The Passover and Christ Colossians 2 16 17

The Passover and Christ Colossians 2: 16 -17

Colossians 2: 16 -17 So let no one judge you in food or in drink, or regarding a festival or a new moon or sabbaths, which are a shadow of things to come, but the substance is of Christ.

The Substance is of Christ Leviticus 23 • Sabbath • Passover • Feast of Unleavened Bread • Feast of Firstfruits • Feast of Weeks • Feast of Trumpets • Feast of Atonement • Feast of Tabernacles

Back to Egypt The first 9 plagues had not resulted in the release of the children of Israel from their slavery in Egypt. Exodus 12: 12 “For I will pass through the land of Egypt on that night, and will strike all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgment: I am the Lord. ”

Exodus 12: 1 -11 The Passover: • One perfect lamb without blemish, per household, set aside on 10 th of Nisan • Lamb killed at twilight (6 pm) on the 14 th of Nisan • Blood of lamb placed on doorposts and lintel • Lamb roasted whole, eaten with no leftovers • 3 parts: Unleavened bread, Bitter herbs, Lamb • Belt, Sandals, and a Staff

Other Old Testament Passovers • • • Numbers 9: 1 -14 Joshua 5: 10 -12 2 Chronicles 30: 1 -5 2 Chronicles 35: 1 -19 Ezekiel 45: 21 -24 Ezra 6: 19 -22 Deuteronomy 16: 1 -8 1 year anniversary Canaan Hezekiah Josiah During Exile Return from Babylon General Rules

Changes over the Years • Less family-centered, more a social event • An increase in guests could lead to extra lambs (Chagigah); or no lamb! • Fruit of the vine, or wine, introduced • Four separate cups of wine • “Scripted ceremony” • Time change!- [Very important!]

JEWISH TIMEKEEPING The Jewish day began at 6 pm, or at “twilight”. The day consisted of two 12 hour periods that corresponded with dusk and dawn. “. . then the whole assembly of Israel shall kill it at twilight” This would have been the first hours of the 14 th of Nisan.

Time Change “So these high priests, upon the coming of their feast which is called the Passover, when they slay their sacrifices, from the ninth hour to the eleventh” (Wars, VI, IX, 3) - Josephus, Jewish Historian This would have been 3 -5 pm on the 14 th of Nisan.

Time Change “…and they offered the sacrifice which was called the Passover, on the fourteenth day of the same month, and feasted seven days. ” (Antiquity, XI, IV, 8) - Josephus, Jewish Historian

Time Chart Nisan 13 th 14 th 15 th Original Preparation Passover - Rabbinical Normal day Preparation (3 -5 pm) Passover The Bible will prove this time change momentarily.

Luke 22: 7 -9 Then came the Day of Unleavened Bread, when the Passover must be killed. 8 And he sent Peter and John, saying, “Go and prepare the Passover for us, that we may eat. ” 9 So they said to Him, “Where do You want us to prepare? ”

Luke 22: 10 -11 And He said to them, “Behold, when you have entered the city, a man will meet you carrying a pitcher of water; follow him into the house which he enters. 11 Then you shall say to the master of the house, ‘The Teacher says to you, “Where is the guest room where I may eat the Passover with My disciples? ”’

Luke 22: 12 -13 Then he will show you a large, furnished upper room; there make ready. ” 13 So they went and found it just as he had said to them, and they prepared the Passover.

Luke 22: 14 When the hour had come, He sat down, and the twelve apostles with Him. Mark 14: 17 In the evening he came with the twelve.

What was the date? If the lamb was to be slain in the evening, this would be the 14 th day of Nisan. The Jews, however, were waiting until later the next afternoon (3 -5 pm) to slay the lambs and celebrate the following evening, the 15 th of Nisan.

Proof Verse: John 18: 28 Then they led Jesus from Caiaphas to the Praetorium [after his arrest], and it was early morning. But they themselves did not go into the Praetorium, lest they should be defiled, but that they might eat the Passover. [12 hours AFTER Jesus celebrated the Passover! The Jewish nation celebrated Passover on the wrong day - the day after Jesus!]

Passover Traditions at time of Jesus • Blessing and passing of 1 st cup of wine (fruit of the vine) • Washing of hands (ceremonial cleaning) • Explanation of the Paschal table – herbs, 2 loaves of unleavened bread, lamb • Passing of the herbs, removal of the table • Jewish history, singing of Psalm 113, 114 • Passing of the 2 nd cup of wine • Re-washing of the hands

Passover Traditions at time of Jesus • • Return of the table Breaking of one loaf, the “Bread of poverty” Blessing of the bread Passing of the bread with bitter herbs, dipped Eating of the lamb (last item to be eaten) Re-washing of hands Blessing and passing of the 3 rd cup of wine

Passover Traditions at time of Jesus • Passing of the 4 th cup of wine • Singing of Psalm 115 -118

What did Jesus do? I cannot tell you for sure which of the ancient traditions Jesus and his disciples followed, but this background helps us to understand several passages.

Luke 22: 17 -18 Then He took the cup, and gave thanks, and said, “Take this and divide it among yourselves; 18 for I say to you, I will not drink of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes. ” I believe this to be the 1 st cup of the Passover supper.

Other Events Sometime during the evening, • Jesus washed the disciples feet • Jesus exposed Judas Iscariot as his betrayer • Judas Iscariot left the supper early • Jesus instituted the Lord’s Supper A conservative guess places 1 -2 hours between the activities of Luke 22: 18 and 22: 19.

Passover Traditions • Blessing and passing of 1 st cup of wine • Washing of hands Quite possibly, this is when Jesus washed the disciples feet.

John 13: 2 -4 (RSV) And during supper, when the devil had already put it into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, to betray him, 3 Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he had come from God and was going to God, 4 rose from supper, laid aside his garments, and girded himself with a towel.

Passover Traditions • • Return of the Paschal table Breaking of one loaf, the “Bread of poverty” Blessing of the bread Passing of the bread with bitter herbs, dipped

John 13: 18 “I do not speak concerning all of you. I know whom I have chosen; but that the Scripture may be fulfilled, ‘He who eats bread with Me has lifted up his heel against Me. ’

Luke 22: 21 -22 But behold, the hand of My betrayer is with Me on the table. 22 And truly the Son of Man goes as it has been determined, but woe to that man by whom He is betrayed!”

John 13: 26 Jesus answered, “It is he to whom I shall give a piece of bread when I have dipped it. ” And having dipped the bread, He gave it to Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon. The bread was a piece of unleavened bread from the Passover ceremony. Jesus exposed Judas Iscariot as his betrayer.

John 13: 30 Having received the piece of bread, he then went out immediately. And it was night. [no longer evening] Judas left the supper early, before the presentation of the Passover lamb.

Passover Traditions • Eating of the lamb (last item to be eaten) • Re-washing of hands • Blessing and passing of the 3 rd cup of wine

Mark 14: 22 And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them and said, “Take, eat; this is My body. ” No doubt, this bread is the second unused loaf of unleavened bread. Jesus went off the traditional script, and the disciples must have sensed the importance of what was happening!

Mark 14: 23 -24 Then He took the cup, and when He had given thanks He gave it to them, and they all drank from it. 24 And He said to them, “This is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many. I believe this to be the 3 rd cup, known as the Cup of Blessing.

Luke 22: 20 Likewise He also took the cup after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood, which is shed for you. This is the institution of the Lord’s Supper.

Very interesting…. 1) Nothing was to be eaten after the lamb. 2) The unleavened bread was blessed and then broken – the reverse order of the Bread of Poverty. 3) The cup was blessed and then passed to each person – the cup of blessing. 4) There would be no doubt in the minds of the disciples that this was something new and different from the Passover!

1 Corinthians 10: 16 The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ?

Passover Traditions • Passing of the 4 th cup of wine • Singing of Psalm 115 -118

Mark 14: 26 And when they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives. The Scriptures are silent as to the 4 th cup of wine, and as to the hymn they sang. Most likely it was Psalm 115 -118.

Conclusion • Jesus and his disciples observed the Passover as given by scriptures. • Some traditions appeared to have been followed, while others were not. • The Lord’s Supper and the Passover are NOT the same! • Jesus is the fulfillment of the Passover!

The Substance is of Christ 1 Corinthians 5: 7 “Therefore purge out the old leaven, that you may be a new lump, since you truly are unleavened. For indeed Christ, our Passover, was sacrificed for us. ”