"In the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month, between sundown and complete darkness, comes Pesach for Adonai. On the fifteenth day of the same month is the festival of matzah; for seven days you are to eat matzah. On the first day you are to have a holy convocation; don't do any kind of ordinary work. Bring an offering made by fire to Adonai for seven days. On the seventh day is a holy convocation; do not do any kind of ordinary work." (Leviticus 23:5-8 CJB)

“And you shall slaughter the Passover to יהוה your Elohim, from the flock and the herd, in the place where יהוה chooses to put His Name.  “Eat no leavened bread with it. For seven days you eat unleavened bread with it, bread of affliction, because you came out of the land of Mitsrayim in haste – so that you remember the day in which you came out of the land of Mitsrayim, all the days of your life.  “And no leaven should be seen with you in all your border for seven days, neither should any of the meat which you slaughter in the evening on the first day stay all night until morning.  “You are not allowed to slaughter the Passover within any of your gates which יהוה your Elohim gives you, but at the place where יהוה your Elohim chooses to make His Name dwell, there you slaughter the Passover in the evening, at the going down of the sun, at the appointed time you came out of Mitsrayim.  And you shall roast and eat it in the place which יהוה your Elohim chooses, and in the morning you shall turn and go to your tents." (Deuteronomy 16:2-7 The Scriptures)

"The holy day, Pesach (Passover), announces the arrival of spring on the Jewish calendar.  Its importance to the biblical plan can be seen in the timing of the festival.  As one looks at the major holy days in Scripture, a striking parallel can be seen.  Major days are bunched in two groups in two different times of the year.  The spring holy days of Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread, First Fruits and Pentecost occur within a fifty-day time span from March to June.  A long summer intervenes until the fall holy days of Rosh HaShanah, Yom Kippur and Sukkot, usually in September and/or October.  The chronology of these days perfectly fits the salvation plan of God through his Messiah, Yeshua of Nazareth . . . the meaning of Passover is found in Leviticus 23.  The Hebrew word "pesach" means "to spring, jump or pass over" something . . . this is a historical reference to God's deliverance of Israel from the bondage of Egypt as recorded in Exodus." (God's Appointed Times by Barney Kasdan, p. 26)

"The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world." (John 1:29 KJV)

"And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life. For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. 
"Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot." (1 Peter 1:18-19 KJV)

"Your boasting is not good. Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the entire lump?  Therefore cleanse out the old leaven, so that you are a new lump, as you are unleavened. For also Messiah our Passover was offered for us.  So then let us observe the festival, not with old leaven, nor with the leaven of evil and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth. (1 Corinthians 5:6-8 The Scriptures)

"But Messiah, having become a High Priest of the coming good matters, through the greater and more perfect Tent not made with hands, that is, not of this creation, entered into the Most Set-apart Place once for all, not with the blood of goats and calves, but with His own blood, having obtained everlasting redemption. For if the blood of bulls and goats and the ashes of a heifer, sprinkling the defiled, sets apart for the cleansing of the flesh, how much more shall the blood of the Messiah, who through the everlasting Spirit offered Himself unblemished to Elohim, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living Elohim? (Hebrews 9:11-14 The Scriptures)

• The Messiah died on the cross to give humanity the opportunity to live forever.  He also died on the cross to give humanity the ability, through the Holy Spirit, to keep the commandments.  Ultimately, we serve Yah by keeping His commandments (alive works).
• "Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city." (Revelation 12:14 KJV)

"But is now made manifest by the appearing of our Saviour Jesus Christ, who hath abolished death, and hath brought life and immortality to light through the gospel." (2 Timothy 1:10 KJV)

"To obey your commission spotlessly and irreproachably until our Lord Yeshua the Messiah appears.  His appearing will be brought about in its own time by the blessed and sole Sovereign, who is King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone is immortal, who dwells in unapproachable light that no human being has ever seen or can see — to him be honor and eternal power. Amen."  (1 Timothy 6:14-16 CJB)

"And ye know that he was manifested to take away our sins; and in him is no sin. Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not: whosoever sinneth hath not seen him, neither known him.  Little children, let no man deceive you: he that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous.  He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil." (1 John 3:5-8 KJV)

"But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man . . .   Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil; And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage." (Hebrews 2:9, 14-15 KJV)

"Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you . . . Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come. (John 16:7, 13 KJV)

"A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. 
"We are witnesses to these things; so is the Ruach HaKodesh (The Holy Spirit), whom God has given to those who obey him." (Acts 5:32 CJB)

• Passover reminds us of the tremendous sacrifice of the Messiah for Israel and for all of mankind.  Immortality is available to humanity because of the sacrifice of Messiah.  Leavened bread pictures sin and wickedness and unleavened bread pictures righteousness and purity.  Passover and the days of Unleavened Bread pictures His people and, in the future, all of humanity learning how to obey Yah by His Holy Spirit.
• Remember, trust in Yah must have works (James 2:14-26).  The Messiah's sacrifice gave us each the opportunity to have immortality.  However, Yah expects us to obey Him. 
• We prove to Yah we believe and trust Him by obeying His commandments.

"Therefore, let us approach the Holiest Place with a sincere heart, in the full assurance that comes from trusting — with our hearts sprinkled clean from a bad conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.  Let us continue holding fast to the hope we acknowledge, without wavering; for the One who made the promise is trustworthy.  And let us keep paying attention to one another, in order to spur each other on to love and good deeds,  not neglecting our own congregational meetings, as some have made a practice of doing, but, rather, encouraging each other. And let us do this all the more as you see the Day approaching.  For if we deliberately continue to sin after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins,  but only the terrifying prospect of Judgment, of raging fire that will consume the enemies.  Someone who disregards the Torah of Moshe is put to death without mercy on the word of two or three witnesses.  Think how much worse will be the punishment deserved by someone who has trampled underfoot the Son of God; who has treated as something common the blood of the covenant which made him holy; and who has insulted the Spirit, giver of God's grace!" (Hebrews 10:22-29 CJB)

• "He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him." (John 3:36 KJV)

How is Passover and the 7 days of Unleavened Bread celebrated?

"And let your food that night be the flesh of the lamb, cooked with fire in the oven, together with unleavened bread and bitter-tasting plants. Do not take it uncooked or cooked with boiling water, but let it be cooked in the oven; its head with its legs and its inside parts. Do not keep any of it till the morning; anything which is not used is to be burned with fire." (Exodus 12:8-10 Bible in Basic English)

• Exodus 12 & 13 gives you the details about Passover and the 7 days of Unleavened Bread.
  
• Remove all leavening and leavening agents (Exodus 13:7) from your homes before the 1st day of Unleavened Bread which is the evening of Nissan 14 (Exodus 12:15, 19-20 KJV).
• We are commanded to eat unleavened bread 7 days (Exodus 12:15).
  
• The Passover lamb (you can get a lamb at your local grocery store) is eaten at the going down of the sun on the evening of Nissan 14 which is the beginning of Nissan 15.  For 2013, March 26th is estimated to be Nissan 14 according to the New Moon calendar.  For those who follow the Jewish calendar, March 25th is Nissan 14.
• We should eat bitter herbs with the lamb.
• Messiah instructed us to wash each other's feet during the time of Passover (John 13:3-17 KJV).
• The Days of Unleavened bread, like all of the Holy Days of Yah, is a time of giving to Torah teachers and to others in need.
  
• For more information about Passover click Pesach.
• For more information about the Passover meal click Seder
  

Have a wonderful Pesach and Hag HaMatzah!  

• You will receive another e-mail shortly after this one about Prophecy and The Abomination of Desolation.  I didn't want to talk about two subjects in the same e-mail.

Warmest regards,