Passover: A Timeless Journey From Bondage to Freedom

As Pesach (Passover) approaches, Jerusalem is alive with activity. Jewish families are deep into spring cleaning, removing chametz (leaven) from their homes in preparation for the seven-day Feast of Unleavened Bread. It is a time of remembrance—the Exodus from Egypt—but beyond physical liberation, it reflects a deeper, timeless story: our spiritual journey from the bondage of sin to the victorious freedom found in Christ.

This season also marks the beginning of the Hebrew month of Nisan, the biblical “first month,” when God declared, “This month shall be your beginning of months.”(Exodus 12:2) While Rosh Hashanah is the Jewish civil New Year, Nisan is the first month on the ecclesiastical calendar. Of the four Jewish New Years (1 Nisan, 1 Elul, 1 Tishrei, 15 Shevat), Nisan stands out—it recalls the moment a nation was born and began its journey from bondage to promise. Interestingly, the word Nisancomes from the Hebrew word nitzan, meaning “bud,” symbolizing spring—a new season and beginning.

The Exodus story is not only about a historic escape from Egypt—it is a living, ongoing narrative that continues to shape our understanding of true freedom. Though the Israelites were physically free, they still had to heal from the trauma of slavery. Today, many experience a similar paradox: physical freedom but internal bondage. The Exodus story teaches us that true liberation requires inner healing—a process just as important, if not more so, than physical emancipation.

This year, that longing for freedom feels especially strong. Israel faces ongoing conflict, rising antisemitism, and the painful reality of 59 hostages still held in Gaza. The ancient cry, “God, deliver us,” echoes with urgency. As Exodus 3:7 reminds us, God sees, hears, and knows the sorrows of His people—and He still acts.

In every generation, “Pharaohs” take new forms: injustice, oppression, and systems that crush the vulnerable. Yet no power can withstand God’s will for deliverance. Even the Hebrew word for Egypt, mitzrayim, means “narrow places”—a symbol of all the spaces where we feel trapped or constrained. But God promises deliverance from these mitzrayim moments, whether physical, emotional, or spiritual. As He declared in Exodus 6:6-7, “I will bring you out… I will rescue you… I will redeem you… I will take you as My people.”

These four promises are embodied in the four cups of the Passover Seder, each symbolizing a distinct aspect of God’s redemptive plan. The first cup, the Cup of Sanctification, marks God’s promise to bring His people out of bondage. The second, the Cup of Deliverance, signifies their freedom from slavery. The third, the Cup of Redemption, represents the mighty act of God’s rescue, while the fourth, the Cup of Praise, celebrates God’s covenant relationship with His people.

For Christians, this promise of deliverance finds its ultimate fulfillment in Jesus Christ, our Passover Lamb. He embodies the third cup—the Cup of Redemption—through His sacrifice on the cross. Through Him, we are freed from sin and death.“If the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed” (John 8:36). Freedom in Christ is not bound by circumstance—it is eternal.

This Passover, as Jewish homes remove leaven—a symbol of sin—we are reminded to cleanse our hearts as well. As Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 5:7-8, we are called to keep the feast “with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.” This process of purification is as much spiritual as it is physical.

May this season stir our hearts to intercede, seeking freedom not just for ourselves, but for all who are still bound. May God bring swift deliverance and lead us all from narrow places into the wide-open freedom of His redeeming love.

Chag Pesach Sameach!