Why we’re celebrating Passover

Chag Sameach Pesach! That’s Hebrew for, “Happy Feast of Passover”! Many of us will be keeping God’s Passover today or tomorrow.

I wanted to compile a big list of reasons why we keep Passover. The list of reasons is going to gracious and non-confrontational. It’s going to be a long list with lots of …

…uhh, hold on a minute.

Do you have kids? Did you answer yes? (Sorry, I can’t hear you with all the 1s and 0s flowing through those jumbo intarweb pipes.) You know when you send your kid to bed, and OH! How they drag their feet!

“Dad, can’t I just stay up a little longer?”

“Why not?”

“If that’s why, couldn’t you let me stay up just 5 minutes longer?”

“Come on, please?! It’s only 5 minutes!”

“Why can’t I stay up 5 minutes more?”

“Why not only 5 minutes?”

“Can I just watch one more thing on the TV?”

And so on.

Foolish is the father who answers each question ad infinitum.

Wise is the father who says, “No more questions. You will go to bed now because it is time.”

With that, the tables turn, and now the burden of action is back on the child, with correction looming over his head.

What does this have to do with Passover?

I wanted to write a blog post that I could refer back to over time, something containing a compiled list of reasons we keep Passover. I started writing it in this post. But then something happened. But my parental instincts kicked in. I realized much of the questioning of Passover was much like that little child, ever reluctant to do what he’s told, hoping he’ll have more free time to do his own things, like watching TV or playing his games.

Just like the father saying, “You’ll go to bed because it is time”, there is really one real reason to keep Passover.

Why do we celebrate Passover? Drum roll, please…

 

God told us to.

 

Yup. Do we need any more reasons?

No, really. This isn’t a joke or something to be taken lightly. If we really believe the Scripture is actually inspired from God, then God told us to. He told *you* to – yes – even you gentiles. In fact, the New Testament specifically and in no unclear terms commands gentiles to keep the Passover.

Now it’s true, volumes could be written detailing more reasons: the Lord Jesus kept the Passover; if we’re really his disciples, we ought to follow our master. He told us to keep the Passover, saying, “Do this in remembrance of me.” as he celebrated the Passover himself with his disciples. Paul directly tells gentile Corinthians to keep the Passover. The Passover is about redemption from bondage, and Jesus freed us from sin. And so on. Like I said, a million + 1 reasons.

But to list and detail each and every reason is to answer all the questions of that child, dragging his feet, hoping to find some way around his father’s command, some loophole. Just 5 more minutes of TV. A few more minutes to play my game. Just one more year of painted egg hunts and chocolate rabbits.

No more. Now is not the time to drag your feet. If you know what’s best for you, you’ll celebrate His Passover because it is Passover time.” The appointed, set time has arrived.

That’s why we keep Passover, dear Christian friends. God told us to. If you need more reasons than that, I politely suggest your priorities need reordering.

A wise Jewish Pharisee who deeply loved Yeshua once said, “The night is far spent; the day is close at hand.” Yes, no more feet-dragging. This Jewish man said to his gentile friends, “The time has come for us to celebrate the Passover, not with wickedness and malice but with sincerity and truth.”

I hope you all can find a Messianic congregation or even a church that celebrates God’s Passover this weekend. Many churches are doing a “Jesus in the Passover” celebration this year; maybe that’s a good place to start. Those of you that know me personally, call or email me, you’re invited to our Passover.

I know it’s hard. I know you’re busy doing your own thing this weekend, watching TV and playing your games going on Easter egg hunts and celebratory pig dinner and all that. But it’s time to stop playing games. It’s time to keep God’s Passover.

May God find you keeping his appointed time of Passover – not next year, not later, not some time in the distant future – but this year. This weekend. No more feet-dragging. It’s time.