by Doris Tegge
This year Easter and Passover fall within the same week. But this is not always the case. The timing of both holidays is based on the phases of the moon, but since the Jewish and Christian calendars have different months, sometimes they fall a month apart. The moon isn’t the only thing that links these holy seasons.
Passover is the celebration of God’s deliverance of his people from the bondage of slavery. It was commanded by God on the night before the beginning of the exodus from Egypt. Jews have observed Passover for centuries to remind them of God’s mercy, beneficence, and faithfulness. When Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a donkey, he was on his way to celebrate the Passover. The last meal that Christ had with his disciples was a seder. His followers later modified the holiday, emphasizing the Resurrection and moving it from Saturday to Sunday.
For the Jewish people, Passover is a time to reflect on God’s power to deliver His people from oppression to freedom. It is a looking back but also a looking forward. At the end of the seder, a cup of wine is poured for Elijah, in anticipation that he will come and announce the coming of the Messiah.
Christians observe the Holy Week by remembering the Last Supper and the Passion(suffering) of Christ followed by rejoicing over the Resurrection on Easter Sunday. What happened so long ago now gives us certain hope for the future.
“This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!” 2 Cor 5:17