A Christ-Centered Passover

Why would a Christian celebrate the Passover?  What does this Jewish holiday have to do with followers of Christ?

This year, in preparation for Easter, we have taken some time to study the Seder, or Passover traditions.  As we've looked more deeply into this beautiful picture of God's plan for his people, fulfilled in Christ, I've found this to be one of the most worshipful Easter seasons I've ever experienced. 

The traditional Messianic ("of the Messiah", Christian) Seder is a feast that celebrates the promises of God through certain elements, and contains a full meal and several Scripture and biblical readings.  The entire Seder can last up to 5 hours long.  A shortened one may last 1-2 hours.  With our students and staff team, we presented a Christ-centered Passover containing many elements of the Seder, which we presented in about a half hour.

I thought I'd share this beautiful tradition with you.  Maybe just reading it can be a devotional experience for you this Easter; or maybe you'll even decide to experience it together with your family or some friends.

Why would Christians celebrate a Messianic Seder?  For one thing, Jewish history is our history, as all believers are children of Abraham.  Also, Christ celebrated the Seder with his disciples (the Last Supper!), and told us to continue to take that bread and cup in remembrance of him.  That means that Communion, or the Lord's Supper, is a believer's celebration of Passover, fulfilled in Christ.

A quick Old Testament background for the Passover:  Abraham was chosen by God to "Go," be separate from his people, and that God would make a new nation from his descendants, a nation of God's own people.  Over the years following, that nation, Israel, was forced into slavery in Egypt.  God chose Moses to deliver the people from slavery.  He told Moses to go to Pharaoh and tell him, "God says, 'Let my people go.'"  Pharaoh had no fear of God, even when God sent plagues. Finally, after Pharaoh was given many chances to do what God said, God brought the final judgment.  All firstborn sons would be killed as the Angel of Death came through their homes.  But God's people were told to sacrifice a lamb, and paint their doorposts with the blood of that lamb, and the Angel of Death would "pass over" their home, and their children would be spared.  God told his people to celebrate the Feast of the Passover every year, with a sacrificial lamb, which would be eaten, with bitter herbs, and with unleavened bread.  After that night (which must have been horrifying), Pharaoh freed the people of Israel.  Israel celebrated the Passover every year after that, and even in the time of Jesus we see that the Passover is an important celebration.

But Jesus did a few things differently - he made some glorious changes because he is the fulfillment of the Passover.  Let's take a look at the traditional Passover meal, and how Jesus celebrated it with his disciples, and how we celebrate it today.

Matthew 26:17-19

On the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Where do you want us to make preparations for you to eat the Passover?”

He replied, “Go into the city to a certain man and tell him, “The Teacher says: My appointed time is near.  I am going to celebrate the Passover with my disciples at your house.”  So the disciples did as Jesus had directed them and prepared the Passover.

1. Preparations:  Taditionally, every bit of yeast would be cleansed from the home (with a toothbrush to get in the small places, sometimes!)  Why yeast?  Scripurally, yeast refers to sin:

1 Cor. 5:6-8

Your boasting is not good.  Don’t you know that a little yeast works through the whole batch of dough?  Get rid of the old yeast that you may be a new batch without yeast – as you really are.  For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed.  Therefore, let us keep the Festival, not with the old yeast, the yeast of malice and wickedness, but with bread without yeast, the bread of sincerity and truth.

1 Cor. 11:28

“A man ought to examine himself before he eats of the bread and drinks of the cup.”

2. At the meal, start with the Cup of Sanctification: Just as Abraham was set apart by God to be separate from his people, we drink this cup and praise God that we are his holy people, chosen and set apart by him.

1 Peter 2:9-11
But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.

Drink the first cup of grape juice, starting from the far left.

3.  Wash: Dip your fingers in the bowl of water (on the left of the plate in the picture) and wipe them off with a paper towel.   Washing was customary, and an important part of the feast.  What did Jesus do differently when he celebrated the Last Supper with his disciples?

John 13:1-5

It was just before the Passover Feast.  Jesus knew that the time had come for him to leave this world and go to the Father.  Having loved his own who were in the world, he now showed them the full extent of his love.The evening meal was being served…so he got up from the meal, and wrapped a towel around his waist.  After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him.

This time, Jesus washed the disciples feet.  Something is different now: Jesus is the one who cleans us!

  

4.  Bitter Herbs in Salt Water: Dip the parsley in the salt water (left of the plate) and eat it.  The parsley represents the hyssop that the Israelites used to paint their doorframes with the lamb's blood.  The salt water represents the tears that the people cried in their oppression and affliction.  To us it represents the tears we shed because of slavery to sin

5. Break the Middle Matzoh: Three matzohs are wrapped in a linen towel.  The three matzohs represent the three days that Jesus was in the tomb; the linen towel represents the clothes that were wrapped around Jesus' body. 

Isaiah 53: 4-7

Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered him stricken by God, smitten by him and afflicted.  But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds [stripes] we are healed.  We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.  He was oppressed and afflicted, yet e did not open his mouth; he was led like a lamb to the slaughter…

Break the middle matzoh and look at it: The matzoh, just like Jesus, is pierced, striped, and broken.  Don't eat the matzoh yet.

6.  The Cup of Deliverance: This cup represents the deliverance of Israel from slavery by Moses.  We remember that Jesus is our deliverer from slavery to sin.  Drink the second cup.

Isaiah 53: 4-7(above), 10-11

Yet it was the Lord’s will to crush him and cause him to suffer, and though the Lord makes his life a guilt offering, he will see his offspring and prolong his days, and the will of the Lord will prosper in his hand.  After the suffering of his soul, he will see the light of life and be satisfied; by his knowledge my righteous servant will justify many, and he will bear their iniquities.

7.  Wash: Wash your hands again, dipping your fingers in the bowl of water and wiping with a towel.  Like baptism, washing the outside of the body is an external symbol of an internal reality: that we have been cleansed by Christ.

8. Charoset and Bitter Herbs: Charoset (a sweet mixture of apples, raisins, cinnamon, red wine or vinegar and grape juice, and honey) represents mortar, showing the toil and labor of Israel in their slavery.  To us it shows the toil of slavery to the law.  Grated horseradish root symbolizes the bitterness of the people of Israel when they were enslaved by Egypt, and later during their wanderings in the desert.  Dip the matzoh in the charoset and eat it.  Then dip in the horseradish and eat it. (Warning: this is very strong!)

  Matthew 26:20-23

When evening came, Jesus was reclining at the table with the Twelve.  And while they were eating, he said, “I tell you the truth, one of you will betray me.”They were very sad and began to say to him one after the other, “Surely not I, Lord?”Jesus replied, “The one who has dipped his hand into the bowl with me will betray me.”

(Isn't it interesting that as Jesus and the disciples were remembering the bitterness of slavery to sin, Jesus dipped into the bowl, indicating that Judas was lost to his own sin?)

9.  Eat Dinner:  This is where you would insert a meal if you are celebrating a full seder meal.

10.  The Bread: Break and eat a piece of matzoh.

Matthew 26: 26
While they were eating, Jesus took bread, gave thanks, and broke it, saying, "Take and eat; this is my body."

11.The Cup of Redemption:

Matthew 26: 27,28

Then he took the cup, gave thanks and offered it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you.  This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. “

In Jewish tradition, when a man wanted to be betrothed to a woman, he would meet with her, hand her a cup and say, "This is my covenant to you; drink of it."  If the woman took the cup and drank from it, she accepted the man's betrothal.  Do you see the power in what Jesus is saying to us?  This is why it is so important not to take the bread and cup lightly; it is a beautiful symbol of our betrothal to Christ!

12. The Cup of Completion:

Matthew 26:29 (Jesus speaking)
"I tell you, I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day wen I drink it anew with you in my Father's kingdom."

Jesus didn't drink the final cup - the Cup of Completion - because he is waiting to drink that cup with us in the great feast in New Jerusalem!

Revelation 19:6-9Then I heard what sounded like a great multitude, like the roar of rushing waters and like loud peals of thunder, shouting: “Hallelujah!  For our Lord God Almighty reigns. Let us rejoice and be glad and give him glory!  For the wedding of the Lamb has come, and his bride has made herself ready. Fine linen, bright and clean, was given her to wear.” (Fine linen stands for the righteous acts of the saints.)  Then the angel said to me, “Write: ‘Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb!’”

13.  Hymn and Prayer:

Matthew 26: 30
When they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.

HAPPY EASTER!

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