To the majority of the world, the question of what Christians need to do to prepare for the Passover doesn’t make any sense. Why would a Christian need to prepare for a “Jewish” memorial? While the majority of professing Christians today don’t understand it, the Bible clearly instructs that the Passover is to be observed by true Christians today. In addition, it is not enough to observe Passover as a mere memorial, but it also must be observed in the right way – with reverence and honor. To do anything less incurs the penalty of taking the Passover in an unworthy manner (compare 1 Corinthians 11:27).

Acknowledging that it is important for true Christians to observe the Passover and participate in the right way, it is incumbent upon them to prepare diligently. What do Christians need to do to prepare for the Passover so they can fully observe and participate in the annual Passover service?

To begin with, participants in the Passover service must be properly baptized. Baptism is a covenant between man and God, in which a commitment is made by man to live a life that is dedicated to removing sin from one’s life and also to live in the faith of salvation provided by Jesus Christ’s Sacrifice. Passover, in large part, is a reaffirmation of this baptism commitment. In our free booklet, “The Meaning of God’s Spring Holy Days,” the requirement of baptism is explained:

“No male was allowed, in Old Testament times, to partake of the Passover, unless he was circumcised. True Christians are circumcised spiritually, in the heart, by and through the Holy Spirit dwelling in them, after proper baptism. Therefore, only properly baptized members of the spiritual body of Christ—the Church—who don’t hold grudges against anyone, and who do not have hate toward others in their hearts, are to partake of the annual symbols of bread and wine. In doing so, they reflect on the suffering and death of Jesus Christ. This teaching is supported by the fact that Jesus waited until Judas had left them, before He introduced the New Testament symbols of bread and wine.”

The requirement for baptism applies not only to the participation in the portion of the service for taking the wine and unleavened bread, but also for the footwashing ceremony, which is integral to the observation of the Passover. Please see our Q&A, “Should an Unbaptized Person Participate in Footwashing?” for a complete explanation.

It is of tantamount importance in preparation for the Passover that we, as true Christians, must make sure that we fully comprehend and acknowledge the role of Christ’s Sacrifice in our lives, and what it means for our salvation. The use of red wine and broken bread are very important symbols, and we must make sure that we comprehend what they are about.

First, to understand the symbol of the broken bread, we must discern the body of Christ. What does this mean? What is the purpose of Christ’s physical suffering for our sake? Quoting from our Q&A about discerning the Lord’s body:

“The symbol of the broken bread, pointing to Christ’s wounded, torn body and His stripes, stands for our physical healing.

“When Paul talked about the need that we discern the Lord’s body, he was addressing Christ’s PHYSICAL body which was beaten for our physical healing.”

Since participating in the Passover observance involves partaking of broken, unleavened bread, our preparation must involve our comprehension and acknowledgement of Jesus Christ’s physical Sacrifice. This physical Sacrifice of Christ’s broken body functions as the means of our physical healing, which is elaborated in 1 Peter 2:24, explaining that it was Jesus Christ, “… who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness—by whose stripes you were healed.” In our preparation for the Passover we must confirm in our hearts that we can be physically healed by Christ’s physical Sacrifice.

Just as the broken bread must be understood as representing the physical Sacrifice of Jesus Christ, the symbol of the red wine in the Passover service must also be fully comprehended and acknowledged in order to prepare for the Passover. Quoting again from “The Meaning of God’s Spring Holy Days,” “Jesus Christ also introduced the New Testament symbol of the wine. The wine which Christ drank, and which He wants His disciples to partake of, was red wine, symbolizing Christ’s blood, which He shed for our sins. The wine represents a reaffirmation of a Christian’s acceptance of the blood of Christ for the remission or forgiveness of sins (Matthew 26:27–28; Romans 3:24–25; Hebrews 9:11–14; 1 John 1:7–9; 2:2).”

Without the blood Sacrifice offered by Jesus Christ, we must acknowledge that our sins could not be forgiven. Therefore, when we prepare ourselves for observance of the Passover, we must be cognizant of what it means when we drink the Passover wine. The red wine represents the blood that Jesus shed so that each one of us may be forgiven of our sins. If we fail to accept this fact, we are not fully preparing ourselves. Hebrews 10:29 pronounces a dire warning to those who do not consider the gravity of this symbol, “Of how much worse punishment, do you suppose, will he be thought worthy who has trampled the Son of God underfoot, counted the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified a common thing, and insulted the Spirit of grace?” The symbol of red wine is a reminder of the spiritual salvation that we have been offered, and this must be fully acknowledged and accepted in our hearts.

Certainly, a significant component involved in Passover preparation involves learning and fully acknowledging the significance of Jesus Christ’s physical Sacrifice and the effect of forgiveness through that Sacrifice. Developing this understanding alone is not sufficient for a complete preparation, however. The next necessary step involved in Passover preparation is self-examination. As Paul instructs in 1 Corinthians 11:28-31, “But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of the bread and drink of the cup. For he who eats and drinks in an unworthy manner eats and drinks judgment to himself, not discerning the Lord’s body. For this reason many are weak and sick among you, and many sleep. For if we would judge ourselves, we would not be judged.” To examine ourselves prior to participating in the Passover service, is clearly of vital importance. If we do not take this measure, there are serious consequences.

Self-examination is a process in which we are to consider our behavior to discover if we have sin that we have not repented of. There is no doubt that we will find sin in our lives, as all people have sinned (compare 1 John 1:8). However, as we discover sin in our lives we must be willing to eradicate it from our behavior, and repent. Only if we confess our sins and become willing to conform our behavior to godly obedience do we become qualified for forgiveness through Christ’s Sacrifice. The purpose of self-examination in preparation before the Passover is not to find ourselves unworthy and disqualify ourselves if we find sin, but rather, the purpose is to find ways of becoming more zealous in our conversion. Quoting from “The Meaning of God’s Spring Holy Days”:

“A Christian needs to EXAMINE himself before taking the Passover, but he is told to “eat of the bread and drink of the cup” (1 Corinthians 11:28). So, the examination should establish that he IS on the right track—that Christ DOES live in him. And if, during the examination, a Christian finds that he is lacking in some aspects, he needs to REPENT of that; he needs to ask God for forgiveness; he needs to resolve and make an effort to do better; and, at the same time, he needs to understand that with God’s help, he can, and must, and will do better.

“On the other hand, a Christian CANNOT take the Passover in an unworthy manner, or unworthily. He needs to examine himself before the Passover to make sure that he DOES NOT partake of it in an unworthy manner, but rather, that he takes it in a WORTHY manner. “

The outcome of self-examination therefore must deepen our conversion and increase our love of God as expressed by our desire to obey His commandments (compare 1 John 5:3).

Our preparations for the Passover should also involve reconciliation with our brethren to bring about spiritual healing with God and man. The broken bread of Christ stands for our physical healing. We must also be spiritually reconciled or “healed” with God and with each other (Acts 28:25-27). If we devour each other, we can’t expect to receive physical healing (1 Corinthians 10:16-17).

As we read in Matthew 5:23-24, “‘Therefore if you bring your gift to the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar, and go your way. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift.’” From this verse we can see the importance of seeking forgiveness, not only from God, but also from our brethren. Knowing that love for God is also expressed by love towards brethren, when we discover sins that we have committed against others, we are found in violation of the commandment to love our brethren. Therefore, if we want to express our love towards others as we are commanded, it is important to sincerely and earnestly ask for forgiveness. If we want to be reconciled to God, we cannot do so without reconciling any unresolved conflict with others.

Likewise, in preparation for the Passover, if we want to be worthy of forgiveness through the Sacrifice of Jesus Christ, we must also forgive others. Matthew 6:14-15 clearly states, “‘For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.’” In the process of reconciliation, the corollary of seeking forgiveness is to also offer it to those who seek it from us. This act of offering forgiveness is an important element in the process of reconciliation in the way that it is also an expression of love for one another, and therefore an expression of our love towards God.

As we begin to prepare ourselves to observe the Passover, we must make sure that we are fully aware of our responsibilities. We cannot participate in a passive way, but rather, our role must be active. In our examination of ourselves, our love for God and our fellow man must be found thriving. Our love for God becomes manifest by our willingness to turn from sin and live obediently, and our love for our fellow man is demonstrated by our deeds. We also acknowledge that as much as we try to love God and man in the way we live, we continue to sin, and must therefore rely exclusively on the Sacrifice of Jesus Christ to provide us with the physical healing and spiritual salvation that we need. The promise of eternal life awaits those who prepare in these ways.

Lead Writer: Eric Rank

The Bible records a peculiar fact about the history of Christ’s ministry. In John 4:1-2 we read, “Therefore… the Lord knew that the Pharisees had heard that Jesus made and baptized more disciples than John (though Jesus Himself did not baptize, but His disciples).” Knowing the importance of the doctrine of baptism in Christianity, it is interesting to see that Jesus did not baptize personally. What does the Bible say about this recorded fact? Is it a contradiction when the Bible says that Jesus “baptized more disciples than John” while also stating that “Jesus Himself did not baptize”?

To begin with, it is important to note that baptisms have taken different forms and serve different purposes. We find that when Israel “…passed through the sea, all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea” (1 Corinthians 10:1-2). John the Baptist performed baptisms of repentance for the remission of sins that prepared the way for Jesus’ ministry (compare Luke 3:3-5). The baptism of Jesus serves yet an additional purpose, being a baptism with, and of, the Holy Spirit.

John the Baptist understood the distinction between the baptism by water for repentance and the baptism by water with the Holy Spirit, as recorded in Matthew 3:11. John the Baptist is quoted, “I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.”

At the same time, we must realize that John’s baptism for repentance was an integral part of the baptism with the Holy Spirit. One cannot receive the Holy Spirit without being properly baptized in water, and that baptism includes repentance. Jesus insisted to be baptized by John, even though He did not have anything to repent of, as He never sinned, but He wanted to give us an example, to fulfill all righteousness, showing that we must be baptized today in water for repentance. At the same time, John’s baptism for repentance was not enough. In Acts 19:1-5, Paul baptized disciples who had been baptized by John for repentance, but they had not known anything about the Holy Spirit. He explained that they had to believe in Jesus and that they had to be baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus, to receive the Holy Spirit.

From this we see that the type of baptism by water that Jesus would fulfill is different than the baptism by water for repentance performed by John. This distinction is further elaborated in John 1:32-33 when John the Baptist describes his experience baptizing Jesus Christ, “And John bore witness, saying, ‘I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and He remained upon Him. I did not know Him, but He who sent me to baptize with water said to me, “Upon whom you see the Spirit descending, and remaining on Him, this is He who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.”’” We can clearly see that John’s work was to perform baptism by water for repentance, and Jesus’ primary responsibility involved performing baptisms by water, not just for repentance, but also, for granting the gift of the Holy Spirit.

Part of the answer to the question of why Jesus didn’t personally perform the physical act of baptism involves the fact that He made the decision to delegate the physical task to His apostles. This shows that the baptisms of His apostles WERE in fact done pursuant to Christ’s responsibility and instruction, and this is the reason why we read on several occasions that Christ baptized (John 3:22 and 3:26). Even though He did not baptize personally, baptisms through His apostles were viewed by God as baptisms through Christ. The same is true today. When God’s ministers baptize in the name of Jesus Christ, then God and Christ view this as if the baptism had been done by God the Father and Jesus Christ themselves. We also need to stress that today, ONLY ordained ministers should baptize. It is true that at the time of Christ, He used His apostles (who were not converted, as they had not received the gift of the Holy Spirit] to baptize in preparation for the gift of the Holy Spirit at the time of Pentecost. But the apostles were in quite a different category as we are today. For instance, God gave them also power to cast out demons (something which unordained members should NEVER attempt to do). But once the New Testament church was founded, the Bible is very clear that the Holy Spirit would only be given after water baptism and the laying on of hands by ordained ministers of God.

This is an example of a division of labor in the work of the ministry. The Bible makes it clear that the distribution of ministerial responsibilities is an important part of the composition of the Church of God. We read, “For as we have many members in one body, but all the members do not have the same function” (Romans 12:4). In addition, “And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers” (Ephesians 4:11). From these Scriptures, we can conclude that there are divisions of responsibilities, and that the primary focus of one’s ministry may not be the same as another’s. As evidence of this, we can see that Paul’s primary responsibility in Corinth was not to baptize, but to preach the gospel (1 Corinthians 1:17). At the same time, this did not preclude Paul from baptizing. We have already seen that he baptized disciples who had not known of the Holy Spirit, and Paul had just recounted in 1 Corinthians 1:14-16 whom he had baptized in the church at Corinth.

When we read about Paul’s experiences, we find another potential reason that Jesus chose not to perform physical baptism by water. In his first letter to the Corinthians, Paul expresses his frustration about the contention and the fissures in unity that occurred in the Church because of allegiance to the men in leadership positions. Paul writes, “Now I say this, that each of you says, ‘I am of Paul,’ or ‘I am of Apollos,’ or ‘I am of Cephas,’ or ‘I am of Christ.’ Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul? I thank God that I baptized none of you except Crispus and Gaius, lest anyone should say that I had baptized in my own name” (1 Corinthians 1:12-15). Paul acknowledges that the sinful divisions within the Corinthian Church might have been worse if he had performed more baptisms. The divisive behavior of the Church at Corinth is an indicator to Paul that a baptism performed by him in Corinth would have become a problem. He conjectures that if more people in Corinth had been baptized by him, it could have caused people to falsely inflate its legitimacy. Paul thanks God that he didn’t baptize more people in Corinth because the divisions among men there could have been worse.

Jesus Christ may have had the same perception that Paul had about how a baptism performed by Him would be used as a status symbol. One potential explanation for Jesus not generally performing the physical act of baptism by water is that He didn’t want the event to become a stumbling block for those being baptized. Knowing that a baptism by Jesus Himself would have been a very special event, it could have overshadowed the true meaning of a baptism of repentance with water for the remission of sins and the subsequent receipt of the Holy Spirit. Jesus knew that the act of repentance, and the commitment made during baptism, was critical, and He certainly would not want to do anything to shift the focus away from that.

We do not know exactly what the apostles said and did when they baptized before Christ’s death. We would conclude that they had knowledge of the Holy Spirit, and that they would have included this aspect, together with repentance, in their baptisms. We also know that the apostles had been baptized when Christ washed their feet in John 13. He said to Peter that the one who is “bathed” (literally, “baptized”) needs only to wash his feet to be clean (John 13:10). We would assume that they had been baptized by John the Baptist, as Christ was, but we cannot totally rule out that Christ had baptized them as well, even though He did not baptize the multitudes of disciples.

Jesus Christ’s role in baptism has always been a vitally important one. We learn from the Bible that He was involved in and ordered baptisms by water, but that He did not physically perform them. Personally performing baptisms (with the possible exception of His apostles and other selected disciples) was not a required job for Him during His life on earth. This responsibility was delegated to His apostles, and continues to be a responsibility of His ministry today. Because He chose not to perform physical baptisms, He prevented people from treating a baptism by Him as a status symbol. The most important role Jesus plays in water baptism involves the bestowal of the Holy Spirit, which continues to be His responsibility today.

Lead Writers: Eric Rank, Norbert Link and Dave Harris