By Alexis Lowenthal
Passover, or Pascha (Greek: Πάσχα, pronounced pas’-khah) as the ancient Greeks called it, is a Jewish holiday which celebrates the Israelites liberation from slavery in Egypt. Why is this important for Christians to understand? Well, the power of Christ’s sacrifice and resurrection is shown through the celebration of Passover. There is an order of events that takes place within Passover that parallels the events leading up to Christ’s resurrection: The Passover Lamb that was chosen had to be unblemished. In 1 Peter 1:19, Jesus is described as being unblemished as He is without sin and defect.
The Passover Lamb was sacrificed in order to save the Israelites from death. Jesus, often described as the Pascal Lamb (referring to the Passover Lamb) was crucified on the cross as a sacrificial act to save mankind from sin and eternal death. (Romans 6:23). The Israelites also used the blood of the Passover Lamb to protect themselves from the angel of death, just as Jesus’ blood, which was shed upon the cross, provides protection and cleansing of sin (1 John 1:7). The Passover lamb was to be sacrificed on the afternoon of the 14th day of the month of Nisan, and Jesus was crucified during that same time. This emphasizes the fulfillment of the Passover sacrifice (John 19:14).
A final important symbol of Passover is the Afikomen (Hebrew: אֲפִיקִימוֹן, pronounced uh-fee-kuh-muhn). Afikomen means “that which comes after,” it is a piece of bread that is broken off, wrapped in linen, and hidden away. Following the Passover dinner, the Afikomen reappears. Not only does Jesus state that He is the bread of life and that His body has been broken for us, but after His death upon the cross, He is wrapped in linen, hidden away in the tomb for three days, and reappears after His resurrection.
Why did Jesus need to be crucified if He was without sin? Growing political pressures calling for the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, generated by two powerful authorities: The religious leaders, known as the Pharisees and Sadducees, and the Roman Empire. It was common for the Pharisees and Sadducees to disagree with each other; however, they unified in calling for the crucifixion of Jesus because He was viewed as a threat to their religious authority. There existed a deep resentment for Jesus’ teachings, which criticized the hypocrisy of many religious leaders, and strict ritual law. Jesus also claimed to be the Son of God, which the religious leaders of Israel considered blasphemous. The Sadducees were concerned about potential unrest among the people due to Jesus’ growing popularity, which could lead to Roman intervention and a loss of control and influence over the population. The Romans wanted to crucify Jesus because they considered him a political threat and a troublemaker to the Roman Empire, and crucifixion was a common form of execution for those the Romans deemed criminals.
Jesus was seen as a threat to Roman rule because He gathered a following, which caused a commotion in the Temple, a symbol of Jewish independence. While the Gospels portray Pontius Pilate as indecisive, he was the only person with the power to sentence Jesus to death. The religious leaders and Romans alike pressured Pilate to crucify Jesus, as the Romans were known for brutally putting down uprisings in the area. Pilate ultimately yielded to the political pressure to avoid unrest and maintain order. The primary charge against Jesus was that He claimed to be the “King of the Jews.” While Pilate personally believed Jesus was innocent, and could find no fault in Him, he also feared a public uprising and chose to appease the crowd by handing Jesus over for crucifixion.
While on the cross, Jesus suffered greatly. He was on the cross for 6 hours, where He cried out to God before dying, “Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani”, an Aramaic phrase meaning, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me”? This is a direct reference of Psalm 22, and a direct act of the Messiah fulfilling Scripture. Psalm 22 paints a perfect picture of eschatological salvation by describing the suffering of Jesus, and showing His ultimate victory over sin, death, and the redemption for those who seek salvation in Him.
Just as a Passover lamb is pierced to confirm its death, so Jesus was pierced while He was on the cross. Kantanusso (Greek: κατανύσσω, pronounced kat-uh-noo-so) means “to prick; to pierce.” When the Roman soldier pierced His side with the spear (John 19:34-37), blood and water spilled from His side. The blood symbolizes the blood of the lamb that covers sin, while the water symbolizes the cleansing of Jesus, imparting of life as the living water (John 4:14, John 7:38).
Three days later, Jesus Christ rose from the dead and left the tomb, where His body lay, wrapped in linen. The resurrection (Greek: ανάσταση, pronounced: uh-nas-ta-sis; Hebrew: תחיה, pronounced tay-yah) of Jesus Christ is the cornerstone of Christian faith and is the best attested fact in human history. It is through faith in Him, and by His resurrection that there is salvation from sin, eternal life, and living hope. The empty tomb is proof of Christ’s deity. It guarantees the future resurrection of believers. The resurrection of Christ also provides believers with spiritual power today. The bodily resurrection of Jesus Christ is evidence that God will one day judge the world in righteousness and is why believers proclaim that He is the Living God.
This is why Easter is a celebration of His resurrection: It is the triumph over Satan, sin, and an overwhelming political system that sought to crucify an innocent man for the sake of maintaining power over the Jews in Israel. And the resurrection of Jesus Christ is key in apologetics: It serves as the central validating event for the Christian faith, proving Jesus’ claims to divinity, it creates a new beginning for believers, and it offers the foundation for the hope of eternal life; essentially, if Jesus did not rise from the dead, then the core message of Christianity is invalid and meaningless.
Jesus said to her, ‘I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in Me, though he die, yet shall he live’ – John 11:25.
