We all have seen the movie "The Ten Commandments" staring Charlton Heston and should be somewhat familiar with the story of the Passover and the Exodus.

Let’s look at the institution of the Passover and as we go through it we will draw some New Testament comparisons.

Let’s begin in Exodus 12:1: "Now the LORD spoke to Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt, saying, {2} "This month shall be your beginning of months; it shall be the first month of the year to you".

The first month of God’s sacred calendar is known as Nisan and it begins in the latter part of March or the first part of April.

Exodus 12:3 "Speak to all the congregation of Israel, saying: 'On the tenth day of this month every man shall take for himself a lamb, according to the house of his father, a lamb for a household. {4} 'And if the household is too small for the lamb, let him and his neighbor next to his house take it according to the number of the persons; according to each man's need you shall make your count for the lamb.

Let’s notice a New Testament reference about Jesus being compared to the Lamb of God. In John 1:29  "The next day John (the Baptist) saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, "Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!" And in verse 36: "And looking at Jesus as He walked, he said, "Behold the Lamb of God!""

Notice that Jesus is said to be the "Lamb of God" and that He "takes away the sin of the world!"

Exodus 12:5 'Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male of the first year. You may take it from the sheep or from the goats.

The Apostle Peter relates that Jesus was a lamb without blemish. "but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot" (1 Pet 1:19).

Exodus 12:6 '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. {7} '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. {8} 'Then they shall eat the flesh on that night; roasted in fire, with unleavened bread and with bitter herbs they shall eat it. {9} 'Do not eat it raw, nor boiled at all with water, but roasted in fire; its head with its legs and its entrails. {10} 'You shall let none of it remain until morning, and what remains of it until morning you shall burn with fire. {11} 'And thus you shall eat it: with a belt on your waist, your sandals on your feet, and your staff in your hand. So you shall eat it in haste. It is the Lord's Passover. {12} '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. {13} '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. {14} 'So this day shall be to you 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."

Notice that the Passover is a feast and a memorial and it is to be kept as an everlasting ordinance. That means that it is to be kept yearly and forever!

Let’s notice in Exodus 12:6 that they were going to "kill" the Passover lamb, and put some of the "blood" on the door posts and the lintel and "eat the flesh" with "unleavened bread". Let’s notice these phrases in the following passages.

The Apostle Paul wrote to the gentile Corinthian Church from Ephesus around 56 A.D. regarding many problems ranging from divisions in the Church to sexual misbehavior.

In 1 Corinthians 5:1, the Apostle Paul begins talking about sexual immorality.

"It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and such sexual immorality as is not even named among the Gentiles; that a man has his father's wife! {2} And you are puffed up, and have not rather mourned, that he who has done this deed might be taken away from among you. {3} For I indeed, as absent in body but present in spirit, have already judged (as though I were present) him who has so done this deed. {4} In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, when you are gathered together, along with my spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ, {5} deliver such a one to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus. {6} Your glorying is not good. Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump? {7} Therefore 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. {8} 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 and truth" (1 Corinthians 5:1-8).

The Apostle Paul was giving correction to the Corinthian Church and is using special terminology in doing so. He is using terminology that relates to the Passover and the Days of Unleavened Bread.

Notice that the Apostle Paul calls "Christ, our Passover", and that He "was sacrificed for us". Jesus is our personal savior. Jesus was killed for us. He died for you and me. Just like the Passover lamb was killed and its blood was used to save the firstborn of ancient Israel, Christ was killed and His blood was shed for our remission of sin so that we could be saved.

"For this is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins" (Mat 26:28).

Jesus’ blood cleanses us from sin. "But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin" (1 John 1:7).

Jesus’ blood justifies us: "But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. {9} Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him. {10} For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life" (Rom 5:8-10).

In 1 Corinthians 5:2 the Apostle Paul talked about being "puffed up" which refers to leavened bread. Leaven (yeast) is compared to sin, while being unleavened is compared to being righteous, without sin.

What does sin do? Sin cuts us off from God. The Prophet Isaiah said: "Behold, the Lord's hand is not shortened, That it cannot save; Nor His ear heavy, That it cannot hear. {2} But your iniquities have separated you from your God; And your sins have hidden His face from you, So that He will not hear" (Isaiah 59:1-2).

The Apostle Paul says that sin leads to eternal death: "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Romans 6:23).

The Apostle Paul in 1 Corinthians 5:8 commands us to "Keep the Feast", which we have already seen that the Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread is commanded by God as an "everlasting ordinance" in Exodus 12:14.

Let’s continue on with Exodus 12:15 'Seven days you shall eat unleavened bread. On the first day you shall remove leaven from your houses. For whoever eats leavened bread from the first day until the seventh day, that person shall be cut off from Israel. {16} 'On the first day there shall be a holy convocation, and on the seventh day there shall be a holy convocation for you. No manner of work shall be done on them; but that which everyone must eat; that only may be prepared by you. {17} 'So you shall observe the Feast of Unleavened Bread, for on this same day I will have brought your armies out of the land of Egypt. Therefore you shall observe this day throughout your generations as an everlasting ordinance."

Notice God says that this Feast of Unleavened Bread is an everlasting ordinance, not a temporary festival.

Let’s go to the New Testament and see that Jesus is the prophetic symbol of the unleavened bread. Remember, unleavened bread pictures righteousness (without sin), and Jesus was perfect and never sinned.

Let’s begin in John 6:31-51  ""Our fathers ate the manna in the desert; as it is written, 'He gave them bread from heaven to eat.'" {32} Then 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. {33} "For the bread of God is He who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world." {34} Then they said to Him, "Lord, give us this bread always." {35} And 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. {36} "But I said to you that you have seen Me and yet do not believe. {37} "All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out. {38} "For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me. {39} "This is the will of the Father who sent Me, that of all He has given Me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up at the last day. {40} "And this is the will of Him who sent Me, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him may have everlasting life; and I will raise him up at the last day." {41} The Jews then complained about Him, because He said, "I am the bread which came down from heaven." {42} And they said, "Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How is it then that He says, 'I have come down from heaven'?" {43} Jesus therefore answered and said to them, "Do not murmur among yourselves. {44} "No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up at the last day. {45} "It is written in the prophets, 'And they shall all be taught by God.' Therefore everyone who has heard and learned from the Father comes to Me. {46} "Not that anyone has seen the Father, except He who is from God; He has seen the Father. {47} "Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me has everlasting life. {48} "I am the bread of life. {49} "Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and are dead. {50} "This is the bread which comes down from heaven, that one may eat of it and not die. {51} "I 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.""

It is interesting to note that Jesus’ message or sermon about the bread was given at Passover time. "Now the Passover, a feast of the Jews, was near" (John 6:4). Verses 5-14 relates the story of Jesus feeding the 5,000 people with 5 barley loaves and 2 small fish.

Also notice that the Passover is called "a feast of the Jews". The Jews were the only people at that time who were keeping God’s Holy Days. Jesus made a reference that He was sent to the lost sheep of the house of Israel in Mat 15:24 : "He answered and said, "I was not sent except to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.""

This phrase "house of Israel" is dual. It could refer only to the "house of Israel" or it could refer to both houses, the "house of Israel" and the "house of Judah". Notice the following two scriptures: "Then God turned and gave them up to worship the host of heaven, as it is written in the book of the Prophets: 'Did you offer Me slaughtered animals and sacrifices during forty years in the wilderness, O house of Israel?" (Acts 7:42).

Obviously, the ten tribes of the house of Israel were included with the two tribes of the house of Judah when they were in the wilderness.

The following passage describes the two houses as being separate houses:

"Because finding fault with them, He says: "And when Rehoboam came to Jerusalem, he assembled all the house of Judah with the tribe of Benjamin, one hundred and eighty thousand chosen men who were warriors, to fight against the house of Israel, that he might restore the kingdom to Rehoboam the son of Solomon" (1 Kings 12:21).

When the Apostle John wrote his gospel, the House of Israel was known as the lost 10 tribe of Israel. They had been taken into captivity by the Assyrians around 722 B.C. and had been scattered and they had lost their identity. Since the house of Israel had lost their identity, then that means that only the Jews knew about God’s Festivals and that is why the Passover is called "a feast of the Jews".

Exodus 12:29 "And it came to pass at midnight that the LORD struck all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, from the firstborn of Pharaoh who sat on his throne to the firstborn of the captive who was in the dungeon, and all the firstborn of livestock. {30} So Pharaoh rose in the night, he, all his servants, and all the Egyptians; and there was a great cry in Egypt, for there was not a house where there was not one dead.

All of the firstborn of the land of Egypt died, from the firstborn of the captive to the firstborn of Pharaoh. Even the firstborn of the livestock died.

Jesus was God’s only son and therefore was His firstborn son. "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life" (John 3:16).

Jesus was also the firstborn from the dead. "And He (Jesus) is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the preeminence" (Colosians 1:18).

The Exodus Exodus 12:31 "Then he (Pharaoh) called for Moses and Aaron by night, and said, "Rise, go out from among my people, both you and the children of Israel. And go, serve the LORD as you have said. {32} "Also take your flocks and your herds, as you have said, and be gone; and bless me also." {33} And the Egyptians urged the people, that they might send them out of the land in haste. For they said, "We shall all be dead." {34} So the people took their dough before it was leavened, having their kneading bowls bound up in their clothes on their shoulders."

Exodus 12:37 "Then the children of Israel journeyed from Rameses to Succoth, about six hundred thousand men on foot, besides children. {38} A mixed multitude went up with them also, and flocks and herds; a great deal of livestock. {39} And they baked unleavened cakes of the dough which they had brought out of Egypt; for it was not leavened, because they were driven out of Egypt and could not wait, nor had they prepared provisions for themselves. {40} Now the sojourn of the children of Israel who lived in Egypt was four hundred and thirty years. {41} And it came to pass at the end of the four hundred and thirty years; on that very same day; it came to pass that all the armies of the LORD went out from the land of Egypt. {42} It is a night of solemn observance to the LORD for bringing them out of the land of Egypt. This is that night of the LORD, a solemn observance for all the children of Israel throughout their generations.

The Apostle John gives a detailed record of Jesus’ public ministry based around God’s holy days, the annual "high day" Sabbath Festivals. For years people have known that the only way to prove the length of Jesus’ ministry is to go to the Gospel of John and count the number of Passovers. You can not do this in the Gospels of Matthew, Mark or Luke. It is amazing to realize that God inspired the Apostle John to record his testimony of Jesus’ public ministry around God’s Feast Days. These feast days are important to God for He calls them His feasts: "And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, "Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them: 'The feasts of the LORD, which you shall proclaim to be holy convocations, these are My feasts"" (Levitcus 23:2).

Jesus kept the Passover His entire life from a child to His last dying breath. "His parents went to Jerusalem every year at the Feast of the Passover. {42} And when He was twelve years old, they went up to Jerusalem according to the custom of the feast" (Luke 2:41-42).

"Now before the feast of the Passover, when Jesus knew that His hour had come that He should depart from this world to the Father, having loved His own who were in the world, He loved them to the end" (John 13:1). Jesus "rose from supper and laid aside His garments, took a towel and girded Himself. After that, He poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples' feet, and to wipe them with the towel with which He was girded" (John 13:4-5).

Jesus washed His disciples’ feet. Jesus humbled himself from master to servant to set an example that we should follow. "Just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many" (Mat 20:28).

Jesus commanded us to wash one another’s feet. "If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet. {15} "For I have given you an example, that you should do as I have done to you" (John 13:14-15).

After Jesus washed the Disciples' feet, He then instituted the new Passover symbols of the bread and the wine to represent His body and His blood. For the new Passover symbols we have to turn Luke 22:14-20: "When the hour had come, He sat down, and the twelve apostles with Him. {15} Then He said to them, "With fervent desire I have desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer; {16} for I say to you, I will no longer eat of it until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God." {17} Then He took the cup, and gave thanks, and said, "Take this and divide it among yourselves; {18} for I say to you, I will not drink of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes." {19} And He took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, "This is My body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of Me." {20} Likewise He also took the cup after supper, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in My blood, which is shed for you" (Luke 22:14-20).

Notice that in verse 15, Jesus calls this solemn service the Passover.

Notice in verse 18, that Jesus said "I will not drink of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes." Here in the middle of the Passover service, Jesus gives a prophetic statement that He would not drink any wine until the "kingdom of God" comes.

Jesus was committed to preaching the gospel message of the "kingdom of God", and here at His last Passover he connects the Passover with His gospel message. "Now after John was put in prison, Jesus came to Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, {15} and saying, "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel"" (Mark 1:14-15)

The original Passover (Exodus 12) involved a lamb which was a sacrificial animal, taking it’s blood and striking the door-posts, roasting the lamb for a sacrificial meal including unleavened bread.

In ancient times, men sealed covenants with blood, similarly, the American Indians and the white man became "blood brothers" by cutting themselves and mixing their blood.

In a sense Israel was striking a covenant with God and confirmed it with blood.

On the occasion of Jesus’ last Passover, He handed a cup of wine to His disciples, saying: "Drink from it, all of you. {28} "For this is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins" (Mat 26:27-28). Jesus gave us a new covenant and sealed it with the wine which represented His shed blood.

Unleavened Bread

The unleavened bread represented Jesus’ broken body. The Apostle Paul said: "For I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you: that the Lord Jesus on the same night in which He was betrayed took bread; {24} and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, "Take, eat; this is My body which is broken for you; do this in remembrance of Me"" 1 Cor 11:23-24).

Jesus not only had to die for us, He also had to suffer. Let’s notice Matthews account of Jesus’ suffering: "And the high priest arose and said to Him, "Do You answer nothing? What is it these men testify against You?" {63} But Jesus kept silent. And the high priest answered and said to Him, "I put You under oath by the living God: Tell us if You are the Christ, the Son of God!" {64} Jesus said to him, "It is as you said. Nevertheless, I say to you, hereafter you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Power, and coming on the clouds of heaven." {65} Then the high priest tore his clothes, saying, "He has spoken blasphemy! What further need do we have of witnesses? Look, now you have heard His blasphemy! {66} "What do you think?" They answered and said, "He is deserving of death." {67} Then they spat in His face and beat Him; and others struck Him with the palms of their hands, {68} saying, "Prophesy to us, Christ! Who is the one who struck You?"" (Mat 26:62-68).

Mat 27:26-31  "Then he released Barabbas to them; and when he had scourged Jesus, he delivered Him to be crucified. {27} Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the Praetorium and gathered the whole garrison around Him. {28} And they stripped Him and put a scarlet robe on Him. {29} When they had twisted a crown of thorns, they put it on His head, and a reed in His right hand. And they bowed the knee before Him and mocked Him, saying, "Hail, King of the Jews!" {30} Then they spat on Him, and took the reed and struck Him on the head. {31} And when they had mocked Him, they took the robe off Him, put His own clothes on Him, and led Him away to be crucified."

Isaiah the prophet even prophesied of Jesus’ suffering: "Who has believed our report? And to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed? {2} For He shall grow up before Him as a tender plant, And as a root out of dry ground. He has no form or comeliness; And when we see Him, There is no beauty that we should desire Him. {3} He is despised and rejected by men, A Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. And we hid, as it were, our faces from Him; He was despised, and we did not esteem Him. {4} Surely He has borne our griefs And carried our sorrows; Yet we esteemed Him stricken, Smitten by God, and afflicted. {5} But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed. {6} All we like sheep have gone astray; We have turned, every one, to his own way; And the LORD has laid on Him the iniquity of us all" (Isaiah 53:1-6).

Notice that verse 5 says: "by His stripes we are healed". Even the blessing of our healing comes from the fact that Jesus was beaten and suffered for us. The Apostle Peter also makes a reference to Jesus being beaten for us: "who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness; by whose stripes you were healed" (1 Pet 2:24).

One of the tragic things that happened in what Jesus had to go through was that he was betrayed by His friends. Judas Iscariot was one of the disciples of Jesus for approximately three and a half years and Judas betrayed Him with a kiss and for thirty pieces of silver. A few minutes later all of the disciples forsook Him and fled. "But all this was done that the Scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled." Then all the disciples forsook Him and fled" (Mat 26:56).

Jesus suffered by being accused of blasphemy, spit upon, beaten, scourged, struck with reeds, mocked, rejected, and betrayed by His friends and finally crucified and had a spear plunged into His side.

Following the new Passover symbols of the bread, wine and the foot-washing that Jesus instituted, Jesus then gives His last message to His disciples in John chapters 14-17. In John 18 He is arrested in Gethsemane, appears before the high priest, denied by Peter, questioned by the High Priest and appears in Pilate’s court.

"So then Pilate took Jesus and scourged Him. And the soldiers twisted a crown of thorns and put it on His head, and they put on Him a purple robe" (John 19:1-2).

"Now it was the Preparation Day of the Passover, and about the sixth hour. And he (Pilate) said to the Jews, "Behold your King!" But they cried out, "Away with Him, away with Him! Crucify Him!" Pilate said to them, "Shall I crucify your King?" The chief priests answered, "We have no king but Caesar! Then he delivered Him to them to be crucified. So they took Jesus and led Him away" (John 19:14-16).

Jesus is then crucified by the soldiers and He remains on the cross for approximately six hours.

"So when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, "It is finished!" And bowing His head, He gave up His spirit. {31} "Therefore, because it was the Preparation Day, that the bodies should not remain on the cross on the Sabbath (for that Sabbath was a high day), the Jews asked Pilate that their legs might be broken, and that they might be taken away. {32} Then the soldiers came and broke the legs of the first and of the other who was crucified with Him. {33} But when they came to Jesus and saw that He was already dead, they did not break His legs. {34} But one of the soldiers pierced His side with a spear, and immediately blood and water came out" (John 19:30-34).

Jesus was crucified on Passover. He is our Passover Lamb. "Therefore 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." (1 Corinthians 5:7)

Notice the words "high day" in verse 31. This indicates that this day was an annual Sabbath or holy day, the First Day of Unleavened Bread.

Jesus was buried in Joseph's tomb: {38} "After this, Joseph of Arimathea, being a disciple of Jesus, but secretly, for fear of the Jews, asked Pilate that he might take away the body of Jesus; and Pilate gave him permission. So he came and took the body of Jesus. {39} And Nicodemus, who at first came to Jesus by night, also came, bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about a hundred pounds. Then they took the body of Jesus, and bound it in strips of linen with the spices, as the custom of the Jews is to bury. Now in the place where He was crucified there was a garden, and in the garden a new tomb in which no one had yet been laid. {42} So there they laid Jesus, because of the Jews' Preparation Day, for the tomb was nearby" (John 19:38-42).

The "Preparation Day" is the day before the weekly Sabbath or an annual "high day" Sabbath. Notice that this "Preparation Day" was before the "high day" Sabbath of John 19:31 which was not a weekly Sabbath.

"Now on the first day of the week Mary Magdalene went to the tomb early, while it was still dark, and saw that the stone had been taken away from the tomb" (John 20:1).

Notice that it was early in the morning and it was dark. It was before sunrise and the stone had already been rolled away and Jesus was not in the tomb. He had already been resurrected. We must realize that nobody witnessed Jesus’ resurrection. If we want to rely upon the truth and what the Bible says, then the scriptures do not support a Sunday resurrection. (Request our free article: The Resurrection was not on Sunday to explain this Bible truth.)

The Bible nowhere says that we should keep Easter or honor Jesus through the resurrection. So, where did Easter come from? You can find out from any encyclopedia. Basically, it came from paganism and was accepted into Catholic Church doctrine, then it was passed on into Protestantism through the Protestant Reformation. If you would like to know more, request our free booklet: "Easter .. Is it Christian?"

Now someone might say, well the Bible does mention "Easter" in Acts 12:1-4 (KJV) "Now about that time Herod the king stretched forth his hands to vex certain of the church. And he killed James the brother of John with the sword. And because he saw it pleased the Jews, he proceeded further to take Peter also. (Then were the Days of Unleavened Bread.)

Let’s notice verse 4: And when he had apprehended him, he put him in prison, and delivered him to four quaternions of soldiers to keep him; intending after Easter to bring him forth to the people."

The King James Version does say Easter, but it is a mistranslation. The Greek word for Easter is "pascha" and means Passover. Check it out in Strong’s Concordance #3957. pascha, pas'-khah; of Chald. or. [comp. H6453]; the Passover (the meal, the day, the festival or the special sacrifices connected with it).

All other translations have it correctly translated. The New King James Version: Acts 12:4 says: "So when he had arrested him, he put him in prison, and delivered him to four squads of soldiers to keep him, intending to bring him before the people after Passover."

The New International Version:

Acts 12:4 says: "After arresting him, he put him in prison, handing him over to be guarded by four squads of four soldiers each. Herod intended to bring him out for public trial after the Passover."

We don’t kill a lamb anymore, because Jesus is our Passover lamb and was sacrificed for us. He was killed for us and He willingly died for us. He is our ultimate sacrifice.

"And every priest stands ministering daily and offering repeatedly the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. {12} But this Man (Jesus), after He had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down at the right hand of God, {13} from that time waiting till His enemies are made His footstool. {14} For by one offering He has perfected forever those who are being sanctified. {15} But the Holy Spirit also witnesses to us; for after He had said before, {16} "This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, says the LORD: I will put My laws into their hearts, and in their minds I will write them," {17} then He adds, "Their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more." {18} Now where there is remission of these, there is no longer an offering for sin." (Heb 10:11-18).

In Conclusion:

Why should we keep the Passover?

1.) Jesus kept the Passover. He set us an example. (John 13:15).

2.) God has commanded us to keep the Passover and the Days of Unleavened Bread as an "ordinance forever."

3.) The Apostle Paul commanded us to "Keep the Feast" (1 Cor. 5:8).

4.) The Passover has much meaning to the New Testament Christian through the symbols and shows how salvation is obtained: (Killing of the lamb (Jesus) and it takes blood for the remission of sin.)

5.) The Passover will help you prepare for the "kingdom to come." (Mat. 26:29).

6.) Jesus pronounced a blessing if you do these things. "If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them" (John 13:17).

We have taken an honest look at what the Bible says about the Passover and should realize that Jesus is our Passover and that we should keep the Passover as Jesus, the Apostles and the New Testament Church did.

Let’s take the Apostle Paul’s advice and " 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. {8} 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 and truth" (1 Corinthians 5:7-8).