The Passover Explained (And Its Connection to Jesus)

The Passover is one of the most important events in the Old Testament — the night God delivered Israel from slavery in Egypt, marked forever by the blood of a lamb. It's also rich with meaning that points directly to Jesus. Here's the Passover explained, and its connection to Christ.

Israel in slavery

The people of Israel had been enslaved in Egypt for generations. God raised up Moses to demand their freedom, but Pharaoh refused, so God sent a series of plagues. The final and most terrible was the death of every firstborn in Egypt. But God provided a way for his people to be spared.

The blood of the lamb

God instructed each Israelite family to kill a spotless lamb and put its blood on the doorframes of their houses. That night, when the judgment came, God would 'pass over' every house marked with the blood. 'When I see the blood, I will pass over you.' The lamb died so the firstborn could live; the blood was the sign of protection.

Deliverance and remembrance

That night, Israel was set free from slavery, and God commanded them to remember the Passover every year — retelling the story and sharing a meal, so that each generation would remember how God had rescued them. It became one of the central feasts of the Jewish year, a lasting memorial of God's saving power.

The connection to Jesus

The Passover points powerfully to Christ. Jesus is called 'the Lamb of God,' and it was during the Passover festival that he was crucified. Just as the lamb's blood spared Israel from death, Jesus' blood spares us from the judgment our sin deserves. He is the true Passover Lamb, whose death delivers us from slavery to sin and death. At the Last Supper — a Passover meal — Jesus gave the bread and cup as signs of his own body and blood, given for us.

The Passover was the night God delivered his people from slavery through the blood of a lamb — and it was always pointing forward to something greater. Jesus, the Lamb of God, is our Passover, whose blood shields us from judgment and sets us free from sin. Understanding the Passover deepens our wonder at the cross: what happened in Egypt was a picture, and Christ is the fulfilment.