The Passover is the annual Jewish festival that remembers how God rescued Israel from slavery in Egypt. On the night of the final plague, God spared every household that marked its doorposts with the blood of a sacrificed lamb. For Christians, the Passover points forward to Jesus, the Lamb of God, whose blood saves everyone who trusts in him from the judgment we deserve.
How the First Passover Rescued Israel
The first Passover wasn’t a cheerful holiday. It took place during one of the darkest moments in Israel’s history. God’s people had been enslaved in Egypt for generations, and Pharaoh refused to let them go even after nine devastating plagues. So God announced one final judgment: the firstborn in every household in Egypt would die.
But God also provided a way of escape. Each Israelite family was to sacrifice a year-old lamb without defect, eat a special meal and put some of the lamb’s blood on the sides and tops of their doorframes (Exodus 12:5-7).
Exodus 12:12-13 On that same night I will pass through Egypt and strike down every firstborn of both people and animals, and I will bring judgment on all the gods of Egypt. I am the LORD. The blood will be a sign for you on the houses where you are, and when I see the blood, I will pass over you. No destructive plague will touch you when I strike Egypt.
The blood on the doorposts was an act of faith. Israelite families weren’t spared because they were better than the Egyptians, but because they trusted God’s word and took shelter under the blood of the lamb. That same night, Pharaoh finally let God’s people go.
Why God Told Israel to Remember
God didn’t want his people to forget what he had done. He commanded Israel to celebrate the Passover every year, along with the seven-day Festival of Unleavened Bread, as a lasting reminder of their rescue. It was designed as a family celebration, a chance for parents to pass the story of God’s salvation on to the next generation.
Exodus 12:26-27 And when your children ask you, ‘What does this ceremony mean to you?’ then tell them, ‘It is the Passover sacrifice to the LORD, who passed over the houses of the Israelites in Egypt and spared our homes when he struck down the Egyptians.’” Then the people bowed down and worshiped.
Every spring, as families gathered around the Passover meal, children would hear how the LORD had saved his people. The lamb, the bitter herbs and the bread made without yeast all retold the story. Jewish families still celebrate Passover today, and the festival remains a powerful picture of how God rescues people who can’t rescue themselves.
Jesus Celebrated the Passover
Jesus grew up celebrating the Passover, and the final meal he shared with his disciples before his crucifixion was a Passover meal. But on that night, he gave the familiar elements a stunning new meaning. He told his disciples that the bread and the cup now pointed to him.
Luke 22:19-20 And he took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me.” In the same way, after the supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you.”
Just as the first Passover marked the beginning of God’s covenant with Israel, Jesus announced a new covenant sealed by his own blood. This is why Christians celebrate the Lord’s Supper, or Communion. Every time we take the bread and the cup, we remember the greater rescue Jesus accomplished at the cross.
Jesus Is Our Passover Lamb
The New Testament makes the connection unmistakable. John the Baptist called Jesus “the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world” (John 1:29). Jesus was crucified during the Passover festival, and the apostle Paul spelled out what that means for every believer.
1 Corinthians 5:7 Get rid of the old yeast, so that you may be a new unleavened batch—as you really are. For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed.
Just as the lamb’s blood protected Israel from judgment, Jesus’ death protects us from the penalty our sin deserves. We aren’t saved by our own goodness, but by trusting in his sacrifice. And because he rose from the dead, his rescue doesn’t just free us from slavery to sin, but brings us into new life with God. If you’d like to learn more about putting your faith in Jesus, check out How can I become a Christian?
The Takeaway
What is the Passover? It’s the festival that celebrates God rescuing Israel from Egypt through the blood of a lamb. But its fullest meaning is found in Jesus. He is our Passover Lamb, and everyone who trusts in him is saved from judgment and set free to follow God.
