It is celebrated by the Christians because Christ is our Passover lamb.
But what is the story behind Passover? Why are the Jews free from Egypt, why do the Christians call Jesus (Hebrew name Yeshua) the Passover lamb?
I'll try to explain. I'll start with the Jews' story.
If you've been reading my blog, then you've been reading the story of Joseph. We know that Joseph followed God, even when he was in Egypt. We know that he was a great man in Egypt, that the Pharaoh favored him and pretty much let him do whatever he felt like.
Later on, Joseph's family comes to Egypt to live there. In case you haven't guessed it by now, Joseph's 12 brothers become the 12 tribes of Israel (which is their father's name). So the Israelites end up in Egypt because Joseph brought his family to him.
The Pharaoh during Joseph's time didn't mind the Jews, mostly because they were Joseph's family and Joseph could do whatever he wanted.
But after Joseph died, and after the Pharaoh who knew Joseph died, and all the people of that generation died, the Jews were still in Egypt.
But the thing is, the Jews had a lot of children. And I mean a LOT of children. God was blessing them, and as He says, children are a blessing. He was making a nation.
But the new Pharaoh, the one who had not known Joseph, saw that the Jews were becoming a huge people. He didn't like that there were so many, he was afraid they would rise up and try to take over Egypt.
So he enslaved them.
The Jews had been in Egypt for 430 years by the time the Passover happens.
If you read Exodus chapters 1-11, you'll get the story of Moses' birth, his escape from Egypt, his return to Egypt to set the Jews free, and the plagues that swept over the Egyptians.
The Passover story begins with the final plague.
God tells Moses that he is going to wipe out the first born of every household, including the first born of the animals.
But He doesn't want to wipe out his own people, so he gives them a command.
He tells Moses that each family is to take a lamb, a firstborn male of herd, either a lamb or a goat.
If the family is not big enough for an entire lamb, then they are supposed to share with their neighbor.
On the 14th day of the month, the whole assembly of the congregation of the children of Israel were told to kill the lambs.
Then, they are told to take the blood of the lamb and paint their doorposts with it, so when the Lord passes through Egypt He will see that the blood is on the homes of His people, and He will pass their houses and leave the people inside alone.
They are told to roast the lamb, not boil it, or any other method of cooking it, only roast it (today we would grill it). They are told to eat the lamb with their shoes on and their staffs in their hands. In other words, be ready to go at any time.
If they have not eaten all the lamb by the next morning, they are told to burn it up.
During the Passover, and for the 7 days afterwards, they are told to *not* eat and leavened bread.
Leavened bread is bread that rises, bread with yeast, baking soda, baking powder, basically anything that will make a traditional bread. They can still eat flat breads, but nothing with yeast.
So Moses tells the Elders all that the Lord had told him.
So the Israelites do as they are told.
During the night of the Passover, the Lord came through Egypt and killed all the firstborn of the people of Egypt, from the lowly prisoners in dungeon all the way up to the Pharaoh's firstborn.
It is only after this that the Pharaoh lets the Jews leave. He tells them to get out of his land. God has punished his harshly.
God tells the Isrealites to always remember the Passover. He gives it to them as a celebration, because with it, He brought them out of the Land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.
This is why the Jews celebrate the Passover, the reason that Jesus (Yeshua) was celebrating it before he died.
The reason the Christians celebrate Passover is a different reason, but I will explain that later, in another post.
Cheers!
No comments:
Post a Comment