Passover (Christian holiday)
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- This article is about a holiday celebrated by a small number of Christians. See Passover for Judaism's Jewish holiday celebrating the Exodus of the Israelites from Ancient Egypt. See Easter (which in most languages and cultures bears a name derived from the Hebrew word for Passover) for the major Christian festival.
Passover also known as Pesach or Pesah (פסח pesaḥ), as a Christian holiday, was observed historically by a number of early Christians and is still observed today by a small number of Christian groups.[1] Beginning on the evening of the 14th day of Nisan (Abib) it commemorates the deliverance from sin by the sacrifice of Jesus. The Christian Passover celebration is a partial fulfillment of the prophetic Old Testament Passover instituted by God at the time of the exodus of the Israelites from Egypt.
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[edit] Christian meaning of Passover
The Epistle to the Hebrews states that the killing of animals does not end sin, and therefore it must be repeated, and the ritual intercession of a human priest in a man-made temple does not end the need for intercession and so year after year new intercessions must be made (Hebrews 10). It goes on to say that Jesus offered the one sacrifice that was acceptable to God, and that he lives forever as a high priest so there is no other priest needed. Some Christians consider the external ritual of sacrifice instituted in the Old Testament by God to be a precursor of the larger things that were to come in Jesus. For this reason, Jesus is called the "Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world" (John 1:29 ).
A Christian view is that the Passover, as observed by ancient Israel, is a type of the true Passover Sacrifice of God that was to be made by Jesus. The ancient Israelite Passover was the commemoration of the Israelites' physical deliverance from bondage in Egypt, Passover represents for some Christians a spiritual deliverance from the slavery of sin (John 8:34) and is, since Jesus' death, a memorial of the sacrifice that Jesus has made for mankind. Also, in the same way the Israelites partook of the sacrifice by eating it that night, Christians partake of the sacrifice of Jesus by eating the symbols of his body and blood: the bread and wine.
[edit] Christians celebrations of Passover
Observances differ between groups of Christian believers. Some differences between observing groups are:
Some follow the instructions that Jesus gave to his disciples at the time of his Last Supper before he was crucified, and share a "communion" meal.[2] In the communion, the unleavened bread is used to represent Jesus' body (Eastern Christianity uses leavened bread, though), and wine represents his blood of the New Covenant. These are a symbolic substitute for Jesus as the true sacrificial Passover "Lamb of God."
In some traditions, the ceremony is combined with washing one another's feet,[3] as Jesus did to his disciples the night that he suffered (John 13:5-14).
Other Christians celebrate the Passover exactly as Jesus did: like the Jews celebrate it. They roast and eat lamb, bitter herbs, and the unleavened Matza.[4]
Many Adventist, Sabbatarian Churches of God, Messianic Jews, Jehovah's Witnesses (who call it the 'Memorial of Christ's Death') and other groups observe a Christian Passover — though all do not agree on the date(s) or the related practices.
[edit] Date of Passover
Some differences between when groups observe passover are: Some Christians observe the celebration on the night before Passover, at the same time that Jesus held his Last Supper, while others observe it at the same time that the Passover was sacrificed, that is, the time of Jesus' death, which occurred "at the ninth hour" of the day (Matthew 27:46-50, Mark 15:34-37, Luke 23:44-46), or approximately 3:30 p.m. (see evening and Time for technical reference on time). Still others celebrate it after sunset, at which time it would be the 15th of Nisan, the time in which the Israelites ate the Passover meal.
[edit] History of Passover to Easter Development
Most Christians believe Easter (as a Christian festival) has been derived from Passover (as Jewish festival). They claim Easter is not the same as Passover. "The commemoration of the death of Christ was called the pascha staurosimon or the Passover proper. The commemoration of the resurrection was called the pascha anastasimon, and afterwards Easter."[5] (Note: the author of that particular source is not providing a translation of the Greek. The Greek term pascha staurosimon translates as "Passover of the Cross" (stauros means stake), and correlates with the biblically defined date of the Passover Sacrifice (Exodus 12:6), while pascha anastasimon translates as "Passover of Resurrection".) Samuele Bacchiocchi writes, "Most Christians today observe Easter-Sunday instead of the Biblical Passover. The two feasts are seen as being essentially the same, the latter being the continuation of the former. In reality, however, the two feasts have different dates, meanings, and origin" [6]
Current historical evidence suggests that in the early second century, the Church at Rome began celebrating the day of Jesus' resurrection on the Sunday following the Passover of the 14th of Nisan (Abib). Through the influence of Victor I, bishop of the Church at Rome (c. 189-98), the observance of the resurrection grew in popularity in the Christian world, eventually overshadowing the Apostolic Passover tradition (as referred to by the bishop of Smyrna, Polycarp), although many small groups throughout the world, especially the Churches in Asia Minor, held to the Apostolic tradition of celebrating the Passover on the 14th of Nisan (see Quartodecimanism).
In England, the resurrection celebration became known by the title of Easter. Bede, writing in Latin De temporum ratione [1], claimed the title was derived from the name of a local pagan goddess, Eostre (hence, the egg and bunny symbols), her festival being held during the English month of Eostur (April/Aprilis). Early English titles found include Estre, Eastre and Ester. The German equivalent is Ostern, however, in most other languages and cultures, the Easter celebration bears a name derived from the Hebrew word for "Passover".
[edit] Some Historic Passover Date Issues
Most Christians who keep the biblical Passover are considered to be Quartodeciman as they keep Passover on the 14th of Nisan. Apollinaris and Melito of Sardis were both 2nd Century writers that wrote about the Christian Passover.
Apollinaris, wrote:
- "There are, then, some who through ignorance raise disputes about these things (though their conduct is pardonable: for ignorance is no subject for blame -- it rather needs further instruction...)...The fourteenth day, the true Passover of the Lord; the great sacrifice, the Son of God instead of the lamb, who was bound, who bound the strong, and who was judged, though Judge of living and dead, and who was delivered into the hands of sinners to be crucified, who was lifted up on the horns of the unicorn, and who was pierced in His holy side, who poured forth from His side the two purifying elements, water and blood, word and spirit, and who was buried on the day of the passover, the stone being placed upon the tomb"[7]
Melito's Peri Pascha (or Homily on the Passover) is perhaps the most famous early document concerning the Christian observation of Passover.
- "For indeed the law issued in the gospel–the old in the new, both coming forth together from Zion and Jerusalem; and the commandment issued in grace, and the type in the finished product, and the lamb in the Son, and the sheep in a man, and the man in God...For at one time the sacrifice to the sheep was valuable, but now it is without value because of the life of the Lord. The death of the sheep once was valuable, but now it is without value because of the salvation of the Lord. The blood of the sheep once was valuable, but now it is without value because of the Spirit of the Lord. The silent lamb once was valuable, but now it has no value because of the blameless Son. The temple here below once was valuable, but now it is without value because of the Christ from above...Now that you have heard the explanation of the type and of that which corresponds to it, hear also what goes into making up the mystery. What is the passover? Indeed its name is derived from that event–"to celebrate the passover" (to paschein) is derived from "to suffer" (tou pathein). Therefore, learn who the sufferer is and who he is who suffers along with the sufferer...This one is the passover of our salvation". (On The Passover, by Melito of Sardis -- vs. 7, 44, 46, 69a)
Polycrates of Ephesus, was a late 2nd Century leader who was excommunicated (along with all Quartodecimen) by the Roman bishop Victor for observing the Christian Passover on the 14th of Nisan and not switching it to a Sunday resurrection celebration. He, Polycrates, claimed that he was simply following the practices according to scripture and the Gospels, as taught by the Apostles John and Philip, as well as by church leaders such as Polycarp and Melito of Sardis.
These 2nd Century Quartodeciman Christians kept a Passover ceremony, with the bread and wine symbolizing Jesus as being the lamb of God, while those who advocated Sunday appeared to change the Passover into more of a resurrection holiday.
It is important to note that the Christian Passover ceremony, which includes the bread and wine, proclaims the Lord's death, not specifically his resurrection. Paul confirmed this when he wrote, "For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death till He comes" (1Corinthians 11:26). According to the Catholic Encyclopedia, "In fact, the Jewish feast was taken over into the Christian Easter celebration." (Catholic Encyclopedia: Easter)
[edit] References
- ^ The United Church of God
- ^ How Should Christians Celebrate the Passover?
- ^ ibid.
- ^ Women for Faith & Family
- ^ Schaff, Philip; History of the Christian Church; ch. 5.
- ^ From Sabbath to Sunday; ch. 2.
- ^ "Apollinaris." From the Book Concerning Passover. Translated by Alexander Roberts and James Donaldson. Excerpted from Volume I of The Ante-Nicene Fathers (Alexander Roberts and James Donaldson, editors); American Edition copyright © 1885. Copyright © 2001 Peter Kirby).
[edit] See also
- Day of Atonement (Christian holiday)
- Feast of Trumpets (Christian holiday)
- Passover in the Christian tradition
- Christian view of the Law
- First day worship
- Messianic Judaism
- Supersessionism
[edit] Further reading
- Edward Chumney. The Seven Festivals of the Messiah. Treasure House, 1994. ISBN 1560437677
- Howard, Kevin. The Feasts Of The Lord God's Prophetic Calendar From Calvary To The Kingdom. Nelson Books, 1997. ISBN 0785275185
[edit] External links
- Jewish Passover to Christian Passover Explains the transition from Passover (or the Jewish Passover from certain Christian points-of-view) to the Christian Passover, which predated the founding of the Easter holiday.
- Melito's Homily on Passover also known as Peri Pascha
- Elements on Passover Seder and the meal before Pesach
- Polycrates and His Teachings
- When Christ Died, and Rose: A Simple, Biblical, Proof
