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Why Christians Should Celebrate Passover
The most unfortunate thing about Christianity today is our ability to forget God. We, over the years, have been removing God from just about everything. I fear that one day that God won't even be mentioned in church. This might seem far fetched until you study the Old Testament. There is a remedy for this. We should get back to the things that God has told us to
do. Not for the sake of religious practice or tradition, but to bring God to
the forefront of our lives.
The Passover is first really instituted by God in Exodus chapter 12. If you
will, look at verse 14. How long is this feast supposed to be observed and what is its purpose? Let me refresh your memory of events that have happened thus far in Genesis. Noah and his family escaped the evil of the world and saved from God's wrath through water. Several generations later
a boy named Joseph is born. He has a real habit of making his brothers
angry. They throw him in a pit. Afterwards they sell him to slave traders.
He ends up in Egypt. He ends up in prison. Then he becomes a high official
in Egypt. His family ends up in Egypt as a result. Their problem is that they stay in Egypt. The Egyptians make them slaves. God then raises up Moses
to lead them out of bondage. Egypt represents the world system of things during this time. Sin holds God's people in bondage much as sin holds us in bondage today.
God provides an escape from his wrath and an exit out of Egypt. The Hebrews are to slay a lamb and smear the blood on the lintels and door
posts. Certainly God could have told the angel of death to pass over certain houses. Why put blood on them? The symbolism points to Jesus. When
we are covered from his blood, we are set free from the bondage of sin.
This enables us to walk away from sin just as the Hebrews walked away from Egypt.
Another parallel exists also. The Hebrews walked away from Egypt healthy and wealthy. The Bible says that they went out from Egypt with the wealth of Egypt. It also says there were none feeble among them. This is how we will be in God's presence.
Many pastors will say that we ought to tithe and that tithing was something that happened before the law. So did the Passover. God did say that this should be a memorial to him forever. Thus we should honor God by doing
his will.
Wait, there's more. God has provided an escape from his wrath in the person of Jesus. We ought to be finding every excuse we can to celebrate this fact. This is the greatest thing around this blood of Jesus. Listen, it is a cure all for sin. Washes us white as snow. It brings on God's mercy (shout alleluia right there). Why wouldn't we want to celebrate Passover? Coincidence that Jesus died on the Passover celebration? I think not. So if you get the chance to celebrate the Passover, give it a try. You won't go to hell if you don't, but you may be reminded of the awesome power of God if you do. Hey, don't forget the kids if you have them.
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