- Of or relating to Easter
- Of or relation to Passover
from Late Greek paskha, from Aramaic pasḥā, Passover, from
Hebrew pesaḥ)
- from thefreedictionary.com
The term Paschal is an adjective used to refer to anything relating to Easter. It finds its origin in the Hebrew term for Passover, and its use is meant to highlight the parallels between Passover and Easter. Just as Passover commemorates God freeing the Hebrew people from slavery in Egypt, Easter commemorates Jesus freeing all people from the slavery of sin and death. Additionally, the central role of the Passover lamb which was sacrificed and its blood used to identify the Hebrew households and save their eldest sons is mirrored in Jesus, the Lamb of God, being sacrificed on the cross and his blood saving all of humankind. In terms like this, we can really see the connections between the Old and New Testaments and how Jesus is really the fulfillment of the original Covenant God made with the Jewish people.