Passover is one of the most important Jewish festivals and commemorates the Exodus from Egypt, the liberation of the Israelites from slavery. This year it will be celebrated from April 13th to 20th. The Seder meal on April 12th marks the beginning of the festivities.
By Dr. Tobias Krämer
Exodus 12:1-14 contains detailed instructions on how Passover should be celebrated. Traditionally, matzah, similar to crispbread and made without leaven, has been eaten at Passover instead of bread. It is reminiscent of the bread that had to be prepared quickly during the Exodus from Egypt and was therefore baked without leaven. This is why it is also called the Feast of Unleavened Bread.
The Jewish prayer book describes Passover as a festival of our freedom. It's not just about remembrance. Every Jew is meant to see themselves as if they had participated in the Exodus. In the worldwide dispersion of the Jews across the globe, Passover became linked to the hope of returning to Israel: "Next year in Jerusalem!" they call out to one another. This hope is also directed toward the coming Messiah, who will restore Israel and complete the Kingdom of God on earth. Thus, the circle is complete: The liberation of the beginning leads to the ultimate liberation at the end of days.
During the Temple period, Israelites made pilgrimages to Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover festival and slaughter the Passover lambs in the Temple. This custom is reminiscent of the slaughter of the lambs in Egypt. Their blood was smeared on the doorposts of Jewish homes so that the Angel of Death, who was supposed to kill only the firstborn sons of the Egyptians, would pass over Jewish houses. For centuries, Jews made their way to the Temple to celebrate the festival together. Thousands flocked to Jerusalem every year. This is why Passover is considered one of the pilgrimage festivals.
Today, Passover is a family celebration. It lasts seven days. The exact date is determined according to the Jewish calendar and falls between the end of March and the end of April, coinciding with the Christian Easter season. In preparation for the festival, all grain-based foods are consumed, given away, or sold during the preceding week. Every last crumb is removed in a thorough house cleaning, ensuring that no leavened goods remain.
The highlight of the festival is right at the beginning, during the Seder meal. This evening follows a precise sequence, which the head of the household leads. In several stages, the narrative of the Exodus from Egypt is recounted, culminating in the covenant at Sinai and the entry into the Promised Land. The dishes served during the evening are predetermined and each has symbolic meaning. An important purpose of the Seder is to deeply impress upon the children the story of Israel's liberation from Egypt. Therefore, the celebration begins with the typical question posed and repeated several times by the youngest child at the table: "What makes this night different?"
Passover and the Last Supper
During the last Passover meal with his disciples, Jesus instituted the Lord's Supper (Matthew 26; Mark 14; Luke 22; 1 Corinthians 11). With this act, Jesus intervened at a pivotal point in the history of Israel. Jesus made it clear to his disciples that through his blood the covenant between God and Israel is renewed, thus paving the way for Israel's restoration and redemption. Israel's path, which began with the Exodus from Egypt and will culminate in the Messianic Kingdom of Peace, therefore leads through Jesus, the Messiah of Israel and Redeemer of the world.
For us Christians, this conversely means that we are included in the grand scheme God is shaping for Israel. The Lord's Supper is therefore not just about remembering Jesus together and receiving personal forgiveness of sins. The horizon is much broader. It is about the future of Israel and the world. That is why we celebrate the Lord's Supper, as Paul explicitly states, until Jesus returns (1 Corinthians 11:26). In doing so, we also always celebrate Passover: the festival of Israel's liberation, the Savior God of Israel, and the future that this God has prepared for his people.
God is a liberator. Israel's first experience with God was a magnificent act of liberation, and in the end, the whole world will be liberated when Jesus returns (1 Corinthians 15:20-28). As important as forgiveness is, God's theme is freedom. Freedom from every form of bondage, freedom from all evil, from sin, the devil, death, and decay.
