What is Passover?
Here's the answer:
Passover is a remembrance of the night God spared His people from death and rescued them out of slavery to the Egyptians.
God's people, the Israelites (Jews), had been slaves in Egypt for hundreds of years when God sent Moses to lead them out of slavery. Pharaoh, Egypt's ruler, was stubborn, and he refused to let the Israelites go. So God sent plagues to Egypt to show His power: water turned to blood, frogs invaded, people developed painful sores, darkness came over the land, hail damaged their crops, and more. You can read about it in the Bible, in the book of Exodus.
The tenth and last plague was the worst. God sent an angel to take the life of every firstborn son of Egyptian families—even the son of Pharaoh himself. But He made a way for the Jews to save their sons. He told them to kill a lamb for a special meal and smear blood from the sacrificed lamb on the doors of their houses. The angel of death would "pass over" every house with the blood and the people inside would be safe. That’s where we get the term "Passover." After this last plague, Pharaoh finally agreed to let God's people go.
After the first Passover, God commanded His people to celebrate a Passover meal every year to remember the wonderful way He saved them and freed them from slavery. Jesus even celebrated the Passover with His disciples hundreds of years later (Luke 22:7–8). To this day, Jews still celebrate the Passover with a special meal, called a Seder, giving thanks to God.
For Christians, the story of Passover is a reminder of how the blood of Jesus, the Lamb of God who was sacrificed for us, can save us from death and give us eternal life when we trust Him for salvation (John 3:16). Some Christians also celebrate Passover with a Seder meal, recognizing how the different parts of the meal represent Jesus and His work. Celebrating the Passover is a great way to praise and thank Jesus for His great salvation!
Bible Truth
"Your children will ask you, 'What does this holy day mean to you?' Tell them, 'It's the Passover sacrifice in honor of the LORD. He passed over the houses of the people of Israel in Egypt. He spared our homes when he struck the Egyptians down'" (Exodus 12:26–27).
"Christ has been offered up for us. He is our Passover lamb" (1 Corinthians 5:7b).
