Jesus Christ our Passover

Jesus Christ our Passover

By Rev. Lonnie C. Crowe

The Passover was instituted in the land of Egypt.  Passover initiated the Israelites’ release from the captivity and bondage of Egypt.  In scripture, Egypt is a symbol of the bondage of the worldly system.  Passover is all about our release from the bondage of sin and discouragement we find when we walk in the way of the world instead of the way of the Lord.

Exodus 12:21-24 (NKJV) : “Then Moses called for all the elders of Israel and said to them, "Pick out and take lambs for yourselves according to your families, and kill the Passover lamb.  And you shall take a bunch of hyssop, dip it in the blood that is in the basin, and strike the lintel and the two doorposts with the blood that is in the basin. And none of you shall go out of the door of his house until morning.
^“For the LORD will pass through to strike the Egyptians; and when He sees the blood on the lintel and on the two doorposts, the LORD will pass over the door and not allow the destroyer to come into your houses to strike you. And you shall observe this thing as an ordinance for you and your sons forever.”

Notice verse 24.  We are to observe Passover forever.  Most Christians do not realize that the sacrament of the Lord’s Supper is a celebration of Jesus Christ as our Passover. His ministry as our Redeemer, our Savior, is foreshadowed in Passover. 

John 1:29 (NKJV): ^“The next day John (the Baptizer) saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, "Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” 

Matthew 26:1-2 (NKJV):  ^“Now it came to pass, when Jesus had finished all these sayings, that He said to His disciples,^‘You know that after two days is the Passover, and the Son of Man will be delivered up to be crucified.’"

Matthew 26:17-19 (NKJV) :Now on the first day of the Feast of the Unleavened Bread the disciples came to Jesus, saying to Him, "Where do You want us to prepare for You to eat the Passover?"
^“And He said, "Go into the city to a certain man, and say to him, 'The Teacher says, "My time is at hand; I will keep the Passover at your house with My disciples."
So the disciples did as Jesus had directed them; and they prepared the Passover.”

Matthew 26:26-28 (NKJV):  “And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to the disciples and said,’Take, eat; this is My body.’
“Then He took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying,’Drink from it, all of you.
For this is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.’”

In “The Last Supper”, we see a picture not only of Jesus’ humbling Himself to the cross, but also a picture of our own ministry in the lives of those still in captivity to their “Egpyt”.

John 13:1-5 (NKJV):  “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.
^“And supper being ended, the devil having already put it into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon's son, to betray Him,
^“Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into His hands, and that He had come from God and was going to God, 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 13:21-27 (NKJV):  “When Jesus had said these things, He was troubled in spirit, and testified and said, "Most assuredly, I say to you, one of you will betray Me."
^“Then the disciples looked at one another, perplexed about whom He spoke. Now there was leaning on Jesus' bosom one of His disciples, whom Jesus loved. Simon Peter therefore motioned to him to ask who it was of whom He spoke. Then, leaning back on Jesus' breast, he said to Him, ‘Lord, who is it?’
^“Jesus answered, "It is he to whom I shall give a piece of bread when I have dipped it." And having dipped the bread, He gave it to Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon. Now after the piece of bread, Satan entered him. Then Jesus said to him, ‘What you do, do quickly.’"

We are cognizant of the Lord’s washing the feet of the disciples.  Are we aware that He knelt before Judas Iscariot and washed the feet of the one who would betray Him?

In the Kingdom of God, which is made up of those who choose to walk in obedience to Him, we must not judge anyone, even an unbeliever, as “untouchable.”  Sin is rampant in our “Egypt” today.  In truth, sin has been rampant in the world since the Fall.  God is love, and it is that love that draws us into repentance. 

Jesus washed the feet of Judas.  We cannot do less and be His disciples.