Should a Christian celebrate the Passover?

Should a Christian celebrate the Passover?

The Jewish holiday of Passover commemorates the Exodus of the children of Israel from their slavery in Egypt. Moses commanded the people to choose a lamb, prepare it with bitter herbs and apply the blood to the doorposts and lintel of the doors of their houses. Those Egyptians who chose not to participate in this ceremony, lost their first born sons at midnight. Pharaoh then permitted the people of Israel to leave the country. Jewish homes still celebrate the Passover today with some changes to the original details of the meal as recorded in Exodus 11 and12.

The New Testament says that Christ is the fulfillment of the Passover event (1 Corinthians 5:7-8) and that Christians should recognize the spiritual significance of the feast of Unleavened Bread, which immediately precedes the Passover.

There are some Christians who not only see the spiritual lessons of Christ’s salvation prefigured in the Passover, they also wish to celebrate the Passover in all of its details. They say that the Passover is a cultural event. Continuing the supper allows Jewish believers to retain their cultural heritage and at the same time embrace Christ as their savior. A second reason for a Christian to celebrate the Passover is to use the event as an evangelism tool to explain the gospel to Jewish friends.

A Christian may choose not to celebrate the Passover based on the teaching of the Epistle of Hebrews. The whole point of the Book of Hebrews is that Christ is the fulfillment of the law. All Old Testament rituals were mere shadows of the coming Promised Messiah. We should leave all old practices now that they have become obsolete. Hebrews 13:10-13

10 We have an altar, whereof they have no right to eat which serve the tabernacle.

11For the bodies of those beasts, whose blood is brought into the sanctuary by the high priest for sin, are burned without the camp.

12Wherefore Jesus also, that he might sanctify the people with his own blood, suffered without the gate.

13Let us go forth therefore unto him without the camp, bearing his reproach.

14For here have we no continuing city, but we seek one to come.

The “Last Supper” of the Lord Jesus and his disciples was a commemoration of the Passover of Moses. It was the last time to be practiced before Christ introduced the New Covenant. (Matthew 26:28). The epistles never command us to remember the Passover, but to break bread remembering the death of Christ (1 Corinthians 11:23-34).

If a believer chooses to celebrate the Passover, he should be fully aware that there is no sanction for it in the Bible. However, it would be wrong for another believer to condemn him for doing so. Colossians 2:16-17 and Romans 14:5 say that believers are free to conduct celebrations of Sabbaths and other holidays.

Shad David Sluiter

Other pages in this section

No one has commented on this article.

< Prev		Next >

[ Back ]

Main Menu