A Messianic Passover

Introduction

The Passover is a festival meal that Yahweh implemented as a celebration of His deliverance of Israel from their bondage in Egypt (Exodus 13–14). But the Passover does not just remember Israel’s exodus; it also foreshadows the coming of Jesus Christ and His sacrifice on the cross. This is the meal Christ shared in the upper room with His disciples, which Christians call the Lord’s Supper (Matthew 26:17-30; Luke 22:7-38; John 13-16). Thus both Jews and Christians celebrate the Passover meal in remembrance of Yahweh’s ability to deliver His people from bondage to the world, sin, and death. Tonight, we will remember Yahweh’s faithfulness and His deliverance, which He brought to the nation of Israel and to us personally through faith in the blood of Jesus Christ, our Passover lamb. Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world!

“This day [Passover] will become a memorial for you, and you will celebrate it as a festival to Yahweh – you will celebrate it perpetually as a lasting ordinance.” (Exodus 12:14)

Traditionally, the Passover table was low and set up like a rectangular horseshoe, and the members of the family reclined on the floor around it. This posture symbolized that they were no longer in bondage but were free men and women who could now recline as all free men did.

The Lighting of the Candles

The lighting of the candles represents Yahweh as the God of light (1 John 1:5) who brought His light into creation (Gen. 1:3), sent His Son Jesus Christ who is the light that came into the world (John 1:4-5), and brought us into the light (Colossians 1:12-13; 1 Peter 2:9-10).

The selected women light the candles.

Mothers:Blessed are You, O Yahweh our God, King of the universe, who has sanctified us by your commandments and has commanded us to kindle the festival lights. Blessed are You, O Yahweh our God, King of the universe, who has kept us alive and sustained us unto this day. May our home be consecrated, O Yahweh our God, by your light, shining upon us in blessing, and bringing us peace.

All: “We are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that we may declare the praises of Him who called us out of darkness into His wonderful light.” (1 Peter 2:9-10)

All: Blessed are You, O Yahweh our God! King of the universe, wo has brought us out of the darkness and into the light.

The Washing of the Hands

In the tabernacle was a bronze washbasin where the Israelites washed themselves ceremonially before they offered their sacrifices to Yahweh. This symbolized the cleansing of sins, which would later be fulfilled through the shedding of Christ’s blood and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. It was at this point in the Passover meal that Jesus washed the disciples’ feet.

“Because Jesus knew that the Father had handed all things over to Him, and that He had come from God and was going back to God, He got up from the meal, removed His outer clothes, took a towel and tied it around Himself. He poured water into the washbasin and began to wash the disciples’ feet and to dry them with the towel He had wrapped around himself.” (John 13:4-5)

All: “Blessed are You, Yahweh our God, King of the Universe, who has sanctified us with the blood of Jesus Christ and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.”

The Story of the Exodus

Now we hear the story of Yahweh’s deliverance of the Israelites and the reason for the Passover.

The Four Cups

Do not drink all the juice from this cup at once. We will be drinking from it four different times throughout the meal.

There are four ceremonial cups of wine that are drunk throughout the Passover meal. The concept and meaning of the four cups come from Exodus 6:6-7.

“Therefore, tell the Israelites, ‘I am Yahweh. I will bring you out from your enslavement to the Egyptians, I will deliver you from their bondage, and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with great judgments. I will take you to Myself for a people, and I will be your God. Then you will know that I am Yahweh your God, who brought you out from your enslavement to the Egyptians. I will bring you to the land I swore to give to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob—and I will give it to you as a possession. I am Yahweh.’” (Exodus 6:6-8)

The Cup of Sanctification—“I will bring you out from your enslavement”
The Cup of Deliverance—“I will deliver you from your bondage”
The Cup of Redemption—“I will redeem you with an outstretched arm”
The Cup of Hope/Praise—“I will take you to Myself for a people”

The First Cup: Sanctification

The Cup of Sanctification sets apart this night and meal as unique and separate from all other nights and meals. It acknowledges that, because of what Yahweh did in Egypt and what Jesus did on the cross, we have been brought out of the world of bondage to sin and death and have been redeemed as a unique people unto Him.

Leader: “I Am Yahweh. I will bring you out from your enslavement.” (Exodus 6:6)

Leader: “And when the hour came, Jesus sat at the table, and the apostles with him. And He said to them, ‘I have earnestly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer; for I tell you I will not eat until it is fulfilled 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 from the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes.’” (Luke 22:14-18)

Pause for the drinking of the cup.

All: “And by His will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.” (Hebrews 10:10)

All: Blessed are You, O Yahweh our God! King of the universe, Creator of the fruit of the vine.

The Eating of the Herbs

The eating of herbs is a symbolic reminder of the bitter lives of the Israelites in slavery and of our lives before Jesus redeemed us.

“Yahweh said, ‘I have surely seen the affliction of my people who are in Egypt. I have heard their cry because of their taskmasters, for I know their sorrows. I have come down to deliver them from the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them up from that land to a land that is both good and spacious, to a land flowing with milk and honey.’” (Exodus 3:7-8)

We will eat these herbs one by one.

The Karpas and Salt Water

The karpas (“parsley”) is reminiscent of the hyssop bush, the plant used by the Israelites to spread the lamb’s blood onto the doorposts of their homes. It was also used in the tabernacle in the splattering of the blood of the sacrificial lamb. The salt water represents the tears shed under the bondage of Egypt.

All: “Blessed are You, Yahweh our God, King of the Universe, who has delivered us out of our bondage to sin and death.”

The Maror

The maror is the bitter herb (horseradish) that reminds one of the bitterness of life—the Israelites’ bondage in Egypt (Exodus 13:3) and our bondage to sin and death (Romans 6).

All: “Blessed are You, Yahweh our God, King of the Universe, who has delivered us out of our bondage to sin and death.”

The Charoset

The charoset (“clay”) reminds one of the clay and mortar that the Israelites used to make the bricks for Pharaoh during slavery and of our futile works that bring despair. The bitter/sweet mixture reminds us that the trials of life are bitter, but Yahweh uses these trials in our life to build our character and draw us close to Him, which is a sweet result.

All: “Blessed are You, Yahweh our God, King of the Universe, who has delivered us out of our bondage to sin and death.”

The Zeroa Lamb Shank Bone

This represents the lamb that became the substitutionary sacrifice for the firstborn of the family. Its blood was placed on the door so that Yahweh’s judgment would “pass over” them.

The Jews call this “The Arm (zeroa) of the Lord.” The lamb was selected on the 10^th of Nisan and then inspected for blemishes for the next four days to see if it was worthy of sacrifice on the Passover day. The lamb had to be roasted whole without any broken bones and be completely consumed by the family. This lamb became the substitutionary sacrifice for the firstborn of the family.

“When your children ask you, ‘What does this ceremony mean to you?’ then you will say, ‘It is the sacrifice of Yahweh’s Passover, when He passed over the houses of the Israelites in Egypt, when He struck Egypt and delivered our households.’” (Exodus 12:26-27)

Jesus became our sacrificial lamb in order to redeem us from our bondage to sin and death. And Paul states that Jesus Christ after His resurrection is seated at the right hand of Yahweh as “the Arm of the Lord” (Ephesians 1:20; Colossians 3:1; Hebrews 1:3).

Leader: “Tell the whole community of Israel that on the tenth day of this month each man is to take a lamb for his family, one for each household. Then they are to take some of the blood and put it on the sides and tops of the doorframes of the houses where they eat the lambs.” (Exodus 12:4, 7)

Leader: “Behold the lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.” (John 1:29)

Leader: “He was treated harshly and afflicted, but he did not even open his mouth. Like a lamb led to the slaughtering block, like a sheep silent before her shearers, he did not even open his mouth” (Isaiah 53:7).

All: “For Christ, our Passover lamb is sacrificed for us.” (1 Corinthians 5:7)

All: “Worthy is the lamb that was slain to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory.” (Revelation 5:12)

The Matzo (Unleavened Bread)

The matzo is bread baked without yeast. The Israelites were to leave Egypt in such haste that they were not allowed to use yeast in the baking of the bread for the Passover meal. Throughout Scripture yeast is used as a symbol of sin because it spreads throughout and puffs up the bread. The next day they would begin the seven-day Unleavened Bread festival, during which they would remove all yeast from their homes.

“You must not eat any yeast with it; for seven days you must eat bread made without yeast, symbolic of affliction, for you came out of Egypt hurriedly. You must do this so you will remember for the rest of your life the day you came out of the land of Egypt.” (Deut. 16:3)

There are three matzos placed together into three separate pockets called a Matzo Tash, referred to by the Rabbis as the “Unity.” Jews do not know why there are three. Some believe it represents Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and others that it represents the king, the Levites, and the people. However, neither Isaac nor the Levites were broken. As Christians we know that this is the Tri-unity of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The middle one is called the lechem onee, “the bread of affliction.” During the meal it leaves its place of honor, is broken, and then part is hidden away as in Jesus’ burial. This becomes the afikomen, which means “one who comes.” When you ask a Jew why they break it, they say they do not know—it is just tradition. But Jesus answered this question, for it was at this time in the meal that Jesus broke the bread and said it was His body given for us (Luke 22:19). This matzo is stripped and pierced just as Jesus was flogged and pierced on the cross. The other half is then returned to the other two as in Jesus’ ascension into heaven.

Leader: This is the bread of affliction, which our forefathers ate in the land of Egypt. Let all who are hungry come and eat. Let all who are needy come and celebrate the Passover with us. Now, we are here; next year may we all celebrate in the land of promise. Even now, many are slaves to sin; soon may we all be free!

Leader: “And Jesus 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.’” (Luke 22:19)

Pause for the breaking and hiding of the matzo.

Leader: “Jesus said to them, ‘I Am the bread of life. The one who comes to me will never go hungry, and the one who believes in me will never be thirsty.’”(John 6:35)

All: “God made Him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God.” (2 Corinthians 5:21)

All: “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 we are healed.” (Isaiah 53:5)

All: Blessed are You, O Yahweh our God! King of the universe, the Giver of the Bread of Life.

The Four Questions

Children are invited to join in on the Passover meal to ask four questions about the meal, whereby the leader teaches them by answering the questions.

“You are to tell your son on that day, ‘It is because of what Yahweh did for me when I came out of Egypt.’ It will be a sign for you on your hand and a memorial on your forehead, so that the law of Yahweh may be in your mouth, for with a mighty hand Yahweh brought you out of Egypt. So you must keep this ordinance at its appointed time from year to year.” (Exodus 13:8-10)

Child One: Why is the night of the Passover different from all other nights of the year? On all other nights at every meal we have bread or rolls or hallah. Why on this night do we have no bread, but only matzo?

Leader: Our forefathers fled from Egypt in great haste. They had no time to bake their dough. Instead, the hot sun baked it into flat unleavened bread, which they called “matzo.” To remember this, we eat only matzo on Passover.

Child Two: On all other nights, we eat all kinds of vegetables. Why on this night do we eat bitter herbs especially?

Leader: Our forefathers led bitter lives as slaves in Egypt. Not to forget their suffering, we eat bitter herbs on Passover.

Child Three: On all other nights we do not dip our food. Why on this night do we dip parsley in salt water and the matzo into the charoset?

Leader: We dip parsley into salt water to remind us that green comes to life in springtime. We dip the matzo in sweet charoset as a sign of hope. Our forefathers survived the bitterness of slavery because it was sweetened by the hope of freedom.

Child Four: On all other nights we sit up straight at the table. Why on this night do we recline or lean at the table?

Leader: In the old times, reclining at the table was a sign of a free man. We recline at the Passover table to remember that on this night, hundreds of years ago, our forefathers were freed from slavery.

All: We were slaves to Pharaoh in Egypt, and God brought us out with a strong hand and an outstretched arm. And if God had not brought our ancestors out of Egypt, we and our children and our children’s children would still be subjugated to Pharaoh in Egypt. Even if we were all old and wise and learned in Torah, we would still be commanded to tell the story of the Exodus from Egypt. And the more we talk about the Exodus from Egypt, the more praiseworthy we are.

The Second Cup: Deliverance

This is a reminder of the judgment that Yahweh brought on the house of Egypt for their sins and the thanks for the Jews’ deliverance. For each plague that is mentioned, we dip our finger into the cup and place a drop of juice on our plates. It was this cup that Jesus referred to metaphorically when He was praying in the garden the night of His arrest.

Leader: “I Am Yahweh, and I will deliver you from their bondage.” (Exodus 6:6)

All: Blood—Frogs—Lice—Flies—Cattle Disease—Boils—Hail—Locust—Darkness—Death of Firstborn

Leader: “Jesus went away from them about a stone’s throw, knelt down, and prayed, ‘Father, if you are willing, take this cup away from me. Yet not my will but yours be done.’” (Luke 22:42-44)

Pause for the drinking of the cup.

Leader: He brought us forth from bondage All: to freedom

Leader: From anguish All: to gladness

Leader: From mourning All: to festivity

Leader: From darkness All: to light

Leader: From bondage All: to redemption

All: Blessed are You, O Yahweh our God! King of the universe, Creator of the fruit of the vine.

The Main Meal

We now eat the main meal. It is at this time that the Hebrew family would partake of the sacrificed lamb in order to receive the blessings of the sacrifice.

The Afikomen Matzo

We now retrieve the hidden afikomen (“One who Comes”) in order that we may all partake of it in remembrance of Yahweh’s deliverance of the Israelites from Egypt and us from our bondage to sin and death. The Jews would often say “In remembrance of the Passover meal” as they ate it. During this part of the meal Jesus alluded to the bread as His body.

Leader: “Then Jesus took bread, and after giving thanks He broke it and gave it to them, saying, ‘This is my body which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of Me.’” (Luke 22:19)

Pause to eat of the afikomen.

All: Blessed are You, O Yahweh our God! King of the universe, Giver of the Bread of Life.

The Third Cup: Redemption

This is where the Jews remember and celebrate their redemption from Egypt. In the Gospels, this is the cup that Jesus said is His blood as a new covenant.

Leader: “I Am Yahweh. I will redeem you with an outstretched arm.” (Exodus 6:6)

Leader: “‘Indeed, a time is coming,’ says Yahweh, ‘when I will make a new covenant with the people of Israel and Judah. It will not be like the old covenant that I made with their ancestors when I delivered them from Egypt. For they violated that covenant, even though I was like a faithful husband to them,’ says Yahweh. ‘But I will make a new covenant with the whole nation of Israel after I plant them back in the land,’ says Yahweh. ‘I will put my law within them and write it on their hearts and minds. I will be their God and they will be my people. People will no longer need to teach their neighbors and relatives to know me. For all of them, from the least important to the most important, will know me,’ says Yahweh. ‘For I will forgive their sin and will no longer call to mind the wrong they have done.’” (Jeremiah 31:31-34)

Leader: “And after taking the cup and giving thanks, Jesus gave it to them, saying, ‘Drink from it, all of you, for this is my blood, the blood of the covenant, that is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. I tell you, from now on I will not drink of this fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom’” (Matthew 26:27-29).

Pause for the drinking of the cup.

All: Blessed are You, O Yahweh our God! King of the universe, Creator of the fruit of the vine.

The Seat and Cup of Elijah

The Jews leave an empty seat and cup of wine for the return of Elijah, for Malachi says that his return would usher in the coming of the Messiah.

“Behold, I Yahweh will send you the prophet Elijah before the coming of that great and terrible day of Yahweh.” (Malachi 4:5)

But Jesus said that John the Baptizer was the coming of Elijah, for he came in the spirit of Elijah to usher the coming of Jesus.

“All the prophets and the Torah prophesied until John. And if you are willing to accept it, he himself is the Elijah, who was to come. He who has ears to hear, let him hear.” (Matthew 11:13-15)

So we leave no seat empty for Elijah, for John has come and Jesus is seated within us through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.

The Fourth Cup: Hope/Praise

This is symbolic of the pouring out of the Holy Spirit and the future coming Kingdom of Yahweh. Even though the disciples drank from this cup, Jesus never did. Before this He stated that He would not finish or partake of this meal with us until He returned in His second coming.

Leader: “I Am Yahweh. I will take you to Myself for a people.” (Exodus 6:7)

Leader: “After all of this I Yahweh will pour out my Spirit on all kinds of people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy. Your elderly will have revelatory dreams; your young men will see prophetic visions. Even on male and female servants I will pour out my Spirit in those days.” (Joel 2:28)

Pause for the drinking of the rest of the cup.

All: “I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, ‘Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and He will dwell with them. They will be His people, and God himself will be with them and be their God.’ I did not see a temple in the city, because the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple.” (Revelation 21:2-3, 22)

All: Blessed are You, O Yahweh our God! King of the universe, Creator of the fruit of the vine.

The Conclusion of the Passover

The day after Passover is the festival of Unleavened Bread, which lasts for seven days. It is a week in which all yeast is removed from the house. Yeast is a symbol of sin in the Scriptures, so the festival was a time of repentance. This festival was fulfilled by the fact that Jesus Christ came as the God-man, completely without sin. He often referred to Himself as the bread of life (John 6:32-35). During this time we too can make a conscience effort to repent of our sins as we remember that Jesus was in the grave for a part of this week.

The Sunday after Passover is the festival of Firstfruits. On this day, the first of the barley harvest was offered in the tabernacle/temple as an offering to Yahweh. It was a reminder of the new life that Yahweh had given them in a new land and that the harvest belonged to Him. This was fulfilled in Jesus Christ, for it is this day that He rose from the grave, conquering sin and death. Jesus is referred to in Scripture as our firstfruits from the dead (1 Corinthians 15:20-23).

Fifty days after Passover is the Feast of Weeks (Pentecost). This day became a second firstfruits offering for the wheat harvest. It also celebrated the giving of the Mosaic Law, the day Israel received the Law from Yahweh through Moses at Mount Sinai. This was fulfilled in that just as the Law was given to the Hebrews fifty days after their exodus, the Holy Spirit was given to the disciples fifty days after Jesus’ death and resurrection (Acts 2:1-4; 1 Corinthians 10:1-4; Revelation 21:1-4).

We end the Passover with singing praises to Yahweh.

“After singing a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.” (Matthew 26:30)