What event does the Passover celebrate?

Answer 1

The Exodus from Egypt.

Answer:

The events surrounding the first Passover was orchestrated by Jesus Christ [the Creator God of the Old Testament; the WORD of God - John 1:3], to initially release Abraham's descendants from their bondage in Egypt.

It was a special intercession by God into the affairs of man to begin "phase one" of His plan of Salvation.

Not only were the Israelites released from slavery in Egypt... it also symbolizes man's release from his "slavery to sin" through the "blood of the lamb" struck over the doors and windows of the houses of the Israelites. The angel of death passed over those specially protected houses.

The Passover is the FIRST of God's seven annual Holy Days that He commands His people to observe [Lev.23].

The Passover, however, is not "celebrated" in the sense that we normally think... as a joyous occasion of laughter and dancing. Like the rest of God's commanded Holy Days... it's a "prophecy" that pointed to the future shed blood of Jesus Christ, who has since then FULFILLED IT in Himself.

"...For even Christ OUR PASSOVER IS SACRIFICED FOR US: therefore let us keep the feast..." (I Cor.5:7-8).

Leviticus 23 reveals that the "feast" day isn't the Passover. The feast day is THE DAY AFTER PASSOVER:

"In the fourteenth day of the first month at even is the Lord's Passover. And on the fifteenth day of the same month is the FEAST OF UNLEAVENED BREAD unto the Lord: seven days ye must eat Unleavened Bread." (Lev.23:5-6)

The Passover is a SOLEMN MEMORIAL [a yearly remembrance... like MLK day, or President's day, or Memorial Day, etc], not a "feast." The Passover REMEMBERS JESUS' SACRIFICE OF HIMSELF TO BLOT OUT OUR PAST SINS... that we might begin living our new life, free of sin in Him, in accordance with GOD's WORD, the Holy Bible, the UNLEAVENED BREAD OF GOD! The Words of Jesus Christ.

"...Man shall not live by BREAD alone, but by EVERY WORD that proceedeth out of the mouth of God." (Matt.4:4)

"...I am the Bread of Life: he that cometh to Me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on Me shall never thirst." (John 6:35)

"I am the Living Bread which came down from heaven..." (verse 51).

The Passover isn't a "celebration" -- it's a sober, solemn memorial [remembrance] of Jesus' death:

"...this DO IN REMEMBRANCE OF ME." (Luke 22:19).

The Israelites spoiled Egypt the day after the first Passover... taking everything and anything they would need as supplies on their journey to "run away and escape from Egypt" [including gold, silver, valuables and precious gems and fabrics, which they would use to construct the Tabernacle in the wilderness... though they didn't know it at the time]. If they would have stayed in Egypt, they would have returned to slavery -- just as a believer in Jesus' blood must run away from sin [and Satan; symbolized by Pharaoh who pursued them to bring them back] and begin living in obedience to God's Word, the Unleavened Bread of Life.

For they also, that day after, hastily baked many loaves of bread to feed them along the way [they didn't have time to wait for regular bread to rise]. So the unleavened bread was plain and unembellished... simple sustenance... like the spirit-sustaining nourishment of the Truth of God ["...thy Word is Truth." - John 17:17].

"...the Words that I speak unto you, THEY ARE SPIRIT, and THEY ARE LIFE." (John 6:63)

So, the Passover isn't a "celebration" -- it's a MEMORIAL... a REMEMBRANCE of Jesus' sacrifice for His creation, man [to purchase man back from his master, Satan the Devil, who has him bound in slavery to sin]. The Passover always pointed to that moment centuries ago, now... when God began to fulfill the prophetic significance of His seven annual Holy Day observances.

All seven of them are "Christ-centered." And Jesus Christ... one-by-one... is going to fulfill them all.

The Passover was the first terrible hurdle He had to overcome to get the ball rolling in "phase one of the seven phases" of His Father's plan [the seventh of which is the Last Great Day; Judgment Day]. Jesus, the man, had to overcome His mortal terror and dread of what He knew was about to happen to Him:

"...O My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless NOT AS I WILL, but AS THOU WILT." (Matt.26:39)

"...in the days of His flesh, when He offered up prayers and supplications with STRONG CRYING and TEARS unto Him that was able to save Him from death, and was heard IN THAT HE FEARED; though He were a Son, yet LEARNED HE OBEDIENCE BY THE THINGS WHICH HE SUFFERED; and being made Perfect, He became the Author of Eternal Salvation unto ALL THEM THAT OBEY HIM; called of God and HIGH PRIEST..." (Heb.5:7-10).

Jesus wasn't in a "celebrating" mood that Passover. He was about to BECOME the world's Passover. All the world had to do was "believe" in Him... put its faith and trust in Him. The Passover isn't a day of celebration... but a necessary day when God shed His Divine blood to purchase His future Family from the Devil, to whom they sold themselves into slavery in the beginning.

"...by His own blood He entered in once into the Holy Place [heaven], having obtained Eternal Redemption for us... How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the Eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the Living God [according to the Unleavened Bread of His Living Word]?" (Heb.9:12-14)

"...almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding blood is no remission." (verse 22)

The Passover isn't "CELEBRATED"... it's "REMEMBERED." This do in remembrance of Me.

The "celebration" begins the NEXT DAY, the day AFTER the Passover -- FEAST DAY. When those who died in Christ and were washed clean by His blood, begin their "new Life" in Him [the Living Christ]... running away from sin... running from breaking God's Commandments [living within God's law instead of "under its penalty"]... running from the ways of their former master, Satan -- and beginning to learn the Loving, Caring, Forgiving ways of God through obedience to His Word, the Bread of Life.

Answer 2

Passover (Pesach in Hebrew), commemorates the exodus of the Israelites from Egypt.