The Passover Seder

A Christian Perspective

The Passover “This is a day you are to commemorate;

for the generations to come you shall celebrate it as a festival to the LORD - a lasting ordinance.” (Exodus 12:14)

I. The Purpose• Seder means “Order”

• Haggadah means “Telling”

• An elaborate teaching experience to allow everyone to take part in the story

Christian Seder• Jesus as the Pascal Lamb

• Jesus (Moses) leads us out of a New Exodus

• To help us better understand the Suspended

Promises”

of the Old

Testament

Suspended Promises• Isaiah 1:22 - Your silver has become

dross, your choice wine is diluted with water.

• Isaiah 25:6 - On this mountain the LORD Almighty will prepare a feast of rich food for all peoples, a banquet of aged wine - the best of meats and the finest of wines.

The Wedding BanquetJohn 2:1-10

• Jesus’ first miracle;

He turns water

into wine!

• Signifying that what

was lost is being

redeemed

The Last Supper• Matthew 26:17-30

  Jesus turns their Seder meal into a “new and lasting ordinance” about himself

II. Removal of the Chametzpronounced ka-mets .

Exodus 12:15-20

1 Corinthians 5:6-8 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.

Discussion: Yeast

“What lessons does God want us to learn from the Old Testament concept of yeast?”

III. Lighting of the Candles• By day the LORD went ahead of them in a pillar of cloud to guide

them on their way and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, so that they could travel by day or night. Neither the pillar of cloud by day nor the pillar of fire by night left its place in front of the people.

- Exodus 13:21-22

• “for our God is a consuming fire.“

- Hebrews 12:29

IV. The Telling of the Passover• Reading of the

Exodus account

V. The Seder Plate

• Maror and Chazeret—These are the bitter herbs symbolizing the bitter life the Jews led in Egypt and around the world.

• Charoset—Derived from the Hebrew word from clay, it symbolizes the mortor mixed with clay. The sweetness of the honey and dried fruits in contrasting from the bitterness of slavery is also a symbol of hope.

• Zeroa—A roasted bone, which symbolizes the lamb that was sacrificed as well as God’s arm that reached out to free His people.

• Beitzah—The roasted egg serves as a symbol of burnt offerings that were made in the Temple as well as a reminder of the circle of life.

• Karpas—Parsley represents the arrival of Spring. The greens are also dipped in salt water to represent the hyssop dipped for sprinkling on the door posts.

• Salt Water—not part of the Seder plate, but kept on the table to represent the sweat and tears shed by the Hebrews.

V. The Seder Plate

Luke 22:7-20Then came the day of Unleavened Bread on which the Passover

Lamb had to be sacrificed. Jesus sent Peter and John,

saying, "Go and make preparations for us to eat the Passover."  

"Where do you want us to prepare for it?" they asked. He replied,

"As you enter the city, a man carrying a jar of water will meet you. Follow him to

the house that he enters, and say to the owner of the house, 'The Teacher asks:

Where is the guest room, where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?' He will

show you a large upper room, all furnished. Make preparations there.“ They left

and found things just as Jesus had told them. So they prepared the Passover.

When the hour came, Jesus and his apostles reclined at the table. And he said to

them, "I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer. For I

tell you, I will not eat it again until it finds fulfillment in the kingdom of God.“ After

taking the cup, he gave thanks and said, "Take this and divide it among you. For I

tell you I will not drink again of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God

comes.“ And he took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying,

"This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me." In the same way,

after the supper he took the cup, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in my

blood, which is poured out for you.

Discussion

Which element

of the Seder

Plate is the most

meaningful for

you personally?

• Performance: El-Shadai

• Prayer for Bread (per table)

• Prayer for Wine (per table)

Communion

The Israelites did as Moses instructed and asked the Egyptians for articles of silver and gold and for clothing. The LORD had made the Egyptians favorably disposed toward the people, and they gave them what they asked for; so they plundered the Egyptians.

Offering – Exodus 12:35-36

• Observations based on today’s experience

Reflections