The Plainer Truth about . . .
How does Grace harmonize with Christian Passover?

The Plainer Truth about . . .
How does God's Grace harmonize with the Christian Passover?

The word "grace" in the King James Version Bible has become a vague, meaningless translation of the Greek word charis (Strong's Concordance #G5485). Attempts to make it plain have erroneously said that grace was "unmerited pardon." Unmerited pardon is "justification," which is not grace, but BY grace (favor) (Romans 3:24, Titus 3:7). Charis is translated "favor" many times in the King James Version Bible. The book of Luke says of Jesus:

"And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man." (Luke 2:52, KJV throughout)

Jesus increased in favor, charis, with God and man. Jesus did not increase in unmerited pardon with man!

Favor is the best translation of the Greek word charis and retains the essential meaning of the word grace. Notice what Luke also wrote of Jesus:

"And the child (Jesus) grew, and waxed strong in spirit, filled with wisdom: and the grace (favor, charis) of God was upon him." (Luke 2:40)

We are favored by God with Jesus as our Passover because we are made in His image. We did nothing for this favor, even as our children did nothing to have our favor when they are born.

We favor them because they are our children. What our children do as they grow can cause them to grow in favor with us. One can also fall out of favor with God or even a boss if not obeyed (see Galatians 5:4).

God wants us to keep his commandments because keeping them in their spirit and intent helps us to grow in favor (grace) with God.

Passover and "Unmerited Favor"

Passover is the 14th of Nisan (or Abib). The whole day pictures our sin being laid on Jesus. The 14th pictures the suffering, blood-letting, death and burial of Jesus. We did nothing to merit this favor. Israel sat in their homes the beginning of the 14th, marked by the token lamb’s blood (the token for us today is wine, the blood of the grape).

The firstborn of Egypt died after midnight on the 14th and were buried at the very end of the 14th ("for the Egyptians buried all their firstborn"; Numbers 33:4). Jesus began suffering after midnight and died on the 14th. He, like the Egyptian firstborn, was buried at the end of the 14th. (The bodily remains of the Lamb are not buried, but burned on the 14th day from late night into the morning [daylight] of 14th; Exodus 12:10.)

The ransom to get Israel out of Egypt (Isaiah 43:3, 4) was not the lamb’s blood, but the firstborn; Jesus is our ransom (see the article The Passover and THE RANSOM for more details). (By the way, eating leaven on Passover day [but not with the Passover service] pictures that sin is still in the world. Jesus’ body is being leavened [made sin]. When Jesus is buried at the end of the 14th, now the world can begin to be unleavened).

Thus the days of unleavened bread start at even, "ba erev" on the 14th (end of day), Exodus 12:18, same correct Hebrew as Leviticus 23:32. But all Passover rites must fall between the evenings "bayn ha erevim" and on the 14th (correct Hebrew means between sunsets) as in Numbers 9:3, 5, 11; Exodus 12:6. The KJV "at even" or "in the evening" is erroneous translation in these latter places. Between the evenings is God’s whole day. (Man’s day is between midnights.) At even is the short time at the end of a day near sunset just before evening starts with sundown.

The Days of Unleavened Bread and Merited Favor

This brings us to the Days of Unleavened Bread. Days in God’s plan picture things. On the first day of Unleavened Bread (the 15th, from sunset to sunset) the million-plus of Israelites were going out of Egypt. If they had just sat there like on the Passover night of the 14th they would have still been there. They had to do . . . pack up and go out.

So we must "pack up" and get out of sin. The rest of the Days of Unleavened Bread picture feeding on the "Bread of Life," Jesus and the word of God. They picture growing in favor with God (KJV "grow in grace. . ."; 2Peter 3:18). Favor can be unmerited (who we are) and merited (what we do).

God gives his Holy Spirit to those that obey him (Acts 5;32; 10:2, 34-35, 44-48). Keeping Passover is a reminder of the unmerited favor we receive. Keeping the Days of Unleavened Bread is a reminder of our part to grow in favor by doing his commandments.