The Passover Lamb
Traditions of many different religions have been incorporated into the rituals of “Easter.” Easter bunnies and Easter eggs were handed down from pagan religions as symbols of fertility. These symbols were adopted into traditional observances of a holiday associated with spring, the “vernal equinox” the season where the earth is renewed with life after the “death” of winter. Church history incorporated many of these pagan rituals as the Roman Church assimilated different cultures and their religious rituals. The Passover holiday is observed by Jews according to a calendar that’s different from our Gregorian calendar. This year Passover and Easter coincide.
Exodus 12:1-2 is the first reference of the celebration of Passover.
1. “AND the LORD spake unto Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt, saying, 2. This month shall be unto you the beginning of months: it shall be the first month of the year to you.”
The Jewish calendar no longer acknowledges this month as the beginning of the year. They have changed it to the deliverance of the Law as the first month of the Jewish calendar. Their tradition changed the first month from the month of Passover to the month of the Law.
Exodus 12:3-6 says, “Speak ye unto all the congregation of Israel, saying, In the tenth day of this month they shall take to them every man a lamb, according to the house of their fathers, a lamb for an house:
And if the household be too little for the lamb, let him and his neighbour next unto his house take it according to the number of the souls; every man according to his eating shall make your count for the lamb.
Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male of the first year: ye shall take it out from the sheep, or from the goats:
And ye shall keep it up until the fourteenth day”“of the same month: and the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill it in the evening.”
They kept the lamb and inspected it for four days to make sure it was without spot and blemish.
According to Daniel 9:25, “Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks: the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublous times.”
The time frame is 69 weeks.
Nehemiah 2:1 says, “AND it came to pass in the month Nisan, in the twentieth year of Artaxerxes the king, that wine was before him: and I took up the wine, and gave it unto the king. Now I had not been”“beforetime sad in his presence.”
There was a command to rebuild Jerusalem. Nehemiah had a command from God to rebuild the wall. 483 years is 69 times seven weeks of years.
Jesus came into Jerusalem riding on the colt of a donkey on the tenth of the month of Nisan. He was the Passover lamb in fulfillment of this prophecy. God always honors his word according to his timetable. God is never late. All things are accomplished according to his Sovereign will.
On the tenth day they began inspecting Jesus. On the day before Passover, the inspection became intense. Jesus had just finished the “Last Supper” with his disciples.
Luke 22:39-46. And he came out, and went, as he was wont, to the mount of Olives; and his disciples also followed him.
40. And when he was at the place, he said unto them, Pray that ye enter not into temptation.
41. And he was withdrawn from them about a stone’s cast, and kneeled down, and prayed, 42. Saying, Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done.
43. And there appeared an angel unto him from heaven, strengthening him.
44. And being in an agony he prayed more earnestly: and his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground.
45. And when he rose up from prayer, and was come to his disciples, he found them sleeping for sorrow, 46. And said unto them, Why sleep ye? rise and pray, lest ye enter into temptation.”
The prayer of Jesus to his Father is the prayer that overcomes the evil one. At sundown on this day was the fourteenth of Nisan, the day of the Passover. Why would Jesus have wanted this cup to pass from him? The prayer at Gethsemane gave Jesus the power over the adversary. Prayer is aligning our will with our father’s will. Jesus said, “not my will but thine be done.”
Why did Jesus live the perfect life without sin? Jesus said, “I always do my father’s will.” Even though he was tempted in all things like as we are, yet he never sinned. He never “missed the mark” of the high calling of his Father. Sin separates us from our Heavenly Father. Jesus Christ according to Romans 6 was the “last Adam” the only man who kept the first of the Ten Commandments, “thou shalt have no other Gods before my face and your face.” He was without spot and without blemish because he always did his father’s will. Even though Jesus hated and despised sin, he willingly took the sin of the world upon himself for the joy that was set before him. According to Hebrews 12, He who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross and is seated on the right hand of God. The joy that was set before him was your salvation and mine.
Jesus went to the cross to prove that “death is swallowed up in victory.” Without a crucifixion, there can be no resurrection. What amazing grace! For he who was without sin became the perfect sin sacrifice on our behalf that we may be made the righteousness of God in Him.
May God richly bless you!
Your brother in Christ,
Michael