The blood shall be a sign for you, upon the houses where you are; and when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and no plague shall fall upon you to destroy you, when I smite the land of Egypt (Exodus 12:13).
They should roast the lamb, eat it with unleavened bread.
They shall eat the flesh that night, roasted; with unleavened bread and bitter herbs they shall eat it (Exodus 12:8).
They would eat unleavened bread for seven days. Therefore, the first day of the feast of Unleavened Bread is the feast of Passover. It is also the celebration of the new year for Israelites.
This month shall be for you the beginning of months; it shall be the first month of the year for you (Exodus 12:2).
Instead of celebrating it on the first day, the Passover is celebrated on the fourteenth of the month (Exodus 12:6).
Jesus was crucified before the feast of Passover. Therefore, the Church celebrates Easter on the first Sunday after the full moon after Spring Equinox. The Jews celebrate Passover on the fourteenth of the lunar month after Spring Equinox. The Passover would be celebrated as their new year. This tradition would be handed down the generations.
And when your children say to you, 'What do you mean by this service?'
you shall say, 'It is the sacrifice of the LORD's passover, for he passed over the houses of the people of Israel in Egypt, when he slew the Egyptians but spared our houses.'" And the people bowed their heads and worshiped (Exodus 12:26-27).
וְהָיָה, כִּי-יֹאמְרוּ אֲלֵיכֶם בְּנֵיכֶם: מָה הָעֲבֹדָה הַזֹּאת, לָכֶם
וַאֲמַרְתֶּם זֶבַח-פֶּסַח הוּא לַיהוָה, אֲשֶׁר פָּסַח עַל-בָּתֵּי בְנֵי-יִשְׂרָאֵל בְּמִצְרַיִם, בְּנָגְפּוֹ אֶת-מִצְרַיִם, וְאֶת-בָּתֵּינוּ הִצִּיל; וַיִּקֹּד הָעָם, וַיִּשְׁתַּחֲווּ
Then we come to the custom of consecrating the first-born to the Lord.וַאֲמַרְתֶּם זֶבַח-פֶּסַח הוּא לַיהוָה, אֲשֶׁר פָּסַח עַל-בָּתֵּי בְנֵי-יִשְׂרָאֵל בְּמִצְרַיִם, בְּנָגְפּוֹ אֶת-מִצְרַיִם, וְאֶת-בָּתֵּינוּ הִצִּיל; וַיִּקֹּד הָעָם, וַיִּשְׁתַּחֲווּ
When Jesus was 8 days old, he was circumcised and named Jesus (Luke 2:21). When he was 40 days old, he was consecrated to God in the Temple because he was the first-born.
And when the time came for their purification according to the law of Moses, they brought him up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord
as it is written in the law of the Lord, "Every male that opens the womb shall be called holy to the Lord"
and to offer a sacrifice according to what is said in the law of the Lord, "a pair of turtledoves, or two young pigeons." (Luke 2:22-23)
These records show that Jesus was born a Jew. The consecration part of the custom was related to the plague of killing the first-born.
Consecrate to me all the first-born; whatever is the first to open the womb among the people of Israel, both of man and of beast, is mine (Exodus 13:2).
Infant mortality rate was high. In order to secure the life of these infants, it became a custom for parents to offer their infants to the deities as adopted children. Bodhisattva, Avalokiteśvara, ancient trees and even rocks would come to their aid. Anthropologist and social scientists would easily explain the origin of Jewish custom as an outgrowth of the attempt to combat infant mortality. However, the Israelites have more to say about it.
And when the LORD brings you into the land of the Canaanites, as he swore to you and your fathers, and shall give it to you,
you shall set apart to the LORD all that first opens the womb. All the firstlings of your cattle that are males shall be the LORD's.
Every firstling of an ass you shall redeem with a lamb, or if you will not redeem it you shall break its neck. Every first-born of man among your sons you shall redeem.
And when in time to come your son asks you, 'What does this mean?' you shall say to him, 'By strength of hand the LORD brought us out of Egypt, from the house of bondage.
For when Pharaoh stubbornly refused to let us go, the LORD slew all the first-born in the land of Egypt, both the first-born of man and the first-born of cattle. Therefore I sacrifice to the LORD all the males that first open the womb; but all the first-born of my sons I redeem.' (Exodus 13:11-15)
I quote it in length in order to show the high value Judaism places on educating the younger generation. Parents explain the reasons behind the feast of Passover and the consecration of the first-born.
Moreover, it is interesting to see that these two customs could be traced back to the genesis of their nation. Looking back to Chinese customs, seldom do we link them to our national identity. We have very entertaining stories about the relation of fire-crackers, greetings and the colour red with the monster Nien (Year). But these entertaining stories do not reinforce any national identity. If you put them in Australia, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, New Zealand, Thailand or even Zambia, these stories are still convincing and entertaining but lack a patriotic overtone.
Lastly, had Israelites practised similar customs in Egypt, presenting their first-born to whatever deities they could come upon, it would have been a clear break from the past once they entered the Promised Land. God would be the sole recipient of all their first-born. His protection would be for all the Israelites and not just the infants. Things had become more centralized. Instead of being a selfish personal matter for fathers, such consecration became a national event. Israelites are truly a Chosen People!
My teenage friend Wong Ling Leung Stephen passed away suddenly at home yesterday morning. He had suffered some heart ailments for a couple of years. His passing away was rather shocking to us. We had been singing together in the choir before my marriage. We played bridge, worked at the parish Youth Council together. Stephen was a gifted entertainer and enlivened all the banquets and feasts he attended. At times, he was direct and could be blunt. Devil's Advocate was his favourite role. He will be fondly remembered by the boys.
Dear Lord, I pray for the soul of Stephen. Forgive whatever blemish he has and bring him to Your eternal rest. Amen.
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