Good morning,
The evening of April 1, 2026, is the celebration of Passover. How are Jesus and Passover connected? That will be our study for this week.
What’s Jesus link to Passover?
How are Jesus and the Passover connected?
I. Introduction
Passover, an annual Jewish festival commemorating the Israelites’ deliverance from slavery in Egypt, holds significant meaning within biblical history. The question of how Jesus is connected to the Passover underscores deep theological themes that span from Exodus to the New Testament. By exploring Passover’s Old Testament origins and its culminating aspects in the life and ministry of Jesus, we gain a fuller understanding of how Scripture consistently portrays redemption through the sacrifice of the “Lamb of God.”
V. The Last Supper as a Passover Meal
The Gospels describe Jesus celebrating the Passover with His disciples shortly before His crucifixion (Matthew 26:17-20; Mark 14:12-16; Luke 22:7-13). Known commonly as the Last Supper, it retains the form of the traditional Jewish Passover meal. Yet Jesus transformed its meaning by reframing the bread and wine as symbols of His impending sacrifice:
“And He took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, ‘This is My body, given for you; do this in remembrance of Me.’ In the same way, after supper He took the cup, saying, ‘This cup is the new covenant in My blood, which is poured out for you.’” (Luke 22:19-20)
The bread now represented His body, and the wine His blood, revealing that He ultimately fulfills the Passover. The timing-taking place during Passover week-strongly connects His death to the sacrificial typology that the festival had foreshadowed since Exodus.
VI. The Crucifixion and Passover Timing
All four Gospels indicate that Jesus’ crucifixion occurred around the time of the Passover feast. Historical sources such as Josephus (“Antiquities of the Jews” 18.3.3) corroborate that the Passover was indeed one of the major pilgrimage festivals, drawing large crowds to Jerusalem, aligning with the scriptural accounts of Jesus’ final days.
In John’s Gospel, the crucifixion is specifically noted to coincide with the preparation day of the Passover (John 19:14). This highlights again that, at the time the Passover lambs were being slain, Jesus was being sacrificed for the sins of the world-fulfilling the deeper meaning of Passover.
VII. Theological Significance
1. Deliverance from Sin and Death
In the same way that the blood of the Passover lamb rescued the Israelites from divine judgment in Egypt, Jesus’ blood rescues believers from the penalty of sin (Romans 5:8-9). Passover, therefore, is no longer merely historical ritual. In Christ, it points to ultimate, eternal deliverance.
2. Inauguration of the New Covenant
Jesus’ reference, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood” (Luke 22:20), reveals the establishment of a new relationship between God and humanity. Echoing Jeremiah 31:31-34 and Ezekiel 36:26-27, this is a covenant in which God’s law is written on the hearts of believers.
3. Remembrance and Worship
Just as Jewish believers were commanded to keep the Passover as a memorial (Exodus 12:14), Christians observe the Lord’s Supper in remembrance of Christ’s sacrifice. This ongoing practice unites believers with the redemptive history begun at the Exodus and brought to fullness in Jesus’ death and resurrection.
Tom Stearns, WASI Chaplain, 907 715-4001 chaplain@alaskaseniors.com
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