Elmer's Brother

Passover is a fundamental symbol of redemption both in Judaism and Christianity. I took a class on the book of Exodus in Bible college once. It's the great story of the redemption of God's people being led out of slavery. This week our Jewish friends are celebrating Passover and we Christians are celebrating Easter. In this class we talked about the significance of the Passover and the types or symbols of Christ that can be found there. Ever wonder if this is coincidence or part of the Lord's plan?

Around the same time that Christians will be celebrating the Resurrection of Jesus (Easter), Jewish people around the world will be commemorating the Passover -- the time when God delivered them out of Egyptian bondage some 3,400 years ago. By biblical definition, Passover is a one-day feast (holiday) that God actually commanded to be observed as a memorial forever (Ex: 12:14). He also declared that it was to be kept by a special service (Ex. 12:25).

What are some of the types or symbols used?

For example the lamb was to be unblemished and none of it's bones were to be broken. Christ is called the Lamb of God, that was slain...without blemish. But just as in Exodus the lamb's death wasn't what prevented the angel of death from killing the Jewish first born it was the application of the blood to the door post. Christians believe that this is also true of our salvation. While Christ's death and resurrection was enough to save us, only the application of His blood will save. Exodus Chapter 12 we read of the preparation of the Passover feast. The Jewish heads of household would choose a lamb (paschal lamb) without spot or blemish (verse 5). Then after killing the lamb the blood was collected and painted on the posts of the doors (verse 7). The blood was proof that the children of Israel were obedient to God. When God passed over he would not strike the house that had the blood of the lamb on the doorpost (verse 13). The blood of the lamb delivered Israel from the great night of terror in Egypt. 

Just as the Israelites were saved by the blood of the Passover and participated in the first Exodus, so the believers in the Messiah are saved by the sacrifice on the Cross to participate in the second and greater Exodus-from the slavery of sin to the freedom of the children of God."

Another interesting part of the Passover celebration is the afikomen.

Since the beginning of the Passover observance, the celebration has revolved around a traditional ceremonial dinner known as the Seder. The Sedar dinner is highly symbolic through the foods that are served, prayers that are offered, stories that are told and blessings and praises offered up to God. Three symbolic foods were to be eaten, 1. Lamb, representing the innocent lamb that was sacrificed the night of the Passover 2. Matzah (unleavened bread), which symbolized the purity of the sacrificial lamb and 3. Bitter herbs, which were to serve as a reminder of the suffering of the lamb. This article will focus on one portion of the Seder dinner, which is a mystery to most Jews.
At a certain point during the dinner the leader of the Sedar picks up a linen bag from the table which contains three pieces of matzah. The leader then removes the second or middle matzah and breaks it in half. Half is placed back into the bag and the other half is carefully wrapped in a linen napkin and then hidden someplace in the home. The piece that is hidden is known as the afikomen and reappears later in the service.

After the meal, the children are sent out to find the hidden afikomen. The child who finds it receives a reward.  Rabbinic law then requires that a small piece of the retrieved afikomen be eaten by everyone present at the service as a reminder of the Passover Lamb.

Does this seem reminiscent of Christ's death and resurrection?

Do you know that the word afikomen is a Greek word. The only time in the Passover that a non-Hebrew word is used.

First, the afikomen was not present in the day of Jesus.  It was a later addition to the Passover celebration.  The last solid food taken in that day was the lamb at the dinner.  Rabbinic tradition holds that the afikomen now represents the lamb, and therefore everyone must eat of it.

Second, there is much debate among rabbis concerning the meaning of the word afikomen.  The problem is compounded since afikomen does not exist in the Hebrew language.  It is just not there!  Rabbinic consensus usually explains that it means dessert since it is eaten after the meal when a dessert would normally be eaten.  Amazingly, afikomen is the only Greek word (the common language of Jesus’ day) in the Passover Seder.  Everything else is Hebrew.  It is the second aorist form (completion of an action, without reference to length of action) of the Greek verb ikneomai.  The translation is electrifying.  The word simply means – He came.

I have also heard it translated as - I have already come

It must be asked, “How could the afikomen, if it speaks of Jesus, make its way into the Jewish Passover when the majority of Jewish people today do not accept Jesus as the Messiah?”  The situation in the first century must be examined to shed light on this question.

Jewish believers had already broken away from the sacrificial system, believing that the Messiah had made a once-and-for-all sacrifice upon the cross.  They were already celebrating Passover without the lamb, choosing to incorporate the broken matzah (afikomen) into the service at the precise point at which the Lord had said, “This do in remembrance of me.”  It is not difficult to imagine this tradition being borrowed by others seeking to switch to a lambless Passover without their even realizing the full significance behind the ceremony.

Information for this article was taken the book The Feasts of the Lord written by Kevin Howard and Marvin Rosenthal. You can read more here. 

Paul described it this way:

....Christ, our passover is sacrificed for us." We are subject to death and punishment just like the Jews long ago. Christ was perfect, without spot or blemish. He was killed so we would not have to suffer spiritual death. His blood cleanses our sins. God will pass over us on the day of judgement if Christ's blood has cleansed us from our sins. Not only Jews but gentiles also can secure the blessings of the lamb.  

Christ is not spoken of as our Passover because the Mosaic ritual had happened to have that ceremonial; but the Mosaic ritual had that ceremonial mainly because Christ is our Passover, and by his blood shed on the cross and sprinkled on our conscience, does in spiritual reality that which the Jewish Passover only did in outward form. All other questions about the Old Testament, however interesting and hotly contested, are of secondary importance compared with this. Its chief purpose is to prophesy of Christ."