Passover Seder

My friends and neighbors, the Nicholsons graciously offered to lead my 8th graders through the Passover Seder again this year. I have taught both Old and New testament and this was my 4th Seder but every year I learn something new, something mind blowing...I am also reminded every year of how much I needed Jesus to come be that pure spotless blameless lamb to die for me...for my ugly rotten heart....how I need to be rescued. Its crazy how a meal and an "order" reminds us so clearly of our God..how when we physically taste bitterness, break matzah and taste salt water we are reminded of slavery to sin and how free we are in Christ. I wanted to share some of the things I was reminded of and learned throughout the pictures I took. I also have awesome videos of my students singing in Hebrew...this was so much fun as they caught on quickly and began to clap and rejoice as they sang in Hebrew!!!!!

The blowing of the shofar announces the beginning of the Feast (Num. 10:10)

The Seder plate. We learn about this in Bible class before our meal. Bitter herbs and lettuce that are dipped in salt water to remind us of the bitter life that the Hebrews had while they were slaves in Egypt and how bitter our lives are when we are slaves to sin. The salt water reminds us of their tears as they cried out to God to save them while in Egpt. The Lambbone to symbolize the passover Lamb for the Hebrews and Jesus for us! The roasted egg to remind us of renewal and that we are a new creation. The charoset which is like a crunchy applesauce that I make...to remind us of the mortar used by the Hebrews to build statues to false gods in Egypt...eaten on Matzah. 

Perhaps the most important symbol on the seder table is a plate that has a stack of three pieces of matzah (unleavened bread) on it. The matzot (that’s plural for matzah) are typically covered with a cloth. The matzah also has lines and holes in it to represent how Christ was whipped and had holes nailed through his hands on the cross.

Once the house and the participants are ceremonially clean, the Passover seder can begin. The woman of the house says a blessing and lights the Passover candles. It is appropriate that the woman brings light into the home, because it was through the woman that the light of the world, Messiah Jesus, came into the world (Gen. 3:15)

Before the beginning of the Passover, all leaven, which is a symbol of sin (1 Cor. 5:6-8), must be removed from the Jewish home. The house is cleaned from top to bottom and anything containing leaven is removed. Leaven represents sin and the fact that the Hebrews had to leave Egypt quickly, with no time to allow their bread to rise! Once the leaven is removed, the family sits around the table and ceremonially washes their hands with a special pitcher and towel. Jesus also took part in this tradition, but rather than wash his hands, he got up from the table and washed the feet of his disciples, giving us a lesson in humility (John 13:2-17). 

Grape Juice or Wine.Everyone at the seder has a (usually very small) cup or glass from which they drink four cups of wine. Traditionally, the four cups represent the four biblical promises of redemption: “I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, and I will rid you from their slavery, and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm, and with great judgments. And I will take you to me for a people . . .” Others say the four cups represent the four letters in the unspeakable Name of God.