Inverted Passover

On the first Passover, Israel was delivered from the angel of death and separated from Egypt.  In the narrative in Exodus 12-14, the night of Passover continues, narrativally, until the day after the crossing of the sea.  Chronologically, it is not the same night; but in the narrative there is no explicit reference to dawn from the night of Passover until Pharaoh and his hosts have drowned in the sea (Exodus 14:27).

Matthew’s account of Jesus’ trials also moves from night to day.  Jesus celebrates Passover with His disciples, prays in Gethsemane, is arrested and tried by the Sanhedrin, all on the same night.  Day doesn’t dawn until the Jews hand Jesus over to the Romans (27:1-2).  This is an inverted Passover: On the first Passover/Exodus, dawn found Israel delivered from a defeated Gentile power; on this Passover/Exodus, Israel lets herself be reabsorbed into the nations: “We have no king but Caesar.”

Thanks to Toby Sumpter for a stimulating discussion of this parallel.