The Beginner's Guide to Passover (for believers in Messiah)

Are you new to celebrating Passover and the other Biblical holidays? Are you wondering why to take part in Passover, when it is, what the Bible says about it, or who should celebrate it? This post will go over the details for you and make observing this time doable and spiritually meaningful as a believer in Messiah.

Where in the Bible is Passover?

Exodus 12 gives us many details about Passover, when God was working through Moses to lead the Israelites out of slavery in Egypt. The climax of the Exodus story is about the Passover lamb and the death of the firstborn plague not bothering the people who had followed YHWH's instructions.

Matthew 26, Mark 14, Luke 22, and John 13 talk about the Messiah's last supper and then his crucifixion...which happened on Passover!

There are other mentions of Passover throughout the Old and New Testaments! Joshua and the Israelites kept Passover before the battle of Jericho. Kings and Chronicles record mentions of Passover celebrations. Mary and Joseph kept Passover when Yahusha was young. The Gospels and books of Acts, 1 Corinthians, and Hebrews all mention Passover. Some scholars believe that when Abraham and Sarah served unleavened bread and meat to their heavenly visitors they were observing Passover.

Why is Passover celebrated?

Passover is celebrated because it is one of the seven Biblical holidays that the Living God expressly told his people to celebrate in Leviticus 23, Numbers 9, and Deuteronomy 16. Passover celebrates the miracles of the Exodus story when YHWH spared his people from the plagues against the Egyptians and freed them from slavery. For believers in Messiah, Passover is also when we make a special point of remembering and honoring the Messiah's sacrifice for our sins.

What does Passover mean?

Passover comes from the Hebrew word 'Pesach,' the root word of which means pass-over. This comes from the angel of death 'passing over' the homes of the people who had slaughtered a lamb and put its blood around the door to their homes in the Exodus story. Doors that had not been covered with the blood of the lamb resulted in the firstborn dying in each house/family. This was the tenth plague YHWH brought upon Egypt, and after the death of his son Pharaoh decided to let the Israelites go.

Are Passover and Easter the same?

No. Even though there are many well-intentioned people who believe that Easter celebrates the same thing as Passover, there are many differences between these holidays. For believers in Messiah, Passover focuses on the death of the Messiah and his sacrifice covering our sins, and his resurrection is celebrated a few days later on the Biblical holiday of First Fruits. The holiday of Easter does not have its root in Scripture, and is not mentioned by the Bible. Many Easter traditions and customs are also not from the Bible, such as the ubiquitous Easter bunny. Scripture emphasizes the Passover lamb. Those who currently celebrate the resurrection of the Messiah at Easter would do well to start following the Living God's instructions about this!

Who should celebrate Passover?

All Bible believers should take part in Passover and the other Bible holidays! No matter our ancestry, Scripture instructs all of God's children to take part in this special time. It is mentioned throughout the Old and New Testaments; Moses and Apostle Paul both said that we should keep the feasts! Participating in the Biblical holidays will help us better understand the Bible from historical and prophetic perspectives.

What to know about Passover:

-Passover is a one day holiday, which is immediately followed by seven days of the Feast of Unleavened Bread.

-Passover is not a no-work day. This is likely because of the work of sacrificing and roasting a lamb that was required of believers in Exodus.

-Deuteronomy 16:3 says we eat the Passover meal of lamb, herbs, and unleavened bread to remember how quickly the Living God brought his people out of Egyptian slavery!

-The Hebrew word for Passover is Pesach and these words are used interchangeably.

-Passover happens around the same time as Easter, but the holidays are very different. One has its roots in Scripture, the other does not.

-We do not sacrifice a lamb today because the Messiah is the ultimate Passover lamb! However, serving and eating lamb is perfectly okay!

Spiritual significance of Passover:

-The Messiah was put to death on this day. Significantly there was no lamb sacrificed that year.

-John the Baptist, Peter, Paul, Luke, and John all refer to the Messiah as the lamb in the New Testament. This points to Passover and how the Messiah's death would free us from our sins!

-There are many parallels between Jesus and the Passover lamb from Exodus. The lamb had to be without blemish, and none of its bones were to be broken. The Messiah was without sin and, despite the horrific abuse he endured before and on the cross, none of his bones were broken! The Passover lamb was to be selected four days before Passover. Four days before his death, Yahusha rode into Jerusalem on a donkey.

-The Messiah said to do this in remembrance of him! Many of us have limited our participation in this command from Luke 22:19 to occasionally taking communion. But don't miss that the bread Jesus described as himself was the unleavened bread of a Passover meal!

How to observe:

-Remove the leaven from your home. Start with getting rid of breads or similar products made with sourdough starter, yeast, baking soda, or baking powder. Don't forget any containers of breadcrumbs or products made with breadcrumbs such as meatballs, or breaded chicken.

-Plan a meal using lamb, unleavened bread, and herbs. While traditional Passover Seders can be daunting, it's okay to keep things simple! It can be just yourself, or invite family and friends to honor this time with you.

-Have communion. Use unleavened bread and grape juice or wine to pause and give thanks for the Messiah's sacrifice. 

-Read, tell, or watch the accounts of the Messiah's last supper and death, as well as the Exodus story.

-Remember the miracles and faithfulness of YHWH in your own life. Scripture repeatedly instructs us to remember the works of YHWH and I think that applies to our own experiences outside of the Bible. Sharing how you have seen the Living God's provision and encouragement in your life is a great way to spread hope to others, as well as yourself!

There is some learning curve when you start to observe a new holiday, so give yourself grace about that. It takes time to get used to celebrating the times of the Creator and next year it will seem more natural and be even more fun! The Living God is honored by your efforts to take part in his set apart times!

More about Passover: 
What the Bible Says About Passover
Differences Between Passover and Easter
How to Host a Passover Seder
Five Reasons Believers Should Keep Passover

A Few Things to Remember about Passover

No matter if you are new to celebrating Passover and the other Biblical holidays, or have been doing so as long as you remember, here are a few things to keep in mind as we approach this set apart time. These reminders will help you to focus on what's really important: the promises of YHWH and the death of the Messiah for our sins. 

As believers in Messiah our focus should be on remembering and honoring his sacrifice and death to give us life! Passover is all about being passed over from death, because of the blood of the lamb. 

It's okay if the food is not perfect. It's okay if you're not sure what to say during the service or meal or worship time. It's okay if you've never celebrated before and it feels strange. Passover is not about our actions being perfect, but resting in the one who is complete perfection.

No matter how simple or extravagant your celebration is, no matter if it goes according to plan or not, take joy in remembering the awesomeness of what happened on this day in Biblical history.

At Passover we remember that YHWH set the Israelites free from slavery. No one would have ever thought that a million slaves would one day walk out of Egypt. But all things are possible with our God, and whatever you're dealing with there is hope for you too!

Remember the meaning of this set apart time and enjoy Passover!

More about Passover:
What the Bible Says about Passover
Five Reasons Believers Should Keep Passover
Things the Messiah Said at Passover

Biblical Holiday Dates 2023 (Torah to the Tribes Calendar)

Since many of you keep the calendar from Torah to the Tribes, I wanted to share the dates for when the Biblical holidays land this year, according to their calendar. It is not my goal to tell you to keep these dates, the traditional ones, or another calendar. There are pros and cons for many different timelines of when the set apart times land on the Gregorian calendar. Please pray about which calendar YHWH would have you take part in. If you have a community near you, joining in with the dates they use makes it possible to celebrate with other believers.

Again, these are the dates that Torah to the Tribes goes by.

When do the Biblical holidays happen in 2023?

Passover - April 3

Unleavened Bread - April 4-10

First Fruits - April 9

Shavuot - May 28

Feast of Trumpets - September 17

Yom Kippur - September 26

Feast of Tabernacles - October 1-8

Keep in mind, that on this calendar days are considered to be light-to-light. So Passover starts in the morning of April 3, and goes until the next morning.

It's also important to note that while all of these are special times, some of these are also considered Sabbath days which means we shouldn't work on them. These Sabbath days are the first and last days of Unleavened Bread, Shavuot, the Feast of Trumpets, Yom Kippur, and the first and last days of Tabernacles.

Whichever dates you go by, make sure to put the Biblical holidays into your calendar!

More on the Biblical holidays:
Why I Started Celebrating the Biblical Feasts
The Beginner's Guide to the Biblical Holidays
Why Believers Should Keep the Biblical Holidays

1 Timothy 4 Explained (and why it doesn't mean all animals should be eaten)

A common question related to Biblical eating is what about 1 Timothy 4? Many people believe that this verse not only says that we can eat whatever we want, but that those advocating for following the Bible's dietary laws are following demonic teachings that come from deceptive spirits! Many people think 1 Timothy 4 teaches that the commandments regarding food have been done away with.

Let's take a look at this verse before we discuss how this does not mean that all animals can or should be eaten or that the laws surrounding what we eat are no longer in effect.

"Now the Holy Spirit tells us clearly that in the last times some will turn away from the true faith; they will follow deceptive spirits and teachings that come from demons. These people are hypocrites and liars, and their consciences are dead. They will say it is wrong to be married and wrong to eat certain foods. But God created those foods to be eaten with thanks by faithful people who know the truth. Since everything God created is good, we should not reject any of it but receive it with thanks. For we know it is made acceptable by the word of God and prayer." -1 Timothy 4:1-5

If you come from a background of belief that all the Biblical dietary laws have been done away with, then it's easy to read this passage to mean that literally anything you pray over can be received as food. God created everything to be eaten, right?

But take a closer look at the wording. The issue at hand is not that people are saying it's wrong to eat certain animals. The problem is that they are teaching that certain FOODS are wrong to eat. Big difference here! When the authors of the Bible speak, they do so with the foundational assumption that the Bible has already defined what does and what does not count as "food."

The Bible defines food in:

-Genesis 1:29

"Every seed bearing plant and the fruit trees."

-Leviticus 11

"Of all the animals that live on the land, these are the ones you may eat..."  Which goes on to explain which animals, birds, fish, and insects can and cannot be eaten.

The Bible explains that animals that are considered abominable should not be eaten in Leviticus 11:41. They should not be eaten, because they are not food according to Scripture. So when 1 Timothy 4:3 says that God created foods to be eaten, it's talking about what the Bible considers food. It does not mean that everything on the planet is considered fit for consumption. This passage does not mean that animals like pigs, dogs, cats, or shellfish can be eaten if we give thanks, because Paul, the author, did not consider these animals to be food since the Bible says they aren't.

Think this is a crazy idea? If you invite me over and say, "Help yourself to some snacks on the counter," what you mean is that I can eat the food you have out on the counter - things like apple slices, bread, cheese, carrot sticks, and cookies. You're not saying that I can eat the bouquet of flowers, the dish soap, sponge, potted plant, pet goldfish, the receipt for the groceries or whatever else you have on the counter, because you don't consider those things to be food. YHWH did not say that these things are food, so therefore we shouldn't consume them.

What is 1 Timothy 4 talking about then? This warning from Paul is that false teachers will come along who disagree with the Bible and teach that certain things the Bible says can be eaten, shouldn't be. We should always be on guard against anyone who is saying something that contradicts the teachings and commandments of Scripture! It seems likely that Paul could be referring to those who say that any animal or animal products - ones like cows and sheep that the Bible expressly says may be eaten - should not be eaten. This goes against specific instructions of Scripture that enumerate which animals may be eaten, as well as many examples of godly men and women in the Bible eating and serving these products, like when Abraham and Sarah fed meat and curds to their heavenly visitors and the Messiah served fish to his followers.

This could also have to do with many believers who insist on following not just Bible dietary commands, but Jewish kosher laws which add many manmade rules to the simple directions the Bible gives. As we've discussed in other posts, the Bible does not teach that meat and dairy products can't ever cross paths at all, but Jewish laws say they shouldn't even be used in the same kitchen. This is another undue burden to place on others. These rules may be well-intended, but it's still wrong to put manmade rules on par with Biblical law, or to claim that those manmade traditions are the same as what the Living God commands!

1 Timothy 4:5 supports the idea that these people will teach that certain Biblically permissible foods are off limits (as well as teaching that it's wrong to be married). We see that in the phrasing, "We know it is made acceptable by the word of God." This means that the author is referring to animals/foods that the Bible expressly says we can eat. How can we be sure something is food even if a faith movement, pastor, or author say it's not? We check the Bible and see what it says! Paul is drawing attention to the fact that Scripture decides what is acceptable or not before YHWH. Not religious leaders advocating for extra rules. Not people who are sensitive about eating animals. Not people who think that Jesus did away with the food laws. Not well intentioned people fearful of allergies. Not denominational doctrine. Not people who abuse the Bible and say that Scripture only permits veganism. Just the Bible. Scripture is the only thing that gets to decide what food is.

1 Timothy 4:1-5 explains that we should be leery of anyone changing the Bible's laws around food, not that we shouldn't follow Scripture's instructions!

Related posts:
What the Bible Says about Meat and Dairy
Understanding Mark 7:19 and the Messiah Declaring All Foods Clean
The Difference Between Unclean and Abominable