The events of the first Passover happened thousands of years ago. God sent Moses to free his people from slavery and oppression in Egypt as recorded in the book of Exodus. Before we dive into that first Passover, it’s noteworthy to acknowledge that some of today’s prophetic voices are saying a widespread exodus is in the process of taking place nowadays. They tell us God is breaking oppression in a global sort of way and removing wickedness in high places throughout the world to set nations free.

It’s also interesting to notice that in 2026 Passover begins at sunset on April 1st. Resurrection Sunday falls in the middle of Passover – Unleavened Bread, on the Feast of First Fruits. These Spring Feasts from the Hebrew lunar calendar and Resurrection Day (Easter) from our western solar calendar do not always correspond the way they do this year.

it’s noteworthy to acknowledge that some of today’s prophetic voices are saying a widespread exodus is in the process of taking place

Now back to the first exodus. Here’s what happened long ago: A multiyear famine drove Jacob, along with eleven of his sons and their families out of Caanan into Egypt. They moved at the invitation of Jacob’s second youngest son, Joseph, who was living in Egypt at the time and had become quite powerful. He was in charge of the food supply. Jacob’s extended family lived happily in Egypt with access to food and protected by Joseph for a time.

Later, however, Joseph was forgotten. A new Pharoah (king) ruled Egypt. This Pharoah became suspicious and afraid of Jacob’s extended family because the clan had grown from a small band of people into a nation of many. The new Pharaoh felt intimidated because Jacob’s family, now called Israelites, outnumbered the Egyptians.

Under this new Pharoah the Egyptians oppressed and enslaved the Israelites. Near the end, they forced them to kill their newborn male children to keep the number down. It’s at this point Moses was born. He escaped death in Egypt and moved away. Later in life, God sent Moses back to Egypt to deliver the Israelites.

Getting away from Egypt was quite a process. The new Pharoah didn’t want to let his free labor pool go. When Moses and his brother Aaron spoke with Pharoah, that king repeatedly refused to release the people. It became a battle of the gods, Egypt’s idols against the God of the Hebrews. 

Plague after plague hit Egypt; ten plagues in all. At first everyone experienced the plagues. Later only the Egyptians felt the sting. Each plague wreaked havoc upon Egypt. Nonetheless, the Pharoah would not relent. At the end, the final plague came, death of the firstborn.

The death angel struck all the families in Egypt while God’s people were protected by following God’s instructions. They applied the blood of a pure spotless lamb onto the door frames of their homes and stayed inside that important night.

In a sense it was payback time for how the Pharoah had killed the Israelites’ baby boys. The night the death angel came, all first born of Egypt died. Then Pharoah relented. He ordered the Hebrew people to leave.

God gave instructions to the people through Moses. God instructed them to ask for valuables from their Egyptian neighbors; it was a great transfer of wealth. In a sense it was payback for years of slavery. Next the Israelites were to eat an unblemished lamb for dinner and pack up. There was much to do and little time, so they made and ate unleavened bread. Regarding the lamb, Moses said to eat the whole thing and apply its blood to the door frames of their homes. This blood was a sign to the death angel to stay away because all behind those doors were protected by God.

The Israelites left the next morning. After they departed, Egypt’s Pharoah changed his mind and chased after them with his army, backing them up against the Red Sea. The LORD delivered them from that precarious position, too, with signs and wonders the surrounding nations would learn about and remember years later. More miracles were to follow.

So, the first Passover celebrates God’s deliverance of Israel from oppression in Egypt.

So, the first Passover celebrates God’s deliverance of Israel from oppression in Egypt.

Once free, the people still needed a change of mind and heart from the impact of all those years of slavery. It took a generation to turn the men into warriors with enough faith and fortitude to enter and possess the land God had promised to give them. Between times, they wandered in the desert. When the time to enter arrived, God appointed new leadership for Israel, Joshua Son of Nun.

The Book of Exodus tells the story of the first Passover. It’s commemorated annually by a Spring feast that falls on different dates from year-to-year, when using a western calendar. The year of 2026, Passover begins the evening of April 1^st and is celebrated along with The Feast of Unleavened Bread which ends on April 9th, 2026.

It’s interesting that Resurrection Day (Easter) is April 5th, which is the Feast of First Fruits this year. It’s the fourth full day after Passover (according to the way westerners think of days) and it’s the third full day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread. Numbers can be significant in their meanings. Many say four means creation in Hebrew. I’ve heard others say four means a doorway or portal. Three has meaning too. Check online if you want to know more about numbers or if you are researching dates for celebrations on a different year.

Jewish people have various customs for celebrating Passover that have developed over time. In the days of Jesus Christ, Jews came into Jerusalem to offer an animal sacrifice in the temple and eat the Passover Seder meal. When he was a child, Jesus’ family went to the temple to celebrate Passover. Later, Jesus died on a Roman cross around Passover and he rose on First Fruits.

The practice of offering animal sacrifices in the temple stopped around 70 A.D. when the temple was destroyed. Then other customs developed as a substitute. Christians believe Jesus Christ is our once and forever sacrifice for sin. He offered himself as the perfect sacrifice. No more sacrifices are needed to atone for sin. The New Testament teaches Jesus Christ died as the world’s perfect Passover Lamb and he lives as a first fruit of many resurrections to come.

Observant Jews have celebrated Passover throughout the centuries and many still do so today. Jews, Messianic Jews and some Christians celebrate Passover with a Seder meal, knowing in the Old Testament God appointed Passover as a biblical feast for the people of Israel to celebrate. If you’re interested in learning more about the Seder there are many resources online. The Chosen did a good job of depicting an example of it.

Jesus Christ offered himself as the perfect sacrifice for sin. No more sacrifices are needed. He was the world’s perfect Passover Lamb and he lives as a first fruit of many resurrections to come.

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Copyright 2026

Notes:

For those of you interested in the question of days, dates, and timing of Jesus’ death and resurrection here’s a link to one Messianic Rabbi’s perspective: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wdw1OwSZUdo

For those of you interested in learning more about the biblical feasts of the Lord and their significance for Jews and Christians, here is one source: https://jesusplusnothing.com/series/post/FeastsIntroduction