It is important for us to know that Jesus chose to be crucified on Passover. He could have chosen any day of the year. He could have chosen any of the Jewish holy days. He could have chosen the feast of Tabernacles, celebrating the miracles of His grace. He could have chosen the solemn Day of Atonement. But He chose the most comprehensive of celebrations, Passover.
For some time He had actually been telling His Disciples this was going to happen. And Matthew 26 begins with Him telling them He would be handed over to be crucified at the Passover in two days. At that point the Chief Priests and elders were still saying they would do it after the feast, lest the people riot. But he was insisting that they were wrong about what they would do.
He sent some of His closest disciples to someone they didn't know, to tell him, “My time has come. I will celebrate the Passover with my disciples at your house.” And when He said, “Do this in reminder of me,” He was speaking of the Passover.
Look with me at some of the significance of the Passover from Exodus 6:6-8.
“Say therefore to the people of Israel, ‘I am the Lord, and I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, and I will deliver you from slavery to them, and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with great acts of judgment. I will take you to be my people, and I will be your God, and you shall know that I am the Lord your God, who has brought you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians. I will bring you into the land that I swore to give to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob. I will give it to you for a possession. I am the Lord.’”
First, we celebrate Him as Lord. We trust our lives to Him. As He delivered the Children of Israel from the burden of slavery in Egypt, He frees us from the slavery of sin and worldliness. As He demonstrated His power to deliver Israel from Egypt, He works mightily in our lives.
Next, He brought them out of slavery in Egypt to the Land of Promise. And He promises an eternal home, and eternal rewards.
He cared for them even in judgment. And He has promised to direct our lives as He guided them through the wilderness. And while our journey, like theirs, will be long, He will go with us, and guide us through it.
He takes us to be His own people, to know and love us. We will be His People. And He will be our God. All of this is included in the Passover until all of it is fulfilled in the Kingdom of God.
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