• In the Old Testament, Moses instructed the Jewish people to sacrifice a lamb at the first Passover in Egypt. The lamb was slain at 3:00 to 5:00 P.M. in the afternoon. In the New Testament, Jesus was crucified as the sacrificial lamb of God and even died at the hour the lambs were to be slain. Was this planned or simply a coincidence?
• Consider the following Scriptures that depict the different events.

Take care of them [the sheep] until the fourteenth day of the month, when all the people of the community of Israel must slaughter them at twilight. [3:00 to 5:00 P.M.] Then they are to take some of the blood and put it on the sides and tops of the doorframes of the houses where they eat the lambs (Exod. 12:6-7).

• The day for Passover is also noted in Leviticus 23:5.
• More than fourteen centuries later, Jesus died on the cross at the Passover. The gospel of John depicts this event taking place on the 14th day of the month.

"They led Jesus from Caiaphas to the palace of the Roman Governor. By now it was early morning, and to avoid ceremonial uncleanness the Jews did not enter the palace; they wanted to be able to eat the Passover" (John 18:28).

[Pontius Pilate speaking] "It is your custom for me to release to you one prisoner at the time of the Passover. Do you want me to release `the king of the Jews'?" (John 18:39).