In light of this weekend’s Passover observance, to be followed by the week-long Feast of Unleavened Bread, I was led to re-post the teaching I did on this subject last years. 

Passover and Unleavened Bread 2019

For those of us who keep the observational calendar (ie., the Month of the Aviv begins with the sighting of the renewed moon and the barley harvest declared to be in a state of aviv), Passover (ie., Pesach) this year will begin at sundown S-turday, Ap-il 20, 2019. For those of us who keep the Jewish calculated calendar, Passover begins this evening at sundown, F-iday, Ap-il 18, 2019. 

The very next day, at sundown on S-nday, Ap-il 21st (observational) or Fr-day, Ap-il 19th (Jewish), begins the 7-day Feasts of Unleavened Bread. 

Now I cover all of the pertinent information you need to know in order to keep the spirit of Passover and Unleavened Bread in this podcast replay post. 

Three Things to Keep in Mind When Keeping Passover

In response to some recent inquiries I’ve received regarding the keeping of Passover by Yeshua-focused Torah-keeping disciples, here are three things to keep in mind:

1. We cannot keep Passover as outlined in Exodus 12, Leviticus 23 and Deuteronomy 16.

Let us keep in mind that the very first Passover we kept while preparing to leave Egyptian captivity was a one time procedure. If you recall the story, Moses instructed the Hebrews to slaughter an unblemished, male yearling lamb and smear its blood on the doorposts of our homes. This of course was done as a sign to the “death angel” to “pass over” our homes as it went throughout the land to kill the firstborn of those households that were not covered by the blood of the lamb.

After that, we no longer smeared the blood of lambs on the doorposts of our homes. However, we symbolically re-enacted that fateful night in Egypt by consuming our meal in haste, clothed as if to depart our homes quickly and the meal consisting of lamb and bitter herbs and unleavened bread. 

However, because of our Master Yahoshua’s sacrifice and the passing away of the temple in Jerusalem, our attention is turned to Him on Passover. Now, our Jewish cousins keep somewhat of a twisted version of Torah’s instructed Passover, which they’ve named as Passover Seder. We should NOT participate in any such observance or tradition. In fact, our Master Yahoshua instructed us to honor Him and His sacrifice on the night before Passover. This is famously referred to as the “Lord’s Supper.”

Of this observance Paul wrote:

26 For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord’s death till he come. (1Co 11:26 KJV)

2. Yeshua did not have the Passover meal nor a Passover Seder with His disciples the night He was betrayed. 

Contrary to most teachings, if you really read with understanding the Gospel account of the Master’s Supper, and you gain a full understanding of the timing of events surrounding His crucifixion on Passover Day, it becomes very obvious that Master did NOT have a Passover meal or a Seder with His disciples. 

Master, our Passover, was crucified on Passover Day and His body was placed in the borrowed tomb just prior to the start of the Passover Meal and prior to the start of the Feast of Unleavened Bread. 

Oh by the way, the Passover Seder is actually a man made tradition that lacks in so many ways to the actual instructions Father passed down to us regarding the keeping of the day. 

3. Thus, our focus for Passover MUST be Yeshua Messiah. 

Yahoshua our Messiah is our Passover. He is, according to the famous utterance rendered by John the Immerser:

“Behold the “Lamb of God,” which takes away the sins of the world” (Joh. 1:29, 36).

So then, how do we keep Passover? 

Well, there are several ways in which we can keep the spirit of Passover. The first being, to observe the Master’s Supper. The second is to have a meal with family and like-minded friends consisting of some of the elements of the original Passover meal. I would also encourage the washing of one another’s feet. In fact, Master instituted for the Body of Messiah the consuming of the bread and wine in remembrance of His sacrifice, as well as the washing of one another’s feet. 

Of the washing of one another’s feet, Master stated:

12 So after he had washed their feet, and had taken his garments, and was set down again, he said unto them, Know ye what I have done to you?
13 Ye call me Master and Lord: and ye say well; for so I am.
14 If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet; ye also ought to wash one another’s feet.
15 For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you.
16 Verily, verily, I say unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord; neither he that is sent greater than he that sent him.
17 If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them.
(Joh 13:12-17 KJV)

I could go on and on as it relates to how we keep the spirit of this solemn Feast, but suffice, if you will, to enjoy a replay of my post on this awesome time of Father’s Biblical Calendar Year.

Chag Pesach Semeach.