The Telling of Passover
Why study the Passover? The 613 laws of Judaism, called the Torah distinguish the foundation of this great religion from every other religious philosophy on earth, because the Jewish people claim that these laws came directly from Jehovah Himself. In the same way the Law of Moses sets the religious philosophy of Judaism apart from other religions, the religious calendar of the weekly Sabbath and the seven great feasts recorded in Leviticus 23 distinguish their religious observances.
You may ask again, why exactly is this important? Well, you must bear in mind that Jesus Christ was a Jew, and a devout, orthodox, law-abiding Jew at that. And understanding the Jewish feasts will give us insight into his earthly ministry. For instance, the only account of Christ’s adolescence is recorded in Luke’s Gospel as he and his family made the trip to Jerusalem for Passover. You’ll find in John’s Gospel that Jesus never did miss a Passover in the three and one-half years of ministry. And specifically, as we’ll find out, understanding the Jewish observance of the Passover meal will help us also to understand the last supper.
And yet our interest in these seven feasts is even deeper than just understanding Christ’s earthly ministry. The Lord Jesus told his Jewish listeners in the Sermon on the Mount, in Matthew 5:17, Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.
Christ Jesus fulfilled the first 4 feasts (Passover, Unleavened Bread, Firstfruits, and Pentecost) in his first coming. The Lord Jesus will fulfill the final 3 feasts (Trumpets, the Day of Atonement, and Tabernacles), in his second coming.
Tonight the feast of interest to us, the feast which Jews all over the world are observing this very night, is the feast of Passover. This is the crowning jewel of all the feasts, the very feast upon which each of the other six is dated from. If you have your Bibles with you turn to the very first Passover recorded in Exodus 12.
Maybe you recall that the Israelites had been in bondage to the Egyptians for 400 years, when God called Moses, at the age of 80 through a burning bush instructing him that he would be used to lead the Israelites out of bondage. He returns to Egypt and by Moses the LORD pronounced 10 plagues upon the Egyptian people. Now the Israelites that were abiding in Goshen were exempt from each of the first nine of these plagues. But the tenth one was different. In order to avoid having the first born of every household killed; it required the Israelites to follow certain instructions. Lets read vss. 5-8,11-15
Exodus 12:5-8
5 Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male of the first year: ye shall take it out from the sheep, or from the goats:
6 And ye shall keep it up until the fourteenth day of the same month: and the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill it in the evening.
7 And they shall take of the blood, and strike it on the two side posts and on the upper door post of the houses, wherein they shall eat it.
8 And they shall eat the flesh in that night, roast with fire, and unleavened bread; and with bitter herbs they shall eat it.
Exodus 12:11-15
11 And thus shall ye eat it; with your loins girded, your shoes on your feet, and your staff in your hand; and ye shall eat it in haste: it is the LORD's passover.
12 For I will pass through the land of Egypt this night, and will smite all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgment: I am the LORD.
13 And the blood shall be to you for a token upon the houses where ye are: and when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and the plague shall not be upon you to destroy you, when I smite the land of Egypt.
14 And this day shall be unto you for a memorial; and ye shall keep it a feast to the LORD throughout your generations; ye shall keep it a feast by an ordinance for ever.
15 Seven days shall ye eat unleavened bread; even the first day ye shall put away leaven out of your houses: for whosoever eateth leavened bread from the first day until the seventh day, that soul shall be cut off from Israel.
It was this lasting ordinance which Peter and John were instructed to prepare, when Christ told them in Luke 22:8 “Go and prepare us the passover, that we may eat.”
Orthodox Jewish homes today begin preparing for the Passover weeks in advance when the Jewish mothers would clean their homes from floor to ceiling very carefully cleansing the premise of all leaven; it’s a sort of Jewish spring cleaning if you will. After the Jewish Mothers tireless work is complete it is up to the Father to inspect the clean-up job and certify that the home is completely free of leaven.
In a special Jewish tradition the Father will hunt through the house in search of one last piece of leavened bread that the mother had hid away. This hunt is termed in Hebrew the Bedikat Chametz, or the search for leaven. Often times the children would participate in this bit of pre-Passover sport. When at last the final lump of leaven was located in the house, Father would be notified and he would come with feather, spoon, and napkin in hand to dismiss his house of this last leavened crumb. He would take the piece of leaven to the local synagogue (if it was close enough), or to the fireplace in the home and cast that last piece into the fire.
Throughout the scriptures we understand leaven to be a figure of false doctrine and sin. The feast of Unleavened Bread (spoken of in Ex 12:15) was to follow the celebration of redemption observed in Passover, in which there was to be absolutely no leaven present in a home. And the Jewish tradition of the Bedikat Chametz serves to remind us Paul’s exhortation in 1 Corinthians 5:6-8
Your glorying is not good. Know ye not that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump?
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.
Explanation of the linen and the Fathers Dress
The Lighting of the Candles
The very first observance that would begin the Passover seder is the Birkat ha-Ner, or the Lighting of the festival candles. It’s customary that the Lady of the House, the Jewish mother, light the candles and recite the opening blessing from the Haggadah, the Jewish Passover handbook if you will. The mother would light the candles and say the initial blessing of the night.
Blessed art thou, O Lord our God, King of the Universe, who hast sent thy son, thine only son, Jesus the Christ, to be the light of the world, and our Paschal lamb, that through him we might live. Amen.
It is appropriate that a woman would light the candles and initiate the night’s service, since it was by the seed of a woman that the light of the world, the Lord Jesus Christ, was brought into the world.
The Importance of the Seder
The whole Passover observance, for many years has followed a very specific order of service called the Passover seder.
The Four Cups
On this night there are four cups partaken of during the Passover seder. Really its one cup partaken of four distinct times. Each cup represents something distinct and significant. The very first of these four cups is…
The Cup of Sanctification, from which this chalice takes its name, the Kiddush cup. This is in essences the Father’s final approval of the preparations that have been made for the Passover observance. It also, following the search for and disposal of leaven in the home, gives the Passover partakers an opportunity to search and sanctify their own hearts to properly partake of the feast. Prior to partaking of this cup, the father would say a particular blessing over the cup.
Blessed art thou, O Lord our God, King of the Universe, Creator of the fruit of the vine
It was perhaps this cup that we find Christ holding forth at the last supper in Luke 22:17-18. (Notice this is a different cup than the one taken of “after supper”).
The Ceremonial Washing of Hands
Actual Passover observance varies from region to region and even from home to home. Some families at this point in the seder will include a ceremonial hand washing. The father will hold up a basin of water and announce the time to ceremonially cleanse their hands of all impurities.
The observance of this washing is reminiscent of the washing that took place in the upper room on the night of Christ’s partaking of Passover with his disciples.
John 13:4-5, 12-14
He riseth from supper, and laid aside his garments; and took a towel, and girded himself. After that he poureth water into a bason, and began to wash the disciples' feet, and to wipe them with the towel wherewith he was girded. So after he had washed their feet, and had taken his garments, and was set down again, he said unto them, Know ye what I have done to you? Ye call me Master and Lord: and ye say well; for so I am. If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet; ye also ought to wash one another's feet.
The Seder Plate and it’s Contents
The center piece of this seder is the six compartment seder plate.
Parsley: This particular time of year is one in which new life is blooming and the Karpas or Greens represent that life, it may also represent the hyssop that was to be dipped in the blood in order to apply the blood to the door posts of each home; a picture of faith that must appropriate the blood of Christ for each individual sinner. The parsley is dipped in salt water and eaten. Some say the salt water is a reminder of the tears of slavery endured by the Israelites. At the Passover meal, the parsley is dipped twice, so it may also represent the Red Sea, the first dip remembers the Children of Israel passing through on dry land, and the second dip represents the Egyptian armies being consumed by the same sea as the parsley is quickly eaten.
Bitter Herbs: This is called maror, it is horseradish, the bitter herb thought to be spoken of in Exodus 12. They take the matzah and get a larg dip of this bitter herb. When you eat that size of a helping one can’t help but cry. A memorial to the bitter tears shed while enslaved in Egypt.
Either in the dipping of the Parsley in the salt water or the dipping of the unleavened bread in the bitter herb, Christ used this in the Last Supper to identify his betrayer. (John 13:21-27
Charoset: A sweet tasting mixture of apples, nuts, and spices. Some say that it represents the mortar. The lesson is that that for those Hebrew slaves even the bitterest of their toils grow sweet as redemption neared. It chases away the bitter after taste of the maror, even as the bitterness of this life grows sweet in the promise of God’s redemption
Roasted Egg: Also called the Chagigah, it supposedly represents the sacrifice made at the temple. The egg is sliced and dipped in salt water, a memorial of the paschal lamb that is unable to be offered.
Bitter Root: The chazeret serves to remind partakers of Passover that the very root of life can be bitter when in bondage.
Shank Bone: This is referred to in Hebrew as zoroah. Rabbinical teaching forbids Jews from eating lamb at the Passover meal. The paschal lamb was only to be offered by the priest at the temple which no longer exists today. The unbroken shank bone of a lamb represents the lamb that was slain for the blood to be applied to the door posts of each Hebrew home in Egypt on the night of the original Passover. It reminds us that our Passover lamb, The Lamb of God that taketh away the sin of the world, has already been offered and they did not break a bone of his body in fulfillment of the Passover lamb.
The Four Questions: (Ma Nishtanah)
These four questions are read by the youngest reading member of the family.
On all other nights we eat bread or matzah.
On this night why do we eat only matzah?
On all other nights we eat all kinds of vegetables.
On this night why do we dip them twice?
On all other nights we do not dip our vegetables even once.
On this night why do we dip them twice?
On all other nights we eat our meals sitting or reclining.
On this night why do we eat only reclining?
Reclining on Pillows
The last question was regarding why they recline at this meal. You’ll notice that on the chair at the table there are cushions upon which to sit. This night in particular they recline as they partake of the meal. You’ll find the disciples doing this at the Last Supper along with the Lord. The Bible describes the beloved disciple as leaning upon Jesus’ breast at that Passover meal. At the first Passover they were instructed to eat their meal in haste, with their loins girded, their shoes on their feet and their staffs in their hands.
In ancient cultures only a free man could recline at the supper table. And the reclining on this night exhibits that we once were slaves, but now we are free.
Answering the four questions gives the Father the opportunity to tell the story of the Passover. Each element of the Hebrews Exodus is typical of our redemption from sin.
In telling of the Exodus the father would also recount the ten plagues that were carried out on Egypt for Pharaoh’s hardened heart.
The Cup of Plagues
Those at the table would fill their cups for a second time. A full cup is a symbol of joy and while the Jews are joyful for their deliverance from Egypt, and yet they recall the price of many innocent Egyptian lives in the suffering of these 10 plagues. One by one those present at the supper would call out the plagues and with each plague they would allow a drop of the wine to fall into the saucer, reducing the fullness of that cup.
Blood.
Frogs.
Lice.
Flies.
Pestilence.
Boils.
Hail.
Locusts.
Darkness.
Death of the Firstborn.
We’re reminded likewise that while we rejoice in the redemption we have in Christ, it was purchased at the cost of his very life on the cross of Calvary.
And so in relaying the message of the Exodus the father would tell of the Passover Lamb. And we recall that John the Baptist identified the Lord Jesus as “The Lamb of God that taketh away the sin of the world.”
Paul said that Christ our Passover is offered for us.
The Matzoh
The one question I have left to answer is concerning the unleavened bread that the Jewish people partake of at this meal. The picture that is utilized with this bread is the great miracle of modern Passover observance.
What does the Matzoh represent? The Unleavened Bread, called Matzoh, which is partaken of in the Passover Meal is a picture of purity and righteous. Jesus Christ was born in Bethlehem, the house of Bread, and revealed himself in John 6 as the Bread of Life.
The father would have a Matzoh Tosh, or an unleavened bread bag. It was a special bag with 3 compartments. The rabbis have always taught that this tri-compartment bag represents unity, but there is some disagreement as to the unity of what. Some say it represents the Patriarchs: Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Others say it represents Jewish worship with the priests, the Levites, and the children of Israel. We understand that it more accurately represents a tri-unity, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.
The Father removes from the center compartment what they call the Bread of Affliction.
Notice three things about this bread:
1. It is unleavened. 2. It is pierced. 3. It is striped.
He takes that perfect picture of Christ and before the whole family he breaks it and places the larger half inside a pouch of it’s own, and it’s now called the Afikomen. He then carefully tucks it away, or buries it, to be retrieved after the meal.
The Passover meal is eaten at this time, in between the second and third cups.
At the close of the meal, the children hunt for the afikomen and it is brought to the Father once again.
He carefully unwraps the afikomen to reveal once again that unleavened, pierced, and striped piece of bread. This is following the meal you recall. Here is where the Last Supper really comes into focus. The afikomen is the dessert, the very last thing eaten at the Passover meal. The father would stand before the family and carefully break the bread into pieces and divide among those at the supper.
Mark 14:22 recalls the Lord sharing the bread that represented his body:
And as they did eat, Jesus took bread, and blessed, and brake it, and gave to them.
If the Passover tradition that has come down over the centuries was in place at the time of Christ’s ministry he could have very well said the same blessing that every Orthodox Jew today says over this broken bread. Listen carefully:
Blessed art thou, O Lord our God, ruler of the universe, who bringest forth bread from the earth.
The Lord then said, Take, eat: this is my body.
The Cup of Redemption
The cup of Redemption, or cup of Blessing, remembers the redemption of the children of Israel from Egyptian slavery. They recall the blood of the Lamb that was placed on the lintels and the door post of each Hebrew home. The recall the death angel passing over, and this giving them the opportunity to go free. But for Orthodox Jews at the same time it looks back to their redemption from slavery it also looks forward to the redemption of the nation when the promised Christ comes at last.
It to has a specific blessing associated with it, that perhaps the True Vine may have recited at the Last Supper.
Blessed art thou, O Lord our God, King of the Universe, Creator of the fruit of the vine
Matthew 26:27-28
And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, Drink ye all of it;
For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.
Take Communion
Read 1 Cor 11:26, 24:25
The Hallel (Praise)
At this time in the seder the family would often sing some song of praise in honor of the redemption they are celebrating. Every Christian should have an Hebrew Hymn Book. We call them Psalms. At this celebration Psalms 113-118 in particular are read or sang.
Let us read the 117th Psalm in unison:
O praise the LORD, all ye nations: praise him, all ye people.
For his merciful kindness is great toward us: and the truth of the LORD endureth for ever. Praise ye the LORD.
(Let the Redeemed of the Lord Say So/ Praise ye the Lord/ Rejoice in the Lord always)
The Cup of Praise
This is the fourth and final cup, and it’s also known as Elijah’s cup. You’ll notice that there is an empty chair at our Passover setting. It is the Jewish custom every year to leave an undisturbed place setting for the prophet Elijah, assuming that at any time he may enter and join the meal to herald the coming Messiah.
The prophecy of Malachi 4:5 reads,
Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD:
At the close of the Passover meal the youngest child in the household will actually go the door of the home and intently look for the Prophet Elijah, fully expecting that he might well show up on this special night. The child returns with the report, either, I didn’t see him, or He’s on his way.
John the Baptist came in the spirit and power of Elijah to herald the coming of Christ, but we know that Elijah himself will indeed return prior to the Lord Jesus second coming to minister for 3 and one-half years in the streets of Jerusalem as one of God’s two great witnesses. The other character mentioned in Malachi 4 in relation to the coming of the Lord, is Moses, the other witness. This cup is a reminder of the Lord’s soon return in power and great glory.
Next Year in Jerusalem
The whole night is closed out with a brief and interesting prayer. No matter where the Passover is celebrated it is ended in essence with the prayer, Next Year in Jerusalem. It might well give us the sense that they’re awaiting the day when we all drink that cup anew in Christ’s coming kingdom set up for a thousand years in Jerusalem. And it also reminds us to be watchful for the rapture of the Lord’s Bride, we may very well be in sight of New Jerusalem by this time next year.
The Parting Hymn
And when they had sung an hymn, they went out into the mount of Olives. Mark 14:26