiful to observe and so fun to learn about. Since I’m not Jewish, I’ll let you learn about those from someone who is. In this article we’re going to revisit Scripture (New Testament and Old) to learn about the true meaning of Passover in the Bible

We’ll talk about the symbol of the Passover lamb, the Passover Story in Exodus, Paul’s teachings about Passover in the New Testament and answer additional questions about the Passover feast along the way.

Passover | The Backstory

If you’ve ever wondered why do they call it Passover? This story of the first Passover will help you understand.

Here’s the back story.

Jacob (also known as Israel) lived in the land of Canaan. Through his wives and maidservants he became a father of twelve boys and a daughter. In a jealous fit one of the sons, Joseph, is sold into slavery in Egypt (learn more about that in Genesis 37). Joseph goes through a lot of ups and downs including an unjust imprisonment, but by the grace of God he ends up becoming one of the most powerful rulers of Egypt.

Fast forward a few years; when a famine hits the land Joseph’s brother come to Egypt to buy food. Joseph recognizes them and again, by God’s grace, Joseph is reconciled to his brothers and moves his entire family (about 70) to the land of Goshen where they were able to survive the famine and prosper as a people. This is marks the humble beginnings of the nation of Israel. For a time all was well. But as the nation of Israel increased and the power of the Egyptian rulers changed hands – the Israelites soon found themselves oppressed, enslaved, and in need of a savior.

Which sets the stage for the first Passover.

The First Passover Story

The Israelites had been enslaved for nearly 400 years, and the burden of slavery only got heavier as the years went on. Yet somehow, by the grace of God, the people kept increasing. And just like God had promise Abraham hundreds of years prior, a “deliver” was about to rise from among the people. Today we know that deliverer as Moses. Learn more about him in this post. Moses was chosen to be the mouth piece of God and to go before the Pharaoh (as cruel and harsh as he may be) to demand freedom for the Israelites.

Pharaoh’s rejection of this plea brought a series of twelves plagues and judgments on Egypt. The harshest being the death of the first born of every family in Egypt. The people who obeyed God’s instructions regarding the blood of a lamb were the only ones who would be spared.

Speak to all the congregations of Israel, saying: “On the tenth of this month every man shall take for himself a lamb, according to the house of his father, a lamb for a household…

Now you shall keep it until the fourteenth day of the same month. Then the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill it at twilight. And they shall take some of the blood and put it on the two doorposts and on the lintel of the houses where they eat it…

For I will pass through the land of Egypt on that night, and will strike all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgment; I am the Lord. Now the blood shall be a sign for you on the houses where you are. And when I see the blood, I will pass over you; and the plague shall not be on you to destroy you when I strike the land of Egypt.
Exodus 12:3, 6-7, and 12-13

The Symbolism of the Passover Lamb

In biblical history the blood of lambs or goats was used to atone for sin. I believe that is what’s happening here is Exodus.

Israel was God’s chosen nation, but circumstances had lead many to stop living for God. They became accustom to the ways of the culture of the Egyptians. God was coming to rescue them, but there was also a need to atone for them. The blood was a sacrifice that atoned for their households. Soon after God would give the people laws to help them continue to live set apart.

And it shall be, when your children say to you, “what do you mean by this service? That you shal say, “It is the Passover sacrifice of the Lord, who passed over the houses of the children of Israel in Egypt when He struck the Egyptians and delivered our households.
Exodus 12:26-27

How to Celebrate Passover According to the Bible

So this day shall be a memorial; and you shall keep it as a feast to the Lord throughout your generations. You shall keep it as a feast by an everlasting ordinance.
Exodus 12:14

So what actually happens during Passover?

You can find the details of the Passover lamb instructions in Exodus 12. In that same chapter God gives instructions for how the Passover was to be kept.

• For seven days the only bread to be eaten is unleavened bread (Matza) is to be eaten (Exodus 12:15).
• On the first and seventh day of Passover there is to be a gathering (holy convocation).
• The Passover lamb was to be roasted in the fire, cooked with bitter herbs, and eaten within the home. No blood was to be left in the meat. Many have asked was the Passover lamb anointed with oil? I haven’t found an answer for that within the Bible so I can’t say for sure.

When temple was built in Jerusalem, the Passover became a pilgrimage feast. The people would travel to Jerusalem to sacrifice the Passover lamb (at that time sacrifices could only be done in the temple per God’s instruction) and have the Passover feast as a community.

When the second temple was destroyed the people had to find another way to continue keeping the Passover celebration as community. Over time new traditions were created that allowed the Jewish people to continue passing down the history and gift of Passover. That is how the a lot of the Passover traditions we know today (the Seder plate, the Haggadah, Passover cups, etc.) came about). Each component of the celebration represents a significant part of the Passover story.

Where In the Bible Does Jesus Celebrate Passover?

Now that we know the first Passover story we have to ask ourselves, how does the Passover relate to Jesus?

Believe it or not Jesus wasn’t a stranger to the Passover. He was raised on Passover traditions – as a Jew Himself, they were a part of His heritage. The Bible shows Jesus making the pilgrimage to Jerusalem for the Passover feast several different times. The first Passover that we see Jesus attend in the Bible is mentioned in Luke 2. Jesus was twelve years old at the time. When the feast was over He eventually made the pilgrimage home with his family.

Since eating the Passover lamb was regular part of the Passover celebration, I think its safe to assume the answer to “did Jesus eat the Passover lamb?” Is yes.

The Passover feast was a very normal part of His upbringing.

Why Is Jesus Called the Passover Lamb?

Remember how we talked about the blood of lambs being used to atone for sin? That was the case for the Passover lamb in Exodus. The Passover lamb in Exodus was a mirror of how God planned to redeem mankind and atone for the sins of the world. The difference is that instead of using the blood of an animal, God chose to use the blood of Jesus whom the Bible described as, “the perfect Passover lamb” or the “lamb without blemish.”

How was Jesus the sacrificial lamb?

When He died on the cross, his blood atoned for the sins of the world. It is Jesus’ blood that allows us to be forgiven of our sins and reconciled to God. Paul explains it like this,

For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God set forth as a propitiation by His blood, through faith, to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance God has passed over the sins that were previously committed …
Romans 3:23-25

Just like the blood on the doorposts atoned for Israel’s sins and allowed judgment to pass over them, the blood of Jesus on the cross atoned for the sins of all people and allows judgment to pass over all who come under His covering.

Jesus is our Passover lamb.

What Does Passover Mean In the New Testament?

Now that we see how Jesus is the symbol of the Passover lamb we can explore the question, what does Passover mean in Christianity?

For a long time I wondered about Passover for Christians. Knowing that Passover is a big part of Jewish history, I didn’t want to seem insensitive or like I was trampling on Jewish tradition if I participated.

I heard all the time that Passover is only for Jewish people. So imagine my surprise when I was reading my Bible and saw Paul teaching new followers of Jesus in Corinth about Passover and explains to them exactly why it’s relevant.

The chapter starts with Paul addressing the issue of sexual immorality withing the community of believers and their refusal to address the issue seriously (see 1 Corinthians 5). Not exactly the introduction you would expect to the Passover story. But Paul pulls it all together when He writes this,

Your glorying is not good. Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump? Therefor purge out the old leaven, that you may be a new lump, since you truly are unleavened. For indeed Christ, our Passover, was sacrificed for us. Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity of truth.”
1 Corinthians 5:6-8

Basically, Paul is saying that because we recognize that Jesus died to atone for our sins (something we couldn’t do for ourselves), we should be zealous about keeping ourselves from sin.

How Should Christians Celebrate Passover?

I believe when Paul says “keep the feast” it is instruction to believers to carry this understanding with them into the Passover week. That’s exactly what we see Christians doing in Paul’s days and centuries after. Jews and non Jews who believed in Jesus celebrated the Passover and the resurrection of Jesus together. In addition, the Passover instruction in Exodus permit those who want to celebrate the Passover to do so. So what are some practical ways you can observe Passover.

1. Participate in the 7 Days of Unleavened Bread. Remembering that leaven in this circumstance symbolizes sin. Fasting from unleavened bread is a symbolic of our commitment to separate ourselves from sin and honor the blood atonement Jesus provided for us.
2. Gather with believers. This could be in your home, church, or the home of another believer. It could be a simple gathering or a full on Passover Seder. The goal is to remember and celebrate together the goodness of God and His faithfulness towards His people.
3. Read the Bible’s account of the First Passover. I have a free reading plan that can walk you through it in this post. 
4. Revisit the Death and Resurrection of Jesus, our Passover Lamb in the Bible (reading plan for that is included in the link above)!
5. Share Passover and Resurrection Day stories with your kids! Lots of good suggestions in this blog post. 

What Does Passover Mean to Me?

For me, Passover is a rich and sacred celebration.
It’s a time to remember who God is and His faithfulness to people.

It’s a time to reflect on the depth of God’s love – the love that lead Him to send Jesus to be the Passover lamb for all people.

When you realize that the same God who “passed over” and preserved the Hebrew people, is the same God who loved the world so much He sent His only begotten Son to serve as the Passover lamb (John 3:16) – and that the same Jesus who served as the Passover lamb is the same Jesus who will rule on the throne forever in the days to come (Revelation 5).

It’s humbling.
I’m in awe.

How long Is Passover?

In Exodus we learn that Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread is a seven day celebration.

We learn from the gospels that there are designated preparation days that come before the feast.

Many in Israel still make the pilgrimage to Jerusalem to celebrate.

When Is Passover Celebrated Every Year?

Passover begins every year on the evening of the 14^th day of the first month on the Jewish calendar. Because the Jewish calendar is different than the Gregorian calendar the dates on the two calendars don’t always correspond and the dates may vary on a Gregorian calendar.

Where to Learn More About The Passover Feast and Story

My guess is that you’re reading this article because you want to answer the question, what does Passover mean for Christians and how is it relevant to people today. I hope I was able to answer some of your questions!

Click here for more Passover resources (provided by a friend and Jewish follower of Jesus) about the origins and meaning of Passover in the Jewish religion and how they tie into Passover for Christians.

A Biblical Look at Passover for Christians Share on X