The Month of Nisan

Nisan is the first month of the year on the Biblical calendar and corresponds to March- April on the Gregorian calendar. Nisan is referred to as “the month of miracles and “the month of redemption” since this is when God redeemed Israel from slavery in Egypt. In addition, we see in the book of Exodus where God marked this miraculous event by declaring Nisan as the first month of a newly established religious calendar, “The Lord said to Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt, ‘This month shall be for you the beginning of months. It shall be the first month of the year for you,'” (Exodus 2:1-2).

In Hebrew, the word “Nisan” means “their flight” and relates to Israel leaving Egypt and crossing the Red Sea. Nisan, which falls in March or April, is the start of Spring. Moreover, Nisan contains the Jewish festival of Passover (or Pesach) and the Feast of Unleavened Bread. The feast begins immediately following Passover and lasts for seven days (Exodus 12:14-15).

The word Nisan is mentioned in the book of Esther, “In the first month, which is the month of Nisan, in the twelfth year of King Ahasuerus, they cast Pur (that is, they cast lots),” (Esther 3:7).

The Feast of Passover

Passover begins on the 15th of Nisan and is the first of the seven annual festivals celebrated by the Jewish people. Moreover, it is considered to be Israel’s foundational feast upon which the other six biblical feasts are built.

The word “Passover” (“Pesach,” in Hebrew) means, “to pass over” or, “to skip.” This feast commemorates the Israelites leaving Egypt in such a hurry that the yeast in their bread dough had not yet risen. Moreover, it is God’s appointed time to celebrate His work of delivering the Israelites from the plagues in Egypt and finally from Egypt itself.

Furthermore, God wanted to execute judgment over the various gods of Egypt. Second and show the Egyptians that He alone was the Sovereign and Most High God.

Blood on the Doorposts

Each Israelite family was instructed to apply the blood of an unblemished lamb to the door posts of their home. This would be a sign that God’s chosen people were different and protected by Him. After this, when the angel of death saw the blood on the doorposts, he “passed over” their homes. As a result, their first-born child was spared from death. This final plague was so devastating that Pharaoh finally released the Israelites from their bondage in Egypt.

Jesus Christ, Our Passover Lamb

Passover was symbolic of what was to come. To explain, in the New Testament, Jesus Christ became our sacrificial lamb. His blood is a sign and a covering of protection. Everyone who has accepted Jesus Christ as their Savior will have eternal life.

The Passover in the Old Testament was a picture of the final deliverance God had promised when He offered His Son as the ultimate sacrifice. Jesus became the Passover Lamb, who would take away the sin of the world (John 1:29).

In observing Jesus’ last Passover supper with His disciples, Jesus explained what the bread and wine represented. He said, “This is my body, and this cup is the new testament in my blood” (Luke 22:7, 19-20). Jesus offered His body and blood for the forgiveness (or passing over) of our sins and the death penalty our sins have earned for us. He was taken, judged, beaten and eventually crucified, during the days of Passover observance. Jesus was sacrificed in much the same way as the Passover lamb during Israel’s deliverance from Egypt.

Jesus, Our Passover Lamb

Let us remember and acknowledge, with gratitude, the price Jesus Christ paid for us, during the month of Nisan. We are released from whatever “prison” or “slavery” we may find ourselves in because of Jesus’ blood sacrifice. Moreover, we can also take comfort in strong arm of protection and deliverance this Passover season.

CLICK HERE: Jewish-Gregorian Calendar