Why Passover Still Matters: Rehearsing God’s Plan for Humanity

For most Christians today, the term “Passover” feels like it belongs to another religion altogether—something Jewish, ancient, and unnecessary for those under grace. Easter is widely accepted as the Christian commemoration of Jesus’ death and resurrection, while the Passover is seen as a shadow long gone, fulfilled and discarded.

Yet Jesus Himself said something striking just hours before His crucifixion: “With fervent desire I have desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer” (Luke 22:15). He didn’t say He was replacing it. He didn’t say it was no longer necessary. He gave it richer meaning—and told His followers to continue keeping it in remembrance of Him.

So why has this memorial, so central to Jesus’ final hours and so tightly woven into the story of redemption, been largely forgotten by modern Christianity? Is the Passover truly obsolete—or have we lost sight of its enduring significance?

The Modern View: “It’s Jewish, Obsolete, or Even Evil”

Among mainstream Christians, there are several common reasons given for avoiding Passover observance. The most typical arguments go something like this:

• “That was just for Israel, not for the Church.”
  
• “Jesus fulfilled the law, Jesus fulfilled Passover—we don’t need those old rituals anymore.”
  
• “We take the Lord’s Supper now, that is our Passover.”
  

But there’s another objection that’s gained some traction in recent years—one that goes further. Some claim that keeping the Passover is not just unnecessary, but actually denies Jesus’ sacrifice. The reasoning? Since Jesus is our Passover, continuing to observe the festival supposedly diminishes or replaces Him with a shadow of the past. In this view, honoring the Passover is seen as a form of rejection—dangerous, even evil.

While this argument sounds zealous for Christ on the surface, it reveals a deeper problem: it assumes that remembering the symbols Jesus fulfilled somehow dishonors Him. But Jesus never treated Passover that way. Neither did Paul, who decades after the resurrection still referred to “Christ our Passover” and urged believers to “keep the feast” (1 Corinthians 5:7–8). Not to deny Christ, but to celebrate Him rightly.

The real issue behind these objections often isn’t about Passover at all—it’s about a deeper theological method. Many sincere Christians have been taught to start with their conclusions, then find verses to support them. Instead of letting the full revelation of Scripture shape belief, interpretations are filtered through the lens of tradition or denominational creeds. And because Passover doesn’t fit cleanly into those frameworks, it’s explained away, spiritualized, or outright rejected.

What Passover Actually Represents

To understand why the Passover still matters, we need to return to its origin.

Passover began in Egypt—a divine rescue mission. God delivered the Israelites from slavery, sparing their lives through the blood of a lamb. It was a dramatic act of both mercy and judgment. But it was never just about physical escape. It was a picture—a shadow of something greater.

When John the Baptist saw Jesus, he declared, “Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29). Paul echoes this in 1 Corinthians 5:7, saying, “For indeed Christ, our Passover, was sacrificed for us.” The symbols of the first Passover—the lamb, the blood, the deliverance—were fulfilled in Jesus. But fulfillment doesn’t mean disposal. It means deepened meaning.

In Luke 22, Jesus sat with His disciples at the Passover table and gave the bread and wine new significance. “This is My body… This is My blood… Do this in remembrance of Me.” He didn’t cancel the Passover. He transformed it into a memorial of His own sacrifice—a sacred time to reflect on the beginning of our deliverance.

God’s Appointed Times: A Blueprint of the Plan

Leviticus 23 outlines the “appointed times” of God—not just Israel’s holidays, but the LORD’s feasts. These holy days map out His plan for humanity. They are rehearsals, year after year, of what He has done, is doing, and will do.

Passover is the first step. It begins the journey. Just as Israel left Egypt under cover of blood, so Christians begin their calling under the blood of the Lamb.

The days that follow—Unleavened Bread, Pentecost, Trumpets, Atonement, Tabernacles, and the Last Great Day—each unfold more of the divine story: repentance, the gift of the Spirit, Christ’s return, judgment, reconciliation, and the restoration of all things. These are not just Jewish customs. They are a timeline of redemption.

Passover reminds us where it all starts. And it reminds us that the plan is still in motion.

Rehearsing the Plan: Why the Passover Still Matters Today

We rehearse what’s important. A musician practices before a concert. A bride and groom rehearse their wedding ceremony. A nation rehearses its traditions every year to remember where it came from and where it’s going.

God, too, gave His people rehearsals. These appointed times are not just empty rituals—they are living memorials, designed to shape our identity and keep our hearts anchored in His promises. When we keep the Passover, we’re not just remembering an ancient event. We’re stepping into the story. We’re aligning ourselves with God’s purpose and proclaiming that the blood of the Lamb still defines our deliverance.

Paul understood this when he told the Corinthian believers—many of whom were Gentiles—“Let us keep the feast… with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth” (1 Corinthians 5:8). The early Church, guided by the apostles, saw these observances not as legalistic burdens, but as spiritually rich appointments. They didn’t invent new memorials to replace what Jesus fulfilled—they continued what He established, now infused with even deeper meaning.

Passover reminds us that our salvation isn’t a one-time emotional decision—it’s the beginning of a journey. It keeps the gospel centered not just on forgiveness, but on freedom and transformation. It ties us to a bigger story—one in which God is still working, still calling, and still preparing a people for His Kingdom.

The Real Fulfillment Is Ongoing

Much of the argument against Passover observance rests on the assumption that fulfillment means finality. But when we look at the biblical pattern, fulfillment often unfolds in layers.

Jesus fulfilled the Passover as the Lamb slain. But He also said, “I will not drink of the fruit of the vine until the Kingdom of God comes” (Luke 22:18). In other words, the story isn’t finished. There’s a future fulfillment yet to come—a greater deliverance, a greater feast, a greater reunion.

Even in the Old Testament, the Passover was not only about looking back—it was about teaching future generations. “It shall be as a sign… that the LORD’s law may be in your mouth; for with a strong hand the LORD has brought you out of Egypt” (Exodus 13:9). The physical Exodus was a foreshadow of the spiritual Exodus Christ leads today—a deliverance from sin, from spiritual bondage, from this present evil world. And while that journey begins now for the firstfruits God is calling, it ultimately points to the greater redemption Christ will bring to all mankind in the age to come.

The yearly rehearsal of Passover reminds us that the work isn’t done. Christ has redeemed us, yes—but He is also coming again. And He told His followers to keep remembering Him until He returns (1 Corinthians 11:26).

Conclusion: Anchored in Christ, Aligned with the Plan

The idea that keeping the Passover dishonors Jesus misunderstands both the nature of the feast and the heart of the gospel. The Passover doesn’t deny Christ—it exalts Him. It roots our faith in the same pattern God revealed from the beginning. It proclaims His death, celebrates His victory, and looks forward to His return.

In a world filled with shifting beliefs, manufactured holidays, and religious traditions that often contradict the biblical record, keeping the Passover grounds us in truth. It reminds us that God’s plan has not changed—and neither has His invitation to be part of it.

We are not saved by ritual. But we are shaped by remembrance. And in keeping the Passover, we don’t go backward—we step deeper into the story Jesus Himself lived, taught, and fulfilled.