The question of whether a believer in Christ should observe the Passover is one that requires us to look beyond mere tradition and peer into the very heart of God’s redemptive timeline. While the “bondage of sin” has been lifted through the finished work of Christ, the Lord’s decree regarding this feast remains unmistakable: “And ye shall observe this thing for an ordinance to thee and to thy sons for ever” (Exodus 12:24).
The Law as the Moral Standard
Many in the modern era mistakenly believe that grace renders the Law obsolete. However, for the Remnant, the Law remains the holy reflection of God’s character—our “Moral Standard.” As the scripture declares, “Wherefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy, and just, and good” (Romans 7:12). We do not observe the Passover to earn salvation, but because we are saved and desire to walk in “Physical Obedience” to an “Everlasting Ordinance.” Our Lord Himself affirmed the endurance of the Word, saying, “Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil” (Matthew 5:17).
The Forensic Precision of the Sacrifice
By examining the Passover, we move from the “Noise” of man-made tradition into the “Signal” of divine precision. The study of the Paschal lamb provides an undeniable “Forensic Analysis” of the crucifixion and resurrection:
- The Selection: The lamb was set apart on the tenth day of the month, the exact day Christ entered Jerusalem to be “examined” by the priests.
- The Timing: The Lamb of God was slain at the “ninth hour”—the very moment the high priest in the Temple was slaying the lamb for the nation.
- The Three Days: The alignment of the Passover, the Feast of Unleavened Bread, and the Feast of Firstfruits provides the mathematical proof of the “three days and three nights” in the heart of the earth.
Learning from the Israelite Journey
The journey of the Israelites is not merely ancient history; it is a blueprint for our own “Exodus” from this present evil world. From the blood on the doorposts to the haste with which they ate—shoes on feet and staff in hand—we learn the necessity of constant readiness. “Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come” (1 Corinthians 10:11). Just as they left the bondage of Egypt, we are called to “purge out therefore the old leaven” (1 Corinthians 5:7) and live as a set-apart people.
So, A Christian not only can but should look to the Passover as an essential “Defense of the Truth.” It is an everlasting testimony that confirms the Messiah’s identity, upholds God’s moral standard, and keeps our eyes fixed on the Lamb who was slain.