Exodus 12:26-27, “And it shall be, when your children say to you, ‘What do you mean by this service?’ That you shall say, ‘It is the Passover sacrifice of the Lord, who passed over the houses of the children of Israel in Egypt when He struck the Egyptians and delivered our households.’”  So the people bowed their heads and worshipped. 

Next Sunday, the 13th of April 2025, on the Hebrew calendar, is Nisan 15 which is the day God commanded Israel to celebrate and remember how he delivered them from Egypt and how he spared them of the death of the firstborn in their houses when He saw the blood. This was the first of the “Holy Day” observances God gave to the people of Israel and it is the foundation of all they believe about their relationship with God.  It reminds them that they are a chosen people and He rescued them from bondage and slavery from the land of Egypt.  

It is no coincidence that Jesus was also crucified that day before they celebrated Passover because the lamb was always slain before the day of celebration so the blood could be applied to the doorposts.  Everything God had the Israelites do pointed to Jesus and the redemption He would bring to all people.  Just as Passover is foundational to all of the Jewish holidays and Jewish practice, celebrating Easter is the foundation for our celebration of our redemption by the shedding of Jesus’ blood and the foundation of all we believe.  Just like the Israelites had the option of killing the lamb and putting its blood on the doorposts of their homes to be spared when the “Death Angel” came, we all have the choice of accepting Jesus’ sacrifice for our sins.  You can bet your life that when they heard all of the mourning as every firstborn in Egypt died, whether it was the father, son, or animals, they all died, they fell on their faces in thanksgiving and worship!  There were multiple deaths in many of those  Egyptian homes, they were wailing in grief!

Once they had been rescued from Pharaoh and his army at the Red Sea and they were out living in the wilderness, God gave Moses detailed instructions for how they were to live and explicit details for the priests who would make the annual atonement sacrifices!  Think back to all of the instructions God gave the people concerning the details of the Temple, the Holy of Holies, and the strict instructions for the priests on who was allowed to do what and when they were allowed.  They didn’t just come and go in the Holy of Holies where God’s presence was, they went once a year and every detail was laid out for how it needed to be done so they wouldn’t die in the process.  (Leviticus gives detailed instructions from God for the Priests). Not just anyone could enter the Temple and be in the presence of God.  Then Jesus died on the cross for our sins and that veil that separated everyone from the presence of God was torn from top to bottom by God because the perfect sacrifice for our sins had been accomplished.  Now anyone who accepts Jesus as the sacrifice for their sins receives His Spirit living within them and we have access to take our requests straight to His throne and to live in His presence!  This day of Passover/Easter should be observed and celebrated by Christians with such incredible excitement, joy, and thanksgiving that the world looks on and they can’t help but want to know what the “big deal” is!  There isn’t a more important day on earth than the day Jesus made a way for us!  He loves us so much and how we celebrate Him and honor Him speaks of our love for Him.

So, while there are many different traditions like, “Lent”, Easter egg hunts, new clothes, etc., I would like to encourage you to think about what you can do in your home to emphasize what it is that you are really celebrating and teaching your family what the Bible has to say about Passover/Easter.  While there’s nothing wrong with those traditions in themselves we want to be careful to not take away from celebrating Him in a way that those who don’t know Him will want to know more!  The richness and depth of what the Bible has to say is such a gift because as you study it you see more and more of how every detail points to Jesus and the plan for our redemption!  Let’s not allow those traditions that man has come up with to overshadow Jesus and the Word of God!  His love for people should drive us because we should be full of that love as well and that is what should drive all of our traditions because we want to be a light for those who don’t know Him.  

Let’s take the time to pray and seek Him and His direction in all we do with the eternity of everyone around us in mind.  Our time is short so let’s not waste a moment or opportunity to reach others for Him!