Introduction to the New Testament

Passover Theme

An Analysis of the Continuous Themes of Passover, Desert, Law and Death in the Old and New Testaments

The Passover of the Old Testament was connected to the deliverance of the Hebrews from slavery under Pharaoh. Their slavery in Egypt was symbolic of the chosen people's slavery to sin, and the Passover symbolized their Redemption by the blood of a lamb. However, before they could come to the land promised them by God they first had to spend 40 years wandering in the desert. In the desert, the Hebrews were given a new law through Moses (Leviticus 18-19), later simplified by Christ (Matthew 22:36-40). Christ also fasted in the desert (as did the Baptist) to show the need for prayer and penance on the road to Redemption, which Christ fulfilled through His death on the cross. This paper will show how the themes of Passover, desert, law, and death feature throughout the Old Testament and the New.

Fulton Sheen makes clear that the sacrifice of the Old Law finds its ultimate perfection in the sacrifice of the New Covenant established by Jesus Christ during the Passover of His 33rd year. Sheen explains the relation between Jesus' words at the Last Supper and the Passover by explaining how the Passover itself signified a new sacrifice for the Jews: "The old promise made to Israel in Egypt still held good and could be claimed, in a higher sense, by all who invoked the Blood poured out on the Cross: 'the blood will be a sign on the houses in which you are; when I see the blood I will pass over you' (Exodus 12:13)….When Christ came into the world to be the fulfillment of the order of Melchisedech…the priesthood of Melchisedech came into its own" (397). Here one can see a continuity of covenants between God and man, all leading to the covenant that Christ made with man at the Last Supper -- and it is directly and intimately connected to the Passover.

According to J. Daniel Hays, "Jesus was not advocating the continuation of the traditional Jewish approach of adherence to the Law. Nor was He advocating that the Law be dismissed altogether. He was proclaiming that the meaning of the Law must be interpreted in light of His coming and in light of the profound changes introduced by the New Covenant" (21). Essentially, Exodus 12:1-50 established the fact of the blood of the lamb being shed as a tool for Jewish salvation. Likewise, the evangelists take up the theme, but each in his way. John, for example, describes the Baptist as saying, "Behold, the Lamb of God!" (1:36), and later in the Book of Revelation: "And I looked, and, lo, a Lamb stood on the mount Sion" (14:1), thus connecting Christ to the Paschal Lamb of the Passover celebration.

Indeed, the ways in which the New Testament takes up and develops the themes of the Passover, the desert, the law, and death are all intimately connected in the passion of Christ, culminating in the shedding of His blood. First, it is shed in an unbloody manner at the Last Supper when Jesus institutes the sacrament of Holy Communion. Mark writes, "He said to them, 'This is my blood of the new covenant, which is poured out for many'" (14:24), showing that Jesus clearly establishes a new covenant as He and His followers sit for the Passover.

Fulton Sheen explains the relation between Jesus' words at the Last Supper and the Passover by explaining how the Passover itself signified a new sacrifice for the Jews:

The old promise made to Israel in Egypt still held good and could be claimed, in a higher sense, by all who invoked the Blood poured out on the Cross: "As for you, the blood will be a sign on the houses in which you are; when I see the blood I will pass over you; the mortal blow shall not touch you, when I strike the land of Egypt" (Exodus 12:13). Levi's House of priesthood was now dismissed. The Order of Melchisedech became the law in the House of Levi. The "no admittance" sign before the Holy of Holies of the earthly temple was removed. When Christ came into the world to be the fulfillment of the order of Melchisedech…the priesthood of Melchisedech came into its own, and with it the true Holy of Holies, the true Ark of the New Covenant, the true Bread of Life. (397)

Sheen's assertion that the Last Supper effectively instituted the new priesthood of the Church is reflected in John's Gospel, which contains a significant lecture by Jesus to his Apostles at the Last Supper. Jesus says, "Father…Glorify thy Son, that thy Son may glorify thee, even as thou hast given him power over all flesh, in order that to all thou hast given him he may give everlasting life" (17:1-2).

Yet, Christ does not enter into his passion until after fasting in the desert (followed by his temptation). Joseph Fitzmyer notes that the three scenes of Jesus' temptation, though they differ in order from the other Synoptic Gospels, "have a common subject in that they correct a false understanding of Jesus' mission as Son" (509). The scenes of Jesus' temptation in Luke help clarify the exact mission of Christ, but each of the temptations also serves as an example of the kind of temptation every man can be expected to face at some point in his life -- in modern times no less than in ancient. Such is the reason they are recorded by Luke, according to Fulton Sheen, who describes each temptation as a "short cut from the cross" to kingship. "Good men," as Sheen states, "are not tempted in the same way as evil men, and the son of God, Who became man, was not tempted in the same way as even a good man" (63). As Luke's narrative begins, Jesus is being "led by the Spirit" (Luke 4:1), which is to say he was participating in a retreat in the desert. Going into the desert was often a part of retreating from the world and getting in touch with the spirit. Those who did so removed themselves from the company of men to grow in solitary communion with God. Jesus does this after his baptism, to show that the soul's entry into communion with God must be accompanied by submission (through prayer and fasting). Following this example, Jesus is tempted by Satan -- a situation parallels the Hebrews' temptation to worship the golden calf while Moses is communing with God on the mountain. Thus the themes of desert and law are continuous from Old Testament to New Testament.

Death is, of course, one of the punishments for sin, and this theme can be traced back to the very beginnings of the Old Testament: The first covenant actually had two parts: the Edenic and the Adamic. The Edenic covenant (Gen 1:26-30, 2:16-17) was between Adam and God before the Fall. God issued his law, which was that Adam must not eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Of course, Adam broke this law, at which point God and Adam formed a new covenant, the Adamic covenant, in which God tells of the consequences that Adam and his progeny must now suffer -- namely, exclusion from Paradise and death.

Christ, however, pays the death man owes to God and re-opens the gates of Heaven through His sacrifice on the cross. He also gives an example of how one should face death. The gospel narratives of His death contain different descriptions of the same event, because each evangelist is conveying a distinct message to a distinct group: "These differences are not the random discrepancies one expects from the plurality of witness; rather, they are mainly deliberate choices made by each Evangelist to underscore themes that are consistent with the rest of their respective gospels" (Hamm ). For Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, the Gospels are narratives not simply of the Passion and Death of Christ. They are narratives written expressly for groups who are more responsive to certain information. Thus, John relies more on the Divine teaching of Jesus, while Matthew frequently refers to the Old Testament to show how Jesus' coming was prophesied and foreshadowed.

The key idea that the theme of death continues in the New Testament may be seen in the martyrdom of St. Stephen, who indicates the necessity of giving testimony to Christ even in the face of one's enemies -- for it is in just such circumstances that the Faith is spread: By displaying conviction in truth, for which Stephen is ready to shed his blood, we see how we must be ready to die for Christ.