Today we are going to take a look at what the Bible has to say on the topic of Passover. While we don't hear much about it in the Christian church, the word Passover is used around 75 times in Scripture, including more than 25 times in the New Testament. The amount of times this Biblical holiday comes up should call our attention to the importance of this to the Creator. This post won't enumerate each verse, but will give us a general idea of what the Bible says about this often overlooked holiday.
What Scripture says about Passover:
"This is how you eat it: fully clothed, your sandals on your feet, and your staff in your hand. And you shall eat it in haste. It is the Passover of YHWH." -Exodus 12:11
"YHWH's Passover is to begin at twilight on the 14th day of the first month." -Leviticus 23:5
"Keep the lamb until the fourteenth day of the first month. Then all the assembly of Israel shall slay it between the evenings. And they shall take some of the blood and put it on the two doorposts and on the lintel of the houses where they eat it. They shall eat the flesh that night, roasted in fire - with unleavened bread and bitter herbs they shall eat it." -Exodus 12:6-8
"No outsiders are allowed to eat the Passover meal." -Exodus 12:43
"All the congregation of Israel is to perform Passover." -Exodus 12:47
"No outsiders are allowed to eat the Passover meal." -Exodus 12:43
"All the congregation of Israel is to perform Passover." -Exodus 12:47
"And when a stranger sojourns among you, then he shall perform the Passover of YHWH. He shall do so according to the law of the Passover and according to its right ruling. You have one law, both for the stranger and the native of the land." -Numbers 9:14
"Have the Israelites celebrate Passover at the appointed time." -Numbers 9:2
"When they celebrate Passover they must follow all of its regulations." -Numbers 9:12
"The Israelites set out from Rameses on the fifteenth day of the first month, the day after Passover." -Numbers 33:3
"Guard the month of Aviv and perform the Passover to YHWH your Elohim, for in the month of Aviv YHWH your Elohim brought you out of Egypt." -Deuteronomy 16:1
"Guard the month of Aviv and perform the Passover to YHWH your Elohim, for in the month of Aviv YHWH your Elohim brought you out of Egypt." -Deuteronomy 16:1
"On the evening of the fourteenth day of the month, while camped at Gilgal on the plains of Jericho, the Israelites celebrated Passover." -Joshua 5:10
"The King gave this order to all the people, 'Celebrate the Passover to YHWH your God, as it is written in the Book of the Covenant.'" -2 Kings 23:21
"And Hezekiah sent to all Israel and Judah, and to Ephraim and Manasseh, to come to the House of YHWH to perform the Passover of YHWH Elohim of Israel." -2 Chronicles 30:1
"They sent to all Israel from Beersheba to Dan, to come to perform the Passover to YHWH Elohim of Israel since they had not done it for a long time." -2 Chronicles 30:5
"Josiah provided to the lay people 30,000 lambs and young goats from the flock, all for Passover offerings, and 3,000 cattle - all from the king's own possessions. His leaders also contributed a voluntary offering to the people, to the priests, and to the Levites. Hilkiah, Zechariah, and Jehiel, leaders in the House of YHWH gave to the priests 2,600 Passover offerings, and 300 cattle." -2 Chronicles 35:7-8
"Passover had not been observed like this in Israel since the days of the prophet Samuel. None of the kings of Israel had ever celebrated such a Passover as Josiah did, with the priests, the Levites, and all Judah and Israel who were there with the people in Jerusalem." -2 Chronicles 35:18
"On the fourteenth day of the first month, the exiles celebrated Passover." -Ezra 6:19
"Every year, Yahusha's parents went to Jerusalem for Passover." -Luke 2:41
"When he was in Jerusalem at the Passover festival, many believed in his name when they saw the miracles he was doing." -John 2:23
"When he came to Galilee the Galileans received him, having seen all that he had done in Jerusalem at the Passover festival, for they had been there." -John 4:45
"As you know, the Passover is in two days - and the son of man will be handed over to be crucified." -Matthew 26:2
"I am going to celebrate the Passover with my disciples at your house." -Matthew 26:18
"The disciples did as Yahusha had directed and prepared the Passover." -Matthew 26:19
"I have earnestly desired to eat this Passover with you." -Luke 22:15
"Get rid of the old leaven, so that you are a new batch, as you are unleavened. For the Messiah our Passover was slaughtered for us." -1 Corinthians 5:7
"When you eat this bread and drink this cup you proclaim the death of the Messiah until he comes." -1 Corinthians 11:26
"By faith Moses performed the Passover and the sprinkling of blood, so that the destroyer of the first born would not touch the firstborn of Israel." -Hebrews 11:28
The frequency of Passover appearing in the Bible should call our attention to the importance that the Creator puts on this holiday. By comparison, birthdays are mentioned two or three times in Scripture, and the holidays of Christmas and Easter aren't mentioned at all in the Bible. Keep in mind that the verses here represent only a portion of the word Passover in the Bible, and don't go into parts of Scripture that deal with something happening on Passover, such as the last supper or death of the Messiah. Genesis 18 where Sarah makes unleavened bread for the visiting angels could possibly be another instance of Passover. Take time to study this popular theme of Scripture!
