Jesus Celebrates Passover with His Disciples

The Passover celebrated by the Jews is to commemorate the sparing of the first Sons of Israel as the Angel of Death killed every Egyptian firstborn but passes over the houses of the Jews. This was followed by the release of the Jews the next day from Egypt - which is celebrated by the Feast of Unleavened Bread.

The Passover is the same the The Lord Jesus had his Last Supper and taught his disciples about the sacrifice of his body and blood to pay for the sins of man in the New Covenant. The evening of the Passover / Lord's Supper is followed by his arrest and before the sunset of the next day, the Lord would have been crucified. His body was taken down before sunset which marks the beginning of the Feast of Unleavened Bread.

In the first passover, the faithful Hebrews (who painted their doorposts with sacrificial blood) were saved. In the second passover, the sacrificial blood of Jesus saves all who believes in him. The body of the Lord Jesus who is without sin, is the new unleavened bread. As we celebrate Easter - the new Feast of Unleavened Bread, we remember the sinless body and blood of our Lord sacrificed for us.



Leviticus 23
The Passover and Unleavened Bread
 
4 ‘These are the feasts of the LORD, holy convocations which you shall proclaim at their appointed times.
5 On the fourteenth day of the first month at twilight is the LORD’s Passover.
6 And on the fifteenth day of the same month is the Feast of Unleavened Bread to the LORD; seven days you must eat unleavened bread.
7 On the first day you shall have a holy convocation; you shall do no customary work on it.
8 But you shall offer an offering made by fire to the LORD for seven days. The seventh day shall be a holy convocation; you shall do no customary work on it.’”


Matthew 26
Jesus Celebrates Passover with His Disciples
 
17 Now on the first day of the Feast of the Unleavened Bread the disciples came to Jesus, saying to Him, “Where do You want us to prepare for You to eat the Passover?”
18 And He said, “Go into the city to a certain man, and say to him, ‘The Teacher says, “My time is at hand; I will keep the Passover at your house with My disciples.”’”
19 So the disciples did as Jesus had directed them; and they prepared the Passover.
20 When evening had come, He sat down with the twelve. 21 Now as they were eating, He said, “Assuredly, I say to you, one of you will betray Me.”
22 And they were exceedingly sorrowful, and each of them began to say to Him, “Lord, is it I?”
23 He answered and said, “He who dipped his hand with Me in the dish will betray Me.
24 The Son of Man indeed goes just as it is written of Him, but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been good for that man if he had not been born.”
25 Then Judas, who was betraying Him, answered and said, “Rabbi, is it I?”
He said to him, “You have said it.”

Jesus Institutes the Lord’s Supper

26 And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, blessed[b] and broke it, and gave it to the disciples and said, “Take, eat; this is My body.”
27 Then He took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you. 28 For this is My blood of the new[c] covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins. 29 But I say to you, I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you in My Father’s kingdom.”
30 And when they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.