Prior to last year I had categorized Passover as a Jewish holiday and not at all significant to my faith in the Messiah. As I child I came to know Jesus at just the age of 4. Now approaching 40 I’ve come to know Him in new ways, like learning His Hebrew name is Yeshua, so that’s how I’ll refer to Him as you continue reading. The Old Testament feast seemed irrelevant in the modern world we lived in with the smearing of blood on door posts and all. In the Spring of 2019 I had the privilege of celebrating Passover not once but twice. It was hands down the most powerful and meaningful celebration I had ever participated in. Why hadn’t I done this sooner?
I am very grateful for where I come from. My parents gave me a solid foundation, taking me to church every time the doors were open. They didn’t always have all the answers but they knew where to look for them – in the Bible. I often felt dumb in church though. Many of the other kids attended private Christian schools and I went to public school, so their knowledge of the stories in that large, intimidating book left me in the dust. As a visual learner I found it difficult to absorb the Biblical accounts. So of course I was thrilled when The Ten Commandments aired on television the weekend of Easter every year. It seemed like an odd weekend to air that movie since it had nothing to do with Jesus dying on the cross or Him raising from the dead. But when you grow up with only 7 channels to watch and one of them is in Spanish, you learn to appreciate any half interesting movie that comes on.
It wasn’t until 2016 at the age of 35 that the connection between the very first Passover in Egypt and the death of Yeshua on the cross in Israel became really clear. The light bulb moment came as I prepared to teach a class on the oils of the Bible. As I studied Hyssop I was amazed to see that the branch of this plant was dipped in blood in the Old Testament and the New Testament!
Looking back, the Father was creating curiosity in me to learn more about Passover. He knows how much I love little details like this. Why wasn’t this little detail ever pointed out in all the time I had spent in church? Why was Passover overlooked? I’m no historian or Biblical scholar – but I like to ask a lot of questions and research the “why” behind everything. With just those two things I quickly figured out why mainstream Christianity had nothing to do with this annual feast- it all started thousands of years ago when Believers strayed from the roots of their faith.
The first Biblical account of Passover is found in Exodus 12. The word “festival” appears twice in this one verse, making it clear that Passover was to be a joyous occasion and celebrated forever. Fast forward over 1,000 years in your Bible to the Gospels and you’ll clearly read that Yeshua celebrated Passover with his disciples in a large furnished upper room.
While in Israel last year I had the privilege to participate in this festival like few people ever do. After the sun went down our group was led to a furnished upper room in the same neighborhood where the Biblical account took place at the Harp of David Restaurant. This was a poor neighborhood during ancient times because it is known that water carriers were poor. From Galilee it would have taken one week to walk to Jerusalem to celebrate.
It was in a room like this that the familiar words “do this in remembrance of Me” were spoken. I can still see those raised words on the front of the Communion table just below the pulpit from my childhood church. I heard them spoken on the first Sunday of every month as far back as I could remember. But I’ve come to realize that “this” meant a Passover celebration and nothing less. So what happened to Passover? Why do so many believers not participate in it? I went digging and soon found out.
The Council of Nicea was convened in 325 AD by the Roman Emperor Constantine. This was the same emperor who legalized Christianity following the Diocletianic or Great Persecution of Christians that began in 303 AD. Persecution tends to scatter people, so when Christianity was legalized in 313 AD, the church spread rapidly from the small isolated locations throughout Europe and Asia. Because these churches were isolated but growing, this new faith had different interpretations and sometimes strange ideas among its believers that began to take root. So 1,800 Christian Bishops were invited by Constantine to participate in The Council of Nicea, in hopes to bring uniformity to the Christian Church. No Jewish believers were invited to participate, despite the fact that this faith originated in Israel, Jesus was a Jew and the ancient writings guiding the faith were originally in Hebrew and Aramaic.
Only 318 Bishops participated in decisions that would forever shape the beliefs of Christians around the world to this day. One major topic of debate was the calendar and if and when Passover should be celebrated. Churches in the West celebrated Communion on Easter Sunday. Churches in the East celebrated Communion on the 14th of Nisan according to the Biblical instructions of when to celebrate Passover. In the end the Julian Calendar was officially adopted, a calendar that more aligned with the sun, doing away with the Biblical or Jewish calendar. Christianity officially abandoned the celebration of the Jewish custom of Passover and it was replaced with Easter, an ancient spring festival that predated Yeshua. This would now be the new way to commemorate the resurrection of God’s son on the first Sunday after the vernal equinox.
This was fueled by antisemitism and a desire to put distance between Christians and Jews. Just a few decades later the Council of Antioch prohibited Christians from celebrating Passover with Jews, observing the Biblical Sabbath or accepting gifts from Jews. Passover was labeled as a “Jewish” celebration instead of a “Biblical” celebration. Over the centuries large portions of the population were unable to read and write. So anything that church leaders taught or anything that Christian artists presented was accepted as Biblical truth and Passover was lost to Christianity. This is a very condensed reason why Christians, including myself, have become so far removed from the Jewish roots of the faith. It was legally squashed by authority figures who openly hated Jews.
One of the most influential works of art in the church was Leonardo da Vinci’s The Last Supper. This 15th Century painting and the many paintings that portrayed the same event, failed to depict a group of Jewish men celebrating Passover. Instead we see men that look European, wearing Roman attire of the first century. Some paintings show Yeshua with a nimbus around His head to depict Him as a Sun God. The celebration that is supposed to take place at night is happening during daylight hours and includes puffy leavened bread instead of flat unleavened bread. This is not a true Passover meal.
Art has had a tremendous influence on the Bibles we read and the displays we see in Christian museums. Why isn’t the subtitle of this Bible chapter called “The Last Passover of Jesus” or “Passover in the Upper Room”? “The Last Supper” or “The Lord’s Supper”” fails to mention this is a Passover meal. Instead Bible translators have allowed Renaissance Art to describe what is happening instead of using the term that most accurately describes this feast.
The events that have unfolded in just the past four weeks have made our entire nation very uneasy. Everyone is looking for answers from a trusted source. Doctors are frantically looking for a cure to COVID-19, investors are desperate for financial advice, while millions wonder how they are going to provide for their families in the weeks and months ahead.
At this exact time on the Biblical calendar thousands of years ago another nation was panicking much like ours is today. Egypt was getting pounded with plague after plague that was wreaking havoc on their economy. In the midst of that, God told His people to slaughter a lamb, put the blood on their door posts and lintels and eat the meat in haste. That night all of the first born of the land were struck dead except for those within the homes with the blood of the lamb – they were passed over.
This festival is to be a EVERLASTING law. Has the Creator of the universe orchestrated a global event to bring attention to a neglected and forgotten celebration of His son while we are all stuck in our homes? The craziest thing I’ve learned about Passover is that Jews AND Christians do not understand the full significance of this celebration (myself included) – it is about the Passover Lamb that God sent to take the punishment for our sins 2,000 years ago. In recent months I’ve had several people ask me if I still believe in Jesus because our family stopped participating in Christmas. I’m sure the questions will come again as we no longer participate in Easter. The answer is “YES, now more than ever!” Those holidays are fun traditions but are never referenced in the Bible. “Do THIS in remembrance of Me” Reread your Bible. How are you remembering the Savior of your Soul? Are you leaning on your own understanding like I did? Or are you going to dig into the instructions left behind for us in the Bible?
When you’re ready to rethink your family traditions, I would highly recommend picking up this book to get started. It has simple instructions to celebrate the Biblical holidays with your family. It includes recipes, crafts, readings, crossword puzzles, coloring pages and Bible verses to explain it all.
“A Family Guide to Biblical Holidays with Activities for all Ages”
by Robin Scarlata & Linda Pierce
(Amazon Affiliate Link)
To help us celebrate this year I also purchased a Passover in a Box by Days United. These fun packages are only available in the weeks leading up to Passover and they do sell out, so don’t wait until the last minute if you plan to pick one up next year.
Don’t spend this time bound in your home thinking about what you can’t control, where you can’t go and who you can’t see. Use this unique time to reflect on what your Creator would have you do moving forward. Examine where you are in your walk with Him. Are you following man’s ideas or His instructions? It is during the most uncomfortable seasons of life where the most learning takes places. Here are some highlights from Passover last year.
Blessing to you and your family!
-Dawn-
