Passover serves as the preparation day for the Feast of Unleavened Bread, embodying the groundwork necessary before one can truly begin to come out of sin. There is significant work associated with Passover, including killing, roasting, and burning the lamb, which explains why there is no command against work on this day. Passover memorializes the preparations required to seriously address sin, while Unleavened Bread signifies the actual process of coming out of it. Spiritually, this preparation involves coming to a knowledge of God's plan and purpose, understanding and believing in the blood of Jesus Christ as our Savior, and beginning to repent. These steps lay the foundation for the subsequent movement away from sin, as represented by Unleavened Bread.

Passover everyone, let's focus on the significance of Passover as the Preparation Day, a time of intense activity and readiness. Passover occurred at the beginning of the fourteenth day, marking the start of a busy period of preparation. The entire fourteenth day was devoted to getting ready for coming out of Egypt, involving the slaying, cleaning, and roasting of the lamb. The Israelites had to remain in their houses through the night as the Death Angel passed over, then burn the remains and stay until morning. The daylight portion of the fourteenth was used to gather along the route they would follow out of Egypt through Rameses. It was a day filled with work, which is why Passover is not considered a holy day but a festival. God demands that we work on that day, preparing for the feast that follows. Then, at sunset of the fourteenth, beginning at ba erev, the memorial of coming out of sin starts and continues into the fifteenth. This pattern, established from the first Passover, was intended to be followed for all subsequent Passovers.

In the New Testament, all four gospel accounts reference the Preparation Day in connection with Passover day, rather than the weekly sixth day, marking it as an annual preparation for the first day of Unleavened Bread, an annual Sabbath. On Passover day, even though it remains a common work day, the gravity and significance of the preceding night and the upcoming Feast are nearly impossible to ignore. The Passover ritual aids in reorienting our minds, creating a sense of sanctity as our thoughts are gathered and focused on the spiritual dimension in anticipation of the holy days. This preparation ensures we are mentally present when the sanctified time arrives. The Passover, as the epitome of Preparation Days, offers insight into the weekly Preparation Day's purpose. Though the weekly Preparation Day may lose some impact due to its frequency, understanding Passover's preparatory role can guide us to use the weekly day to reorient ourselves mentally and spiritually. This prevents the Sabbath from arriving abruptly and helps us focus on what life is truly about, rather than merely its daily components. Just as the Days of Unleavened Bread are incomplete without the preparatory Passover day, the weekly Sabbath's lessons of deliverance from physical and spiritual bondage are not fully learned without taking advantage of the weekly Preparation Day to begin turning our focus toward eternity.

Jesus suffered crucifixion on the preparation day for an annual Sabbath, specifically the day of Passover, rather than the weekly Sabbath. His body was put into the grave before sunset, as that marked the end of Passover, a preparation day, and the beginning of a Sabbath. This Sabbath was not the weekly one but an annual high-day Sabbath, the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread. In the year of His crucifixion, Passover fell on a Wednesday, and His body was placed in the grave late that afternoon before the high-day Sabbath began. He remained in the grave for three days and three nights, from Wednesday night through Saturday, totaling 72 hours, and He arose on Sabbath afternoon before sunset.

The Passover serves as the preparation day for the first day of Unleavened Bread, except when Passover itself falls on a Sabbath. In the sequence of events surrounding Jesus' crucifixion, Scripture notes that Jesus hung on the cross from noon until 3 PM, and by the time Joseph laid Jesus' body in the tomb, it was very close to sunset. Luke records that day as the Preparation, with the Sabbath drawing near. John adds that they laid Jesus in the tomb because of the Jews' Preparation Day, as the tomb was nearby. Each gospel emphasizes the urgency Joseph felt to bury Jesus before sunset. Jesus and His disciples celebrated the Passover on the correct day, Abib/Nisan 14, which fell on a Wednesday that year, aligning with the role of Passover as the preparation day.