Passover This Year

I love Passover! I love having the Seder together with friends and family and celebrating the sacrifice of Yeshua. Every year I am amazed all over again at how Yeshua fulfilled so much of the Passover. For those of you who don't know what I am referring to, here are a couple of the most well-known fulfillments:

The Passover Lamb:
- The lamb was set aside for 4 days on the 10th of Nisan. Yeshua was on public display for 4 days starting on the 10th of Nisan (commonly referred to in Christian circles as "Palm Sunday").
- The lamb was sacrificed on the 14th of Nisan, right before the start of Passover at sundown. Yeshua also was sacrificed on the same day. (Side note: During the 2nd temple period, there was much controversy as to the actual date of Passover, whether it be the 14th or 15th. It was common to keep it on both nights which explains the keeping of the Passover Seder with His disciples the evening before his crucifixion.)
- The lamb could not have a blemish. Yeshua was without blemish/sin.
- The lamb was sacrificed around 3pm (at the time of the afternoon sacrifices). Yeshua was crucified at the same time.
- The lamb's bones were not broken. Yeshua's bones were not broken.

The Afikoman:
- There are 3 pieces of matzah wrapped in a cloth that have traditionally not had a good explanation. Some say they symbolize Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and some say they stand for the Aaronic Priests, the Levites, and the Israelites.
- During the seder, the leader is to remove the middle piece of matzah, break it in half, wrap half in a cloth and hide it. No one understands why one would break Isaac or the Levites, respectively.
- But if you look at the 3 pieces of matzah as Elohim - our Lord who exists as several entities, and look at the pieces as G-d in heaven, Yeshua His Son, and G-d's Spirit which dwells in us, it makes sense. Yeshua was sacrificed for us, wrapped in a cloth and put away in a tomb until the Sabbath when He rose.
- This also explains why Yeshua in His last seder with His disciples, showed them the matzah and compared it to Himself saying, "This is my body which is given for you, this do in remembrance of me."

Anyway, I love all of the Biblical Holidays, but Passover is definitely one of my favorites. We had a wonderful time together this year. Mark and I had our first home seder (just us and Eliza) reclined at our coffee table. I'll never forget Mark's reading of "Dayenu." He wept as he thought about how grateful he was to G-d for all of His wonderful blessings in our lives and the lives of those before us.

"L'Shanah haba'ah bi Yerushalayim!"