Imagine yourself back in Israel before the time of Jesus. There are no printed books, no websites to browse, no New Testament, no Old Testament (as Christians understand it in its bound up form). Instead, there are collections of precious scrolls faithfully copied by scribes, who would reject any scroll with the slightest copying imperfection.

These scrolls were classified as Torah, Prophets and Writings (Torah, Nevi'im and Ketuveem), collectively known as the Tanach. The Tanach, bound together in our Bibles, would eventually be re-named the Old Testament. Foundational to all of these scrolls was the Torah, which is now collected as the first five books of our Bibles.

The Torah (the teaching of God) was at the foundation of Israel's community, being taught in the home and in congregational meetings. Sometime, possibly from the time of Ezra, the Torah was divided into weekly portions so that throughout the year every Israelite individual, family and community could reflect on God's teaching through Moses. The teachers of Israel would be responsible for interpretation this teaching into every part of life.

When the major Feast days came around the Torah cycle would pause - and alternative, especially relevant passages of the Torah would be taken as the teaching for the period of the Feast. At Passover, the scriptural emphasis was on the first Passover, the Feast of Unleavened Bread and the counting of the Omer, the days between Passover and Pentecost ('Pesach' and 'Shavuot', respectively).

This year, the period for special Passover readings is 23 April (Pesach 1) - 30 April (Pesach 8, Omer 7). On the Hebrew lunar calendar, beginning with a full moon in the sky, this is the middle week of the month of Nisan (Nisan 15 to Nisan 22). Once every year the Lord commanded the Hebrews to remember their deliverance from Egypt and look forward with expectation to the coming early harvest feast of Shavuot, with practical reminders including the Passover Meal and a special emphasis on the reading of the Torah.

Can you imagine yourself back in Israel in the days just before the coming of Jesus, looking back with thanks and looking forward with expectation? It may seem rather different from parallel Christian celebrations today.

These are the prescribed readings for Passover week:

FIRST DAY OF PASSOVER (Pesach 1): Exodus 12:21-51.
This passage recalls the Passover Offering in Egypt and the Plague on the Firstborn of Egypt, followed by the deliverance of the Children of Israel out of Egypt.

SECOND DAY OF PASSOVER (Pesach 2): Leviticus 22:26-23:44.
This passage contains the moedim or 'appointed times' on the Hebrew calendar (occasions for the entire community to come before God and celebrate fellowship with him), also the command to count the Omer (the 49 days leading up to the festival of Shavuot), beginning the count on the second night of Passover.

THE INTERMEDIATE DAYS OF PASSOVER (the four following days):
These are the days of the Feast of Unleavened Bread (Matzah) which began on Pesach 1. These are days to reflect on a sinless life, sanctification before God (especially of the firstborn) and the giving of the Second Tablets of the Ten Commandments.

The prescribed reading from Exodus 33:12-34:26 is centred on the Covenant of God with Israel, and that from Numbers 28:19-25 is focused on the Passover offering by fire on the special Sabbath day of Passover Week. There are variations on the texts read at this time, but the central purpose is clear: to remember what God has done, his faithfulness to the Covenant, living holy lives before him, a looking back and a looking forward in faith and hope.

SEVENTH DAY OF PASSOVER:
Further readings such as the Song at the Sea sung by the Hebrews when they were delivered from Pharaoh (Ex 13:17-15:26).

EIGHTH DAY OF PASSOVER: Deuteronomy 15:19-16:17.
This is a final reflection on the yearly cycle of festivals. The future redemption of Israel is also celebrated in the Haftarah reading (from the Prophets), Isaiah 10:32-12:6.

For the entire week of Pesach there is the opportunity for deep meditation on what God has done and what he will yet do.

Imagine yourself in the Jewish community preceding the coming of Jesus, celebrating Passover, and compare this to the way Christians celebrate Easter today. Have we become detached from our heritage? Of course, our focus is rightly on the fulfilment that Jesus brought to the Feast of Passover, but should we have changed the dates and the emphasis of the celebration? Have we lost something, even though we have gained the objective of every expectant Israelite building up to the time of the Messiah's appearing?

Even though many from the Tribes of Israel have not had the veil removed to see that Jesus (Yeshua) is the fulfilment of the hope expressed in Passover week, the readings for the week and practical activities including the Passover Meal, the Feast of Unleavened Bread and the Counting of the Omer are still relevant. These same things are at the centre of Jewish life to this day, so that it can be said that it was not so much that the Jews kept the Torah, but that the Torah kept the Jews.

The Christian world so changed the practices of Passover to what is now called Easter, that it is now almost unrecognisable to the Jews. And do not we ourselves feel somewhat detached from that ancient heritage now fulfilled in Jesus the Messiah, including in our understanding of the scriptures?

At the end of Passover this year, with Christian Easter some weeks past, why not meditate upon these things just as the Jewish world is doing this weekend, looking forward to the future redemption of Israel. Perhaps we should also ask what Passover next year might look like within the celebrations of our own believing community, grafted more firmly into the heritage of Israel?

Author: Clifford Denton