Three Connections Between Passover and Easter (2024)

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Three Connections Between Passover and Easter? ›

Both celebrate freedom from enslavement

Easter Sunday, the commemoration of the resurrection of Christ, comes three days after Good Friday, which is the day that Jesus Christ was crucified. The Easter Triduum starts with Holy Thursday, or Maudy Thursday, which celebrates the Last Supper. The Last Supper occurred on the feast of Passover.

As we learned, Passover is a festival that involves time with family, remembrance of the Israelite people, and commemoration of the bond Jews believe that God has with His chosen people.

For Christians, it was Good Friday, a day commemorating the crucifixion of Jesus. And for Jews, Friday marked the first day of Passover, an eight-day celebration of the exodus of Israelites from slavery. This overlap of all three religious holidays is rare because of the different calendars followed by each faith.

As we live out our faith, may we be guided by the eternal promise of Easter and the enduring spirit of Passover. May we walk hand in hand, united in our commitment to building a world where hope, compassion, and love reign. Let us be beacons of hope, illuminating the path toward a brighter future for all.

You may be wondering, “Is Passover important to Christians?” The answer is not only a resounding YES. In fact, Jesus is all over the story of Passover! As with all the biblical festivals, Passover foreshadows the coming of Jesus, our Deliverer and our Savior. He is the One who made eternal atonement for ours sins.

Easter, Passover, and Ramadan may be distinct religious observances, but they all convey a unifying message of hope, renewal, and compassion. By recognizing and embracing these shared values, people from different faiths can come together, fostering a sense of unity and mutual respect.

The powerful gifts of gratitude, hope and grit. What's the most important part of the Passover Seder?

Pesach is observed by avoiding leaven and highlighted by the Seder meals — including four cups of wine, eating matzah and bitter herbs — and retelling the story of the Exodus. Ultimately, Passover is a celebration of freedom, telling the story of the Exodus from Egypt as a metaphor.

Jesus therefore died on Friday, April 3, AD 33 at about 3 p.m., a few hours before the beginning of Passover day and the Sabbath. This is the date in the Julian calendar, which had been introduced in 45 BC, and follows the convention that historical dates adhere to the calendar in use at the time.

What is the connection between Lent and Passover? ›

Just as Lent prepares Christians for Easter, these actions prepare our bodies and souls to experience the Passover meal. Both Lent and Passover preparation also draw their inspiration from the Exodus story. Lent traditionally lasts for 40 days.

But since they left Egypt in a hurry (and continued to rush until the Egyptians were finally neutralized seven days later), they ate fast-baking matzah for seven days. It was for this reason that G‑d commanded subsequent generations to abstain from chametz and eat matzah for all seven days.

Both celebrate freedom from enslavement

Jesus' death and Resurrection did the same, but freed all of mankind from slavery to sin and death. In Exodus, God sent 10 plagues to punish Egypt. The final plague was the death of every first-born Egyptian male.

Easter and the Passover intersect where Passover represents the final straw that delivered the Israelites from their slavery, and Easter reveals their deliverance from sin in the resurrection of their Christ.

The commemoration of the death and resurrection of Jesus by Christians in this way is connected by timing to Passover since those events occurred right after Passover.

Since the Hebrew calendar is largely lunar-based, Passover is celebrated in 2024 on Monday, April 22. That's the date of the fourth full moon of the year—the “Pink Moon.” The Sunday after Passover is May 5.

This is a festival which remembers the escape of the ancient Israelites from Egypt. Jesus and his disciples were celebrating the Passover meal together. As this was the last meal that Jesus would share with his disciples, he took elements of the Passover meal and made them symbols of his death.

It was during one of the Passover festivals that He shared the Last Super with His disciples. However, Jews do not celebrate Easter since they do not recognize Jesus as the Messiah. They don't believe in the resurrection accounts of Jesus. Therefore, they find no spiritual meaning in the Easter holiday.