We shall explore and answer these questions; when was it performed? When and why was Messiah Yahshua offered as the Passover Lamb (which day did He die on the cross)? What was practiced and what command was given concerning this feast celebration?   

The Ancient Passover

         To begin with, let us look at the ancient Passover in the days of Moses. The feast of Passover was observed in the first month of the Jewish Bible Calendar called Abib or Nisan. "Observe the month of Abib, and keep the Passover unto the Lord thy God: for in the month of Abib the Lord thy God brought thee forth out of Egypt by nigh. Thou shalt therefore sacrifice the passover unto the Lord thy God, of the flock and the herd, in the place which the Lord shall choose to place his name there. " (Deuteronomy 16:1-2). Now that we know the month, what was the exact date to be performed? "This month shall be unto you the beginning of months: it shall be the first month of the year to you […] In the tenth day of this month they shall take to them every man a lamb […] And ye shall keep it up until the fourteenth day of the same month: and the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill it in the evening” (Exodus 12:2-3). From this scripture, we see that the Passover was to be held on the 14th of this first month (Abib). 

New Testament Passover

           In the new dispensation, our Savior Yahshua Messiah was signifying the Lamb in the ancient Passover. "Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Messiah our passover is sacrificed for us:Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness; but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth" (I Corinthians 5:7-8). From scriptures, we see that He was betrayed and crucified the same day and month when the ancient Passover was performed. "Now the feast of unleavened bread drew nigh, which is called the Passover […] Then came the day of unleavened bread, when the Passover must be killed […] And He said unto them, With desire I have desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer" Luke 22:1, 7, 15.  As was the custom during that time, they were keeping the Passover with the disciples and he disclosed to them his impending suffering. It was at this time that he introduced the Lord's Supper which was the new Passover. Since then he would become the Lamb of Passover. "And He took the cup, and gave thanks, and said, Take this, and divide it among yourselves […] And He took the bread, and gave thanks, and brake it, and gave unto them, saying, This is My body which is given for you: this do in remembrance of Me." (Luke 22:17, 19). Now, since then, His body and blood in resemblance of unleavened bread and grape juice became the Passover (I Corinthians 5:7-8). 

Exact day of Crucifixion

           Now that we have looked at the ancient Passover, the day performed and the symbolism in the new Passover, what then is the day that Messiah Yahshua was crucified on the cross? Many allude He was crucified on Friday. But according to what is revealed in the Bible, He was crucified on Wednesday. This was prophesied by Daniel. "And he will confirm a covenant with many for one week, but in the middle of the week, he will put an end to sacrifice and offering" (Daniel 9:27). Though the week has a prophetic meaning, there is still a literal significance of it. The middle of the week phrase is the keyword here and it is indeed Wednesday.

          When the Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread were near, the disciples asked Messiah on how they should prepare the Passover. "Now the feast of unleavened bread drew nigh, which is called the Passover" (Luke 22:1). Therefore, as it was the custom, Messiah and the disciples were to celebrate Passover.  Paul tells us that the same night he was betrayed, is the same time they ate the Passover. "For I have received of the Lord that which I also delivered unto you, That the Lord Yahshua, the same night in which He was betrayed took bread," I Corinthians 11:23. During this period, they were to kill the Passover lamb on that first month, the fourteenth day that night. 

            From the Bible’s perspective, a day begins in the evening. "From even unto even, shall ye celebrate your Sabbath," Leviticus 23:32. This verse is a true proclamation that a day begins with the evening (night) then day. In other words, a day begins in the evening during the sunset.  This was the principle that was set since the creation of the universe. "The evening and the morning were the first days" Genesis 1:5.  "Thou shalt sacrifice the Passover at even, at the going down of the sun," Deuteronomy 16:6. Now back to the Passover, immediately after eating the Last Supper with the disciples, Messiah was betrayed by Judas. 

        Previously, we had looked at the date of Passover which was on the fourteenth day of the first month of Bible calendar. “In the fourteenth day of the first month at even is the LORD’S Passover” (Leviticus 23:5). Let us now look at the chronological order of events before and after the Passover;

1. 12th Abib – Messiah reminded His disciples about the upcoming Passover. “You know that after two days is the feast of the Passover, and the Son of Man is betrayed to be crucified” (Mathew 26:2). Meanwhile, the priests and scribes were planning to capture Him.
2. 13th Abib –Yahshua gives instructions on what to do to prepare the Passover. "And he said. Go into the city to such a man, and say unto him. The Master saith, My time is at hand; I will keep the Passover at thy house with my disciples” (Mathew 26:18). The preparation was done so  that the following evening, as they enter 14th Abib, they would hold the Passover. “And the disciples did as Yahshua had appointed them, and they made ready the Passover. Now when the even was come, he sat down with the twelve." (Mathew 26:19,20). It is good to note that the Passover was prepared at a special place which Yahshua had selected for His disciples. "Thou mayest not sacrifice the passover within any of thy gates, which the Lord thy God giveth thee: But at the place which the Lord thy God shall choose to place his name in, there thou shalt sacrifice the passover at even, at the going down of the sun, at the season that thou camest forth out of Egypt" (Deuteronomy 16:5-6).
3. 14th Abib – (Wednesday) they held the Passover. Why do we conclude that this day is Wednesday and not any other day of the week like Friday? Daniel, in his prophecy, gives the details of that specific day of the week. "And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease […]" (Daniel 9:27).  The middle of the week is no other day than Wednesday. Let us continue and see what happened on that day. “Now when the even was come, he sat down with the twelve.” (Mathew 26:20). As confirmed earlier, a day starts by evening. So that evening, Messiah and the disciples held the Passover. “And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying; Drink ye all of it; For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins. But I say unto you, I will not drink henceforth of this fruit of the vine, until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom” Mathew 26:29. After that, they went to Mount of Olives where they prayed and later He was betrayed. That Wednesday morning (14th Abib), the chief priests planned to crucify Him. “When the morning was come, all the chief priests and elders of the people took counsel against Yahshua to put him to death” (Mathew 27:1). Latter, He was crucified. “And about the ninth hour Yahshua cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is to say, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? … Yahshuah, when he had cried again with a loud voice, yielded up the ghost.” (Mathew 27:46, 50). After this, the evening came, Joseph Arimathaea asked for His body for burial. “When the even was come, there came a rich man of Arimathaea, named Joseph, who also himself was Yahshua's disciple: He went to Pilate, and begged the body of Yahshua. Then Pilate commanded the body to be delivered” (Mathew 27:57). This same day (Wednesday 14th Abib) that He was crucified was the same day of preparation for the Sabbath of Unleavened bread (Thursday 15th Abib). “And that day was the preparation, and the Sabbath drew on” (Luke 23:54). Was this the preparation for the normal Sabbath or the preparation for another Sabbath? To confirm this, let's look at Deuteronomy 23:5, 6 “In the fourteenth day of the first month at even is the LORD’s Passover. And on the fifteenth day of the same month is the feast of unleavened bread unto the LORD: seven days ye must eat unleavened bread”. We see that immediately after the fourteenth day follows the feast of unleavened bread which was to be performed for another seven days. What then is said of the first day of these seven days? “In the first day ye shall have a holy convocation; ye shall do no servile work therein” (Leviticus 23:7). Hence, we see that this was a form of Sabbath apart from the normal creation Sabbath that happens every week after seven days. Therefore, the disciples had respect for this day -Sabbath of unleavened bread which was to be hallowed the following day after Passover and Crucifixion. So they ensured that His body was removed from the cross and buried before that Sabbath. Hence, we see that the same day which was crucified was the preparation day for the Sabbath of Unleavened bread (holy convocation) and not the Sabbath of creation.
4. 15th Abib – (Thursday). This marks the beginning of the three days and three nights count as He had pointed out.  “For just as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so the Son of Man will be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth” (Mathew 12:40). Just as we discussed that the day begins from sunset to sunset, it is apparent that the evening during which Joseph Arimathea took His body to the tomb was the beginning of the 15th Abib which is a holy convocation (Sabbath) of the first day of unleavened bread. (Leviticus 23: 6,7). This day, the disciples and all people rested as described in Deuteronomy 23:7. "And they returned, and prepared spices and ointments, and rested the Sabbath day according to the commandment” (Luke 23:55).  Meanwhile, during that previous day of preparation, the Pharisees and the Chief Priests requested to Pilate that the tomb be protected throughout. “Now the next day that followed the day of the preparation, the chief priests and Pharisees came together unto Pilate. Saying, Sir, we remember that  deceiver said, while he was yet alive, after three days I will rise again […]” (Mathew 27:62-66). So far, by the end of this day, evening and morning, it marked one night (12 h) and one daylight (12 h). These equal to 24 hours or one day in the tomb.
5. 16th Abib – (Friday). Now after the High Day Sabbath, but still in the feast of unleavened bread, they were preparing for the normal creation Sabbath (Genesis 2:2-3). This day had fallen on Friday which is then another preparation for the next day that was the Sabbath. So still they could not go to the grave and Mary with her fellow prepared to visit the tomb after this Sabbath. This day marked the second night (12 h) and the second daylight (12 h) which makes up one day (24 h). When this day was over, there remained another one night and one day.
6. 17th Abib – (Sabbath). The disciples and the rest of the people rested on the Sabbath day as was the custom. This marked the third day and final day of the Messiah’s stay in the grave. These were the third night and third daylight making a total of three nights and three days. Now that the three nights and three days (72 hours) were over, surely He must have risen from the grave by the end of the Sabbath. If we start counting back from Saturday evening backward, the three days and three nights will point back to Wednesday.
7. 18th Abib – (Sunday). Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to visit the tomb but could not find Him because He had risen already. “In the end of the Sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week, came Mary Magdalene and the other Mary to see the sepulcher. And, behold, there was a great earthquake; for the angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat upon it. […] And the angel answered and said unto the women, Fear not ye; for I know that ye seek Yahshua, which was crucified. He is not here; for he is risen, as he said, Come, see the place where the Lord lay” (Mathew 18:1).

             As accurately as he had prophesied, He would be in the tomb for three days and three nights. We have studied and seen that He died on Wednesday and buried evening as Thursday begins and was alive again after Sabbath towards the beginning of Sunday which all adds up to 3 days and 3 nights. This is contrary to some who claimed He died on Friday. If this indeed was true, then that Friday evening (the beginning of Sabbath) and the day of the Sabbath would be only one day (one night and one daylight) and it would not account for three days and three nights.

            Since then, the disciples, including us, were to keep the Passover once a year as the Lord’s Supper was being conducted the same day of the ancient Passover that was also kept once per year. Why then is there a huge disparity to such conservation? This points out to the period of the Council of Nice which was held in 321 and 325 AD (Encylopedia Britannica Volume 26, 1911, pages 95 -98, Accessed 4/1/2020). Before this, the early church was keeping the Passover as usual. However, after this Council, Constantine of Rome agreed with some of the conference members to change the observance of Passover from that 14th of Abib to the immediate Sunday. This is also the period that Passover was then replaced by Easter which is currently celebrated by many as Easter Sunday and Good Friday. 

             However, all such modifications were not intended for the good and it was against all that is written in the Bible. As Messiah had condemned the changing of the law, then it is wrong to change the day and feast. "For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled" (Mathew 5:18).  What did Paul prophesy about this period when people shall deviate from the truth? "For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears" (2 Timothy 4:3-4). There is still hope for those who would come to the truth!

         After the resurrection of the Messiah, the disciples continued to celebrate the Passover feast every year as evident from this Bible verse. "For even Messiah, our Passover is sacrificed for us. Therefore let us keep the feast," I Corinthians 5:7-8. This has been practiced all through the ages till our present time. Accuracy of the date of Passover has been made possible to those who have been conservative to the Jewish Bible calendar.. How was the Passover practiced? A lesson for another day..

NB: Though due to current crisis of Covid -19 in the world, we may not take the Passover as normal, but we shall keep the feast of Unleavened Bread   at  home with prayers inclusive.

By Evanson Githinji