There are different teachings found on the internet/Facebook/blogosphere that create unnecessary problems for the believer. These problems include a Passover/Unleavened Bread festival of eight days in length. There are also those who are teaching that Yeshua and his disciples did not participate in a “true Passover” celebration because Yeshua could not participate in the Passover before he “became” the Passover lamb. These teachings are formulated by men and women who I pray have the right intentions, but a right intention does not make one “right.” I have considered prayerfully this response and hope that it is a benefit to all who participate in reading it. Shalom!
The first point is regarding John’s account of what many believe to be the “last supper.” John’s account of this meal is considerably different than the synoptic accounts of the “last supper.” There are enough differences to deduce that what John was describing was an altogether different meal. In fact, the meal that John describes in chapter 13 is called the evening meal. He also notes it was before the Passover Feast.
Another event from this common evening meal that occurred between the time of Yeshua’s triumphal entry and the beginning of Passover differentiates it from the Passover meal as described by the synoptic – Matthew 26:19; Mark 14:14-16; and Luke 22:8-13.
Each of the synoptic accounts refers to specific instructions related to the preparation of the Passover meal. John’s account makes no mention of the meal being related to Passover. John’s only reference to Passover regarding the “evening meal” is that it occurred before the Passover. We would do well to accept this as “gospel.”
Also, in John’s account of the meal, Judas leaves the dining hall and it is assumed by the remaining disciples that Judas was going out to purchase items necessary for the festival. This would not have occurred on a Sabbath, of which Passover is. (I will address objections to this later)
The disciples would never have thought this had it occurred during the Passoverdinner described in the synoptic gospels. Besides, it is highly likely that it would have been quite difficult for Judas to make a purchase anywhere in Jerusalem on a Sabbath.
Another significant difference between John’s account and that of Matthew, Mark and Luke is the foot washing ceremony. If this would have taken place during the Passover meal, it is very likely that one it the synoptic authors would have mentioned it in their memoir.
One of the objections I see brought forward by many people who believe that Yeshua and his disciples were not participating in a true Passover meal is that they believe that Yeshua couldn’t participate in the Passover meal and then later become the Passover lamb. What needs to be understood here is that there was not one specific “national” lamb that was offered by the High Priest. Numbers 28:16-25. The slaughtering of the Passover lamb was not in any way like the slaughtering of the goat on the Day of Atonement. One goat was sacrificed as a sin offering for all of Israel. This is not the case for Passover. In fact, many people falsely believe that the Passover lamb was some sort of sin offering. It is not. The Passover lamb is a type of Fellowship (Sh’lamin) Offering. The offerer and his family participated in the consumption of the Fellowship Offering. Not so, with the sin offering. Nobody consumed any of the sin offering.
If one were to understand properly the correlation that the author of Hebrews makes between Chapter 13 and Leviticus 4, they would quickly realize that the author does not correlate Yeshua’s death with Passover, but with a sin offering, “burned outside of the camp.” “Outside of the camp” is a subdued reference to Golgotha, which was outside of the camp -Jerusalem. (And this offering, burned outside of the camp, was a bull; offered as a sin offering for the High Priest on the Day of Atonement.)
The author of Hebrews does not dismiss the fact the Yeshua was crucified on the day of Passover, he merely recognizes that all of the sacrifices were fulfilled through the Anointed One. The beloved disciple, John, (who incidentally causes so much of the calendar problems in his gospel) apparently didn’t recognize Yeshua as ONLY representing the Passover lamb when he stated in his epistle, “He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins,and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world.” 1 John 2:2. It is clear from this statement that John saw his Savior as representing more than just one of the sacrifices.
I raise this point because many brothers in Christ contend that Yeshua could not have participated in the Passover meal before “becoming” the Passover lamb. This is poor conjecture. Using this logic would dismiss John’s assertion, as well as that of the author of Hebrews, that Yeshua was also the atoning sacrifice. After all, he was not crucified on the Day of Atonement, but on Passover.
The synoptic accounts clearly state that Yeshua participated in the Passover meal with his disciples – not early, not late, but on time.
The second point I would like to comment on is the length of the Festival of Unleavened Bread. Many people are misled to believe that the festival is eight days long. It is not. The festival is to run for a length of seven days. I understand the confusion and how one can be led to believe the festival is eight days long, but close examination of all of the texts pertaining to the feast of Passover and the festival of Unleavened Bread will not permit the feast/festival to exceed 7 days. Please bear with me.
The common error made in extending the festival from 7 to eight days is by not incorporating Passover into the festival of Unleavened Bread. Scripture clearly states that Passover is the first day of Unleavened Bread. It is not a stand alone day followed by seven days of Unleavened Bread. They are concurrent days. Matthew 26:17 states, “On the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread,the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Where do you want us to make preparations for you to eat the Passover?” This is supported by the other synoptic accounts, Mark 14:12; Luke 22:7.
I rarely refer to the Apostolic Scripture before presenting the Torah in support of a position but I feel that the synoptic authors – Matthew, Mark and Luke – were following the lead of their Rabbi, and were not being misled into following a calendar that was contrary to that which our established by our Father.
The main “culprit” in the misunderstanding of the length of the Festival of Unleavened Bread is found in Leviticus 23:5-8. It states, “The LORD’s Passover begins at twilight on the fourteenth day of the first month.On the fifteenth day of that month the LORD’s Feast of Unleavened Breadbegins; for seven daysyou must eat bread made without yeast. On the first day hold a sacred assemblyand do no regular work. For seven days present an offering made to the LORD by fire.And on the seventh day hold a sacred assembly and do no regular work.’ ”
Simply adding seven days of Unleavened Bread, (which this passage states begins on the 15th), to the Passover, (which this and other passages state begins on the 14th) leaves the reader with 7 + 1 = 8. We all wish math, and biblical studies, could be so easy!
The problem with simply examining this passage, Leviticus 23:5-8, and developing the definitive answer to the length of the Feast of Passover and the Festival of Unleavened Bread, requires the reader to dismiss other texts that give greater detail to the length of the Feast/Festival.
The first account of the instruction for the Feast of Passover and the Festival of Unleavened Bread is found in Exodus 12:15-18. “For seven days you are to eat bread made without yeast.On the first day remove the yeast from your houses, for whoever eats anything with yeast in it from the first day through the seventh must be cut offfrom Israel. On the first day hold a sacred assembly, and another one on the seventh day. Do no workat all on these days, except to prepare food for everyone to eat–that is all you may do. “Celebrate the Feast of Unleavened Bread,because it was on this very day that I brought your divisions out of Egypt.Celebrate this day as a lasting ordinance for the generations to come. In the first monthyou are to eat bread made without yeast, from the evening of the fourteenth day until the evening of the twenty-first day.” Italics added.
The fourteenth day of the month is also the day on which the feast of Passover is to be obsevered. Exodus 12:6, Leviticus 23:5.
Using our elementary math skills to count from the evening – the beginning – of the fourteenth until the evening – the beginning – of the 21st is simply 7 days. The time frame described here in Exodus states until the beginning of the 21st day, it does not include the 21st day. I use my fingers to count and I always come up with seven days.
Even if scripture were to afford some wiggle room (which they don’t) as to permit the evening of the 14th day to mean the start of the 14th day and the evening of the 21st day to mean the end of the 21st day – and we were to be able to count the 21st day as the eighth day, further examination of the Word of God eliminates any possibility of this Feast and Festival to exceed 7 days.
The student of the word who believes the feast and festival to be eight days in length – one day of Passover followed by seven days of Unleavened Bread – cannot reconcile their belief in an eight day festival with the following scripture.
Deuteronomy 16:1-8 “Observe the month of Abib and celebrate the Passoverof the LORD your God, because in the month of Abib he brought you out of Egyptby night. 2 Sacrifice as the Passover to the LORD your God an animal from your flock or herd at the place the LORD will choose as a dwelling for his Name.3 Do not eat it with bread made with yeast, but for seven days eat unleavened bread, the bread of affliction, because you left Egypt in haste–so that all the days of your life you may remember the time of your departure from Egypt. 4 Let no yeast be found in your possession in all your land for seven days. Do not let any of the meat you sacrifice on the evening of the first day remain until morning. 5 You must not sacrifice the Passover in any town the LORD your God gives you 6 except in the place he will choose as a dwelling for his Name. There you must sacrifice the Passover in the evening, when the sun goes down, on the anniversary of your departure from Egypt. 7 Roast it and eat it at the place the LORD your God will choose. Then in the morning return to your tents. 8 For six days eat unleavened bread and on the seventh day hold an assembly to the LORD your God and do no work.” Italics added.
Verse eight of Deuteronomy refers to the six days following Passover, another day in which unleavened bread is to eaten. The six days of verse eight can only refer to the six days that follow Passover. Again, utilizing my elementary math skills to add up the days – the six days referred to in verse 8, in addition to the day of Passover gives me a total of seven days.
Admittedly, by removing this passage from Torah, one might be able to formulate through a little stretching, a festival that runs for a total of eight days; it is impossible to do so with the counsel of Deuteronomy 16.
Going back to our understanding that there was not a “national” lamb that was sacrificed – the lambs brought to the temple were slaughtered at the temple and taken home to be prepared in the privacy of homes (they were not placed on Brazen Altar)– should free the student of the Word from the false premise that Yeshua had to die when the High Priest was offering up “the lamb.” There were thousands of Peasch lambs slaughtered on that day.
As demonstrated by both John and the author of Hebrews’ understanding of Yeshua also fulfilling through his crucifixion the requirements of the sacrifice of atonement, holding to such a literal time sensitive fulfillment of the offering of one particular lamb coinciding with Yeshua’s death is not only unnecessary, but leads the student to create traps and hurdles that are difficult to navigate.
According to the instructions found in Numbers 28:16-25; two bulls, seven lambs, and one goat were sacrificed to YHWH on the day of Passover. This was in addition to the regular morning and afternoon sacrifices. Which of the nine lambs did Yeshua represent? Close examination of the scriptures will reveal that he is found in each of these sacrifices. Yeshua can be found in each of the sacrifices.
Holding too tightly to literalism may also create a problem with the day of Firstfruits. How did Yeshua fulfill this? Both James, and the apostle Paul, strongly imply Yeshua’s fulfillment of this portion of the festival by referring to Yeshua as the Firstfruits. James 1:18, Romans 11:16 and 1 Corinthians 15:20, 23. Firstfruits was clearly fulfilled through his resurrection.
The type of literalism held by some when discussing the crucifixion of our Lord creates problems with his fulfillment of the other festivals and their prescribed offerings. Was Firstfruits fulfilled through Yeshua’s resurrection at the time the priests put the barley to the scyth? Was Firstfruits fulfilled through Yeshua’s resurrection at the time they roasted and crushed the heads of grain? Was Firstfruits fulfilled through Yeshua’s resurrection at the time the priest waved the loaves before the Lord? The answer to this question is, “Yes! All of the above.”
It is the same for Passover, “Yes, he fulfilled it!” as it is for each of the festivals and of their prescribed offering. It is the same for the ‘olah and the minchah offerings, the sh’lamin, chata’ah and the ‘asham offerings, too. These offerings were designed to be a foreshadow of the Christ, Yeshua.
Last but not least, I would like to address the concept of leaven.
Leaven, as some insist, can, and in some instances should, be understood as doctrine or teachings; i.e. Matthew 16:6-12. But, leaven is also understood as sinful behavior. It is clear from the apostle Paul’s admonition of the assembly a tCorinth that their sinful behavior was to him like leaven.
It is important to understand what leaven is in the physical before we can fully understand its’ spiritual application. Leavening agents are living organisms. They are known as living cultures.
We would do well to understand the instructions given to the Hebrew nation to leave Egypt without adding leaven to their bread was an instruction for them to leave the culture of Egypt behind. It was understood by the redeemed sons of Israel that the leaven they possessed in Egypt represented the culture of Egypt, and that they were to leave the house of bondage and the culture of slavery to become freedmen and develop a new culture, and follow the ways of their new Master. The culture of Egypt was not poor doctrine and teaching, it was idolatry/sin.
Shalom!
The Restorahter 
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