On the Jewish calendar, Passover begins at sundown. We start April 13 at midnight whereas the Jews start it at 6:00 p.m. Trying to reconcile the two calendars can be quite a challenge. While Gentile Christian Americans may feel that we have no part in this, I would suggest that Passover is even more meaningful to those who believe. First, let’s consider the history of Passover.
According to Exodus 12-13, the first month on the Jewish calendar is Abib, a.k.a Nisan. This is the month the Jews came out of the land of Egypt, and it was to serve as the first month on their calendars. It corresponds roughly to April on our calendars.
Passover takes place in this month and celebrates the final plague that took place in the Jews’ release from Egypt. Exodus 12:5-15 gives these instructions: “Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male of the first year: ye shall take it out from the sheep, or from the goats: (6) 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. (7) 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. (8) And they shall eat the flesh in that night, roast with fire, and unleavened bread; and with bitter herbs they shall eat it. (9) Eat not of it raw, nor sodden at all with water, but roast with fire; his head with his legs, and with the purtenance thereof. (10) And ye shall let nothing of it remain until the morning; and that which remaineth of it until the morning ye shall burn with fire. (11) And thus shall ye eat it; with your loins girded, your shoes on your feet, and your staff in your hand; and ye shall eat it in haste: it is the LORD’S passover. (12) 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. (13) 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. (14) And this day shall be unto you for a memorial; and ye shall keep it a feast to the LORD throughout your generations; ye shall keep it a feast by an ordinance for ever. (15) Seven days shall ye eat unleavened bread; even the first
day ye shall put away leaven out of your houses: for whosoever eateth leavened bread from the first day until the seventh day, that soul shall be cut off from Israel.”
The Jewish website Chabad.org gives instructions on how to celebrate. A month before Passover, “methodically inspect and rid every part of your home of any traces of chametz (any food with leaven). Be on the lookout for crumbs of all sorts, hidden stashes of crunchy chocolate, fermented drinks (nearly all are made with grain), etc. Make a list of all the rooms in your house, and cross off each one as you complete it.
“Enforce the pre-Passover house rules: No food may leave the kitchen. After eating, clothes must be brushed off and hands thoroughly washed.
“A few days before Passover, begin work on making your kitchen “Kosher for Passover.” Put away all utensils that have been used year round, and lock or seal those cabinets. Put away all non-kosher-for-Passover food, and seal those cabinets. Once your kitchen is completely clean, do the special procedure to kosher your kitchen and appliances for Passover.
“Thursday —04/10/2025: Do the ritual search for chametz. Take a candle, a spoon and a feather, and search the house for any remaining or forgotten chametz.
“Friday morning -04/11/2025: Burn any leftover Chametz … including anything that was found Thursday night at the Search for the Chametz. …
“Friday Afternoon -04/11/2025 – Recite the “nullification statement,” renouncing all ownership of any chametz that may still remain in your possession. Prepare for the Seder.”1
There are other things they do on Shabbat that have to do with preparation for Passover.
I know that there are a lot of details here and you might think it doesn’t apply to us. However, it really does! Leaven is typically used symbolically of sin. In preparation for Passover, the Jews meticulously scoured their homes looking for any “sin.” Unfortunately, they didn’t recognize that Passover was pointing to the coming perfect Passover Lamb. (Isaiah 53:3-7; 1 Peter 1:18-20)
John 1:29 says, “The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.” 1 Corinthians 5:7 says that Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us. Hebrews 9:28 says, “So Christ was once offered to bear 
the sins of many…” And Hebrews 10:10 says, “By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.”
We do not get the leaven out of our life in PREPARATION for the Passover Lamb’s salvation. We get it out BECAUSE OF the Passover Lamb’s salvation.
The Jewish Passover only happens once a year. Since Jesus is our Passover, Passover never ENDS for us as Christians. Therefore, the purging of leaven isn’t a once-a-year activity. It’s an every-second event that never ends. The Jews cleanse their HOMES. We are cleansing our LIVES. Why? I leave you today with this Happy Passover thought.
1 Corinthians 6:19-20 asks, “What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? (20) For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.”
1https://www.chabad.org/holidays/passover/pesach_cdo/aid/1825/jewish/Passover-A-to-Z.htm
Images are taken from https://pixabay.com/, https://www.pexels.com/, or https://unsplash.com/images or created in Windows Copilot. According to the websites, they are Royalty Free and free to be used for our purposes.
