Passover is many things:

• It is the universal story of redemption, of human dignity, of hope and of freedom, all of the things we enjoy because of Calvary

• Passover is the story of God’s special love  of His people ISRAEL.  “For you are a people holy to the LORD your GOD.  The LORD your God has chosen you out of all the peoples on the face of the earth to be his people, his treasured possession.  The LORD did not set his affection on you and choose you because you were more numerous than other peoples, for you were the fewest of all peoples.  But it was because the LORD loved you and kept the oath he swore to your forefathers that he brought you out with a mighty hand and redeemed you from the land of slavery, from the power of Pharaoh king of Egypt.” (Deuteronomy 7:6-8 NIV)

• It is the story of the sin, folly and uselessness of Pharaoh attempting to resist  the God of Israel, The One True God.

•  It was a complex marvel.  A marvel of judgment in the plagues, killing of the first born, overwhelming of the Egyptians in the sea.

•  A marvel of grace in the deliverance of the Israelites.

•  A marvel of might in the clearing of a way through the Red Sea.

•  A marvel of guidance in the pillar of cloud and of fire.

•  A marvel of provision in the miraculous supplying of food and drink.

•  A marvel of faithfulness in the honoring of the Abrahamic covenant.

• Passover is, indeed, a prophetic outline of how our Redeemer, Jesus, would lead us out of spiritual bondage, so that we could journey to our promised land called New Jerusalem.

• About 3000 years ago the Israelites were enslaved by the Egyptians under the rule of the Pharaoh Ramses II. According to the Book of Exodus - Moses, a simple Jewish shepherd, was instructed by G-d to go to the pharaoh and demand the freedom of his people

Moses' plea of let my people go was ignored. Moses warned the Pharaoh that G-d would send severe punishments to the people of Egypt if the Israelites were not freed. Again the Pharaoh ignored Moses' request of freedom. In response G-d unleashed a series of 10 terrible plagues on the people of Egypt


Blood
Frogs
Lice (vermin)
Wild Beasts(flies)
Blight (Cattle Disease)
Boils
Hail
Locusts
Darkness
Slaying of the First Born

The holiday's name - Pesach, meaning "passing over" or "protection" in Hebrew, is derived from the instructions given to Moses by G-d . In order to encourage the Pharaoh to free the Israelites, G-d intended to kill the first-born of both man and beast. To protect themselves, the Israelites were told to mark their dwellings with lamb's blood so that G-d could identify and "pass over" their homes

The Pharaoh was unconvinced and refused to free the Jewish slaves until the last plague

 

When the Pharaoh finally agreed to freedom, the Israelites left their homes so quickly that there wasn't even time to bake their breads. So they packed the raw dough to take with them on their journey. As they fled through the desert they would quickly bake the dough in the hot sun into hard crackers called matzohs. Today to commemorate this event, Jews eat matzoh in place of bread during Passover
 

Though the Jews were now free, their liberation was incomplete. The Pharaoh's army chased them through the desert towards the Red Sea. When the Jews reached the sea they were trapped, since the sea blocked their escape
 

It was then that a miracle occurred. The waves of the Red Sea parted and the Israelites were able to cross to the other side. As soon as they all reached the other side the sea closed trapping the Pharaoh's army as the waves closed upon them
 

Then as the Israelites watched the waters of the Red Sea sweep away the Pharaoh's army they realized they were finally free
 

Passover celebrates this history. The first 2 nights of the 8 day holiday are celebrated with lavish meals called Seders in which the stories and history of Passover are celebrated. Special foods, plates, silverware are all a part of the Seder
 

The rules surrounding Passover are strict and many, with only special foods, utensils, and dishware allowed
 

Kitchen utensils and dishware normally used in the home are not be used during Passover. Special dishes and utensils for the Passover holiday are taken out of storage, cleaned and used
 

Only foods that are "Kosher for Passover" are allowed. No leavened (containing yeast) foods or grains are eaten. In their place matzoh and foods containing matzoh are eaten. This is to commemorate the Israelites who fled quickly into the desert with no time for their breads to rise and were forced to bake the dough into hard crackers in the desert sun. All foods prohibited during Passover must be disposed of the morning of the first night of Passover
 

“ I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband.  And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, ‘Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them.  They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God.’”   (Revelation 21:2-3 NIV)