Symbols of the Passover

In the Beginning
Audio MP3

Although some Christians may differ about what has symbolic significance .. in the Bible and what does not, there is no disagreement about the Passover. It was the apostle Paul who wrote, “Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us: 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 5:7,8).

For Christ’s followers purging leaven in the passover ritual means they must purge sin from themselves as they appreciate and appropriate the merits of the passover lamb. But the Israelites did more. They sprinkled blood at the entrance to their homes, ate bitter herbs with their lamb and unleavened bread, and did this while dressed for a long journey. This issue of The Herald explores the lessons in these things for Christians today.

We begin with The Passover Lamb, the great symbol of Jesus Christ who, as he approached John the Baptist, was called the Lamb of God. Blood on the Lintels shows what happened after the lamb was slain and what it means.

Unleavened Bread explores the different though related meanings of leaven in the Bible. Bitter Herbs explains how a Christian’s bitter experiences whets his appetite for more of the lamb.

Death of the Firstborn shows the importance the firstborn son had in a family and what a terrible blow the tenth plague was upon the Egyptians. Feet Shod, Staff in Hand looks at the symbology of shoes and staff in the Scriptures. The Second Month Passover is a verse-by-verse examination of Numbers chapter 9, where rules are given for those who could not keep the passover at the appointed time.

We conclude with The Bread and the Cup, the two key symbols used by our Lord the night before he was crucified as he directed his disciples to memorialize his death on the fourteenth of Nisan in future years.

Bible Students will do just that this year after sunset on Friday, April 18. As we celebrate this Memorial may we think about God’s “firstborn,” the lamb whose sacrifice brought freedom to the people of God, and eventually will bring life to all the families of the earth.