What is Passover? and the History of Easter

This Bible teaching from Founded in Truth Fellowship, delivered by Matthew Vander Els, explores the foundational significance of Passover and traces its historical evolution into what is now known as Easter. The speaker emphasizes the importance of understanding Passover, especially for believers, as it connects to core theological concepts and provides a basis for engaging with others about their faith.

What is Passover?

Passover was a pivotal event in history when God delivered the descendants of Jacob, the Hebrews, from slavery in Egypt. After Joseph, Jacob’s son, rose to a position of power in Egypt, his family eventually joined him and prospered for several centuries. However, a new Pharaoh arose who did not remember Joseph’s contributions and began to severely oppress the Hebrews, even decreeing the murder of all newborn Hebrew boys.

During this oppression, God chose Moses to lead His people out of bondage. When Pharaoh refused to let the Hebrews go, God sent a series of ten devastating plagues upon Egypt, each demonstrating the powerlessness of the Egyptian gods compared to the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. The final plague involved the Lord sending a destroyer to take the life of every firstborn in Egypt. However, God provided a way for the Israelites to be spared: they were instructed to take a lamb (or goat), a peace offering, sacrifice it, and place its blood on the doorposts of their homes. This blood served as a sign for the destroyer to “pass over” those houses, protecting the families inside.

The speaker highlights that this event was not just a historical occurrence but a defining moment in God’s relationship with His people. God commanded that this deliverance be memorialized annually on the 14th day of the first month of the Hebrew calendar as the Lord’s Passover. This anniversary, known as the Passover Seder in Judaism, is meant to be observed as if the participants themselves had just come out of Egypt, emphasizing its ongoing relevance.

Paul, in the New Testament, draws a parallel between the physical deliverance from Egypt and the spiritual deliverance from sin through faith in Jesus Christ. Just as the Israelites were once enslaved in Egypt, believers were once enslaved to sin and darkness, but through God’s grace, they have been redeemed and brought into a new life of righteousness.

The speaker also touches upon a later addendum to the Passover observance recorded in Deuteronomy 16. Originally, the Passover lamb was sacrificed in individual homes, but with the establishment of a central place of worship, the temple in Jerusalem, the commandment evolved to require the sacrifice to be made at the chosen dwelling place of God. This signifies a shift towards a communal celebration centered around God’s presence. Since the destruction of the temple, the Passover Seder has adapted, focusing on the memorial aspect and the telling of the Passover story. While the Bible specifies the Paschal offering to be a lamb or goat, the absence of the temple means that a literal sacrificial lamb is not part of contemporary Seder meals. Instead, the Seder serves as an opportunity to teach and remember the significance of the original Passover and its connection to the redemption offered through Christ.

The Shift Towards Easter: What Happened to Passover?

The teaching then transitions to the historical development that led to the separation of Passover observance by early believers from that of Judaism, ultimately evolving into the celebration of Easter. The speaker notes that while the early followers of Jesus, including the apostles, continued to observe Passover, a controversy arose in the second century regarding the timing and nature of this observance.

Several factors contributed to this shift. The speaker mentions three major rebellions by the Jewish people against the Roman Empire in the first and second centuries, leading to increased hostility and a desire among Gentile believers to distance themselves from Jewish practices to avoid persecution. The destruction of Jerusalem further shifted the center of the early church away from Judea.

A key point of contention was the Quartodeciman controversy (also known as the Paschal controversies). This dispute centered on whether to celebrate the remembrance of Christ’s sacrifice and resurrection on the 14th of Nisan, the same day as Passover, or on the Sunday following Passover. Churches in the Roman province of Asia followed the practice of observing on the 14th of Nisan, aligning with the Jewish Passover, and emphasized the direct tradition passed down from the Apostle John. However, the church in Rome and other Western regions favored celebrating on Sunday, believing that Jesus rose on the first day of the week. This Sunday observance eventually became associated with the German month of Eostre, leading to the name “Easter” in some languages.

The speaker highlights the efforts of figures like Polycarp, a disciple of John, who traveled to Rome in 154 AD to advocate for the observance of Passover on the 14th of Nisan. Despite his efforts, the Bishop of Rome, Aniketos, maintained the Roman tradition. Later, Polycrates of Ephesus continued this stance, leading to Pope Victor of Rome threatening to excommunicate churches that adhered to the biblical date for Passover. While Irenaeus of Lyon intervened as a peacemaker, the trend towards a Sunday observance, distinct from the Jewish Passover, continued to gain momentum.

The speaker points out that even the term “Easter” has historical roots in “Pascha,” the Greek word for Passover. The early church did not initially intend to create a new holiday but rather to reinterpret and relocate the observance of Passover to Sunday to emphasize the resurrection and distinguish themselves from Jewish practices. This historical shift, according to the teaching, represents a departure from the original understanding and practice of Passover as instituted by God and followed by Jesus and his early disciples. The speaker suggests that a return to the recognition and observance of Passover, in its essence as a memorial of redemption, is a significant step for believers today.

Application for Everyday Life

• Remember and Reflect on God’s Deliverance: Take time to regularly remember God’s acts of deliverance in your own life, both from sin and other forms of bondage, drawing parallels to the Exodus story.
• Understand the Sacrificial Nature of Redemption: Recognize the profound sacrifice of Jesus Christ as the ultimate Passover lamb, whose death and resurrection secured our freedom from sin.
• Maintain Unity Without Compromising Truth: While striving for unity within the body of believers, remain steadfast in understanding and upholding the biblical foundations of faith, even when faced with differing traditions.
• Be Intentional in Teaching Future Generations: Use the Passover story and its connection to Christ to teach children and others about God’s saving grace and the significance of biblical events.
• Extend Hospitality and Share the Gospel: Utilize opportunities like Passover Seders as a means to reach out to friends and family who may not be familiar with these foundational truths, sharing the story of redemption.
• Examine Personal “Leaven”: Reflect on the spiritual significance of unleavened bread during Passover, identifying and removing “leaven” in your own life, such as malice, wickedness, insincerity, and untruth.
• Appreciate the Historical Context of Faith: Engage with church history to understand the development of various traditions and doctrines, discerning between biblically rooted practices and those influenced by cultural or political factors.

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Books and Resources Mentioned

• The Bible