Four months after the dedication of the Temple, the people of Israel gathered together for a special Passover celebration in Ezra 6:19-22. This was the first Passover to be held since the time of exile in Babylon (90 years earlier) and so it was a very special time. The meaning of the Passover was defined by God in Exodus 12. It was a feast to mark the night in which the angel of death ‘passed over’ the people of God when he came to punish Pharaoh. At this joyful celebration of the Passover, it was significant that the meal was not restricted to Israelites by birth, but included all who through repentance and faith put their trust in the Lord. Since Jesus came to be our ‘Passover lamb’ believers are assured that his death in our place as a (substitute) not only means our sins are forgiven but also means we will celebrate the victory of His sacrifice for us forever.