Starting at sundown on Wednesday, April 8, the Feast of Unleavened Bread begins, and it ends at sundown on Wednesday, April 15. The seven-day festival of Unleavened Bread is celebrated in early spring, from the 15th day of the Hebrew month Nisan through the 21st day of Nisan. The Feast of Unleavened Bread commemorates the emancipation of the Israelites from slavery in ancient Egypt. The feast is observed by avoiding the consumption of leaven; leavened bread is replaced with matzah, a flatbread which is similar in texture to a cracker.
The Story in a nutshell
After many decades of slavery to the Egyptian pharaohs, during which time the Israelites were subjected to backbreaking labor and unbearable horrors, God saw His people's distress and sent His servant, Moses, to Pharaoh with a message: "Send forth My people, so that they may serve Me." Despite numerous warnings, Pharaoh refused to heed God's command. God then sent upon Egypt ten devastating plagues. These plagues afflicted on the Egyptians many hardships, pain and destroyed everything from their livestock to their crops.
At the stroke of midnight on Nisan 15, God visited the last of the ten plagues on the Egyptians, killing all their firstborn. While doing so, God spared the children of Israel if they slaughtered a lamb and smeared its blood over their door frame. The lamb's blood was an outward sign that the people inside the dwelling followed God and His commandments; it was a signal that God should pass over the house. Pharaoh's resistance was broken, and he chased his former slaves out of the land. The Israelites left in such a hurry that the bread they baked as provisions for the way did not have time to rise. Six hundred thousand adult male Israelites plus many more women, children and other folks from other nationalities left Egypt and began the trek to Mount Sinai.
The feast of the LORD
And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, "Speak to the sons of Israel and say to them, 'The feasts of the LORD, which you shall proclaim, holy convocations even these are My appointed times.'" (Leviticus 23:1-2)
When Christians read the word "feast" we think of "food". But this could not be farther from the truth. The word "feast" in Hebrew is the word moed and means "a Divine appointment". The word "convocation" in Hebrew is the word miqra and literally means a "time of assembly", but it is better translated into English as "a dress rehearsal". This is why every year for 1500 years Israel would kill the Passover lamb on the 14th day of Nisan because it was a dress rehearsal for what was to come on that very day 1500 years later. Not only did it happen on that very day, but notice the times:
And they compelled one Simon a Cyrenian, who passed by, coming out of the country, the father of Alexander and Rufus, to bear His cross. And it was the third hour, and they crucified Him. (Mark 15:21, 25)
The third hour is the time of the morning sacrifice. The very moment they were putting the morning sacrifice on the altar they put Jesus on the cross! Scripture also says:
And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, "Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani!" that is to say, "My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?" (Matthew 27:46)
The ninth hour is the time of the evening sacrifice. On the day of Nisan 14 (Passover), it was also the time of the slaying of the Passover lamb. At the very moment the High Priest slew the Passover lamb was when Jesus died! It is also known the hour of prayer:
Now Peter and John went up together into the temple at the hour of prayer, being the ninth hour. (Acts 3:1)
Here Jesus is offering up His prayer to the Father at that ninth hour.
Blood and water
Josephus, a Roman-Jewish historian born around the time Jesus died, records for Passover, in one day they would slay 150,000 lambs. There were huge water cisterns that would flush all the blood, which required thousands of gallons of water, out the right side of the Temple in aqueducts down into the valley of blood to keep the Temple area clean. Imagine at the very moment the blood and water is flowing from the right side of Messiah, thousands of gallons of blood and water is flowing from the right side of the temple down into the Hinnom Valley.
Keriah
Within Judaism is a term known as keriah or the rending of the garment upon the notice of a loved one's death. It symbolizes a broken heart. The Bible records many instances of rending the clothes from top to bottom after the news of death. When Jacob saw Joseph's coat of many colors drenched with what he thought to be his son's blood, he rent his garments. Likewise, David tore his clothes when he heard of the death of King Saul. Also Job, who knew grief so well, stood up and rent his mantle. So what do we find but at the moment of the death of Jesus, the Father rends his garment, the veil of the Temple from top to bottom, mourning the death of His son and His broken heart.
Nisan 10
In Exodus 12:3, 5 we find the Passover lamb had to be brought in on the 10th day of Nisan and held until the 14th day of Nisan. It was to have no blemish. In John chapter 12, we read: "Then Jesus six days before Passover came to Bethany" (John 12:1) Since Passover is on the 14th, this had to be the 8th going on the 9th day of Nisan.
On the next day much people that were come to the feast, when they heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem, took branches of palm trees, and went forth to meet Him, and cried, "Hosanna: Blessed is the King of Israel that comes in the name of the LORD." (John 12:12-13)
Here it is the 10th day of Nisan when the Passover lambs are coming into the Temple. At the same time, here comes Jesus fulfilling prophecy. The lambs had to be inspected for four days to make sure they were without blemish. At the same time the Passover lambs were being inspected, so was Jesus. No one could find any fault in Him. Not Herod, Pilate, the thief on the cross, the Pharisees or Sadducees. He was truly a lamb without blemish.
Funeral songs
God even decided at creation what songs would be sung at His Son's funeral. Every year at Passover, the Israelites sing from their hymn book, which is the Book of Psalms. They would sing the Hallel, which consists of Psalms 113-118. God inspired David to write them with the Passover event in mind. Imagine a 100,000 member choir all singing at the time of the morning sacrifice when Jesus was being bound to the cross. What were the words Jesus heard as they were binding Him?
God is the LORD, which has showed us light: bind the sacrifice with cords, even onto the horns of the altar. (Psalm 118:27)
They would sing these Psalms at 9 a.m., noon and 3 p.m. So at noon when it became dark, this is what they were singing: "The voice of rejoicing and salvation is in the tents of the righteous; the right hand of the LORD does mighty things. The right hand of the LORD is lifted up; the right hand of the LORD does mighty things." (Psalm 118:15-16)
At 3 p.m. when Jesus died, they were singing: "From the rising of the sun to its going down, the LORD'S name is to be praised. The LORD is high above all nations, and His glory above the heavens. Who is like the LORD our God, who dwells on high, who humbles Himself to behold the things in the heavens and in the earth!" (Psalm 113:3-6)
Even the hymn at the last supper has been recorded for all history. "The Stone which the builders refused has become the Head of the corner. This is from the LORD; it is marvelous in our eyes." (Psalm 118:22-23)
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