Scripture: Exodus 12:1-8

C.I.: Christ, Our Passover

Last week… - Today we will begin looking at the 3 major feasts of the Jews –
and see how each of them spoke to the Jews about a coming Messiah (quote Gal. 3:23-25).

I. Passover: A Memorial for Looking Back and Ahead!

A. The Inauguration and Elements of the Jewish Passover

1. The story of the Passover…
a. God’s people had been held in Egyptian slavery for centuries until one day…
1) (Ex. 3:2), “An angel of the Lord appeared to Moses in a blazing fire in the midst of a bush; and he looked, and behold, the bush was burning with fire, yet the bush was not consumed.”
2) (Ex. 3:10), “Come now, and I will send you to Pharaoh, so that you may bring My people, the sons of Israel, out of Egypt.”
3) (Ex. 5:1-2), “Moses & Aaron came and said to Pharaoh, ‘Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, “Let My people go that they may celebrate a feast to Me in the wilderness.”’ But Pharaoh said, ‘Who is the Lord that I should obey His voice and let Israel go? I do not know the Lord, and besides, I will not let Israel go.’”
4) So God sent Pharaoh a “10 lesson correspondence course” to show him who He is! (chart)

b. The final plague God sent is the one commemorated by the “Passover,” (quote Ex. 12:21-24)

2. The elements of the Passover meal reminded Israel of God’s deliverance.
a. Unleavened bread – (Deut. 16:3), “You shall eat it with unleavened bread, the bread of affliction (for you came out of Egypt in haste).” – Yeast often used symbolically for SIN!
1) (Matt. 16:6, 12), “Jesus said to them, ‘Watch out, beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees’ … He did not say beware of the leaven of bread, but the teaching of the P. & S.”
b. Wine – 4 cups, each representing an aspect of God’s redemption:
1) (Ex. 6:6-7), “[1] I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, [2] I will
deliver you from their bondage, [3] I will redeem you with an out-stretched arm and with
great judgments; [4] Then I will take you for My people, and I will be your God.”
c. Elijah’s Cup – (Mal. 4:5), “I am going to send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of….”
d. Salt Water – To symbolize the tears the Jews shed in bondage.
e. Bitter Herbs – (Ex. 12:8), “..eat it with unl. bread & bitter herbs” = bitterness of their slavery.
f. Charoset – A mixture chopped apples, nuts, cinnamon; represents the bricks & mortar of slavery
1) This when combined w/unleavened bread & bitter herbs – was called a Hillel Sandwich.
2) It was probably this that Jesus gave to Judas – (Jn. 13:26), “‘It is the one for whom I shall
dip the morsel and give it to him.’ So when He had dipped the morsel He gave it to Judas.”
g. Lamb – “An unblemished male 1 yr. old,” (Ex. 12:5); “….no broken bones of it,” (v. 46).
h. Passover only in Jerusalem – (Deut. 16:5-6), “You are not allowed to sacrifice the Passover in any of the towns which the Lord your God is giving to you, but at the place the Lord chooses….”

B. The Fulfillment of the Passover is Only Found in Jesus!

1. The elements of the meal to Jesus and His ministry.
a. The Elijah cup has been fulfilled - for the herald did announce the coming of the Messiah!
1) For Luke says of John the baptist, (Lk 1:17), “…in him is the spirit & power of Elijah.”
2) Jesus said of John, (Matt. 17:12-13), “….Elijah already came & they did not recognize him…’ – the disciples understood He had spoken to them about John the baptist.”

b. Jesus applies the unleavened bread (remember – leaven frequently symbolized sin).
1) (I Cor. 11:23-24), “…the Lord Jesus in the night in which He was betrayed took bread; and
when He had given thanks, He broke it, and said, ‘This is My body, which is for you; do….”
2) Jesus fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah, (Isa. 53:9), “He committed no sin, nor was any….”

c. The cups He also applied to Himself (Luke begins with the 3rd cup of redemption
1) (Lk. 22:15-18), “I have earnestly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer… And
when He had taken a cup, He said, ‘Take this and share it among yourselves, for I say to you
I shall not drink … kingdom comes. – And when He had taken some bread…
2) 3rd Cup = (Ex. 6:6), “…I will redeem you with an outstretched arm & with great judgments”
- This foretold of what Jesus would do for us through His death.
3) 4th Cup = (Ex. 6:7), “Then I will take you for My people, and I will be your God.”
4) This cup is now given an even greater meaning – (Lk. 22:20), “This cup which is poured out
for you is the new covenant in My blood.”

d. The bitter herbs should remind all of us - of our spiritual condition before our salvation.
1) (Quote Isa. 59:1-2; Eph. 2:1-2; II Pt. 2:19; Matt. 5:4)!
2) The bitterness of the Jewish slavery was due to the wickedness of Egyptian slave-masters.
3) But the bitterness of our spiritual bondage to sin – is one that we alone are to blame!

e. The Passover Lamb represents Jesus for us!
1) When God saw the blood of the lamb on the doorposts…, (Ex. 12:13), “..when I see the
blood I will pass over you, and no plague will befall you to destroy you….”
2) It is because of the blood of the Lamb (Jesus) – that people today are saved (Eph. 1:3, 7).
3) God promised us - the Messiah would have to die - so we could live – (Isa. 53:5), “He was
pierced through for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities, the chastening of
our well-being fell upon Him, and by His scourging we are healed.”
4) Even down to the last detail Jesus fulfilled this prophecy – (Jn. 19:33, 36), “…but coming to
Jesus, when they saw that He was already dead, they did not break His legs … that the
scripture might be fulfilled, ‘Not a bone of Him shall be broken.’”

CONCLUSION: All has been fulfilled, “Christ our Passover has already been sacrificed,” (I Cor. 5:7)
Now the question before all mankind today is, “What will we do about it?” – Mk. 16:16