This is a solid question that is actually very easy to answer according to scriptures. When I was younger I always thought it was ideal for Christians to keep the customs of the Jews because the Jews were God’s people. If they were God’s people then it makes sense that anyone else attempting to serve their God would have to do what they do in serving God. Nevertheless, let us leave theory and go into scripture to see if it is compulsory for Christians to keep the Passover as do the Jews (and I say Jews for identification the correct way to say this is the children of Israel).

Much of the rituals in the Old Testament represented things that were to come. They were a school master, if you will, to bring us unto Christ; so let’s take a look at the Passover and see if this is the case here. When we look at the ordinances of the Passover in Exodus chapter 12 some things in there should show us a good comparison to Jesus Christ. Verse four says for every house to take a lamb; Jesus is the Lamb of God; the lamb should be without blemish and has to be a first born male. Jesus was without sin (blemish) and was the first born child to Mary.

Reading verse six reads the children of Israel had to keep the lamb to the 14th day of the first month of the year and the entire assembly of the congregation of Israel will kill it in the evening. Jesus was taken on the Passover and killed by the elders of Israel; much is coordinating thus far.

We will skip down to verse twelve for the sake of the brevity of this article and there the Lord tells us He will pass through Egypt that night and kill the firstborn of anyone whose home does not have the blood. In other words, you have to be covered by the blood of the Lamb (Jesus) in order to not be destroyed. Isn’t this the case in Christianity; if you do not keep the testimony of Jesus by being baptized for the remission of sins in Jesus name; thus putting yourself under the blood, you will not be saved.

Now this is very important; this day, this Passover day needs to be a memorial to everyone and kept a feast to the Lord forever in your generations and an ordinance eternally. This means the children of Israel are to keep this forever, what about the “non-Jew” or Gentiles? They are required to keep the Passover as well but first they must be circumcised in the mind and in the flesh before they can keep the Passover (Exodus 12 v48). There are plenty of reasons for this that we can study at a later day; but chiefly because they have to enter into a covenant before they can take place in the Passover feast.

So we now know that we are to keep the Passover, even if we are Christians and not actually physically born ‘Jews’ or children of Israel. The big reason why is because Jesus Christ is our Passover (1st Corinthians 5 v7), for as the word stresses, He has passed over our sins and saved us from death and brought us into His marvelous light. Jesus is our Passover and was sacrificed for us.

How do you take the Passover today; it is through the bread and wine. You may think you are doing this because your church does it every fourth Sunday or every first Sunday, or every week. This is a breach in protocol and law. The ordinance of the Passover needs to be done as the Lord direct in Leviticus chapter 23 verses four and five. The feasts of the Lord are holy gatherings that need to be declared at their corresponding times of the year. We would not celebrate our birthday every four weeks; neither are we to celebrate the feast whenever we want. It is to be proclaimed on the 14th day of the first month because it is the Lord God’s Passover and not the Jews Passover.

Is the Passover for Christians, of course it is and if you and/or your church organization do not keep it; you may want to find a group of people who keep it because it is necessary for salvation. God bless you in the name of Jesus… Amen.

Koko Ishe