What
is Passover?
The
first of God’s seven annual festivals is the Passover (Leviticus 23:5).
Passover falls in early spring in the Holy Land and is a reminder of how God
spared His people from death in Egypt. To rescue His people from slavery, God
took the lives of all the firstborn Egyptian males (Exodus 12:7, 26-29) but
passed over the Israelites’ homes that had the blood of a sacrificed lamb on
their door frames.
The
blood of the Passover lamb foreshadowed the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, which
passes over the sins of people who repent in order to spare them from eternal
death. The New Testament makes clear that Christ is the true Passover Lamb
(compare Exodus 12:21 with 1 Corinthians 5:7). In observing His last Passover
with His disciples, Jesus explained that the symbols of bread and wine
represent His body and blood, offered by Him for the forgiveness (or passing
over) of our sins and the death penalty our sins have earned for us (Matthew
26:26-28; Mark 14:22-24).
The
death of Christ actually took place during the daylight hours that followed the
Passover evening—which was still the same date according to Hebrew
sunset-to-sunset reckoning. Christ was sacrificed on Passover.
The
New Testament Passover is a memorial of the suffering and death of Jesus
Christ. This is also when baptized members of the United Church of God renew
our agreement to come under the blood of Jesus Christ, the perfect Passover
Lamb, for the forgiveness of our sins. We approach this period of the year with
deep spiritual introspection. We commemorate the Passover on the 14th day of
the first month of the sacred year with a service based on the instructions of
1 Corinthians 11:23-28 and the Gospel accounts of the New Testament Passover
that Christ instituted.
This
solemn service begins with a brief explanation of its purpose, followed by
foot-washing (based on Christ’s example and instructions in John 13). Then the
minister gives an explanation of the symbols of the Passover, unleavened bread
and wine, which represent the body and blood of our Savior. Each baptized
member of the Church eats a small piece of the unleavened bread and drinks a
small glass of the wine (Mark 14:22-24).
Christians
who observe this annual memorial marking Jesus’ death (1 Corinthians 11:26) are
reminded that eternal life is possible only through Him (John 6:47-54; Acts
4:10-12). Jesus’ sacrifice is the starting point for salvation and the
foundation of the annual feast days that follow. The next one is the Feast of
Unleavened Bread.
From
UCGdotOrg
_______
Wikipedia
Passover
(Christian holiday)
This
article is about how a Jewish holiday is celebrated by Christians. For the
Jewish holiday itself, see Passover. For the major Christian festival usually
linked to Passover, see Easter.
Some
Christians observe a form of the Jewish holiday of Passover. The practice is
found among Assemblies of Yahweh, Messianic Jews, and some congregations of the
Church of God (Seventh Day). It is often linked to the Christian holiday and
festival of Easter. Often, only an abbreviated seder is celebrated to
explain the meaning in a time-limited ceremony. The redemption from the bondage
of sin through the sacrifice of Christ is celebrated, a parallel of the Jewish
Passover's celebration of redemption from bondage in the land of Egypt.
Christian
Passover ceremonies are held on the evening corresponding to 14 Nisan (e.g.
April 5, 2012) or 15 Nisan, depending whether the particular church uses a
quartodeciman or quintodeciman application. In other cases, the holiday is
observed according to the Jewish calendar on 15 Nisan, which is also used by
Samaritans.
Most
Christians don't celebrate the Passover, since it is seen to belong rather to a
Jewish or Old Testament tradition which they believe to be no longer necessary.
Among
those Christians who do observe the Passover, there are some differences in how
this is done. Some follow the instructions that Jesus gave to his disciples at
the time of his last meal before he was crucified, and share instead of roasted
lamb, bread
In
the Christian Passover service the unleavened bread is used to represent Jesus'
body, and wine represents his blood of the New Covenant (Luke 22:19-20). These
are a symbolic substitute for Jesus as the true sacrificial Passover "Lamb
of God" (John 1:29). It should also be noted that Passover day is followed
in the Scriptures by seven days of unleavened bread (Exodus 12:1-15Leviticus
23:6). These days have a great dual significance to the observant Christian.
Just as leavening causes bread to be puffed up, so sin causes Christians to be
"puffed up" with the sin of "malice and wickedness," and
therefore must "purge out" that "old leaven" and replace it
with "the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth" (King James
Version - 1Corinthians 5:1-15). Therefore, in the Christian Passover service
Christ's body is represented[original research?] by unleavened bread
symbolizing his sinless life, for he alone had no sin (1Peter 2:21-22). Since
these Scriptures indicate that during the seven days of unleavened bread,
leavening represents sin and unleavened bread represents righteousness, when
Christians remove leavening during these days they are reminded to put sin out
of their lives.[original research?]
In
some traditions, the ceremony is combined with washing one another's feet, as
Jesus did for his disciples the night that he suffered (John 13:5-14).
Other
Christians celebrate the Passover as the Jews celebrate it. They roast and eat
lamb, bitter herbs, and the unleavened Matza.
Many
Adventist, Sabbatarian Churches of God, Messianic Jews, Jehovah's Witnesses
(who call it the 'Memorial of Christ's Death') and other groups observe a
Christian Passover — though all do not agree on the date(s) or the related
practices.
St
Thomas Syrian Christians ( Nazranis) in the malabar coast of India (Kerala)
have a customary celebration of Pesaha at their homes. On the evening before
Good Friday the Pesaha bread is made at home. It is made with unleavened flour
and they use a sweet drink made up of coconut milk and jaggery along with this
bread ( can be compared to Charoset). On the Pesaha night the bread is baked or
steamed in a new vessel, immediately after rice flour is mixed with water and
they pierce it many times with handle of the spoon to let out the steam so that
the bread will not rise ( this custom is called " juthante kannu
kuthal" in the Malayalam language meaning piercing the bread according to
the custom of Jews). This bread is cut by the head of the family and shared
among the family members after prayers. In some families, a creamy dip made up
of jaggery and coconut milk is used along with the Peasha bread. If the family
is in mourning following a death, Pesaha bread is not made at their home, but
some of the Syrian Christian neighbours share their bread with them. This
custom may have its origin in their probable Jewish ancestry since many other
Jewish customs like separating the sexes at church, praying with veil in their
heads(women), naming conventions in line with the Jewish customs, kiss of peace
(kaikasthoori) in their Holy Qurbana (mass),[citation needed]
presentation of their babies on the 40th day after birth in the church and
ceremonial bath of the dead bodies. Unlike other Christians, in their weddings
the bride stands on the right side of the groom resembling the Jewish custom
and during the wedding a veil is given to the bride.