The Bright Resurrection of Christ is also called Passover. This is related to the events of Holy Week (the betrayal of Judas, the arrest of Christ, the trial against Him, and the crucifixion) that occurred on the eve of the Jewish Passover, and the Resurrection of Christ — on the night of Passover.
Passover, or Pesach, is one of the oldest and most significant holidays in Judaism. This holiday commemorates the exodus of the Jews from Egypt and their liberation from 400 years of slavery.
Where Did the Word 'Passover' Come From?
The term 'Passover' has Greek origins from the word pascha, which translates to 'liberation.' This word entered the Greek language from Aramaic, which was one of the main languages of the Middle East, and in Aramaic, its meaning was somewhat different — 'exodus.' The Aramaic word, in turn, traces back to the ancient Hebrew pēsah. Originally, this verb meant 'to leap over,' and later acquired the meaning of 'to pass by' or 'to leave untouched.'
According to tradition, the name of the holiday Pesach is related to God passing over the houses of the Jews when punishing the Egyptians for Pharaoh's refusal to let the Jewish people go. 'And the blood shall be to you for a token upon the houses where you are: and when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and the plague shall not be upon you to destroy you, when I smite the land of Egypt,' it says in verse 13 of chapter 12 of Exodus — the second book of the Pentateuch (Old Testament).
Why Did the Word 'Passover' Enter Christian Tradition?
The answer to this question can be found in the words of Archpriest Seraphim Slobodsky: 'The Passover lamb, whose blood saved the firstborn of the Jews from death, is a foreshadowing of the Savior Himself, Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world, whose blood delivers all believers from eternal destruction.
The Old Testament Jewish Passover foreshadowed our New Testament, Christian Passover. Just as death passed over the homes of the Jews and they were liberated from Egyptian slavery, so in the Christian Passover, the Resurrection of Christ, eternal death passed over us: The Risen Christ, having freed us from the bondage of the devil, granted us eternal life.
Christ died on the cross on the day when the Passover lamb was sacrificed, and rose immediately after the Jewish Passover; that is why the Resurrection of Christ is also called Passover.'
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