We are instructed to keep the first day of Unleavened Bread as a “memorial” of the exodus from Egypt. It is one of God’s reminders. God rescued Israel from Egypt and told her people to keep the festival as a remembrance of their salvation from bondage and slavery. But it was more than just a remembrance. It was also a rehearsal for something wonderful to come, an appointed time on God’s calendar.

Fourteen hundred years after the exodus from Egypt, Yeshua went to Jerusalem with His disciples to keep the Passover and the Festival of Unleavened Bread. He always kept the Father’s appointed times. He and His disciples had been to Jerusalem to keep the Passover many times before this occasion. But this time was different. As they neared Jerusalem, Yeshua said, “My time is near; I am to keep the Passover.” (Matthew 26:18) The appointed time was going to be fulfilled in a marvelous and unexpected way.

In Jerusalem, He kept the seder meal with His disciples. He took the unleavened bread and the customary Passover cup and instructed His disciples to do so henceforth in remembrance of Him. According to John’s chronology, on the day of the slaughter of the Passover lambs, He became the Passover Lamb. At the time when Israel slaughtered their Passover lambs in remembrance of their great salvation from Egypt, Yeshua was crucified, and His blood was applied as a mark of salvation on all who would believe in Him. Therefore, when believers keep Passover, we have two things to remember. We remember the historic salvation from Egypt as the Torah commands us. But we also remember the salvation granted us through the sacrifice of Yeshua. The two remembrances are not mutually exclusive. They naturally complement one another.

Every year we keep the Feast of Unleavened Bread in remembrance of Yeshua. After all, Messiah Himself told us to keep the festival in remembrance of Him:

And when He had taken some bread and given thanks, He broke it and gave it to them, saying, “This is My body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of Me.” (Luke 22:19)

Was it just breaking bread and drinking the fruit of the vine that He had in mind? No. There was a specific context, and the context was Passover. In Luke He said, “I have earnestly desired to eat this Passover (pesach) with you before I suffer; for I say to you, I shall never again eat it until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God.” (Luke 22:15–16)

The commandment to do “this” in remembrance of Yeshua is not a commandment just to take a cup and some bread. The specific “this” to which Yeshua referred was the Passover seder meal. It is not one cup but the traditional cups of Passover. It is not any bread; it is the unleavened matzah bread of Passover. What could be more appropriate for a disciple of Yeshua to do than to keep the festival of Passover in remembrance of Him, just as He told His disciples?

As believers keeping the Passover, we can use the annual remembrance of our Savior’s suffering as a time to renew our lives in Him. Seder night is Wednesday April 12 this year. Have a happy, kosher Passover!