Passover begins this year on April 8th, at sundown.  What many do not know is that Passover illustrates the sacrifice of The Passover Lamb–the crucifixion of Jesus.  The first Passover lamb was slain during the dark times in Egypt marked. This event marked the beginning of The Exodus, which delivered the Israelites from slavery. The sacrifice of the Lamb, Jesus delivered us from our sins and marked the beginning of true salvation for all mankind.  Here are twelve amazing comparisons below:

1. Four Days: A lamb had to be chosen and brought into the house four days before Passover. Four days before His death on the cross on the eve of Passover, Jesus came into Jerusalem on a donkey. (Exodus 12:3-6, Matthew 12:1-11, Luke 19:29-38, John 12:9-16.)

2. Without Blemish: The lamb had to be without blemish. Without cuts, bruises, or deformities. Jesus was without blemish. He was sinless. (Exodus 12:5, 1 Peter 1:18-19)

3. One year: The lamb had to be one year old, in the prime of his life. Jesus was in the prime of His life when He was sacrificed as a young man, 33 years old. (Exodus 12:5)

4. Man: The lamb had to be a male. Jesus came to earth as a man. (Exodus 12:5)

5. Everyone: Every house and each family had to have their own lamb. Everyone has to open their own heart for what Jesus has done for them and personally accept Him as their Lord and Savior. (Exodus 12:3-4)

6. The 14th day: The Passover Lamb was slain on the eve of Passover, on the afternoon of the 14th day of Nisan, which is the first month of the Jewish calendar. Jesus is the Lamb that was sacrificed at the same time the lambs were being killed on the 14th day of the first month.(Exodus 12:6, Mark 15:25, 31-38)

7. Broken Bones: The Israelites weren’t allowed to break the bones of the Lamb. Not during the cooking and not even during the eating. Jesus’ bones didn’t get broken during the torture and the mockery He endured or the crucifixion. (John 19:31-36)

8. No leftovers: The lamb had to be consumed entirely on the eve of Passover. Nothing was to remain overnight. Jesus was taken off the cross on the same evening of his crucifixion, although this wasn’t customary. (Exodus 12:8-10, John 19:31)

9. First Born: The lamb died in place of the first-born of the Israelites. Jesus died in our place. He was the “firstborn of many brethren” – Romans 8:29. He died on the cross in order to reunite or reconcile us with God.

10. Blood: The Israelites had to sprinkle the blood of the lamb on their doorposts as a sign to God. Whoever stayed in the house behind the blood of the lamb was safe from God’s judgment against the Egyptians. Whoever stays with Jesus and does His will, the blood of Jesus will keep them safe from judgment. (Exodus 12:7, 12-13, Romans 5:8-10)

The blood they put on the doorposts, top of the door frame and on the threshold formed a cross. (Exodus 12:21-23)

11. Freedom: The lamb opened a way to freedom for the Jews from years of slavery in Egypt. Jesus’ sacrifice sets us free us from the bondage of sin. (Colossians 1:13-14, Romans 8:1-2)

12. Consume: The lamb had to be consumed entirely on the eve of Passover. We have to get Jesus in our lives and consume His word every day. We also drink wine or grape juice to symbolize His blood and eat unleavened bread – matzah, a symbol of His flesh during the Lord’s Supper.

Here is what Matzah looks like:

Jesus was crucified and buried outside the city, just like the leftover pieces of the sacrifices were taken outside the city to be burned. (Hebrews 13:11-12)

He was hit with a special whip 39 times. Each time the whip cut into His body. Each cut was called a stripe. – By His stripes, we are healed. (Isaiah 53:5, 1 Peter 2:24)

He was pierced in the side with a sword. (Isaiah 53:5, Zechariah 12:10, John 19:34)

The matzah we eat for Passover is unleavened bread. It doesn’t have any yeast in it. Yeast is a symbol for sin. Jesus was without sin. And the matzah is striped, burnt and pierced—representing His body. This is the ‘flesh’ He told us to eat–(John 6:51, 54, 56.)

Just think about all Jesus endured so you could be forgiven, saved, healed, and reconciled to God for eternal life. Truly He is the Messiah, the Anointed One, Yeshua HaMashiach, come to set us free.