The Truth About the Christian Passover

More than two billion people on our planet today identify themselves as Christians—and most of them observe the holidays commonly associated with Christianity, especially Christmas and Easter. When we speak of religious observances that occur in the springtime of the Northern Hemisphere, many immediately assume that while the Jews keep Passover as a remembrance of their sojourn and departure from Egypt, those who profess Christianity keep Easter to commemorate the resurrection of their Savior, Jesus Christ.

Most people today think of the biblical Holy Days—especially the Passover—as “Jewish.” What do you think? Is it true that only Jews keep Passover, while Christians universally keep Easter? Is it possible for there to be a Christian Passover? Or is that a contradiction?

In fact, a growing number of people are discovering that the Bible has something unexpected to say about Christian days of worship. There is such a thing as a Christian Passover, and it is clearly revealed in the very pages of the Bible.

Let’s uncover the truth by exploring three questions about the Christian Passover—because the answers may not be what you think.

Why Did Jesus Die on Passover?

We’ll begin our discussion by touching on the Old Testament Passover. Actually, it wasn’t only the Jews who kept it—they were just one tribe in a nation of people called the Israelites, the descendants of the patriarch Israel. God gave the Israelites these instructions:

Speak to all the congregation of Israel, saying: “On the tenth of this month every man shall take for himself a lamb…. Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male of the first year. You may take it from the sheep or from the goats. Now you shall keep it until the fourteenth day of the same month. Then the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill it at twilight. And they shall take some of the blood and put it on the two doorposts and on the lintel of the houses where they eat it. Then they shall eat the flesh on that night; roasted in fire, with unleavened bread and with bitter herbs they shall eat it” (Exodus 12:3, 5–8).

God told the Israelites to mark their doorposts with blood from the Passover lamb, and His angel “passed over” those marked households, saving them from harm when the firstborn of the Egyptians were killed on that night of the first Passover. From that time on, the Passover was kept as a memorial of God’s deliverance of the Israelites from Egypt.

Centuries later, we find that Jesus Christ, an Israelite from the tribe of Judah, observed the Passover during His lifetime. As our Savior, He not only came to earth to live the life of an obedient Jew—He also came to die for our sins and establish His Church. So, on the night before He died, He did something momentous with His disciples: He instituted the New Testament Passover, which we may also call the Christian Passover.

In the gospel of Luke, we read of that last Passover Christ observed with His disciples: “When the hour had come, He sat down, and the twelve apostles with Him. Then He said to them, ‘With fervent desire I have desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer’” (Luke 22:14–15).

Yes, Jesus kept the Passover, which involved a meal including roasted lamb, unleavened bread, and bitter herbs, in keeping with the Old Testament statute. But He also did something new on that night before His crucifixion—He instituted new Passover symbols:

And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to the disciples and said, “Take, eat; this is My body.” Then He took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you. For this is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins” (Matthew 26:26–28).

With these two elements, the bread and the wine, Jesus would forever change the observance of the Passover for His followers. As He explained to them, the unleavened bread represents His body, which was broken in the beating He suffered before His crucifixion. The wine represents His blood, which poured out from a spear wound while He hung dying on a stake. As the true Lamb of God—long ago foreshadowed by the literal lamb of the Old Testament Passover—He gave His life for the salvation of all mankind. The symbols He established for the Passover observance had tremendous meaning—and awesome significance for the future of every human being.

Follow Jesus Christ’s Example

Before we go any further, we should note that the Passover bread did not mysteriously become Christ’s literal body, and the wine did not miraculously become His literal blood. Both were symbols, representing His broken body and shed blood—symbols with tremendous meaning.

Let’s also notice something else that Christ introduced that evening: “Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into His hands, and that He had come from God and was going to God, rose from supper and laid aside His garments, took a towel and girded Himself. After that, He poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet, and to wipe them with the towel with which He was girded” (John 13:3–5).

Here, Jesus instituted another element of the Christian Passover: the washing of each other’s feet. Jesus was teaching His disciples to humble themselves and serve one another, as He had served them. And notice further:

So when He had washed their feet, taken His garments, and sat down again, He said to them, “Do you know what I have done to you? You call Me Teacher and Lord, and you say well, for so I am. If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have given you an example, that you should do as I have done to you” (John 13:12–15).

Passover Symbols for Christians

All three symbols—the bread, the wine, and the foot-washing—would constitute a new observance, which we now call the New Testament Passover or Christian Passover. Christians today observe the Passover with the same symbols that our Savior instituted on the night before He died.

Christ had explained the importance of this new observance: “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in you. Whoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day” (John 6:53–54). Again, not ingesting His literal body and blood—but taking the symbols that represented His sacrifice for mankind.

So, did Jesus keep the Passover? Yes. He kept the ancient Passover observed by the Israelites. But, even more significantly for us, He also established a new Christian Passover for His followers, whom He told to follow His example and do as He had done.

After His death and resurrection, as Christianity spread, many Gentiles—people who were not descended from the ancient patriarch Israel—were called into the Church alongside the Jews. This brings us to our next question about the Christian Passover.

Why Did Gentile Christians Keep Passover?

Many believe that, as the Church grew, God “allowed the rules to change,” so to speak. It’s widely assumed that, somehow, the Gentiles coming into the Church didn’t need to follow the same rules and laws as Jewish Christians. People often try to use the Apostle Paul’s writings to demonstrate this supposed “rule change” or “Gentile exception.” But let’s continue our discussion by examining what Paul actually taught about the Christian Passover.

Passover: The Anniversary of the Crucifixion

In Paul’s first letter to the Corinthian brethren, we find quite an enlightening passage teaching them about the Christian Passover:

For I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you: that the Lord Jesus on the same night in which He was betrayed took bread; and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, “Take, eat; this is My body which is broken for you; do this in remembrance of Me.” In the same manner He also took the cup after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me” (1 Corinthians 11:23–25).

Paul—the apostle to the Gentiles—is clearly describing observance of the Christian Passover to a Church congregation made up of Gentile members, the Corinthians.

Now, notice the next verse: “For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death till He comes” (v. 26). Some say this means we should take the symbols of the bread and wine multiple times a year—perhaps even every time we come together to worship God. But if we read carefully, we notice that this is not what Paul wrote. He simply explained that, when we take those symbols, we are proclaiming—or memorializing—the death of our Lord and Savior in anticipation of His return.

God’s Timing is Perfect

Admittedly, there’s a lot in there. For one thing, it’s a reminder that Jesus Christ is coming back to this earth. It’s not hard to see that we are approaching that time—as world conditions indicate, it’s getting very close. But we should also note that, as Paul explained, the Passover is a memorial of Christ’s death. In other words, it is an anniversary of Christ’s death. Now, why would you keep an anniversary on any old day you want? Why would you keep it on a day that is different from that of the memorialized event?

In the United States, we celebrate July 4 as Independence Day, going back to the signing of the Declaration of Independence in 1776. In France, Bastille Day is July 14, commemorating the storming of the Bastille on July 14, 1789. In Mexico, September 16 is observed as Independence Day, the day on which Catholic priest and patriot Miguel Hidalgo delivered his famous summons to his parishioners to rise up in revolt against the Spanish Empire. Each of these is observed on the date when the memorialized event took place. Most other countries have their own specific calendar dates to honor special historical events.

On a smaller scale—but still very important—married couples often celebrate the anniversary of their wedding. When is that? On the date when they were married! Just about every husband knows that his wife would not be very happy if he forgot the day of their anniversary or suggested that they always celebrate it on some arbitrary other date.

So, why would we think God would be pleased by our trying to memorialize Christ’s Passover on some other day that doesn’t actually memorialize it? Timing is very important to God, and the timing of the Christian Passover reminds us of the tremendously significant event that took place on that day—the crucifixion and death of Jesus Christ on a stake to save us from our sins.

How to Prepare for Passover

Going further, Paul even described how we should prepare for taking that Passover: “Therefore whoever eats this bread or drinks this cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of the bread and drink of the cup” (1 Corinthians 11:27–28).

As Paul revealed, God cares about the way His people prepare to take the Christian Passover: He expects us to prepare for it through self-examination. We need to honestly evaluate how we are living our lives, in light of God’s laws and directions. As we examine ourselves, we must acknowledge our need for Christ’s sacrifice and God’s forgiveness in our lives.

Again, remember that Paul was writing all of this to the Corinthian brethren, who were Greek—not Jewish. This Passover observance was not just for the Jews or Israelites—it was for all Christians.

Notice Paul’s admonition: “Therefore purge out the old leaven, that you may be a new lump, since you truly are unleavened. For indeed Christ, our Passover, was sacrificed for us” (1 Corinthians 5:7). When the ancient Israelites were keeping the Passover, they were foreshadowing the Lamb of God dying for the sins of mankind—though they did not know it at that time. Paul then wrote, “Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth” (v. 8).

We’ve already seen that Jesus Christ’s first disciples were taught to keep the Christian Passover. Now we see that Paul, years after Jesus’ death, taught the Gentiles the symbolic significance of the Passover and explained how to prepare for it. How can anyone deny that the Passover was meant for all New Testament Christians to keep?

Even so, most who profess Christianity don’t keep the Christian Passover. That leads us to our final question.

Why Easter When the Bible Teaches Passover?

We’ve seen that the Bible has a lot to say about the Christian Passover. By contrast, isn’t it remarkable that there isn’t a single biblical instruction or command to keep an observance commemorating Christ’s resurrection?

Please don’t misunderstand—Jesus Christ’s resurrection is vital and essential. In fact, we base our hope of eternal life on it. We read that “if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you” (Romans 8:11).

Indeed, the resurrection is supremely important. But even if you search the New Testament from beginning to end, you will find no instruction or command to memorialize Christ’s resurrection with an observance or Holy Day. So, why do so many people observe Easter?

Pagan Fertility Symbols Usurp God’s Purpose

Longtime readers of this magazine know that most of the holidays of today’s mainstream Christianity spring from blatantly pagan roots. Such is the case with Easter. Why does this matter? As our Editor in Chief, Gerald Weston, writes, “Ishtar was the ancient goddess of fertility and love, and was also known by the names Istra, Eostre, Easter, Astarte, Aphrodite, Artemis, and Inanna. In the Hebrew language, the plural form of Astarte was Ashtaroth—and we find many references to the worship of Ashtaroth in the Old Testament, but never in a positive context” (Easter: The Untold Story, p. 7, emphasis added). Easter is related not to Jewish or Christian practice, but to ancient fertility myths tied to pagan cultures and observances.

So, considering its connection to ancient pagan traditions, why do people keep Easter? History reveals that, after Christ founded His Church in the first century, profound changes were introduced by some after His death. In that way, the mainstream, visible church differed increasingly from the faithful flock that held to Christ’s example and teachings. As new generations arose, pressure to conform to the pagan practices around them grew immensely—practices that included festivals, customs, and traditions that had their roots in ancient fertility rites and paganism, if not direct worship of Ishtar and other pagan figures.

By contrast, faithful Christians held to the doctrines of Christ and His apostles, observing the Passover on Nisan 14—the fourteenth day of the first month of the Hebrew calendar—and they did so even after the Roman church in the second century AD had begun to keep an early version of Easter on a Sunday near the date of the Passover. The Catholic Encyclopedia recounts that “while Anicetus was Pope, St. Polycarp, then in extreme old age, came to confer with him (160–162) about the Paschal controversy; Polycarp and others in the East celebrating the feast on the fourteenth of the month of Nisan, no matter on what day of the week it fell; whereas in Rome it was always observed on Sunday” (“Pope St. Anicetus,” NewAdvent.org).

Polycarp was a direct disciple of the Apostle John. Anicetus and Polycarp did not come to an agreement on this subject, and, several decades later, another bishop in Rome, Victor, attempted to force all the churches of Asia Minor to abandon the observance of the Christian Passover on Nisan 14. But true Christians did not buckle to the pressure, as we learn from the historian Eusebius:

But the bishops of Asia, led by Polycrates, decided to hold to the old custom handed down to them. He himself, in a letter which he addressed to Victor and the church of Rome, set forth in the following words the tradition which had come down to him: We observe the exact day; neither adding, nor taking away. For in Asia also great lights have fallen asleep…. Among these are Philip, one of the twelve apostles… moreover, John, who was both a witness and a teacher, who reclined upon the bosom of the Lord…. All these observed the fourteenth day of the Passover according to the Gospel, deviating in no respect, but following the rule of faith.… Thereupon Victor, who presided over the church at Rome, immediately attempted to cut off from the common unity the parishes of all Asia, with the churches that agreed with them, as heterodox; and he wrote letters and declared all the brethren there wholly excommunicate” (“Church History (Book V),” NewAdvent.org).

Amazingly, it was not long before those keeping the Christian Passover were excommunicated from the church at large, after the Council of Nicaea replaced the true biblical observance with the Easter festival favored by the Roman church. Only a relative few continued to follow the practice Jesus Christ had taught by His example.

No, Jesus didn’t abandon the Passover. On the contrary—He instituted the Christian Passover, and His disciples and others who followed Him continued to observe it. And a growing number of Christians keep that same biblical observance today.

Keep God’s Holy Days in the Bible

The answers to our questions reveal the truth about the Christian Passover: Jesus Christ taught it to His disciples, the Apostle Paul taught it to Gentile Christians, and faithful followers zealously held on to this teaching for centuries, despite intense persecution.

So, what about you? Maybe you’ve never considered the New Testament Christian Passover before. Maybe you’ve assumed that the Passover is only Jewish. Maybe you’ve always been taught that Christians should keep Easter.

You need to study this and prove it to yourself. After all, it concerns the very life and death of our Savior and our obedience in following His instructions. It even concerns our being forgiven of sins and our hope of eternal life.

Once you’ve thought all of this through, you might be interested in how to observe the Christian Passover yourself. Many thousands of people just like you have come to the same conclusion and have learned to faithfully keep this important observance each year. You can learn more by requesting a free copy of our study guide The Holy Days: God’s Master Plan from the Regional Office closest to you, listed on page 4 of this magazine, or by reading it online at TomorrowsWorld.org.

And if you have questions that you’d like to ask in person, representatives of the Living Church of God, which sponsors Tomorrow’s World, would be happy to talk with you and to answer any questions you might have about the Christian Passover. This fundamental practice of the faithful first-century Church is still kept by those who walk in Christ’s footsteps today.