Is Passover a Sabbath in the Bible?

Passover is a ceremonial sabbath in the Bible, which is different from the seventh day Sabbath.

This feast was celebrated as a memorial of the deliverance of the people of Israel from Egypt. (Exodus 12)

Today, it is no longer necessary to keep this sabbath feast because all the ceremonial sabbaths were nailed at the cross. (Colossians 2:14 KJV)

They were all pointing to the Son of God!

However, the seventh day Sabbath is still necessary to be kept today as the fourth commandment!

Table of Contents

What is Passover?

Passover is a feast that was celebrated by the Israelites after their deliverance from Egypt. (Exodus 12)

God instructed Moses to tell the Israelites to take a lamb, and sacrifice it. Then the blood of the lamb they had to place on the two side posts and on the upper door post of the house.

Then they were to eat this lamb on the fourteenth day of the month in the evening.

Exodus 12:6-8 KJV 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.

And they shall take of the blood, and strike it on the two side posts and on the upper door post of the houses, wherein they shall eat it.

And they shall eat the flesh in that night, roast with fire, and unleavened bread; and with bitter herbs they shall eat it.

Then God would have made judgement that night. He sent his angel to execute the judgement upon the Egyptians. All their firstborn were executed that night, including the firstborn of Pharaon.

Exodus 12:12-13 KJV For I will pass through the land of Egypt this night, and will smite all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgment: I am the LORD.

And the blood shall be to you for a token upon the houses where ye are: and when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and the plague shall not be upon you to destroy you, when I smite the land of Egypt.

Every household who had listened to the instructions with the lamb, the blood on the door post and the other details were spared.

Passover on 14th of Nissan

Then God commanded the people of Israel to keep this feast on the 14th of Nissan every year as a reminder of their deliverance.

Exodus 12:17-18 KJV And ye shall observe the feast of unleavened bread; for in this selfsame day have I brought your armies out of the land of Egypt: therefore shall ye observe this day in your generations by an ordinance for ever.

In the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month at even, ye shall eat unleavened bread, until the one and twentieth day of the month at even.

They were to teach their children when celebration would occur, what is the meaning of this sabbath feast. (Exodus 12:26-27)

What does the Lamb represent?

The Lamb of course is a representation of Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God who delivered us from the bondage of sin.

He delivered us from the power of Pharaon (Satan) as we were slaves to sin.

The eating of the lamb on that day represents the entering into His sacrifice and believing and accepting His sacrifice for our sins.

The bitter herbs represent the sorrow for our sins. (Exodus 12:8)

We should always repent of our sins and wickedness and never forget the price God has paid to deliver us from the bondage of sin.

The leavened bread is a symbol for sin, thus they were to eat unleavened bread. And so on.

What is the seventh day Sabbath?

It is important to not confuse the ceremonial sabbaths with the seventh day Sabbath. God created, blessed and sanctified the seventh day Sabbath on creation days. (Genesis 2:2-3)

This weekly Sabbath is the fourth commandment which needs to be kept forever! (Exodus 20:8-11), (Isaiah 66:23).

The weekly Sabbath must not be confused with the ceremonial sabbaths with Passover being one of them.

These ceremonial Sabbaths were done away with at the cross because when Jesus died on the cross all their meaning had been fulfilled.

They are no longer necessary.