Passover as a Jew for Jesus

Passover begins the evening of Saturday, April 12th. The way I have observed Passover/Pesach has changed dramatically over the years.

When I did not know Yeshua, I observed it as all Orthodox Jews do. I would do my absolute best to rid my home of chametz (leaven), as dictated by God in the Torah. We would donate any unopned boxes of anything containing yeast to food banks. Some communities keep baking powder and baking soda because they do not contain yeast, but we did not.

We threw out anything that contained wheat that came into contact with water, even if it did not contain a leavening agent. Regular wheat crackers for instance, do not contain yeast, but do contain wheat that came into contact with water before being baked which COULD make yeast naturally, so orthodox Jews will throw them away.

In orthodox Judaism, any wheat that has come into contact for more than 17 minutes is considered leaven. 17 minutes is the amount of time it takes for fermentation to begin (as we're told). All matzah you see in stores has been baked before 17 minutes of the wheat being mixed with water.

To avoid having to waste massive amounts of food, jewish families begin consuming their chametz weeks before Passover.

Days before passover, the cleaning begins. Furniture is moved, cars are vacuumed, appliances that cannot be properly cleaned are covered and put away. Pans and stoves are covered with foil. New dishes and new cutlery are used.

It is a very intense time.

Why?

"Seven days you shall eat unleavened bread. On the first day you shall remove leaven from your houses. For whoever eats leavened bread from the first day until the seventh day, that person shall be cut off from Israel." Exodus 12:15

No one wants to be cut off!

When I became a follower of Jesus, a Christian (a word that means "little Christ"- we do not have to be afraid of that term), I was no longer stressed out by Passover. I no longer worried that if I missed a crumb, I would be shunned by God because I am saved by grace through faith in Yeshua the Messiah.

There is a freedom in the New Covenant. Not a freedom to sin, but a freedom from the penalty of death in the law.

I love Passover to this day. I enjoy seders- the traditional meal with the story of the children of Israel being delivered from Egypt.

Some messianic Jews eat leaven during the time of Passover, some do not. The apostle Paul was very clear about not judging how believers observe the holy days, so I do not.

This Passover, the most Jesus-honoring thing you can do is share the good news of the Messiah with someone. Make tracts and give them out. Share encouraging verses about Yeshua online. Pray with a friend who is going through a hard time. That is how we can honor what Jesus did for us. He is coming back soon and sharing Him matters more than anything else.

This Passover, I am truly grateful to know it is not keeping the whole Torah perfectly that saves me, but my faith and confession in Yeshua. I am grateful for a better covenant with better promises, as Paul put it.

"But now He has obtained a more excellent ministry, inasmuch as He is also Mediator of a better covenant, which was established on better promises." Hebrews 8:6

I am grateful for the Passover Lamb, Yeshua who shed His blood and died on the cross, rose again, so I could be restored to God forever.

Chag sameach. Happy Passover. May Yeshua be glorified through this holiday season.

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