Passover & Easter

Passover and Easter are connected in very meaningful ways. The New Testament writers Mark and Luke record the Last Supper of Jesus with his disciples. This, of course, is the basis for Christians' celebration of communion. Jesus was celebrating the Passover meal with his followers just before his death.

To fully appreciate the significance of Jesus' death and resurrection, we must know a little about Passover. It's fascinating to learn how important a celebration this is in the Jewish faith. It ties in nicely with the Christian faith, as well. Both speak of freedom, salvation, and God's love.

From www.chabad.org we read this about Passover:

• It is an eight-day festival, this year running from April 3 through 11.
• It commemorates the emancipation of the Israelites from slavery in ancient Egypt.
• The Israelites endured horrific conditions and forced labor under the rule of ancient Egyptian pharaohs for many decades.
• God sent Moses to Pharoah, requesting him to let the people go: "Send forth my people so they may serve God."
• Pharoah refused and ten awful plagues resulted--each one escalating in severity.
• The last plague was the tipping point for Pharoah. All first-born males were killed, including his son.
• The children of Israel were spared this horrific plague that PASSED OVER their homes. (The blood of a slain lamb was brushed on the doorposts of their homes so they would be spared this plague of death.)
• The Israelites had to gather themselves up and leave quickly--no time for bread to rise so they ate unleavened bread.
• The group consisted of 600,000 males plus women and children.
• They began their long and arduous trek to Mount Sinai.

Whew. Quite a bit of drama in a nutshell. But all this makes the celebration of Passover meaningful. It also makes the tie-in with the Resurrection meaningful.

Read the accounts in Mark 14: 12-26 and Luke 22: 7-38.

Ray Vander Laan, noted Bible teacher, writes an excellent article on the importance of Jesus celebrating the Passover meal just before his walk to the cross. It ties the two events together and gives meaning to both. Use this reading as your devotions for today. You will be blessed.  http://oneinjesus.info/2010/02/faith-lessons-by-ray-vander-laan-the-fifth-cup/

(Next blog post will discuss Passover and Easter celebrations and might even lead readers to some excellent recipes.)