Passover: What Did Jesus Do for You?

Passover in the Bible

Before the 10th plague on Egypt, God explained how the Israelites could be saved from the plague and finally be released from slavery.

The evil Pharaoh, acting as a type of Satan himself, had tormented the Israelites and rebelled against God’s command to free them. But he wouldn’t be able to resist this final plague—the death of the firstborn.

To save their firstborn, God told the Israelites to “kill the Passover lamb” and dab its shed blood on the doorposts of their homes (Exodus 12:21-22). Then the destroyer would “pass over” their homes, and they would be spared.

God told them to commemorate this event each year on the 14th day of the first month. It would continue to play a key role in God’s plan to save people.

Christ, our Passover

Jesus continued the Passover observance, and transformed it.

After 30 years of preparation and 3½ years of teaching His disciples, Jesus knew what He would face: “You know that after two days is the Passover, and the Son of Man will be delivered up to be crucified” (Matthew 26:2).

Just before His betrayal and crucifixion, Jesus asked His disciples to prepare for His final Passover (Matthew 26:18-20). All those years since the time of the Exodus from Egypt, and all those unblemished lambs that were sacrificed, led up to this time.

The New Testament makes clear that the Passover lamb represented Jesus Christ. As John the Baptist had announced about Jesus, “Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29). And as the apostle Paul later proclaimed, “Christ, our Passover, was sacrificed for us” (1 Corinthians 5:7).

This last Passover was special, and Jesus taught His disciples new elements that would become the basis of the New Testament Passover service.

First, Jesus Christ set the example of love, humility and service through washing His disciples’ feet (John 13:4-13). Then He told them, “If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have given you an example, that you should do as I have done to you” (John 13:14-15).

The New Testament Passover symbols of the bread and the wine

After the foot washing, Jesus instituted two deeply meaningful symbols of the New Testament Passover.

“And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to the disciples and said, ‘Take, eat; this is My body.’ Then He took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, ‘Drink from it, all of you. For this is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins’” (Matthew 26:26-28).

Paul reminded the Church, both Jews and gentiles, of the vital importance of this memorial that represents Christ’s death and of remembering our commitment to God.Jesus said the bread represented His body. He willingly suffered to take our infirmities and bear our sicknesses (Matthew 8:16-17; Isaiah 53:3-5). Jesus is also the Bread that makes eternal life possible as we allow Him to live in us (Galatians 2:20).

The wine represents His shed blood given for the forgiveness of our sins.

The apostle Paul repeated these Passover instructions about the bread and the wine in 1 Corinthians 11:23-26. He reminded the Church, both Jews and gentiles, of the vital importance of this memorial that represents Christ’s death and of remembering our commitment to God.

Passover in the Church of God

Following Jesus’ death and resurrection, the Church of God continued to observe the annual Passover, with the symbols and understanding Jesus had introduced.

Paul taught the Church to keep the Passover each year after examining their relationship with God and the covenant they had entered into (1 Corinthians 5:6-8; 11:23-28).

Looking for the church behind Life, Hope & Truth? See our “Who We Are” page.

Why did Christ have to die?

Why did Jesus come to the earth as a human being to die? Because of sin—the destructive thoughts and actions that go against God’s will (1 John 3:4).

God reveals His thinking and way of life throughout the Bible, and especially in His 10 Commandments and His good and beneficial laws that show us how He intends life to be lived. When we break His laws, we bring automatic penalties on ourselves, and especially the penalty of death—eternal death. We have all earned this penalty (Romans 3:23; 6:23).

God, in His perfect eternal justice, must exact the penalty; but in His awesome mercy, Jesus Christ was willing to pay that penalty for us! “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life” (John 3:16).

Christ gave His life so we could repent and be saved (1 Timothy 2:4).

That is the solemn yet joyous message of the annual Passover. This is the first step in God’s plan of salvation. The second step is represented by the second festival, the Feast of Unleavened Bread.

When is Passover this year?

Leviticus 23:5 says, “On the fourteenth day of the first month at twilight is the LORD’s Passover.”

In 2026, the 14th day of the first month of the Hebrew calendar corresponds with April 1. Since biblical days begin at sunset, the New Testament Passover service is observed the evening of March 31, 2026, at the beginning of Passover day.

The second Passover

Observing the Passover was extremely important for the ancient Israelites. Anyone unable to keep it because of being unclean or on a journey could do so a month later on the 14th day of the second month (Numbers 9:10-11). No other festival had such a provision.

In 2026, the second Passover is May 1 (observed the evening before).

Do you have more questions about the Christian Passover? Read “Questions and Answers About the Christian Passover.”