Finding Christ In The Passover
It is not difficult to see Christ in the Passover. He is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.
Finding Christ In The Passover
1 Peter 1:18–19
“…you were not redeemed with perishable things … but with precious blood, as of a lamb unblemished and spotless, the blood of Christ.”
It is not difficult to see Christ in the Passover. He is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. But beyond that obvious connection, the details of the Passover reveal layer upon layer of meaning that point directly to Jesus, making the connection unmistakable.
• The lamb without blemish (Exod. 12:5): This foreshadows Jesus, the sinless and spotless Lamb of God (Heb. 4:15).
• The blood on the doorposts (Exod. 12:7): It was not enough that the lamb be slain—the blood had to be applied. In the same way, we are justified only through the blood of Christ, who called Himself the Door (John 10:7; Rom. 5:9).
• The lamb died in place of the firstborn: Just as the lamb bore the judgment for Israel’s households, so Christ bore our sins and died in our place (Isa. 53:4–6; 2 Cor. 5:21).
• The lamb roasted with fire (Exod. 12:8–9): The fire pictures judgment. Jesus endured the fiery wrath of God for us on the cross (Matt. 27:46).
• No bones broken (Exod. 12:46): Though the soldiers broke the thieves’ legs, not a single bone of Jesus was broken, fulfilling Scripture (John 19:36).
• The lamb eaten by the whole household (Exod. 12:4, 8): The family shared in the lamb, just as Christ calls us into fellowship with Himself at His table. He said, “Unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in yourselves” (John 6:53).
• Deliverance from slavery: Passover marked Israel’s release from bondage. Through Christ, we are freed from slavery to sin and death (Rom. 6:17–18).
• A lasting memorial (Exod. 12:14): Israel was commanded to remember the Passover forever. In the same way, Christ instituted the Lord’s Supper during Passover, commanding, “Do this in remembrance of Me” (Luke 22:19).
Some scholars note as many as fifty parallels between the Passover and Christ. This list is only a sample, but enough to show how God designed the feast as a vivid foreshadowing of Jesus. Next, we will consider one of the most important elements that follows immediately after Passover: the Feast of Unleavened Bread.
