Christ in the Biblical Feasts — Week 2
Key Scripture
“Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male of the first year.”
— Exodus 12:5 (KJV)
“For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us.”
— 1 Corinthians 5:7 (KJV)
Historical Background
The Feast of Passover was first established during Israel’s deliverance from Egypt. God commanded each household to take a lamb without blemish and sacrifice it. The blood of the lamb was placed on the doorposts of the house. That night, when the Lord passed through Egypt in judgment, He would pass over the homes marked by the blood.
This event marked the beginning of Israel’s redemption from slavery. The Passover became a yearly remembrance of God’s deliverance and His mercy toward His people.
Prophetic Meaning
The Passover lamb pointed forward to a greater sacrifice. The requirement that the lamb be without blemish symbolized innocence and perfection. The shedding of blood was necessary for deliverance from judgment.
This feast revealed an important spiritual truth: deliverance comes through the sacrifice of an innocent substitute. The lamb died so that those under its blood would be spared.
From the beginning, God was teaching that redemption would require a perfect sacrifice.
Fulfillment in Christ
Jesus Christ fulfilled the meaning of Passover completely. He is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. Just as the Passover lamb had to be without blemish, Christ lived a sinless life. Just as the lamb’s blood protected Israel from judgment, the blood of Christ provides forgiveness and salvation.
The Apostle Paul clearly connects Christ to the Passover when he writes, “Christ our passover is sacrificed for us.” The sacrifice of Jesus on the cross accomplished what the Passover only foreshadowed.
Through His death, Christ provided the true deliverance from sin and judgment.
Application for Christians Today
Christians are not commanded to observe the Passover feast as Israel did under the Old Testament law. However, understanding Passover helps believers see the depth of God’s plan of redemption.
The Passover reminds us that salvation is only possible through the sacrifice of Christ. Just as the Israelites trusted the blood of the lamb for protection, believers today trust in the blood of Jesus for forgiveness and salvation.
The cross is the fulfillment of what Passover pointed toward from the beginning.
Summary
The Feast of Passover commemorated Israel’s deliverance from Egypt and pointed forward to the greater deliverance that would come through Jesus Christ. The lamb without blemish foreshadowed the perfect sacrifice of Christ, whose blood provides redemption from sin and protection from judgment.
In Christ, the meaning of Passover is fulfilled completely. He is the true Lamb whose sacrifice brings salvation to all who believe.
Next Week: Unleavened Bread — Christ’s Sinless Life and the Believer’s New Walk