What Does Jesus’ Resurrection Have to Do with Passover?

When we read the Gospel of Matthew, we encounter a dramatic and deeply symbolic moment following Jesus’ crucifixion:

“Yeshua cried out in a loud voice, and yielded up His spirit. At that moment, the veil in the Temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth quaked, rocks split apart, tombs broke open, and many holy people who had died were raised to life. After Yeshua’s resurrection, they came out of the graves and appeared to many in the holy city.”
— Matthew 27:50-54

This passage is packed with supernatural events: a torn temple veil, a powerful earthquake, and even a resurrection preview involving the saints of old. But perhaps the most curious part is this: why does Matthew mention the resurrection of these saints before Jesus is even buried? Isn’t that out of order?

The answer lies not in a chronological timeline—but in theology. Matthew, writing to a Jewish audience familiar with the Torah and the biblical festivals, is connecting Jesus’ resurrection directly to Passover and the Feast of Firstfruits.

Understanding the Timing: Passover and the Feast of Firstfruits

To understand Matthew’s intent, we need to take a look at Leviticus 23:9–15, which lays out the instructions for the Feast of Firstfruits (HaBikkurim). This feast occurred during the week of Passover and was celebrated on the day after the weekly Sabbath—we would say: on a Sunday.

Here’s what happened:

• After the Passover lamb was sacrificed, the high priest declared, “It is finished!”
  
  
• That same day, priests crossed the Kidron Valley to the Mount of Olives, where barley had been planted after the Feast of Tabernacles (Sukkot).
  
  
• There, they bound sheaves of ripe barley, marking them as the firstfruits—to be harvested three days later, on the Feast of Firstfruits.
  
  

The Mount of Olives is significant—it was not just a place of agriculture, but also a major burial site for prophets and holy people. So when Jesus cried out, “It is finished!” and the earth quaked, graves were opened. It was as though God was “marking out” His own firstfruits—the righteous dead—just as the priests marked the barley.

Jesus: The Firstfruits High Priest

Three days later, on the day of Firstfruits, the high priest would return to cut the marked barley and bring it to the Temple as an offering. Likewise, Jesus rose from the dead on that very day.

But He wasn’t the only one who rose from the dead!.

Those “marked out” saints who had previously been dead resurrected as well. Just as the priest harvested the barley, Jesus, acting as our great High Priest, gathered the firstfruits of the resurrection. (From where did He gather them? Stay tuned—that will be the subject of another blog post!)

These resurrected saints then appeared to many in Jerusalem, bearing witness that death had been defeated.

And just as the priest would wave the barley sheaves in the Temple the next morning, Jesus ascended to the Father, presenting both Himself as the true Passover Lamb and these resurrected saints as the firstfruits of the human resurrection.

This sheds new light on a moment from John’s Gospel. When Mary Magdalene first encounters the risen Christ, He says:

“Do not hold on to Me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father.”
— John 20:17

Later, however, He allows Thomas to touch His wounds—indicating that He had already ascended and presented the firstfruits offering.

The Deeper Meaning

Matthew's account is rich with symbolic meaning, rooted in the Torah. He’s not just telling us what happened—he’s telling us why it matters:

• Jesus is our Passover Lamb.
  
  
• His resurrection fulfilled the Feast of Firstfruits.
  
  
• The saints raised with Him are the first installment of the great resurrection to come.
  
  
• And He, as our High Priest, presented them—and will one day present us—before the Father in Heaven.
  
  

This connection between Passover, Firstfruits, and the resurrection is more than a detail—it’s a divine promise. It reminds us that Jesus’ victory over death wasn’t symbolic. It was real, physical, and prophetic.

It gives us, who trust in Him, a living hope and a future resurrection, when we too will rise incorruptible.