The Most Lasting Memory for Those Who Attended or Left the World Mission Society Church of God: The Passover

For both current and former members of the WMSCOG, the Passover remains the most memorable doctrine. According to their teachings, Jesus said that only by eating His flesh and drinking His blood can one have eternal life. They claim that this promise is found in the Passover bread and wine, which they equate with the Last Supper. As a result, members are deeply indoctrinated to believe that observing the Passover is essential for salvation.
However, a careful study of the Bible reveals that these claims are mistaken.

1. The Date Difference Between the Passover and the Last Supper

The WMSCOG insists that the Last Supper was the Passover, but biblically, they are not on the same day. According to the Bible, the Last Supper occurred on the evening of the 13th day of the first month (Nisan), while the Passover was on the evening of the 14th. In John 13:1, it is clear that Jesus had the Last Supper one day before Passover, and during this meal, Judas left to betray Him. The other disciples thought Judas was going to buy something for the festival, which would not have been possible if the Passover had already started, as going out would have been forbidden. (John 13:27-29)

2. Contradictions Regarding Actions on Passover Day

After the Last Supper, Jesus was arrested at night and tried before Pilate at dawn (around 6 a.m.). The Jewish leaders did not enter Pilate’s court because they wanted to remain ceremonially clean to eat the Passover meal. If it were already Passover, why would they avoid defilement? Wouldn’t Passover be over? (John 18:28)

3. The Old Testament Passover Lamb and Jesus’ Fulfillment

The Passover lamb in the Old Testament was chosen on the 10th day of the first month and sacrificed at 3 p.m. on the 14th, then eaten that evening. Likewise, Jesus entered Jerusalem on the 10th, was crucified at 9 a.m. on the 14th, and died at 3 p.m. John 19:31 states, "The next day would be both a Sabbath and the Passover," showing the connection between Jesus’ death and the Passover.

[John 19:31-33, KLB] "The next day would be both a Sabbath and the Passover. It was a special day for the Jewish people, and they did not want the bodies to stay on the crosses during that day. So they asked Pilate to break the men's legs and take their bodies down. The soldiers first broke the legs of the other two men who were nailed there. But when they came to Jesus, they saw that he was already dead, and they did not break his legs."

4. Jesus’ Indication of His Death on Passover

In Matthew 26, Jesus spoke about His impending death during Passover, and the Jewish leaders also plotted to kill Him before the festival. Passover begins on the evening of the 14th and overlaps with the Feast of Unleavened Bread, which starts on the 15th; thus, the first day of Unleavened Bread is sometimes called Passover. (Matthew 26:1-5)

5. The Law of Unleavened Bread

The WMSCOG claims that Jesus had the Last Supper on Passover and died on the next day, the Feast of Unleavened Bread. However, according to the Old Testament, the first day of Unleavened Bread was a sacred Sabbath. Jews would never execute someone or leave a body hanging on a tree on a Sabbath. (Leviticus 23:6-7)

6. Church History

Even the historical records cited by the WMSCOG state that Jesus died at 3 p.m. on Nisan 14. After the early church, the Eastern (Jerusalem) church fasted from the evening of the 13th to the afternoon of the 14th and commemorated His death with the Eucharist. The Western (Roman) church fasted from the afternoon of the 14th until the following Sunday and held the Eucharist on resurrection day. Therefore, Jesus died on Passover, not on the Feast of Unleavened Bread.

7. The Meaning of Passover Food

The real substance of the Passover lamb, according to the Bible, is Jesus. Therefore, the bread and wine of the Last Supper, symbolizing His flesh and blood, are the true Passover food. Jesus desired to eat the Passover meal with His disciples, not as a symbolic meal, but as the true fulfillment—His body and blood. Many people mistakenly think the day of the Last Supper was the Passover simply because of the term "Passover meal."

8. The Temple System

The sacrificial system of the Old Testament temple was a shadow and copy of the heavenly temple, which represents Jesus. The animal sacrifices and the high priest entering the Most Holy Place on the Day of Atonement foreshadowed Jesus’ work. Jesus died as the true sacrificial Lamb and ascended to the heavenly sanctuary as the true High Priest. His casting Satan out of heaven after His resurrection fulfilled the prophecy of sending the scapegoat into the wilderness on the Day of Atonement.

At Pentecost, the Holy Spirit was poured out, making believers into the new spiritual temple. This fulfilled the prophecy of the Feast of Tabernacles after the Day of Atonement. Thus, Jesus perfectly fulfilled the temple rituals and Old Testament feasts, so there is no longer a need to observe sacrifices for forgiveness such as Sabbath, Passover, or Day of Atonement. To keep these sacrifices is to deny the sufficiency of Jesus’ sacrifice.

[Hebrews 10:18] "And where these have been forgiven, sacrifice for sin is no longer necessary."

9. The Development of the Eucharist

Jesus told His disciples at the Last Supper, "Do this in remembrance of me." The disciples commemorated this, not on the day of the Last Supper, but on the day of Jesus’ death—Passover.
[1 Corinthians 11:26] "For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.”

By the end of the early church period, the Eastern and Western churches developed different Eucharistic practices. The Eastern church fasted and held the Eucharist on the 14th, commemorating Jesus’ death, and the 16th for the resurrection. The Western church fasted from the 14th until the first Sunday, celebrating the resurrection with the Eucharist. Later, the Western church began to meet and celebrate the Eucharist every Sunday, believing that, just as Jesus rose on a Sunday, they too would rise on Sunday—this became the origin of Sunday worship.

The early church did not observe the Old Testament feasts. Instead, they held the Eucharist on Nisan 14 to commemorate Jesus’ death. Over time, the split between Eastern and Western churches led to different practices, but the fundamental point is that Jesus died on Passover, not the Feast of Unleavened Bread, and that the Lord’s Supper is a remembrance of His death, not a ritual repetition of the Old Testament Passover.