Post on 24-Jun-2020
Passover Seder 4/8/2020
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2020 Virtual (Zoom) Passover Seder
A Passover Haggadah for Christians
In the days of Social Distancing
Reflections on the Jewish Tradition,
Jesus at the Last Supper and
What it means for us as Christians today
Passover Seder 4/8/2020
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Table of Contents Opening Prayer ....................................................................................................................................................... 3 Introduction Message .............................................................................................................................................. 3
A Virtual Seder ....................................................................................................................................................... 3 The Uniqueness of the Passover Seder ................................................................................................................... 4 Blessing and Lighting of the Candles ..................................................................................................................... 5 The Kiddush – The Blessing of the Wine ............................................................................................................... 6 Ur-Chatz - Washing of the Hands / Jesus Washes feet of Disciples ...................................................................... 7
Passing of the Sop - Judas leaves to betray Jesus ................................................................................................... 8 Breaking of the Matzo ............................................................................................................................................ 8 Kashri - The Four Questions ................................................................................................................................... 9
The Reply ................................................................................................................................................................ 9 Explaining the Symbols on the Seder Plate .......................................................................................................... 10 Telling the Passover Story .................................................................................................................................... 12 The Plagues ........................................................................................................................................................... 13
The meal is served (The Third Cup – and we stop counting for a time) ............................................................. 14 The finding of the Afikomen ................................................................................................................................ 15
The cup of Elijah ................................................................................................................................................... 15 The Good News .................................................................................................................................................... 16 CONCLUDED ...................................................................................................................................................... 17
Table Talk Topics ................................................................................................................................................. 18 Is it Right for Christians to Celebrate Passover ................................................................................................ 18
The Blessing of the Family ............................................................................................................................... 19
Keeping Kosher and Division of Labor ............................................................................................................ 19
Family Traditions .............................................................................................................................................. 19 Favorite Seder Stories and the writing of the service ....................................................................................... 19
Chicken in America instead of Lamb ............................................................................................................... 19 Mom’s Conversion Story .................................................................................................................................. 19 Remembering the Holocaust ............................................................................................................................. 20
The sleeping disciples ....................................................................................................................................... 20
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Opening Prayer
(Andy)
Holy Lamb of God, we ask that you be with us this night as we try to understand the great gift that you have
given us. We ask that the Spirit open our hearts in a new way to tell our story, to find meaning for today, to
understand the New Covenant and to receive in our hearts the Good News of salvation. We ask this in Jesus
name, Amen.
Introduction Message
(Wendy)
Celebrating the Passover Seder has become an important part of the Easter tradition in our family. Andy’s
mother was born and raised an Orthodox Jew. When she was 21 years old she converted to Christianity and
became Lutheran. As Andy was growing up, his mother went to many congregations and spoke about her
heritage and her conversion. Often, around this time of year, she went to congregations and did Passover Seder
meals and explained the traditions that Jesus followed. This unique perspective is what Andy grew up with and
now we share it with you.
In this Seder (or service) we will be telling four stories at the same time:
1. Moses and the Exodus story (the original Passover). What does the original story tell us?
2. Passover at the time of Jesus. What was happening in Jerusalem at the time that Jesus celebrated the
Passover at the last supper?
3. Jews today. What traditions do Jews follow today?
4. Christians today. What does this mean for us as Christians in 2020?
The Seder is a meal served in the home. It is an opportunity for the family to gather, worship, study, ask
questions, discuss, and commune with God. We use a book called the Passover Haggadah for this service (this
year we use a PDF) and we drink wine from special glasses. These Kiddush cups were given to us to use at our
wedding.
Please add any questions you have in the Zoom chat as we go along. At this table all questions are not only
permitted but encouraged.
A Virtual Seder
(Andy)
In preparation for this Seder I read an article in USA Today entitled “How to Passover in quarantine:
Everything you need to know about hosting a (virtual) seder”. In part, it said this:
Although most U.S. states are under stay-at-home orders and people are encouraged to practice social distance
measures, that doesn't preclude Jewish Americans from celebrating one of their most significant holidays of the
year: Passover.
Pesach, as it's called in Hebrew, is observed from sundown Wednesday, April 8 to Thursday, April 16. The
traditional Passover Seder (or ceremonial dinner) includes specific symbolic foods and biblical plot points about
what happened with Moses and Pharaoh before God freed the enslaved Jews more than 3,000 years ago.
The Passover story, with its focus on plagues and hardship, feels particularly poignant in an age of the
coronavirus pandemic.
For certain denominations of Judaism, using electricity on Shabbat and other Jewish holidays is a no-no. But
there are prominent groups of Orthodox and Conservative rabbis who have okayed the use of video chat just
for this year, with the Rabbinical Assembly noting that "ideally, the video option should be accessed in a way
that does not involve direct interaction with an electronic device." (I.e. Siri could potentially be used to activate
the stream.)
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The Uniqueness of the Passover Seder
(Andy)
The liturgy used at the Seder states: In every generation let each man look on himself as if he came forth out of
Egypt. The custom of telling the story of the deliverance from Egypt goes back to the scriptural command:
”And thou shall tell thy son in that day, saying: It is because of that which the Lord did for me when I came
forth out of Egypt” [Exodus 13:8]
The uniqueness of Passover is encapsulated in this. It teaches us that Jewish history is also a timeless present,
that Passover is not simply a commemoration of an important event in our past (like the Fourth of July) but an
event in which we participated and in which we continue to participate. We are meant to re-experience the
slavery and the redemption that occurs in each day of our lives. It is our own story, not just some ancient
history that we retell at Passover. It was in this spirit that the story of the liberation was told and handed down
from father to son, the son in turn growing up in the knowledge that he would have to tell his story to his
children.
When we hear the words “Do this in remembrance of me” in the communion service we should think about it in
this same light. We use the word remembrance, meaning “to re-live as if you were actually there.” As
Christians, we come to commune in His presence and experience the New Covenant in His blood not as a
commemoration of what Jesus did but to relive what he did for us.
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Blessing and Lighting of the Candles
(Andy)
In the Gospels according to Matthew [Matthew 26] and Mark [Mark 14] we read “12 On the first day of the
Festival of Unleavened Bread, when it was customary to sacrifice the Passover lamb, Jesus’ disciples asked
him, “Where do you want us to go and make preparations for you to eat the Passover?”
13 So he sent two of his disciples, telling them, “Go into the city, and a man carrying a jar of water will meet
you. Follow him. 14 Say to the owner of the house he enters, ‘The Teacher asks: Where is my guest room, where
I may eat the Passover with my disciples?’ 15 He will show you a large room upstairs, furnished and ready.
Make preparations for us there.” 16 The disciples left, went into the city and found things just as Jesus had told
them. So they prepared the Passover.”
(Andy)
People have been preparing for festivals in common ways for thousands of years.
Clean the house. Cook the food. Set the table. Put on your best clothes. Kindle the light. Thank God. Eat
together.
(Wendy)
We must prepare our table for His presence. This is done by the blessing and lighting of the Passover candles.
The woman takes a kitchen towel, the symbol of the home and covers her head. Then she covers her face to
humble herself because she is not worthy to face God and says the blessing.
“Blessed art thou, O Lord our God, king of the universe, who has commanded us to kindle the light of the
Passover.”
(Wendy lights the candles and others may light candles on their table if they have them)
(Andy)
When we have Worship in our church, we always have candles lit on the altar. This tradition comes from the
Jewish tradition of lighting candles for a Sabbath or Passover meal. When the pastor prepares the altar for
communion he (or she) is preparing the table for our family.
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The Kiddush – The Blessing of the Wine
(All pour a small cup of wine or grape juice or whatever you have) (The First Cup)
(Andy)
The man of the home now prepares the people and himself for this special feast. Kiddush is the blessing of the
first cup of wine. The word Kiddush means Sanctification. According to the Talmud, the Kiddush was
introduced between the sixth and fourth centuries B.C.E. by the scholarly body known as the Men of the Great
Assembly. It celebrates two events: Creation and the Exodus. It marks off the sacred time from ordinary time
and is the proper start of each Sabbath or festival meal.
If the Seder takes place on the Sabbath eve, the Kiddush begins with text from Genesis describing the end of the
sixth day and the arrival of the seventh. We are required to stand as we receive or listen to this Biblical passage.
Why? Because in listening to God’s word we testify to its truth. And because, according to the Bible, a
witness must testify standing. The tradition of the “witness stand” today continues as we stand to witness
baptisms, brides walking down the aisle, funerals and the reading of the Gospel in our own worship services.
When asked why we stand at these events we are often told simply “out of respect” but we stand because we are
witnesses and testify to the truth of what we witness. It is not the Sabbath so we are not reading the text from
Genesis so you may remain seated.
The first cup of wine is poured and the master of the Seder lifts the wine cup, the symbol of holiness, and says:
“Blessed art thou, O Lord our God, king of the universe, who has created the fruit of the vine. Blessed art thou,
O Lord our God, king of the universe, who has kept us alive, and sustained us, and enabled us to reach this
season.”
In this day of pandemic, we thank God who has kept us alive, and sustained us, and enabled us to reach this
season.
(All drink the first cup)
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Ur-Chatz - Washing of the Hands / Jesus Washes feet of Disciples
(Wendy)
We have heard a lot about washing hands these days. If you have not had a chance to wash your hands before
dinner, we will give you an opportunity to do that in just a moment. The washing of the hands in modern times,
or feet in Biblical times, was a requirement of outward cleansing in order to make the heart ready to receive the
lessons of our God. In some countries only the master of the Seder is required to wash, in others only the male
participants. The washing was usually done by a servant or in modern times, by the woman of the house.
(Leader washes his hands)
(Andy)
Jesus took this opportunity to teach His disciples an important lesson about the New Kingdom. Jesus, the
Master, washed the feet of His disciples. He explains his actions in John 13:12-17 “After he had washed their
feet, had put on his robe, and had returned to the table he said to them, “do you know what I have done to you?
You call me Teacher and Lord – and you are right, for that is what I am. So if I, your Lord and Teacher, have
washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have set you an example, that you also
should do as I have done to you. Very truly, I tell you, servants are not greater than their master, nor are
messengers greater than the one who sent them. If you know these things, you are blessed if you do them.“
What does this washing remind us today?
It is reminding us that we are all equal, regardless of our culture, religion, occupation, financial situation or how
famous we are. If this COVID-19 treats us all equally, perhaps we should too.
It is reminding us that we are all connected, that the false borders we have put up have little value — this virus
does not need a passport.
We are taught by our Lord that we are already cleaned through our baptism but collect dust and dirt on our
hands and feet as we make our way in this world. In our worship we confess our sins and are offered
absolution, grace, forgiveness.
To follow our Lord’s example I will wash the hands of my family. You can also take a moment to go wash
your hands. As you do, remember your baptism and the forgiveness of your sins.
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Passing of the Sop - Judas leaves to betray Jesus
(Wendy)
We dip parsley, celery, or lettuce (the karpas) in saltwater (sop) and recite the prayer. Why do we eat karpas?
To excite our curiosity and encourage the children and all at the table to ask questions. Why parsley and why
saltwater? The salt water symbolizes the tears of the enslaved Jews in Egypt and the karpas, the green leaf
symbolizes the new life in the Promised Land. The master of the house takes some karpas, dips it into salt-
water, says the blessing, and then passes it to everyone at the table. When we all dip the karpas in the (virtual)
family dish we show that we are all part of the family just as Jesus did with his disciples.
(Andy)
“Blessed art thou, O Lord our God, King of the universe, who creates the fruit of the earth.”
(PASS THE SOP)
(Andy)
Matt. 26:20-23 tells us “When evening came, Jesus was reclining at the table with the Twelve. And while they
were eating, he said, “Truly I tell you, one of you will betray me” And they became greatly distressed and
began to say to him one after another, “Surely not I Lord” He answered “The one who has dipped his hand into
the bowl with me will betray me.” But the disciples still did not know who Jesus was talking about since they
had all dipped the sop.
Breaking of the Matzo
(Andy)
On every Passover table there is a “matzo tosh” or matzo cover which is a cloth envelope with three pockets
each with a separate piece of matzo. The middle matzo is removed and broken. Half of this piece is wrapped in
a cloth and hidden. It is called the Afikomen.
THE INTRODUCTION
(ALL)
This is the bread of poverty which our forefathers ate in the land of Egypt. Let all who are hungry enter
and eat; let all who are needy come to our Passover feast. This year we are here; next year may we be in
the Land of Israel. This year we are slaves; next year may we all be free.
(BREAK THE MATZO AND HAVE AN ASSISTANT HIDE IT)
(Andy)
Some say Afikomen is a Hebrew word meaning “hidden piece”. Others say Afikomen is a Greek word that
means “the coming one”. In modern times we may say the Afikomen represents the bread of the poor and it is
to remind us of the hungry and those who are afraid to eat their bread. The Afikomen is hidden by the father.
At the end of the Seder service the children of the house search for the Afikomen and the one to find it will
return it to the father and receive a ransom because the seder cannot be finished until the afikomen is eaten. The
ransom may be money.
In my Mother’s family back in 1960 they would get $125 and this money went into the child’s college fund –
and she always had to let her little brother (the first born son) find it. This is probably where our tradition of
an Easter egg hunt comes from.
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Kashri - The Four Questions
(Andy) Second cup of wine is poured)
The Four questions are recited by the youngest child present who is able. Afterwards, the entire family replies
to the questions.
(Assistant or young child)
Why is this night different from all other nights? Why on all other nights we may eat leavened or unleavened
bread but on this night only unleavened bread?
Why on all other nights we may eat all kinds of herbs, but on this night only bitter herbs?
Why on all other nights do we not dip even once but on this night we dip twice?
Why on all other nights do we eat and drink either sitting or leaning, but on this night we all lean?
The Reply
(The master of the Seder and all the celebrants recite the Reply)
(ALL)
We were Pharaoh’s slaves in Egypt, and the Lord our God brought us fourth from there with a mighty
hand and an outstretched arm.
(Andy)
And if the Holy One, blessed be he, had not brought our fore-fathers forth from Egypt, then we, our children
and our children’s children would still be Pharaoh’s slaves in Egypt.
(ALL)
So, even though all of us were wise, all of us full of understanding, all of us elders, all of us knowing in the
Torah, we should still be under the commandment to tell the story of the departure from Egypt.
(Andy)
And the more one tells the story of the departure from Egypt, the more praiseworthy he is.
(Leader) (From commentary by Elie Wiesel)
“If God had not brought our fore-fathers forth from Egypt, then we, our children, and our children’s children
would still be Pharaoh’s slaves in Egypt” What a strange statement. The Pharaoh has long ceased to exist.
How could we still be slaves? Clearly, this sentence is allegorical. Pharaohs are not necessarily Egyptian. And
Egypt, is not the only place where exile is felt. Each generation has its own enemies, its own struggles and –
sometimes – its own victories. We evoke Exodus not only to remember our suffering in Egypt, but also to
relive the manner in which we overcame our suffering.
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Explaining the Symbols on the Seder Plate
(Wendy)
The symbols on the Seder Plate help in the explanation and retelling of the Passover Story. There are seven
symbols, each designating a different phase of the story. The Father will ask the children what each symbol
means.
(Ashkenazi and Sephardic Hebrew English translations differ.)
(Father) What is the meaning of the EGG (Beitzah – Egg)?
(Child) The EGG represents the cycle of life and the symbol of the voluntary offering that each person
brought to the temple during the Passover week.
(Father) What does this symbol mean to us today?
(Child) The EGG is baked in onion skins to give it a color. This is probably where our tradition of Easter
Eggs came from. We make an offering also. We offer with joy and thanksgiving what God has first
given us – ourselves, our time, and our possessions, signs of God’s gracious love.
It is reminding us that the power of freewill is in our hands. We can choose to look only after ourselves, or
we can choose to cooperate, share, and give.
(Father) What is the meaning of the SHANKBONE (Zeroa – Shank of Lamb)
(Child) The SHANKBONE is the symbol of the Paschal Lamb, a lamb without blemish that was
sacrificed at the Temple for the remission of sins. Because the Blessed One passed over the houses of our
ancestors in Egypt as it is said: “You will say, it is a sacrifice of the Passover to the Eternal, Who passed
over the houses of the children of Israel in Egypt, when God struck the Egyptians, and spared our houses.
And the people bowed and worshiped”
(Father) What does this symbol mean to us today?
(Child) Jesus became our Paschal Lamb and made the sacrifice for us once and for all. He is the Lamb
without blemish given for all for the remission of sins.
It is reminding us to keep our egos in check. No matter how accomplished we are or how much control we
think we have, a virus can bring our world to a standstill.
(Father) What is the meaning of the MOROR (Maror – Bitter Herbs)?
(Child) The MOROR, the bitter herb, symbolizes the bitter time the Hebrews had during slavery. As it is
said, “They embittered their lives with hard enslavement, forcing them to work with mortar and bricks,
and to carry out all kinds of work in the fields. All the labor was harsh.”
(Father) What does this symbol mean to us today?
(Child) We should recall the bitter times that we are enslaved to sin. It reminds us that we may be feeling
oppressed for a short time but others in this world spend their lives in more oppressive conditions.
(Father) What is the meaning of the KARPAS (Karpas – Vegetable – parsley)?
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(Child) The KARPAS, parsley or celery leaf, is the symbol of the festive supper and the longing for new
life
(Father) What does this symbol mean to us today?
(Child) It is reminding us that this can either be an end or a new beginning. This can be a time of reflection
an understanding, where we as a global society, learn from our mistakes. We long for spring and the new
life which is ours in Christ Jesus.
(Father) What is the meaning of the CHAROSES (Charoset – Sweet dish made with apples, nuts, and spices)?
(Child) The Charoses, a mixture of apples, walnuts, cinnamon and wine symbolize the mortar of the
bricks the Hebrews used to build the cities of Pharaoh.
(Father) What does this symbol mean to us today?
(Child) It is reminding us that our true work is not our job – that is what we do, not what we were created to
do. We need the mortar of prayer and study and fellowship to cement our relationship with Christ just
like Christ prayed to his father in the garden.
(Father) What is the meaning of the HORSERADISH (Chazeret - Bitter Vegetable, Horseradish, lettuce or
radish)?
(Child) Ground horseradish root colored red with beet juice. Red in color to symbolize the blood shed
during the Egyptian slavery.
(Father) What does this symbol mean to us today?
(Child) We remember the bitter scorning and spilling of the precious blood that our Lord endured for us.
(Father) What is the meaning of the MATZO?
(Child) The MATZO, the unleavened bread, the bread of affliction, symbolic of the hurried departure
from Egypt when there was no time to let the bread rise.
(Father) What does this symbol mean to us today?
(Child) It is reminding us that life is short. What is most important for us to do is to help others, especially
the most vulnerable in our community. We should urgently prepare the Kingdom for the coming of the
Lord!
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Telling the Passover Story
(Leader)
The symbols of the mighty acts which God performed are before us. As a people of God, we must recall from
where we came and toward what we aim. The Passover Story starts with the call of Abraham and ends with the
entrance into the Promised Land. As Christians, the story continues with the life of Jesus Christ, the last supper
and his suffering, death and resurrection.
The story is told by all who are present at the Passover Table. Let us tell the story together.
(Silence for preparation)
(Leader)
In the beginning our Fathers were worshipers of strange gods.
(ALL)
And God said, “I took your father Abraham and led him throughout all the land of Canaan and
multiplied his seed and I gave him Isaac and Jacob.”
(Leader)
And Jacob and his children went down into Egypt. [Josh 24:2-4]
(ALL)
With 70 people my ancestors went down into Egypt; and then the Lord your God made you as populous
as the stars in the heavens.
[Deut 10:22]
(Leader)
And the Egyptians were afraid of their number and set over them task masters and my people built the Egyptian
cities of Pitham and Raamses. [Exod. 1:10-13]
(ALL)
And God heard the cries of His people and remembered the covenant with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.
[Exod. 2:24]
(Leader)
And the Lord brought us forth from Egypt with a mighty hand, and with an outstretched arm; with terror and
with signs and wonders. [Deut. 26:8]
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The Plagues
(Leader)(Fill glasses of wine)
At the Passover Seder a small amount of wine is traditionally removed from the cup when the name of each of
the Ten Plagues is recited. It is explained as an expression of sorrow for the pain suffered by the Egyptians
from each plague.
(From commentary by Elie Wiesel)
There is a story found in the Midrash, in the passage about the Red Sea crossing. The Children of Israel are
saved at the last moment, while their oppressors drown before their eyes. It is a moment of grace so
extraordinary that he angels themselves begin to sing, but God interrupts and scolds them: What has come over
you? My creatures are drowning in the sea and you are singing? How can you praise me with your hymns at a
time when human beings are dying?
We are isolated but as tempting as it is to lean into the imagery of the plagues, we do not want to do so.
Because COVID-19 is a terrible pandemic, but not a plague. The most dangerous part of associating COVID-
19 with the ten plagues is not about the malady’s origin, but about our response. When the Israelites
sequestered in their homes and painted blood on their doorposts, they did it to distinguish themselves from the
Egyptian households. When we stay home, it is instead a recognition that there are no distinctions to this
disease; whatever we do is not primarily for ourselves, but for our neighbors and coworkers and others we do
not know. Our houses have no blood on the doorposts, neither for protection nor identification. We await not a
personal salvation, but an all-clear for everyone. Unlike that midnight in Egypt – we, all of us, are in this
together.
- Adapted from Passover and the Pandemic by Michael Bernstein
In some households, instead of spilling the wine directly from the goblet into a saucer, the small finger is dipped
into the wine, and a drop at a time is tapped onto a napkin. The use of the finger is a reminder of the verse in
Exodus (8:19) in which Pharaoh’s magicians, unable to duplicate the miracles performed by Moses, had to
admit that it was the “finger of God” that executed these miracles that in the end made the Exodus possible. As
I recite the plagues, you may dip your pinky finger in your wine cup and drop a drop of wine onto your napkin
if you have a paper napkin.
(Leader)
These are the ten plagues which the Holy One, blessed be he, brought upon the Egyptians in Egypt:
BLOOD
FROGS
GNATS (VERMIN)
FLIES (MIXTURE)
LIVESTOCK (PESTILENCE)
BOILS
HAIL
LOCUSTS
DARKNESS
SLAYING OF THE FIRST-BORN
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The meal is served (The Third Cup – and we stop counting for a time)
1st Course: Gefilte fish, Charoses and Matzo
2nd Course: Chicken Soup and Knegala (Matzo balls)
3rd Course: Salad
4th Main Course:
Chicken/Lamb – Lemon Baked Chicken
Potato Kugel
Vegetables
Apple Sauce
5th Dessert
Table Talk Topics (As our meal is served questions and discussion on the Passover are encouraged.)
Is it right for Christians to celebrate Passover
The Benediction – The Blessing of the Family
Keeping Kosher and the Division of Labor
Family Traditions
Favorite Seder Stories and the writing of the service
Chicken in America instead of Lamb
Rickey Amstutz Conversion Story
Remembering the Holocaust
The Sleeping disciples
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The finding of the Afikomen
(Leader)(Clear Tables of food) (The Fourth Cup)
After the meal the matzo which has been set aside for the afikomen is found
(Children find the afikomen)
(Leader)
Once it is paid for the afikomen is unwrapped and shared by all as the last food eaten so its flavor will stay on
the tongue and its memory stay in the mind the rest of the evening.
And my mother asked the question to the rabbi “Rabbi, why three pieces of Matzo in the Matzo Tosh? Three is
not a significant number anywhere in the Torah or the Talmud.”
The rabbis cannot agree on the significance of this observance, or its origins. Some believe the three pieces of
matzo represent the three crowns of learning. Others believe it represents the three patriarchs: Abraham, Isaac
and Jacob. Still others believe it symbolizes the three types of people in Israel: the priests, the Levites, and the
commoners.
Through the eyes of the Gospel we see another significance in the three pieces of matzo. The trinity. The
Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. The middle matzo – representing the Son, our Messiah – is broken,
wrapped in linen, hidden, and ransomed (the price paid), and then brought back for the family to accept and
enjoy.
In Mark we read “whoever wants to be first must be slave of all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be
served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many” [Mark 10:44-45]
In Isaiah the prophet tells us that the messiah will be “bruised for our iniquities” [Isa. 53:5] In Hebrew the word
bruised means broken in body and spirit. We see the brokenness of spirit when Christ cries from the cross, “Eli,
Eli lono sabachtoni” My God, My God, why hast thou forsaken me. Jesus was broken away from God during
the crucifixion.
The cup of Elijah
(The Final Cup)
After the meal, the cup of Elijah is filled, the untouched cup. The youngest child of the house runs to the door
and holds it open.
(CHILD RUNS TO MAIN DOOR AND HOLDS IT OPEN)
Everyone waits for the Messiah to enter, bless the cup and give it to everyone. This would announce the
Messianic Age. In Jesus day, if anyone were to touch the cup of Elijah who was not the messiah it would be
considered heresy and that person would be stoned to death.
(Child returns)
When the Messiah does not enter the father says “Next year the messiah will feed us” and the cup of Elijah is
wrapped in a cloth, taken away from the table and the wine is poured onto the ground.
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The Good News
(Leader)
But we do not have to wait until next year. Now scripture does not tell us that there was anything special about
the cup that Jesus took. Only that “after supper he took the cup”. I believe that it was likely the cup of Elijah
that he took and if the disciples had any doubt that he was the messiah they would have known at that moment.
He took the cup and offered a NEW covenant. When Jonathan was about three years old and we were attending
Good Friday services he asked “Does he have to die every year?”
[Hebrews 9:24-26] 24For Christ did not enter a sanctuary made by human hands, a mere
copy of the true one, but he entered into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God on our behalf. 25Nor was it to offer himself again and again, as the high priest
enters the Holy Place year after year with blood that is not his own; 26for then he would have had to suffer again and again since the foundation of the world. But as it is, he has
appeared once for all at the end of the age to remove sin by the sacrifice of himself.
When you come to the communion table remember this:
Jesus Christ, the Messiah, has come and has opened the door for us to live in communion with God. The
curtain of the temple separated the people from the Holy of Holies, the place where the High Priests would go
and face God on our behalf and offer sacrifices for the forgiveness of our sins. We were dependent on the priest
and the sacrifice of the pascal lamb for the remission of our sins. But when Jesus went willingly to the Cross,
he fulfilled the law forever. [Mat. 27:50-51] “And when Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice, he gave up
his spirit. At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom“. The Messiah bore our
sins and opened the door for us to live in communion with God. The door has been opened, the meal has been
set before us. When we return to Holy Faith and Pastor sets the meal before us we must know the gift our Lord
has given, to live in communion with God.
Amen.
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CONCLUDED
Concluded is the Passover Seder,
According to its law and custom.
As we have lived to celebrate it
So may we live to celebrate it again.
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Table Talk Topics
Is it Right for Christians to Celebrate Passover
When faced with a question, we should not shy away from it or avoid it. We should confront it directly, study
what others have said and then come to our own conclusions. So we need to ask ourselves a question and like
the Talmudic scholars, search for an answer. Is it right for us, as Christians, to tell the story of bondage and
redemption from Egypt and the bondage and redemption from sin and death through Jesus Christ both at the
same time as our own stories?
Some say that if Christians are to celebrate a Passover Seder “It must not be mixed with Christian concepts or
expressions if it is to be authentic. It is a Jewish celebration of freedom useful in helping Christians understand
Judaism. Christians will want to avoid any tendency to syncretism, that is, mixing the Seder and the Lord’s
Supper so that the Seder appears to be a Christian observance.” [From Passover Seder Ritual and Menu for an
Observance by Christians, Augsburg Publishing House © 1984]
This policy of separating the Passover Seder and the Christian traditions is meant to ensure that neither tradition
is offended. But the telling about the departure from Egypt should be told, even in the days of the Messiah. So
it is written [Deut. 16:3] “That you may remember the day when you came forth out of the land of Egypt all the
days of thy life.” Rabbi Ben Zoma says, had it been written ‘the days of thy life,’ it would have meant the days
only; but ‘all the days of thy life’ means the nights as well therefore the story should be recited at night. The
Sages however explain the verse differently: “had it been written ‘the days of thy life,’ it would have meant this
world only; ‘all the days of thy life’ means that the times of the Messiah are included as well.”
And even as Christians who have never been subject to the Law, we are right to claim ourselves as heirs of
Abraham. So it is written in Paul’s letter to the Galatians “Now before faith came, we were imprisoned and
guarded under the law until faith would be revealed. Therefore the law was our disciplinarian until Christ came,
so that we might be justified by faith. But now that faith has come, we are no longer subject to a disciplinarian,
for in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith. As many of you were baptized into Christ have
clothed yourselves with Christ. There is no longer Jew or Greek, there is no longer slave or free, there is no
longer male and female; for all of you are one in Christ Jesus. And if you belong to Christ then you are
Abraham’s offspring, heirs according to the promise.” [Gal 3:23-29] So as children of the God of Abraham it is
right for us to tell the story of the Exodus as our own story.
It is most authentic to lay the symbols of the Passover Seder in front of us and to ask “What is their meaning”
and then ask “What do these symbols mean to us today”. We are right to tell of our redemption from Egypt and
we are compelled to tell the story of the suffering, death and resurrection of our Lord.
It is indeed right for us to celebrate the Passover, even in the days of the Messiah as children of the God of
Abraham and heirs to the promise. And it is indeed authentic for us to ask ourselves “what do these symbols
mean to us today” and answer these questions as redeemed followers of Christ.
I often get questions when we do this seder like “Is that the way Jesus would have done it?” “Is that how jews
would do it today?” or “A Jewish seder wouldn’t have all that stuff about Jesus in it, right?” Keep in mind that
we are doing parts of a traditional Passover Seder, AND remembering what happened with Jesus at the last
supper AND thinking about what all of this means for us, today”
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The Blessing of the Family
(Leader)
It is tradition to say a benediction over the children at the Sabbath and festival meals.
We are all family here tonight, children of the same heavenly Father.
The Lord bless you and keep you
The Lord make his face shine upon you and be gracious under you.
The Lord look upon you with favor and give you peace. [Num 6:24-26]
(All) Amen
To my Children:
I heard a passionate conservationist once say, we preserve what we love, we love what we know and we know
what we have been taught. We come tonight to witness. If showing up is 80% of life (Woody Allen) we have to
be mindful of being present. We can witness a birth or birthdays or baptisms or confirmations or communion.
We can witness graduations or weddings or funerals. And witnessing these things change us and connect us
with others but we have to show up. We come tonight to learn and study. We have to learn how to study and
we have to study to learn. It takes time, effort and concentration but it brings great rewards. We come tonight
to seek. To seek meaning and to seek meaningful answers. We can’t seek if we don’t first learn, we can’t learn
if we don’t show up.
Keeping Kosher and Division of Labor
Family Traditions
New clothes for Passover and Easter.
Favorite Seder Stories and the writing of the service
Opening the door for the messiah and finding Buddy.
Always have apple sauce on our table because we started doing the seder for High School teenagers who were
picky and didn’t eat much.
This service has been changed in one way or another every year since we had our first seder in April 2001
Chicken in America instead of Lamb
When Jews came to America Lamb was scarce and expensive but all Jews are under the commandment to
celebrate the Passover. So the American Jewish leaders gathered to discuss this issue. They came to a dramatic
conclusion. They would allow the substitution of chicken for lamb.
Mom’s Conversion Story
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Remembering the Holocaust
IF GOD LETS ME LIVE
[…] We have been pointedly reminded that we are in hiding, that we are Jews in chains, chained to one spot,
without any rights, but with a thousand duties. We Jews mustn’t show our feelings, must be brave and strong,
must accept all inconveniences and not grumble, must do what is within our power and trust in God. Sometime
this terrible war will be over. Surely the time will come when we are people again, and not just Jews.
Who has inflicted this upon us? Who has made us Jews different from all other people? Who has
allowed us to suffer so terribly up till now? It is God that has made us as we are, but it will be God, too, who
will raise us up again. If we bear all this suffering and if there are still Jews left, when it is over, then Jews,
instead of being doomed, will be held up as an example. Who knows, it might even be our religion from which
the world and all peoples learn good, and for that reason and that reason only do we have to suffer now. We
have never become just Netherlanders, or just English, or representatives of any country for that matter, we will
always remain Jess, but we want to, too…
If God lets me live, I shall attain more than Mummy ever has done, I shall not remain insignificant, I
shall work in the world and for mankind!
And now I know that first and foremost I shall require courage and cheerfulness!
Yours, Anne
(Anne Frank)
The sleeping disciples
After having sat reclining through a long Passover Seder meal, filled with emotion, food and the minimum 4
cups of wine (or more). Jesus, wanted to go pray in the garden and he wanted the disciples to stay awake and
“keep watch”.
Mark 14:32-41 reads 32 They went to a place called Gethsemane, and Jesus said to his disciples, “Sit here while I pray.” 33 He took
Peter, James and John along with him, and he began to be deeply distressed and troubled. 34 “My soul is
overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death,” he said to them. “Stay here and keep watch.”
35 Going a little farther, he fell to the ground and prayed that if possible the hour might pass from him. 36
“Abba,[a] Father,” he said, “everything is possible for you. Take this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what
you will.”
37 Then he returned to his disciples and found them sleeping. “Simon,” he said to Peter, “are you asleep?
Couldn’t you keep watch for one hour? 38 Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is
willing, but the flesh is weak.”
39 Once more he went away and prayed the same thing. 40 When he came back, he again found them sleeping,
because their eyes were heavy. They did not know what to say to him.
41 Returning the third time, he said to them, “Are you still sleeping and resting? Enough! The hour has come.
Look, the Son of Man is delivered into the hands of sinners.
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Ya know, you have to have some sympathy and pity for the sleepy disciples.