This article is about a Christian holiday. See Passover for Judaism's Jewish holiday celebrating the Exodus of the Israelites from Ancient Egypt.

Passover also known as Pesach or Pesah (פסח pesaḥ), as a Christian holy day is observed by several Christian groups throughout the world. Beginning on the evening of the 14th day of Nisan (Abib) it commemorates the deliverance from sin by the sacrifice of Jesus. The Christian Passover celebration is a partial fulfillment of the prophetic Old Testament Passover instituted by God at the time of the exodus of the Israelites from Egypt.

Meaning of Christian celebration of Passover

The New Testament of the Bible depicts Jesus as the culmination of the Passover "Lamb of God"; therefore, some Christians continue to celebrate the Passover at its appointed time, but with different meaning from the Jewish celebration. As it is recorded in the New Testament, Jesus has become the sacrificed Passover Lamb (1 Corinthians 5:7).

The Christian view is that the Passover, as observed by ancient Israel, is a type of the true Passover Sacrifice of God that was to be made by Jesus, a prophetic memorial. As it was the commemoration of the Israelites' physical deliverance from bondage in Egypt, Passover represents for some Christians a spiritual deliverance from the slavery of sin (John 8:34) and is memorial of the sacrifice that Jesus has made for mankind. Also, in the same way the Israelites partook of the sacrifice by eating it that night, Christians partake of the sacrifice of Jesus by eating the symbols of his body and blood, the bread and wine.

Although observances differ between groups of Christian believers, many follow the instructions that Jesus gave to his disciples at the

Most Christians who keep Passover are considered to be Quartodeciman as they keep Passover on the 14th of Nisan. Apollinaris and Melito of Sardis were both 2nd Century writers that wrote about the Christian Passover.

Apollinaris, wrote, "There are, then, some who through ignorance raise disputes about these things (though their conduct is pardonable: for ignorance is no subject for blame -- it rather needs further instruction..)..The fourteenth day, the true Passover of the Lord; the great sacrifice, the Son of God instead of the lamb, who was bound, who bound the strong, and who was judged, though Judge of living and dead, and who was delivered into the hands of sinners to be crucified, who was lifted up on the horns of the unicorn, and who was pierced in His holy side, who poured forth from His side the two purifying elements, water and blood, word and spirit, and who was buried on the day of the passover, the stone being placed upon the tomb" (Apollinaris. From the Book Concerning Passover. Translated by Alexander Roberts and James Donaldson. Excerpted from Volume I of The Ante-Nicene Fathers (Alexander Roberts and James Donaldson, editors); American Edition copyright © 1885. Copyright © 2001 Peter Kirby).

Melito's Peri Pascha (or Homily on the Passover) is perhaps the most famous early document concerning the Christian observation of Passover. Here are some excerpts, "For indeed the law issued in the gospel–the old in the new, both coming forth together from Zion and Jerusalem; and the commandment issued in grace, and the type in the finished product, and the lamb in the Son, and the sheep in a man, and the man in God..For at one time the sacrifice to the sheep was valuable, but now it is without value because of the life of the Lord. The death of the sheep once was valuable, but now it is without value because

Polycrates of Ephesus, was a late 2nd Century leader who was excommunicated (along with all Quartodecimen) by the Roman bishop Victor for observing the Christian Passover on the 14th of Nisan and not switching it to a Sunday resurrection celebration. He, Polycrates, claimed that he was simply following the practices according to scripture and the Gospels, as taught by the Apostles John and Philip, as well as by church leaders such as Polycarp and Melito of Sardis.

These 2nd Century Quartodeciman Christians kept a Passover ceremony, with the bread and wine symbolizing Jesus as being the lamb of God, while those who advocated Sunday appeared to change the Passover into more of a resurrection holiday.

It is important to note that the Christian Passover ceremony, which includes the bread and wine, proclaims the Lord's death, not specifically his resurrection. Paul confirmed this when he wrote, "For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death till He comes" (1 Corinthians 11:26). According to the Catholic Encyclopedia, "In fact, the Jewish feast was taken over into the Christian Easter celebration."

Variations of Christian observances

Some differences between observing groups are: some observe the celebration on the night before Passover, at the same time that Jesus held his Last Supper, while others observe it at the same time that the Passover was sacrificed, that is, the time of Jesus' death, which occurred "at the ninth hour" of the day (Matthew 27:46-50, Mark 15:34-37, Luke 23:44-46), or approximately 3:30 pm (see evening and Time for technical reference on time). Still others celebrate it after sunset, at which time it would be the 15th of Nisan.

In some traditions, the ceremony is combined with washing one another's feet, as Jesus did to his disciples the night that he suffered (John 13:5-14).

Many Adventist, Sabbatarian Church of God, and other groups observe a Christian Passover — though all do not agree on the date(s) or the related practices.

See also

• Day of Atonement (Christian holiday)
• Feast of Trumpets (Christian holiday)
• First day worship
• Messianic Judaism
• Supersessionism