Could God’s holy days, which describe his plan of salvation, exclude Jesus’ sacrifice? How could Jesus’ ultimate sacrifice be less than holy? Didn’t God have the Israelites smear lamb’s blood on their doors to avoid death? Didn’t that clearly represent Christ’s offering for humanity? Yes!
The Passover lamb was to be kept from Nisan 10 to 14 (Ex. 12:1-6). So he was going to be killed on the 14th. He was going to be killed at night. How do we know for sure which night he is talking about? Because God the Father gave us a PERFECT EXAMPLE!
When did God decree that Jesus could declare “It is finished” and die on the tree? Why at the same time THE JEWS were slaughtering their Passover lambs in the Temple! The Jews had always slaughtered the Passover lambs during the last hours of the 14th. It was toward the end of the 14th, not the beginning of the 14th, that the Passover lambs were slaughtered.
After slaughtering the lambs, they were prepared (which took some time) to be eaten, naturally, that night, which began on the 15th and the FEAST OF UNLEADED BREAD. None of the Passover lamb was to remain until morning (Ex. 12:8-10).
God decreed that only unleavened bread should be eaten with the Passover lamb, and that only unleavened bread should be found on all our property for seven days: “neither will there be any of the meat that you sacrificed on the FIRST EVENING DAY, it will remain all night until morning… you shall sacrifice the Passover in the evening, at sunset…” (Deuteronomy 16:1-7; Matthew 27:45-46).
Here God clearly shows that He considered the Passover sacrifice, performed at “sunset”. as the FIRST DAY of the SEVEN DAYS OF UNLEAVENED BREAD (Mark 14:12). If we are to blindly follow the popular tradition of the Church that sacrifices the Paschal lamb at the beginning of the 14th, instead of at the end of the 14th, then we will end up with eight days of unleavened bread! Does it make sense that the lamb have to be eaten with unleavened bread and then somehow after a whole day you can eat left again?! How absurd! At least one child could figure this out. And that is what we all need to become again, like humble children, hungry for God’s truth, eager to please our Father and leave Their it will be done, and the commandments will be kept, instead of trying to uphold vain traditions (Mark 7:7).
The Word of God shows that from the end of the 14th day (beginning of the 15th day) to the 21st day of the first holy month is seven days (Exodus 12:18).
The Passover lamb is sacrificed at the end or in the evening (between the two evenings in Hebrew) of the 14th and is eaten at the beginning of the 15th with unleavened bread: “For Christ, our Passover, is sacrificed for us: let us therefore celebrate , Party”. …with unleavened bread of sincerity and truth” (1 Cor. 7-8). Christ is our PASSOVER – not our “Lord’s Supper”. Jesus’ last supper with His disciples offered Him the perfect opportunity to replace the traditional lamb with a bread and wine ceremony symbolic of His offered body and blood (even the rabbis decreed after the destruction of the Temple that it was permissible not to eat a Passover lamb).
By partaking of these sacred emblems, what are we remembering? Are we commemorating the night of Jesus’ betrayal or are we commemorating the DEATH of Jesus? We must eat the BREAD in memory of the body of Jesus that was sacrificed at the end of the 14th day and we must drink the WINE in memory of the blood that Jesus shed for us at the end of the 14th day (1 Cor. 11:23-26). [And Jesus clearly associated His hour of trial and crucifixion with wine, not grape juice. See John 2:3-4].
We must remember the sacrifice of Jesus as our very personal Passover Lamb: the Lamb of God! Passover, with bread and wine substituted for the lamb, is the annual holy day, observed at mealtime on the afternoon of the 15th, which commemorates the sacrifice of Jesus.
The Passover is both a memorial and a feast (Ex. 12:14). The PASSOVER MEMORIAL is the FIRST of the seven days of unleavened bread (not eight), and the FIRST of God’s seven holy days that represent His plan of salvation for all mankind.
It is important to note and clarify this with the first of God’s festivals and the new year: How would the Church of God know when to celebrate God’s holy days or even what they are if it were not for the Jews? God has made the Jews his custodian and has entrusted their truths to his care, specifically the Pharisees (Matt. 23:2; Rom. 3:2-3; 9:4).
God’s holy days are faithfully proclaimed from the Seat of Moses each year “in their seasons” (Lev. 23:4) by His Jewish stewards who keep God’s SACRED CALENDAR. How would we know which “season” is which, or which month is the “beginning of months”, if God had not commanded the JEWS to preserve that knowledge for us? (Gen. 1:14; Ex. 12:2; Rom. 3:2-3).
Fortunately, God is quite able to ensure that the Jews, in spite of themselves, continue to fulfill this special calling (Num. 23:19; Rom. 11:29). So everyone can put their “calculators” away (which only adds to the confusion, everyone determines for themselves what is right and what is wrong). God’s “business” has a full-time “Jewish accountant” who is only responsible for the calendar.
Let us not try to interfere with the affairs of God, since He has chosen to direct them. God, through his Jewish agent, has preserved the knowledge of his holy days and the correct dates to observe them for all who truly want to know and participate in the celebration of God’s truth.
For additional vital information on biblical holidays, I recommend the following free literature (although I disagree with them on the dates of Passover and Pentecost):
Pagan Holidays or God’s Holy Days – Which?
God’s holy holiday plan: the promise of hope for all mankind
Easter and Pentecost differences resolved!
