Updated: April 17, 2025
Finding Jesus in the Passover: A Story That Changes Everything
Each year around springtime, homes are cleaned, tables are set, and families gather for one of the most sacred Jewish celebrations—Passover. But if you’re a Christian, you might wonder: What does this ancient feast have to do with my faith? More than you might think.
Growing up, I always thought of Passover as a Jewish tradition—something beautiful and historic, but distant from my own walk with Christ. It wasn’t until I studied the Exodus story alongside the New Testament that I realized how deeply intertwined they are.
The more I read, the more I saw Jesus written into every symbol, every instruction, and every moment of the Passover.
Passover isn’t just a story of deliverance from slavery in Egypt—it’s a powerful foreshadowing of the greatest deliverance in history: salvation through Jesus Christ.
Let’s dive into the story and see how Jesus is not only part of Passover—He is the fulfillment of it.
What is Passover and Why Does it Matter to Christians?
Passover, or Pesach in Hebrew, is one of the most sacred feasts in the Jewish calendar. It commemorates God’s miraculous deliverance of the Israelites from slavery in Egypt.
Yet for Christians, Passover takes on even greater significance. The Bible tells us that Jesus Christ is our Passover Lamb (1 Corinthians 5:7).
The original Passover pointed forward to a greater deliverance—a spiritual exodus. Through Jesus, God delivered humanity from slavery to sin and death.
Understanding the deep connections between Passover and Christ’s sacrifice not only enriches our faith but gives us reason to rejoice this season.
The First Passover: A Shadow of Greater Redemption
The story of Passover begins in Exodus, where God responds to the cries of His enslaved people (Exodus 6:6). He sends Moses to confront Pharaoh with a divine command: “Let My people go” (Exodus 6:10-11).
Pharaoh’s refusal results in ten devastating plagues. The tenth and final plague—the death of all firstborns—ushers in the first Passover night.
To escape judgment, God instructed the Israelites:
- Choose a spotless one-year-old male lamb (Exodus 12:5).
- Keep it at home for four days.
- Slaughter it at twilight.
- Apply its blood to the doorposts and lintel of each home (Exodus 12:7, 22).
- Eat the lamb quickly, dressed for travel (Exodus 12:11).
That night, God struck down Egypt’s firstborns but “passed over” the homes marked by the lamb’s blood (Exodus 12:23, 29-30). The blood was not only a sign of obedience, but it was also a sign of salvation.
This act of deliverance established Passover as an annual memorial of God’s power and mercy. But it also served as a prophetic picture of the ultimate Lamb to come.
Jesus: The True and Better Passover Lamb
In the New Testament, Jesus is repeatedly called the Lamb of God (John 1:29, 36). Paul makes it clear:
“For Christ, our Passover Lamb, has been sacrificed.” — 1 Corinthians 5:7
Jesus fulfills every detail of the Passover lamb:
- Sinless and without blemish (1 Peter 1:19)
- Lived among the people, like the lamb in the household
- Entered Jerusalem before Passover (Matthew 21), set apart for sacrifice
- None of His bones were broken (John 19:36), fulfilling Exodus 12:46
Even Genesis 22, the account of Abraham and Isaac, foreshadows Christ’s sacrifice. When Isaac asked where the lamb was for the offering, Abraham replied, “God will provide for Himself the lamb” (Genesis 22:8). And He did—at the cross.
Jesus is not just a lamb. He is God’s Lamb, chosen before the foundation of the world (Revelation 13:8). His death wasn’t just an act of love—it was the culmination of God’s redemptive plan.
Why Jesus’ Sacrifice Matters for Us
The blood of the lamb in Egypt saved Israel’s firstborns from physical death. But the blood of Jesus saves us from eternal death (Romans 6:23).
Through Christ:
- We are forgiven (Ephesians 1:7)
- We are cleansed (1 John 1:7)
- We are reconciled to God (Romans 5:10)
- We are set free from the power of sin (Romans 8:2)
In the Old Covenant, countless lambs were sacrificed year after year. But Hebrews 10:14 tells us:
“For by one offering He has perfected forever those who are being sanctified.”
Jesus’ once-for-all sacrifice ended the need for the old sacrificial system. His blood doesn’t just cover sin—it removes it.
The Christian Meaning of Passover Today
For Christians, Passover isn’t just a historical or Jewish tradition. It is a vivid picture of our salvation story. The Israelites were freed from physical slavery; we are freed from spiritual bondage.
When we partake in the Lord’s Supper (Communion), we remember Jesus, the Lamb who was slain (1 Corinthians 11:23-26). Just as Jews retell the Exodus story each year, we proclaim Christ’s death until He comes again.
And just like Israel walked out of Egypt into freedom, we walk in newness of life (Romans 6:4).
Final Reflections: Embracing Our Passover Lamb
Passover shows us that salvation comes through the blood of the Lamb. Jesus didn’t just die for a nation—He died for the world. For you.
So, this season, as many observe Passover and Resurrection Sunday, reflect deeply:
- Have you been marked by the blood of the Lamb?
- Are you walking in the freedom He purchased for you?
- Are you telling others about the Lamb who takes away the sin of the world?
“Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” — John 1:29
Jesus Christ is our Passover Lamb. Through Him, judgment passes over us, sin loses its grip, and death is defeated.
Let us live in the freedom and joy of that glorious truth.
Thank you for your detailed scriptural outline of Jesus is the Passover Lamb, for me the Old Testament is just as alive as the New Testament, as I believe the Old Testament is the New Testament concealed and the New Testament is the Old Testament revealed, amazing all you have to do is point out the scripture, as you have done Alice, and Jesus is revealed as the pass over Lamb that took the sin of the world upon him, thank you for your amazing article, and have a wonderful Easter, sincerely, Jack
Hey Jack, thanks for your comment.
Indeed, the Old and the New Testaments or covenants are interconnected. The only way for us to fully understand the central message of the Bible is by reading it as a whole. Some Christians argue that the Old Testament is no longer relevant today because we already have a new covenant and Jesus has fulfilled the Law.
But that’s not true at all because many of the passages in the New Testament are difficult to understand and interpret unless we go back to the Old Testament. Such is the case of the sacrificial death of Jesus Christ that took place at Passover.
Have a blessed Resurrection Sunday Jack!
Hi!! I just wanted to leave a comment here to let you know how much I loved your post. I am a follower of Jesus and everything you said was right on the money. I grew up in a strict legalistic church and we observed the Passover and Days of Unleavened Bread every year. So I understood what you were talking about. I have since found God’s grace and what the blood of Jesus truly means.
Hello Lynn, thanks for stopping by.
When I first became a believer in Jesus, there were a lot of the Old Testament Scriptures that I did not truly understand, partly because I never thought they were significant to Christians and so I ignored them and did not take time to study them. I thought that the Old Testament was only for the Jews and the New Testament for Christians.
But as I continue to grow in the grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ, I came to learn that the Old Testament is the New Testament concealed and the New Testament is the Old Testament revealed. So I really thank God for opening up my understanding that Jesus was the fulfillment of the Old Testament Laws, including the blood sacrifice.
Yes, it is because of the blood of Jesus that we have been spared from death. Jesus died on the day of Passover to become for us the sacrifice to atone for our sins and reconcile us back to God. Sadly, many Christians today still do not realize how important and powerful the blood of Jesus is.
If you believe old testament is relevant why don’t you celebrate the feasts and the Sabbath as Yahshua and His disciples did?
Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness; but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.
1 Corinthians 5:8
Those are Paul’s words to the gentile believers in Corinth.
If you are a true follower of Christ do what He did.
Luke 4:16 King James Version (KJV)
16 And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up: and, as his custom was, he went into the synagogue on the sabbath day, and stood up for to read.
Praise Yahshua for truth!
Hi Alicia, thanks for visiting and leaving a reply.
Yes, I believe that the Old Testament is relevant because it is the word of God; it is God breathed or inspired (2 Timothy 3:16). However, in the context of 1 Corinthians 5:8, Paul is not really telling or commanding the believers in Corinth to observe the feasts the way the Jews do. Paul was actually rebuking them because some of them are still apparently practicing sin — the sin of sexual immorality — and the rest are kind of consenting to it.
So Paul was telling them to purge the sin within them (by expelling the immoral brother). The image here is that of the Passover supper in Exodus 12 wherein one of the requirements was that no yeast (or leaven) be found anywhere in their dwellings. Yeast is a picture of sin; it is small but powerful, it works secretly and it spreads.
Jesus is the Passover Lamb, the ultimate sacrifice for sin and that is why those who claim to be His followers must stop living in sin and cut their association with those who are practicing sin.
Shalom!