Have you ever wondered why Yeshua died and was buried near the end of the Passover day (the 14th) instead of at the beginning as were the Passover lambs? Have you wondered why He added elements to the Passover that were not part of the Passover instructions given by Moses?
On the day that Yeshua died, there was a sequence of events that took place which reveal how He elevated that day from its original focus to a more all-encompassing focus. These events and all the details of that day are well documented in Matthew 26, Mark 14, Luke 22 and John 12 plus 1 Corinthians 11:23-26.
So, what is meant by ‘elevate Passover’? It is about the focus of the Passover and what it is that we are specifically observing on that day. Moses instructed the children of Israel (and consequently to us as well) to keep this day of Passover always in remembrance (Exodus 12:24; 13:1-10) which means that we are to focus on the reason why that day took place. Specifically, Passover is about redemption and salvation – and the Passover helps us understand who gives that redemption and salvation and who receives that redemption and salvation. The focus of the Passover that took place in Egypt was about the redemption and salvation of the firstborn. Much later on, when Yeshua observed His final physical Passover, He elevated this day with the addition of specific elements because He wants us to understand the reason why the events of His death took place on that day. The elevation He gave the Passover involves more than remembering the past, because He wants us to look to the future and His promises for us.
The Passover in Egypt focuses on the firstborn
Exodus 13:3 answers that; “And Moses said unto the people, Remember this day, in which ye came out from Egypt, out of the house of bondage; for by strength of hand the LORD brought you out from this place: there shall no leavened bread be eaten.” Take note that the verse prior (verse 2) is about the firstborn; “Sanctify unto me all the firstborn, whatsoever openeth the womb among the children of Israel, both of man and of beast; it is mine.”
This is important because the reason for the Passover observed in Egypt was about the final plague against Egypt. That final plague was the death of any firstborn who did not heed the warning which YHVH gave to Moses to share among the people. Only the firstborn who heeded the warning and did as instructed were saved because the angel of death would “pass-over” their homes.
To say this more succinctly, the focus of the Passover in Egypt was about the salvation of only the firstborn from the angel of death, through the blood of an unblemished lamb painted upon the doorposts and lintel representing the Hebrew letter ‘chet’
When combined with the Hebrew letter ‘yod’ creates the word ‘l’chaim’ ~ life (more on that further along).
The angel of death struck at midnight (Exodus 12:29) but would not strike a home with the blood sign of the letter ‘chet’ upon it. Most Egyptians did not heed this warning, including Pharaoh’s household and when their firstborn died, it shook him so much that he called for Moses and Aaron while it was still night. Pharaoh had finally relented and allowed the children of Israel to leave. So in the daylight portion of the fourteenth day of the first month, the children of Israel began their exodus out of Egypt. We know this because the bread they baked was made in a hurry and was not allowed time to rise, thus it was unleavened. Then from the fifteenth to the twenty-first day, the children of Israel observed a further seven days of Unleavened Bread while they were on the move.
The blood of the lamb on the doorposts and lintel was a one-time event meant for that Passover only and not required in any future Passover observances. Why? Well, it has to do with the focus of the subsequent Passovers. In the Passover in Egypt, the smeared blood was necessary for the salvation of the firstborn. For subsequent Passovers, Moses instructs us to observe it without the lamb’s blood on the doorpost and lintel because there is no longer a threat to the firstborn. However, we are to keep in remembrance what was used to make the sign on the doorposts and lintel (lamb’s blood) and how that blood was the sign by which the angel of death passed-over their homes and spared the firstborn within.
So, when we read the instructions in Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy about how to observe and focus on the Passover, it is from this perspective – the salvation of the firstborn.
There will only be one other time that the blood of a ‘Lamb’ will be used to bring redemption and salvation – but to whom this time and what is the sign?
The Passover which Yeshua observed focuses on all mankind
From the first Passover in the wilderness onward, the format of the Passover involved observing this day as a remembrance of the release from bondage and the sparing of the lives of the firstborn by using the elements of the whole, unblemished lamb roasted by fire and the unleavened bread.
This is the format from which Yeshua elevated the Passover and enhanced the focus. It is within the writings from the Gospel accounts that we will find answers to explain why events on the day Yeshua died happened as they did and to understand how these events elevate the Passover focus.
A question was posed at the start of this article; have you wondered why Yeshua added elements to the Passover that were not part of the Passover instructions given by Moses? The answer is that the focus and remembrance no longer is predominately concerning the firstborn of men, instead it is now about what the firstborn of Elohim did for ALL of mankind. Yeshua is the firstborn of Elohim and the precursor of the many yet to come (Romans 8:29 / Colossian 1:15, 18 / Revelation 1:5). The actions He takes as the firstborn of many is intended to affect all of mankind. Yeshua added the elements of the foot washing, the wine and the bread to help us remember what He did and the significance of His actions for our future. His actions and His death brought about the redemption and soon coming salvation of all mankind (2 Corinthians 5:14-15 / 1 Timothy 4:10 / Hebrew 2:9 / 1 John 2:2).
The implications of these new elements are so significant that Yeshua told the disciples to do this [Passover] “in remembrance of Me”. (Luke 22:19 / 1 Corinthians 11:24, 25). This is the elevation, the lifting of our focus from the salvation of the firstborn of men to our focus now being on the Firstborn who brings salvation to ALL mankind (Luke 22:19 / 1 Corinthians 11:24, 25).
He washed the disciple’s feet and instructs them to do so as well; to remember that we are to be servants one to another, for in the role of a servant do we truly emulate Yeshua and recognize that like Yeshua, we are not greater than the One Who sent Him. Yeshua served the One Who sent Him and He served mankind with His teachings and then ultimately with His death, burial, resurrection and ascension. The foot washing ceremony is intended to teach us that we want to serve as Yeshua did and have chosen to be the servants of the Most High. Thus we must act accordingly. That is what Yeshua did, and that is what we must do as well. John 13:16 “Truly, truly, I say to you, a slave is not greater than his master, nor is one who is sent greater than the one who sent him.”
He gave the disciples bread and instructed them to eat this in remembrance of His beaten body to understand that His body absorbed all the sins of mankind and that by His stripes we are healed (Isaiah 53:5 / 1 Peter 2:24).
He filled a cup with wine and instructed the disciples to remember that this ”is His blood of the new testament, shed for many for the remission of sins” (Matthew 26:28) and for our protection (Hebrews 11:28) from the angel of death. That new testament is the elevation of the Passover. He installed these elements to act as a testament of how He is redeeming ALL of mankind and not just the firstborn.
Meaning of Yeshua’s blood poured out on the earth – the sign
His blood was poured out upon the earth as the sign of life in similar fashion to the blood of the lamb upon the doorposts and lintel. The letter ‘yod’ symbolizes his blood being poured out of His body onto the ground quite visually.
When the letter ‘chet’ is followed by the letter ‘yod’, the Hebrew word for life is written. Thus, when Yeshua was crucified, His blood wrote the final portion of the Hebrew word for life – l’chaim.
Life
As mentioned, Yeshua’s blood came out of His body and poured upon the earth. This indicates that the Mount of Olives, where He was crucified is the doorway for the house of mankind – literally, the Earth. This means that what the angel of death now sees upon the earth is the word l’chaim and will pass-over the whole planet. **
It is interesting to note that when Yeshua returns, He will set His feet upon the Mount of Olives and it will cleave in two with one half moving north and the other half moving south to create a west/east corridor directly to the Temple Mount. This is Yeshua opening that doorway which means it is now safe for mankind to come out from behind that sign of life on the door and freely go to the Temple Mount to worship. There is now no threat to mankind from the angel of death.
Until that happens, all of mankind is kept behind that door that has Yeshua’s blood upon it; otherwise we will experience eternal death due to our impurity or strange fire. An example of that kind of death was well documented when Aaron’s two oldest sons, Nadab and Abihu approached the Tabernacle with strange fire and were instantly killed (Leviticus 10:1-2 / Numbers 3:4 / Numbers 26:61). When Yeshua splits the Mount open, it is the sign that we are redeemed and saved and are purified. We are now delivered from evil and no longer have strange fire within us, which then allows us to properly enter into the House of Adonai. When Yeshua opens the ‘door’ of the Earth, it means that it is now safe to come out from behind the sign of the blood that poured out of Yeshua two millennia earlier.
Answering the first question
Now we can answer the very first question that was asked at the top of this article; have you ever wondered why Yeshua died and was buried near the end of the Passover day instead of at the beginning as were the Passover lambs?
Yeshua was identified by Paul as our Passover (1 Corinthians 5:7), so it should be appropriate that His death would happen at the start of the 14th day as it was with the killing of the lambs. However, it is well documented that Yeshua died near the end of the 14th day of the first month. This has caused many to consider that the meal He had with the disciples was not the Passover at all, but merely a “Last Supper”. Many theorize that since He was our Passover, His death had to take place at the time of the killing of the lambs for the Passover meal, therefore His death signaled the start of the ‘true’ Passover, even if it was at the end of the 14th day of the month.
Actually, this theory is not the case. Firstly, there are quite a number of scriptures which plainly state that Yeshua was eating the Passover and not the “Last Supper” with His disciples (Matthew 26:17-19 / Luke 22:8, 11, 13 / Mark 14:12, 14, 16). There are other verses that refer to that same day as the day the lambs are killed for the Passover (Mark 14:12 / Luke 22:7). Thus, Yeshua ate the Passover meal with His disciples as directed by Moses on the eve (or start) of the 14th day of the first month of the beginning of the year. After the meal, He experienced a number of events including the prayers at the Garden of Gethsemane, His betrayal and arrest, His inquisition before the High Priest Caiaphas and the chief priests (Pharisees and Sadducees) who abused Him badly. Then He is questioned by the governor, Pontius Pilate, who washed his hands of the whole matter because he saw the falsehood of it all but didn’t want to deal with the political powder keg that this would explode into if he did intervene and stop the conspiracy against Yeshua. From there, Yeshua is lead away and mocked verbally, mentally and physically by King Herod and his soldiers. His body endured the barbarous wounds (stripes) of the cat-o-nine tails and the bruising of His body (Matthew 26:67 / Matthew 27:26 / Mark 15:15 / John 19:1). Then He was delivered up to be crucified.
Yeshua died while it was still the 14th day of the first month as the day was nearing its end. Sundown signaled the start of the 15th day of the first month, which is the High Sabbath of the first day of Unleavened Bread. That is why His body needed to be brought down from the stake and prepared for burial in a hasty manner. Interestingly, this is also the day that the Pharisees and Sadducees consider to be the Passover. We know this because they conspired to be sure to have Yeshua killed before their version* of the Passover so as not to cause an uproar among the people (Matthew 26:3-5 / Mark 14:1-2).
Nevertheless, Yeshua died at the ninth hour (Matthew 27:45-50 / Mark 15:33-37 / Luke 23:44-46) which is calculated as being 3 pm. This is also the exact time of day that the second of the daily lambs is sacrificed upon the altar to end or close the day of service in the Temple. What Yeshua did with the timing of His death was to show that the first Passover that took place in Egypt acted as the first lamb and His death completed the focus of the Passover day as the second lamb.
In other words, Yeshua’s death completed the meaning of the Passover, so as we observe it today, we are doing so in the complete manner that has been intended for us to observe it. We now can remember the past with the implementation of the first lamb of the ‘day’ which brought salvation from the angel of death to the firstborn of our ancestors and of the whole nation of Israel coming out of Egypt by the almighty strength of YHVH. Then we remember what Yeshua did for us with His death as the second daily lamb and how His servitude, His body and His blood are represented with the foot-washing, the cup of wine and the bread. And how the timing of His death causes us to look to the future, for the meaning of the Passover is complete (as signified by the status of the second lamb); no longer is it solely about the firstborn of men, but about the firstborn of Elohim Who has now redeemed ALL of mankind and will bring salvation (life) with His soon coming return.
Passover Focus
So, as we prepare to observe the Passover each and every year, remember (focus) that Yeshua’s blood as the second lamb will cause the angel of death to pass-over all of mankind. But that does not mean we can go about doing our own thing. We must choose to accept and abide behind this sign in order to receive salvation. That is what happened during the Passover in Egypt, if any firstborn was not behind the sign of the blood on the doorposts and lintel that firstborn died. Let’s choose life. L’chaim!!
May the significance of Passover and the Days of Unleavened Bread be truly meaningful to one and all.
Let this mind be in you that is in Messiah, Yeshua. Philippians 2:5
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*Oxford Dictionary definition of ‘version’: (noun) a particular form of something differing is certain respects from an earlier form or other forms of the same type of thing.
**When the angel of death passes over the planet and sees the word l’chaim, the death we are saved from is the eternal death. Yeshua’s death, burial, resurrection and ascension bring about the wondrous blessing to mankind of eternal life. All we have to do is to choose it and eventually, we all will choose His way of life. Our Elohim is omnipotent and when They created mankind, They did so knowing mankind would rebel. So They set in motion a whole plan of life for mankind so that ALL of mankind eventually lives as They intended Their creation to live – eternally. That is why Yeshua’s blood was poured upon the ground (Earth) and not painted on the doorposts and lintel.
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