From “10 Crazy Links Between Passover and Easter“. In ritual and tradition they differ, but in history and meaning they’re deeply linked. Jews for Jesus, by Arielle Randle | April 05 2022

Its interesting to me that next week, the feasts of Password (celebrated by the Jewish people around the world) and Easter (celebrated by Christians, believers in Jesus) will significantly overlap.

• Wed April 5th – Thurs Apr 6 – the Passover feast, a feast which Jews celebrate to commemorate their liberation from Egypt. This same Passover meal Jesus ate with His disciples, the night before He was betrayed into the hand of evil men, who would illegally try Him, scourge Him, and put Him to death on a Roman cross.
• Fri April 7th – Marks Good Friday, a day when Christians remember the day when Jesus Sacrificed His life on a Roman cross, to pay the penalty for the sins of all mankind, redeeming us, and making a way back to the Father for anyone who would believe (John 3:16)
• Sun April 9th – Resurrection Sunday (Easter), the morning when Jesus rose from the grave, the stone was rolled back, and He walked out of that grave, conquering death and offering new life to all who would beleive on Him.

Ten Connections between Passover and Easter

1. The Events that Easter Celebrates took place in Israel during Passover.

The events of the last week of Jesus’ life all took place in connection with Passover. He came to Jerusalem that week in response to the command in the Torah to appear at the Temple in Jerusalem for the feast and celebrated Passover with his closest friends. The next day, as the Passover week continued, Jesus died. On the third day of Passover week, the eyewitness accounts from his followers claim that Jesus rose from the dead. This miraculous resurrection is what has been celebrated for thousands of years by Christians as the holiday of Easter. Photo by cottonbro studio (Pexels):

JESUS CELEBRATED PASSOVER, KNOWN BY
MANY CHRISTIANS TODAY AS “THE LAST SUPPER”

2. Jesus celebrated Passover in Jerusalem with his Jewish family.

As a devout Jew, Passover was an important part of the year for Jesus, and he prepared for its observance seriously. It’s no coincidence that many followers of Jesus today, including non-Jews from diverse cultural backgrounds, have a desire to observe Passover in some way to honor their spiritual leader’s example.

3. In the New Testament, Jesus is mentioned as the Ultimate Passover Lamb

The Apostle Paul, one of the first rabbinic scholars to become a follower of Jesus, taught extensively on the significance of Passover, referring to Jesus as “our Passover lamb,” and drawing out the connection between Jesus’ death and the sacrifice of the perfect, spotless Passover lambs each year. In addition to observing the Sabbath, Jesus followers began gathering early on each Sunday morning to commemorate His resurrection on the first day of the week.  And that tradition continues in the church today.

JESUS WAS HERALDED AS “THE LAMB OF GOD WHO
TAKES AWAY THE SIN OF THE WORLD” (John 1:29)

4. In Many Countries the word for Easter is derived from Pesach (Passover).

The Hebrew word for Passover is Pesach. In French, Easter is Paques. In Italian it’s Pasqua. In many other languages, the word for Easter is simply a transliteration of the Greek word for Easter, Pascha. As Christianity spread beyond Israel and into many other regions, languages, and cultures, people embraced Jesus in ways that were culturally relevant to their context. But for several hundred years, the connection between Passover and the observance of Jesus’ death and resurrection at the time of Passover were linked by date and by language.

5. We Need to Recover the Unity of Passover and Easter.

If the early followers of Jesus were Jewish people who observed Passover while simultaneously commemorating the resurrection, how did Passover and Easter come to be so separated? Until the 4th century, Easter’s dating was based on the Jewish calendar and date of Passover. But in the year 325 AD at the Council of Nicea, church leaders decided to create a way to date Easter that could be independent of Jewish influence. In the centuries that followed, the two feasts drifted apart, and the common ground that they both rested on was forgotten.

6. There is a surprising “lamb connection” between Jewish Passover and Christian Easter.

In Sephardic Jewish tradition, the afikomen—a fragment of the middle matzah—is understood as representing the Passover lamb. Before eating the afikomen all participants are required to say, “In remembrance of the lamb.” This is very much like what Jesus said when he held up a piece of unleavened matzah the night before his death and said, “This is my body given for you, do this in remembrance of me.” Photo by Kat Smith (Pexels):

JESUS IDENTIFIED HIMSELF AS
THE SACRIFICIAL LAMB OF THE PASSOVER

As the Jewish writers of the New Testament later elaborated on, Jesus identified himself with the sacrificial lamb of Passover. This not only explains why lamb is a traditional menu item at Easter, but the act of using bread to remember him this way is still performed by followers of Jesus across the globe in what is now typically known in Christianity as the communion service. Many church liturgies today even reference Passover directly every time this celebration is observed.

7. The red wine of Christian communion has roots in the red wine of the Passover Seder.

Jewish rabbis teach that Passover wine should be red to remind us of the blood of the sacrificial Passover lamb. That brings insight into some of Jesus’ oft-misunderstood words at the last Passover Seder he celebrated with his friends. Just before drinking the third of four cups of wine, (the Cup of Redemption), Jesus said, “This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood.”

Those words sound shocking to some, as if Jesus were advocating drinking human blood. However, when we understand that Jesus identified himself with the sacrificial Passover Lamb, it’s clear that he was using well-known Jewish tradition and applying it to himself. These same words of Jesus are regularly recited in the Christian church during communion, which is often a key part of the sacred rituals leading up to Easter. In both ceremonies, red wine is used to represent blood that redeems humanity.

8. A season of cleansing sets the stage for both Passover and Easter celebrations.

The preparation for Passover is essential to celebrating the holiday. We prepare by cleaning our homes of bread. We prepare by shopping, cooking, and planning. We prepare through personal reflection. This bears a striking resemblance to the Christian practice of Lent, a season of intentional spiritual and physical preparation for the celebration of Easter.

Rabbi Evan writes for ReformJudaism.org, “Just as Lent prepares Christians for Easter, these actions prepare our bodies and souls to experience the Passover meal.” Some Christians will fast or even mark themselves with ash, a symbol of death, as a reminder of the need to reflect and repent before commemorating the resurrection of Jesus.

9. Both Passover and Easter celebrate freedom from slavery.

For Jewish people, the liberation from slavery in Egypt is one of the most central narratives of the Bible. At every Seder, the Passover tells the story of God’s incredible victory over the gods of the Egyptians, achieving our freedom by His mighty hand and outstretched arm.

BOTH FEASTS ARE ABOUT FREEDOM FROM SLAVERY –
FREEDOM FROM SLAVERY
IN EGYPT, BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY,
FREEDOM FROM SLAVERY TO SIN

The New Testament explores a different type of slavery, a slavery to the curse of sin and death that humankind suffers under generation after generation. Jesus’ resurrection provided a victory over this curse, the promise of a future resurrection for his followers and the hope of freedom and renewal in this lifetime.

10. Both Passover and Easter teach us that redemption must be personal.

Every Passover, the Haggadah instructs each of us from every generation to view ourselves as though we personally were rescued from Egypt, in reference to the verse, “You are to tell your son on that day saying, ‘It is because of what the LORD did for me when I came out of Egypt.” The real power of the story of Passover is found not in a history lesson, but in a heartfelt recognition that it is because of God’s provision that each one of us lives not as a slave, but free.

Despite what some might think, going to church on Easter doesn’t make someone a Christian. An authentic Christian is someone who has embraced Jesus as their personal Messiah (translated Christos in Greek), their redeemer from spiritual slavery. It’s a personal belief in the resurrection of Jesus that leads to a personal experience with the power of that resurrection.

IN HIM WE HAVE REDEMPTION THROUGH HIS BLOOD,
THE FORGIVENESS OF OUR SINS (Eph 1:7)

The origins of Easter are as far removed from tie-dyed eggs as the origins of Passover are from coconut macaroons. And although they are certainly two very different celebrations in many ways, Passover and Easter share not only themes and history, they share the same purpose in giving those who observe them a small taste of the sweetness of redemption.

Would You Like to Know You’re Redeemed Personally?

So let me ask you. Do you have a personal relationship with the Lord? Do you know Him personally? If you do, then you have everything to look forward to – in this life, and in  the life to come.  Peace with God, joy in your daily life, fulfillment of  God’s purpose while here on earth, and life eternal.  You were made for a purpose, and your daily walk with  Jesus will help you come to realize His purpose in your life and fulfill it.  If you don’t have a relationship with your Creator, you can!  Give Jesus a  chance!  Don’t put it off.  Ask Him into your life and to wash you, cleanse you of all your sins, and make you “a new creation”!   You have nothing to loose everything to gain.  Here is a  link to Billy Graham’s web site that can show you how you can invite Jesus into  your life and be the creation He has always intended you to be …

>> Take Me to Steps to Peace With God ==>  http://www.billygraham.org/SH_StepsToPeace.asp

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From “10 Crazy Links Between Passover and Easter“. In ritual and tradition they differ, but in history and meaning they’re deeply linked. Jews for Jesus, by Arielle Randle | April 05 2022