The First Passover

The Last Supper, celebrated by us today as communion or the Lord’s Table, was actually Jesus’ last Passover. This special meal commemorating freedom from slavery in Egypt has endured through the centuries as a celebration of God’s redemption. In the Last Supper, Jesus established a new symbolism—the bread for His body, the wine for His blood—but the meal remains a celebration of God’s redemption (Luke 22:7–20).

The Passover was such a significant event that all of Israel’s history would be dated from it (12:2). This was month one of year one! The story of this day would be told to every new generation (12:24–27). The Passover meal itself was filled with symbolism: The bitter herbs represented the many years of suffering and bondage. The bread without yeast was a reminder that it was originally eaten in haste, as the people prepared to leave Egypt. The lamb itself was to be unblemished or perfect.

We now know that the Passover lamb foreshadowed Christ Himself (1 Cor. 5:7). When John the Baptist pointed out Jesus to his disciples, he called Him, “the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world” (John 1:29). Peter wrote: “You were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your ancestors . . . with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect” (1 Peter 1:18–19).

The night the firstborn males died, Pharaoh changed his mind, summoned Moses to his presence, and agreed to let the people go (12:31–32). The Egyptians were eager to have the Israelites gone, and God gave them favor in the eyes of the Egyptians. So just as He’d said, the former slaves left the country in possession of wealth given them by their former oppressors (Gen. 15:14; Ex. 3:22). The triumph of God was thorough and (nearly) complete!

Pray with Us

As we’re reading about Passover in today’s devotional, let’s bring our thanksgiving to Jesus Christ, the Passover Lamb sacrificed for us. He is our salvation and our righteousness before God. And we are His!

BY Brad Baurain

Dr. Bradley Baurain is Associate Professor and Program Head of TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) at Moody Bible Institute. Bradley has the unique privilege of holding a degree from four different universities (including Moody). He has just published his first book, On Waiting Well. Bradley taught in China, Vietnam, the United States, and Canada. Bradley and his wife, Julia, have four children and reside in Northwest Indiana.