I
thought Passover was for the death of Christ and Easter was for
the resurrection
of Christ. But some years Passover comes after Easter.
How can Jesus have died after his resurrection?
Passover
is a Jewish holy day, observing the time when the Angel of the
Lord brought death to the land of Pharaoh
but “passed
over” the houses of the Hebrew slaves, which had been
marked with the blood of a lamb. It was this final plague that
convinced
Pharaoh to let the Hebrews go. Thus began their “exodus” and
eventual settlement in the Promised Land of Canaan.
Jesus
was arrested when he came to Jerusalem for the Passover festival.
Thus, his
death was linked to the Passover in time. It was also linked
in meaning, namely, that Jesus was perceived as the new “Passover
lamb,” or “paschal lamb,” who would set
people free by his blood. In most years, the Christian
holiday of
Easter comes after the Jewish Passover, but not always.
The two traditions
use different calendars.
