Passover – Crucifixion

Exodus 12

1 The Lord said to Moses and Aaron in Egypt, 2 “This month is to be for you the first month, the first month of your year. 3 Tell the whole community of Israel that on the tenth day of this month each man is to take a lamb for his family …. 6 Take care of them until the fourteenth day of the month, when all the members of the community of Israel must slaughter them at twilight. 7 Then they are to take some of the blood and put it on the sides and tops of the doorframes of the houses where they eat the lambs …. 10 Do not leave any of it till morning; if some is left till morning, you must burn it. 11 This is how you are to eat it: with your cloak tucked into your belt, your sandals on your feet and your staff in your hand. Eat it in haste; it is the Lord’s Passover.

Pesach, Passover, Unleavened
Bread, and the Crucifixion

Among Christian groups, Passover is the most recognizable Jewish feasts. Passover equates to the feasts of Pesach and Unleavened Bread. Pesach begin on the 14th of the month of Nisan/Nissan. In Israel,  Pesach, Passover Seder, is celebrated over one day. In the diaspora, Jews living outside the nation of Israel, Pesach is celebrated over 2 feast days.

The feast of Unleavened bread continues from the 14th, through the 22nd of Nisan. For this reason, the feasts of Unleavened Bread and Passover can seem interchangable. On Passover the Pascal Lamb is sacrifice. Jesus, the Pascal Lamb gave up His Spirit and died at the same hour of the day the Pascal Lamb is sacrificed.

Covenant with Abram

What does the covenant between Abram and God have to do with Pesach? Passover, Pesach, was initiated when God called Moses to lead God’s People, the Israelites, out of slavery in Egypt, to the Promised land, the land between Euphrates and the Nile. After God sent nine plagues to ravage Egypt, Pharaoh continued to refuse to free God’s people. The 10th plague was to be the the death of every living first born in Egypt, from people to livestock. God told Moses to sacrifice a lamb, the Paschal Lamb, and sprinkle the blood of a lamb on the door of their houses. When the angel of death saw the blood it would passover that house.

In Genesis 15, God makes several promises to Abram related to his offspring. The promises and statements I list in the outline below are not exhaustive, rather they have value to this study.

  • Protection – do not fear, Abram, I am a shield to you
  • Reward – your reward shall be very great
  • Isaac is Promised – from Abram’s flesh the heir will be born
  • Abram Promised a Multitude of Descendants – count the stars – so shall your descendants be
  • Abram Was From Ur – I am the LORD who brought you out of Ur of the Chaldeans
  • Promised Land Described – the boundaries of the promised land were from the Nile to the Euphrates
  • Abram’s Descendants Will Be Slaves
  • Abram’s Descendants Were to Be Enslaved for 400 Years – tradition records the 400 years were shortened to 210 years primarily do to the hardship of the slavery
  • God Promises to Judge Punish Egypt – I will also judge the nation whom they will serve
  • God Promises to Free Abram’s Descendants and Provide the Resources to Restart a Nation
  • Israel Will Remain in Egypt Until the Sin of the Amorites Is Complete

Salvation - Blood of the Pascal Lamb Sprinkled on the Door

Like the image of the serpent lifted in the desert, the blood of the Pascal Lamb brought salvation. If you move your hand like you are placing the blood on the door you make a cross. Both of these symbols allude to the messiah.

I include this Pericope, exracted section of scripture, primarily for the action of marking the door with blood from the Paschal Lamb. The section below from Exodus12 refers to leaven as well as blood. We will touch on leaven next.

19 ‘Seven days there shall be no leaven found in your houses; for whoever eats what is leavened, that person shall be cut off from the congregation of Israel, whether he is an alien or a native of the land. 20 ‘You shall not eat anything leavened; in all your dwellings you shall eat unleavened bread.’” 21 Then Moses called for all the elders of Israel and said to them, “Go and take for yourselves lambs according to your families, and slay the Passover lamb. 22 “You shall take a bunch of hyssop and dip it in the blood which is in the basin, and apply some of the blood that is in the basin to the lintel and the two doorposts; and none of you shall go outside the door of his house until morning. 23“For the LORD will pass through to smite the Egyptians; and when He sees the blood on the lintel and on the two doorposts, the LORD   will pass over the door and will not allow the destroyer to come in to your houses to smite   you.  24 “And you shall observe this event as an ordinance for you and your children forever.

Removing Yeast

Jesus equates the action of yeast to the action of sin. It only takes a tiny amount and it will grow to take over the whole. During the feast of Unleavened Bread, yeast is removed from bread, for that matter the house.

When the people of Israel were enslaved in Egypt, they were unable to freely worshop God in the manner worthy of God. The Pharaoh of Egypt refused to let the Israelites serve God,

“Exodus 8:1 Then the LORD said to Moses, “Go to Pharaoh and say to him, ‘Thus says the LORD, “Let My people go, that they may serve Me. 2 “But if you refuse to let them go ….”

Deliverance is often provided to allow pure worship of God. This is still true.

Did Jesus Celebrated the Passover Before the Crucifixion

As we have seen, Pesach memorializes the events of passover. The release from Egypt It is to be celebrated and feasted on the 14th day of Nissan. Whether Jesus was crucified on Thursday or Friday has long been debated.

While in college and seminary we looked at the different Jewish sects; the Pharisees, the Sadducees, and the Essenes. Each sect celebrated Pesach on different days of the week, while continueing to call the date the 14th of Nisan. Each sect considered the 14th of Nisan to be Pesach. The question was, which day was the 14th, when did it fall? One of the reasons the Essenes separated themselves from the other Jewish sects was about moons and times.

The same debate arises in relation to, did Jesus eat the Passover Seder with His  disciples, or was it just a regular meal? Much of the church considers Jesus, the Mesiah, to have eaten

Which Day is the 14th of Nisan

The main reason for the differences relates to the declaration of a new moon. The new moon was declared independantly by each sect’s leaders. The leaders of each sect did not always call the new moon for the same day. This became the 1st of Nisan.

Recently, I was looking over the Community Scroll from the Dead Sea Scroll collection. The sect of the Essene set down the rules in the document recorded as 1QS (Cave 1 / Qumran / “Serekh”= ‘rule’.) Members of the community of Qumran were bound to follow. It is clear that the Essene community separated itself from Jerusalem. The Essenes considered Jerusalem to be defiled, specifically by the corrupt practices of the corrupt priests.

One area of defilement was based on the command to set aside of the Sabbath for rest, study of the Torah, and contemplation of God. No work was to be done on the Sabbath, No work was to be done on the feast days either. All of the sects held this in common.  In order to be able to eat and drink on the Sabbath all preparations for meals had to have been completed by sundown Friday. Again all of the sects held this in common. In Judaism holy days can be feast or fast. The concern is the proximity of the these holy days with the weekly Sabbath. If a holy day was directly before or after a Sabbath, preparation and health could be prohibited or limited. To solve the issue, the new moon might be declared to be one day rather than another. The New Moon might even be declared to covered two days

One or Two Days of Passover

Currently, Passover, well the Seder meals can be celebrated over two days. Jewish people, outside Israel, from around the world, often celebrate Passover, Pesach over two days. In Israel Passover/Unleavened Bread is celebrated on one day.

The timing I have set out in this series works well, without contradictions, though I am not as concerned in getting the day perfect but I am more interested in the significance of the feasts.

It is the meaning of the days, the connections, and what they mean for me and my relation to Jesus that I find value, not arguing over which days.

Sunset the 14th to
Midnight on the 14th

It is not easy for Christians to live in a sunset to sunset day structure. Our day goes from midnight to midnight. This is only a six hour difference, but even this small shift complicates our understanding of the feasts. Thursday begins at sunset on Wednesday the 13th. New testament provides a information on the actions and discussion Jesus had with His disciples between sunset, the start of the day, and midnight in the garden. There are a few themes to consider:

  • Jesus said He would celebrate the Passover Seder with His Disciples
  • This Passover initiated the Lords Supper, communion
  • Jesus called His followers to servant hood.
  • Jesus continues to prepare and encourage the disciples throughout the course of the Seder meal.
 

The encouragement offered by Jesus was the promise of the Holy Spirit. The helper would be sent to live within and help those follow Jesus to replicate His work, walk, life. and to be our advocate and helper.

The 1st Seder of Passover

Was the meal Jesus shared with His disciples a Seder meal, or was it a regular meal prior to the Passover? Seder means order or procedure, The Passover Seder is an meal with a specific order using specific components. Jesus said He was going to celebrate the Passover Seder with the disciples.

Mark 14:12 On the first day of Unleavened Bread, when the Passover lamb was being sacrificed, His disciples said to Him, “Where do You want us to go and prepare for You to eat the Passover?” 13 And He sent two of His disciples and said to them, “Go into the city, and a man will meet you carrying a pitcher of water; follow him; 14 and wherever he enters, say to the owner of the house, ‘The Teacher says, “Where is My guest room in which I may eat the Passover with My disciples?”’ 15 “And he himself will show you a large upper room furnished and ready; prepare for us there.” 16 The disciples went out and came to the city, and found it just as He had told them; and they prepared the Passover.

Jesus died according to His own timing. He gave up His Spirit and then died at the 9th hour of the day, 3pm, just as He planned. At the 9th hour Jesus cried out ‘tetelestai’, ‘it is finished’, and He gave up His Spirit.

This death came directly following this victory cry, coming at the same hour the Paschal Lamb was slain. For me, the meal Jesus shared with the disciples was the first of two days on which the Passover Seder celebrated by different Jewish sects of the time. From the text and Language of the books in the New Testament, the various disciples came from these sects. There were representatives from each sect in the disciples that followed Jesus.

Communion, The Lord’s
Supper, and Pesach

Many of the things that happen during a Passover Seders focus on the Chidren. Hiding the Afikomen is one for the children to atnicipate. We do not see the hiding of the matzah but the New testament glimpses into it.

During the fourth part of the Seder, Jesus took up the middle piece of three pieces of unleavened bread, matzah. The middle matzah is removed from a stack of three matzah. The Mazah is then struck, broken, and wrapped in cloth. Today a piece of the broken matzah is then wrapped in a cloth and called afikomen, ‘that which comes after’.

The afikomen is then hidden to be brought out at the end of the meal. We are told Jesus blessed the bread.

What was the blessing? That blessing is part of the Seder, and the parts of the Seder are a specific liturgy. We have the words. I can not understand why things like this are not known or taught in the church. These words and these Seder have not changed since the Messiah shared Pesach with His disciples.

Blessing over the Bread

In the words of this blessing, Jesus is thanking His Father, the King of the universe, who will raise Him from the ground in three days. Like a grain of wheat burred in the ground, Jesus rose from the ground and is producing many grains of wheat.

  • Barukh ata Adonai Eloheinu, melekh ha’olam, hamotzi lehem min ha’aretz.
    • “Blessed are You, LORD our God, King of the universe, Who brings forth bread from the earth.”

Blessing over the Wine

We have the same information in the prayers of the Seder for the cup!

Wine is an important part of the festival. Tradition speaks of the wine creating an attitude of mirth in which we celebrate all that God has accomplished for the physical salvation of His people.

Four cups of wine are consumed at specific times during the Seder. Again the blessing over the cup is prescribed. The words Jesus would have used to bless the wine speak of fruit. Jesus refers to our work as our fruits. Jesus thanks the Father for creating the fruit of the vine. Jesus is the vine and His followers are the branches. The disciples will yield fruit. Here is the specific blessing over the cup of wine;

  • Barukh ata Adonai Eloheinu, Melekh ha’olam, bo’re p’ri hagefen.
    • “Blessed are You, LORD our God, King of the universe, Who creates the fruit of the vine.”

 

Jesus is the vine. We are to live in as part of the vine. In truth apart from the vine, not only will we fail to produce a harvest but we will wither and have no life.

 John 15:4 “Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me. 5 “I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing.”

Communion and the Blessings

When we take communion we are saying we want to bear fruit. We want to live as part of true vine, Jesus. We want to be in unity.

Mark 14:22 While they were eating, He took some bread, and after a blessing He broke it, and gave it to them, and said, “Take it; this is My body.” 23 And when He had taken a cup and given thanks, He gave it to them, and they all drank from it. 24 And He said to them, “This is My blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many. 25 “Truly I say to you, I will never again drink of the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God.”

The blessing over the cup and bread add much in our relationship with God.33

Foot Washing, Kenosis,
and a Call to Servanthood

While three of the four Gospels include the Lord’s Supper, the Gospel of John does not. John focuses on foot-washing in its place, another part of the night’s events.

Foot washing still takes place from time to time by both Jewish and Christian communities. Washing feet takes humility, exactly the attitude Jesus was calling the disciples to embrace.

Today, while communion is a regular event seen in the Church, foot washing is not. Foot washing is largely unseen and uncommon. On the receiving side foot-washing can be embarrassing. People can to see the dirt from where our feet have been. Our feet are not always in a condition we want others to see. Think about how much worst our feet would have been if we had lived in a time of sandals and dirt roads.

It is a humbling experience to kneel in front of others and wash their dirty feet. It is an act of deference and service. This is the call. We are not called to be powerful among other people nor to garner respect and subservience of others. We are called to serve.

During the Passover meal, the disciples began arguing over who would be the greatest in the Kingdom of God. In a mild rebuke Jesus is clear, the greatest in the kingdom will be the servant of all. Then, leading by example, Jesus girded His loins and proceeds to wash the feet of the disciples. This is the example, this gives those who want to follow Jesus direction. Serve rather than be served!

Jesus, washing the feet of His disciples has long been associated with what theologians have termed kenosis. The basis for kenosis is found in the 2nd chapter of Philippians. Kenosis simply means to empty oneself.  Jesus taking off and laying aside his divinity, taking on the form of the fallen Adam, is kenosis. To set aside divinity, be born as a child, and to live a life that would end on the cross is kenosis.

 Philippians 2:5 Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, 6 who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied [kenosis/ἐκένωσεν]  Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. 8 Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.

Encouraged During the Passover

Jesus again tells the disciples to follow Him.  He encourages us by promising to send the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit births the Church and enables us to follow Jesus and love others. The disciples were uplifted by the time they leave the meal. They were in cheerful. Their cheerful mood can be seen as they leave the upper room singing psalms to God.

Midnight 14 Nisan
Through Sunrise 14 Nisan

From Midnight to Sunrise, the disciples leave the Last Supper and move toward the Garden of Gethsemane singing hymns. Jesus continues to encourages them an tells them He will return.

Then the Sanhedrin, Jewish rulers, sent their guards to arrest Jesus. The time of observing the Paschal Lamb, discussed in Examining the Paschal Lamb, is over, the time of verdict has come. 

During the trial, the priests and scribes searched for false testimony by which they could put Jesus to death. They could not find anything against Jesus. Then when Jesus claimed He would sit at the right hand of Power, the priests accuse Jesus of blasphemy. They took Him to the Roman ruler in charge od the region Rome had not given the Jewish rulers authority to execute prisoners . Jesus had to be taken to the Roman authorities to be sentenced.

Matthew 26:64 Jesus said to him, “You have said it yourself; nevertheless I tell you, hereafter you will see THE SON OF MAN SITTING AT THE RIGHT HAND OF POWER, and COMING ON THE CLOUDS OF HEAVEN.” 65 Then the high priest tore his robes and said, “He has blasphemed! What further need do we have of witnesses? Behold, you have now heard the blasphemy; 66 what do you think?” They answered, “He deserves death!”

14 Nisan Sunrise
Through the Third Hour, 9am

At Sunrise on the 14th, Jesus is taken to Pilate, the Roman authority, to be judged and condemned. This interview process took place from sunrise till the 3rd hour of the day, 9am. At the third hour, the crucifixion began and Judas committed suicide.

After the first part of the trial, Pilot finds nothing wrong with Jesus. For the 2nd part Jesus is sent to Herod. Herod had wanted to see Jesus. Herod was the king of the area, under  Roman Authority. In the final part of the trial, Herod sends Jesus back to Pilate.

Matthew 27:24 When Pilate saw that he was accomplishing nothing, but rather that a riot was starting, he took water and washed his hands in front of the crowd, saying, “I am innocent of this Man’s blood; see to that ourselves.” 25 And all the people said, “His blood shall be on us and on our children!” 26 Then he released Barabbas for them; but after having Jesus scourged, he handed Him over to be crucified.

Though found innocent Pilate still has Jesus scourged. Jesus is lashed 39 times with a nine tailed, metal tipped whip. The marks Jesus bears are rich in meaning and prophecy. In Isaiah 53, Isaiah prophesied, by His stripes we have our healing. 

I have abridged this section to make the reading quicker. The whole chapter is worth taking time to read.

Isaiah 53:1 Who has believed our message?  

  • 3 He was despised and forsaken of men, 
  • 4 Surely our griefs He Himself bore
  • 5 But He was pierced through for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; The chastening for our well-being fell upon Him, 
  •  7 Like a lamb that is led to slaughter, And like a sheep that is silent before its shearers,
  • 8  That He was cut off out of the land of the living For the transgression of my people, to whom the stroke was due? 
  • 10 But the LORD was pleased To crush Him, putting Him to grief;  If He would render Himself as a guilt offering,
  • 11 Servant, will justify the many, As He will bear their iniquities.
  • 12 Because He poured out Himself to death, And was numbered with the transgressors; Yet He Himself bore the sin of many, And interceded for the transgressors.

On the Cross,
Hour 3 to Hour 9

From the third hour, 9 a.m., until his death at 3 p.m, the 9th hour, Jesus hung on the cross. Several things happen while Jesus, the Christ, hung on the cross. First the proclamation, Pilate had a sign placed above the cross, 

  “Jesus King of the Jews”

Jesus Yields the Spirit

  • At 3pm Jesus yielded His Spirit and died.
    • The Paschal Lamb was sacrified at 3pm,
    • 3pm is the the nith hour of daylight.
  • Jesus decided when to yield up his spirit and die.
  • Signs at the death of Jesus.
    • There was an earthquake.
    • The temple veil was ripped in two.
    • People who had died, came back to life.

Earthquake, Back to Life

Matthew 27:50 And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice, and gave up His spirit. 51And behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom; and the earth shook and the rocks were split. 52 Also the tombs were opened, and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised; 53and coming out of the tombs after His resurrection, they entered the holy city and appeared to many.

Separating the Holy Place
from the Holy of Holies

In the Temple, the veil separated the Holy Place from the Most Holy Place, the Holy of Holies. When Jesus, died the veil of the temple was ripper from top to bottom. The veil was said to have been thick enough that it would have taken several teams of horses, pulling together to tear it apart. The veil being ripped is a powerful event.

Once a year the high priest entered the Most Holy place in the Temple, the Holy of Holies. Once a year, on Yom Kippur, the high priest would pass through the Veil to make atonement for himself and the people. With the advent of Jesus, this ended.

This trearing opened the way to God. With the death and resurrection of Jesus we have direct access to God. With death of Christ Jesus sin was overcome, there was no longer need for a yearly sacrifice. Sin was paid for once and all.

Jesus, High Priest Forever

I have included a section of Letter to the Hebrews which expands this concept a bit. Hebrews tells us that Jesus has become the High Priest once and for all. We, who are part of the body of Christ, have access to the mercy seat at all the times. At the earthquake, the tearing of the veil, and the animation of dead,  led the Centurion in charge of the crucifixion to proclaime, “certainly this man was innocent”, and, “truly this was the son of God.”

 Hebrews 9:14 how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without blemish to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?  15 For this reason He is the mediator of a new covenant, … 16 For where a covenant is, there must of necessity be the death of the one who made it. … 27 And inasmuch as it is appointed for men to die once and after this comes judgment, 28 So Christ also, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time for salvation without reference to sin, to those who eagerly await Him.

Again, the day ends at sundown. At the death of Jesus, he second holy day of Passover/Pesach was soon to begin. Joseph of Arimathea asked Pilate for the body of Jesus in order to bury Him. The Old Testament law exempts to those who become unclean due to a trip or touching the dead so they can participate in the Seder. Even after handling Jesus, Joseph would still have been able to join the feast that night and the next day.

Nisan 14 - Timeline in Scripture

Sunset through Midnight
Upper Room Discourse
the 1st Seder Meal

  • Disciples Argue Over who is the Greatest – Jesus Says the Greatest Will Be the Servant of All
  • Jesus Demonstrates Servant-hood by Washing the Disciple’s Feet
  • Jesus Foretells That Peter Will Deny Him Before The Cock Crows
  • Jesus Said He Will Go Away to Prepare a Place for His Disciples
  • Jesus Said He and the Father Are One, and That He Does the Father’s Will
  • Jesus Told His Disciples to Keep His Commandments, If They Love Him
  • The Father Will Send the Holy Spirit to Empower and Assist Us in Keeping His Commands
  • The Holy Spirit Will Teach Us All Things – Mt /, Mk /, Lk /,
  • Jesus and the Disciples Departed the Upper Room Singing a Hymn –

Midnight To Sunrise
The Garden of Gethsemane

Before Sunrise
Jesus is Brought Before
the Jewish Rulers, Priests,
and Sadducees for Judgement

  • Jesus Before Annas, Father-in-Law of and former Jewish High Priest
  • Jesus Before Caiaphas, the Jewish High Priest
  • Jesus Condemned by the Sanhedrin, The Jewish Religious Authority

Sunrise Through the 3rd Hour, 9 am

  • Judas Commits Suicide for Betraying Jesus

Before Roman &
Hasmonean Authorities

During The Crucifixion of Jesus

The 9th Hour – Signs, Sacrifice,
and the Death of Jesus

  • Jesus Cries Out – ‘Tetelestai’- “It Is Finished” and Then Jesus Gave Up His Spirit –
  • At Jesus’ Death, the Veil, in the Temple, Was Torn From Top to Bottom
  • There was an Earthquake
  • Many Dead in Jerusalem Came to Life When Jesus Released His Spirit –
  • A Centurion Proclaims: “Certainly this man was innocent” “Truly this was the Son of God!
  • Jesus’ Body Laid in Tomb before the ‘High Holy Day’ – Mt 27:57-66, Mk 15:42-47, Lk 23:50-56, Jn 19:31-42
Pesach - Passover – Physical Salvation
Shavuot - Weeks – Spiritual Salvation
Sukkot - Tents – Living in Joy Under God

Sources and Further Reading

Biblical Sources

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Source Texts and Commentary

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Articles, Books, and Reflections

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