The New TestamentPassover Haggadah

HE IS RISEN!

Year after year, now, for some 36 centuries, the Jewish people have been repeating the story of redemption at the Passover. But, as we have seen, it is also a clear prophecy of a greater story; the story of redemption through Christ the Messiah, the Lamb of God, who lived and died and rose again for the redemption of all who believe.

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WELCOME TO OUR PASSOVER OBSERVANCE

We invite you to join in this historical observance of a traditional Jewish holiday, which we will celebrate in the Christian context.

The scriptures are very clear. Jesus is linked so closely to Israel’s Feast of the Passover that in 1 Corinthians 5:7, He is called Christ of our Passover.

THE EARLY CHRISTIANS

commemorated the Resurrection at Passover time because the Last Supper, Crucifixion and Resurrection all happened then. In the fourth century, Constantine deliberately separated Easter and Passover; nevertheless, they remain interwoven by Divine intent. Their common denominator is the Lamb of God.

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Just as Passover commemorated Israel’s physical redemption, it also pointed to the spiritual redemption that Christians celebrate at Easter. The Passover observance handed down from ancient times teems with symbolism. Some contemporary Passover customs stem directly from rituals incorporated by the early Christians as they saw in the risen Christ the prophetic fulfillment of Israel’s Passover redemption

JESUS ESTABLISHED THE LORD’S SUPPER

In keeping with Jewish tradition, our

Messiah, the Lord Jesus, made

preparation to keep the Passover.

Then came the day of unleavened bread, when the Passover must be killed. And He sent Peter and John saying, “Go and prepare us the Passover, that we may eat.” And they said unto Him, “Where wilt thou that we prepare?” He said unto them, “Behold, when you are entering into the city, there shall a man meet you, bearing a pitcher of water; follow him into the house where he enters in.”

And you shall say unto the good man of the house, “The Master saith unto thee, ‘Where is the guest chamber where I shall eat the Passover with my disciples?’”

And he shall show you a large upper room furnished, there make ready. And they went and found as he had said unto them and they made ready the Passover. Luke 22:7-13

The Seder Service Begins Blessing of the Festival Candles

The Lady of the House will kindle the candles and then say the following: “Bo-ruch Attah Ad-hoh-noy Elo-he-nu Me-lech Ha-olom Asher Kid-sha-nu B’mits-vo-sov Vitsi-va-nu L’had-lik Ner shel Yom Tov.”

Traditionally, the lady of the house kindles the candles. In the Christian context, a deacon’s wife or pastor’s wife lights the candles as we pray: “Blessed art thou, O Lord our God, King of the Universe, who has sanctified us by the commandments and has commanded us to kindle the festival-light. Blessed art thou, O Lord our God, King of the universe, who has kept us in life, preserved us, and has enabled us to reach this season. Amen”

As the woman begins the Seder and gives light to the Passover table, so it was from the seed of a woman the Messiah came to perform His redemptive ministry and bring light to the world.

Therefore the Lord, Himself, shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Emmanuel (Isaiah 7:14)

The New Testament confirms, “Now all this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet saying, Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son and they shall call His name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is God with us.

(Matt. 1:22-23)

Why is this night different from other nights?

The Hebrews had been slaves in Egypt for several centuries. They were kept in complete subjection by their Egyptian masters. Their slavery was bitter and their cry for freedom went up to God. In answer to their cry, God sent Moses and Aaron to appear before Pharaoh and plead for His people’s freedom. Ten times they appeared and each time Pharaoh promised to let the

Israelites go, only to go back on his promise.

These are the 10 plagues which the Most Holy, blessed be He, brought on the Egyptians in Egypt.

Blood Boils Frogs Hail Vermin Locusts Flies DarknessPestilence Slaying of first-born

LET MY PEOPLE GO  

         When Is-rael was in E-gypt’s land,Let my people go. Op-press’d so hard they could not stand,Let my people go.Go down Mo-ses, ‘way down to Egypt’s landTell old Pha-raoh,Let my people go!

 

After the ninth refusal, God commanded every Jewish family to take a lamb without spot or blemish, kill it, and pour the blood into a basin. Then they were to dip a bunch of hyssop into the blood and smear it over each doorpost. They were to roast the lamb without breaking a bone and to eat all of it.

While they were eating, God passed over Egypt. Wherever the blood of the lamb was over the doorpost, God passed over the house. But where there was no blood, the firstborn male of that family died. With this final, fatal sign of God’s wrath and power, Pharaoh let the Hebrew nation go.

God sent judgment on Egypt’s first born sons.

The people began one of the most dramatic and heroic journeys in recorded history; the Exodus of the Jewish people from Egypt to the Promised Land.

God considered Israel’s deliverance and redemption from bondage in Egypt of such importance that He commanded the children of Israel to remember and commemorate the event forever. Thus, even through today, Passover is observed in much the same way as we observe it tonight.

Seder Plate

Unleavened Bread

Egg Bone

Parsley Charoseth

Maror

Why should Christians care about this Jewish holiday?

In 1 Corinthians 5:7-8, the Apostle Paul so identified Jesus Christ with the Passover feast that he referred to Jesus as “Christ, our Passover.”

John the Baptist saw the Lord Jesus approaching and said, “Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.” John the Baptist was saying that this One was God’s Passover Lamb; the perfect and complete provision.

For Christ to truly be our Passover, we must symbolically apply His atoning blood upon the doorposts of our hearts. When the death angel of eternity comes, He will pass over us, and we shall not perish but have everlasting life. Christ is, therefore, our Passover. If we understand the Passover Feast, we shall better understand Him and His redemptive work.

Finally, our Lord observed the Passover. It was out of the heart of the Passover feast that Christ established the Lord’s Supper.

If we understand the Passover, we shall more fully appreciate the Lord’s Supper as we remember His death until He comes

again.

Why is there an empty chair at the far end of the table?

Jewish tradition teaches that Elijah will herald the Messiah’s coming at Passover. Therefore, Elijah is the hoped for guest at every Passover table. His special cup stands untouched before the empty chair. At the end of the service, a child is sent to the door to see if Elijah is there.

In the traditional observance, we now come to the time of the washing of the hands. The hands are washed without the usual benediction.

(All participants would dip their fingers in cups of water)

On other nights we eat other herbs, but on this night we eat only bitter herbs. Why is this?

The bitter herbs on the seder plate symbolize the bitterness of bondage. The bondage of the

Hebrews in slavery and the bondage of sin which held each of us before Christ.

 The salt water symbolizes tears. Dipping the greens into the salt water shows that life is often immersed in tears, as it was for the Israelites in Egypt.

(All  participants would dip the   bitter greens into salt water and eat silently)

The bitterness of the Maror reminds all of the bitterness of slavery.

The next item on the Seder Plate is an egg which has been baked, symbolizing a sacrifice. Just as the hen lays each day, even so God knowing that His people would sin everyday commanded a sacrifice for forgiveness of sins. Here we see God’s sacrifice system for our forgiveness.

(All would eat a slice of egg)

Passover bread, called matzo, is made without leavening. The ancient method of making bread

was with sour dough. Before baking the bread, they set aside a chunk of the leavened dough. When they needed to bake bread again, they brought out the old leavened lump and mixed it into the new dough. Each batch of bread was organically linked to the batch before.

Why do we only eat unleavened bread on this night?

At Passover, the chain of leavening was broken, making a fresh start; thus we eat only unleavened bread representing a new beginning. 

When Jesus died, the chain of sin was broken so that all who believe on Him might have a new beginning in Him.

The New Testament sheds more light on the meaning of the matzo in teaching that leaven symbolizes sin: Purge out, therefore, the old leaven that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us. Therefore, let us keep the feast – not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness; but with the unleavened bread of sincerity

and truth. 1 Cor. 5:7-9

The Passover bread is striped and pierced tosymbolize the suffering

Messiah, Jesus Christ; striped by the Roman lash, hands and feet pierced by nails; finally, His side thrust through by the centurion’s spear.

Traditionally, three pieces of matzo are contained in a pouch called a matzo tash, made especially to hold the Passover bread. The three pieces represent the unity of the Trinity. The father reaches into the pouch and takes out the centerpiece. As the center matzo is picked up, it is broken in half. One piece

of the broken matzo is wrapped in the small white linen napkin to symbolize Christ’s death and burial.

The second piece of

matzo is dipped into

the Maror.

As it is eaten, the bitterness is to remind all of a life without Christ. The tears which come to the eyes are to remind us of those who do not know Him. We must care enough to shed tears for the lost.

The remaining piece of matzo is dipped in the Charoseth; a sweet mixture of fruit and nuts symbolizing the sweetness of redemption, then it, too, is eaten.

All would then repeat together

When we know our Redemption is near, even the bitterest labor is sweet. 

Christ took the bitterness of bondage and turned it into the sweetness of salvation.

Why is a shank bone of a lamb on the Seder plate?

In the Jewish Passover observance, the shank bone is a sad reminder that Israel has no Temple, no Priesthood and no Sacrifice. To Christians, however, it is a beautiful reminder symbolizing the Paschal Sacrifice, Jesus, the Lamb of God. We have a Temple, because each believer is a Temple of God. We have Priesthood in the Priesthood of every believer. And we have a High priest who is Christ the Lord.

Finally, we have the Sacrifice; the fulfillment of the Passover Lamb.

What does the wine represent in the Passover observance? 

The wine represents joy and also the blood of the Lamb. Cups are lifted four times. The first is the Cup of Sanctification (blessing over first cup).

Blessed art thou, Lord our God, King of the universe, who has chosen us and delivers us from the burden of slavery to sin.

The cup would be lifted a second time as the Cup of Judgment . A blessing of the second cup is announced by all .

All would repeat together Blessed art thou, Lord our God, who has delivered us from the Bondage of Sin.

All would raise cups a third time,

which is the Cup of Redemption

and repeat:

 

All would repeat together Blessed art thou, Lord our God, who has redeemed us with outstretched arms.

THE LORD’S SUPPER

The red wine which must be drunk at Passover not only reminds us of the Passover lamb of Egypt, but causes us to remember Jesus’ wordsat the Last Supper. In celebrating the Passover with His disciples, Christ tookthe cup of wine, raised it the third timeand said…

 

This is my blood, shed for many for the remission of sins. Take, drink in remembrance of me.

In the traditional Passover this is the time the buried matzo is removed. Jews have been performing this part of the Passover ceremony since the observance began. Why break the middle matzo? Why bury it? Why unwrap it from the white linen?

Judiasm cannot say, but our Christian faith has the answer!

Symbolizing the death, burial and resurrection of Christ, we hold the bread and remember His words, “And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me.”

 

And Jesus said, “This is my body, broken for you: take eat…

As the traditional Passover continues, the chair of Elijah is empty. A child is sent to the door and see if Elijah is there.

  BLESSED IS HE WHO COMES IN THE

NAME OF THE LORD!

But no one is there. The door is shut and our service continues.

More than 2,000 years ago, John the Baptist came in the spirit of Elijah preaching, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. Behold the Lamb of God!”

The Seder of Passover is now complete, even as our salvation and redemption are complete. Just as we were privileged to celebrate it this year, so may we be privileged to do so until the Lord comes again.

All would repeat togetherO, Pure One, who dwells on high, restore thy numberless congregation. Speedily lead the shoots of the garden Thou has planted and redeemed, joyfully to Zion.

As the traditional Passover celebration comes to a close, the theme of Messiah’s coming occurs with the words repeated by all: “NEXT YEAR IN JERUSALEM!” meaning that perhaps in the next year Messiah will come. We Christians know of a New Jerusalem and look to the Second Coming of Messiah, God’s only begotten Son. With expectation, joy and thankfulness we can say…

Next Year in New Jerusalem!

This Presentationis with the compliments of

Dr. Jude LanpharGlobe, Arizona

Edited byDr. Stephen E. LaFleur

March 2013