Some of you may remember, but about a year ago I was studying the Passover. So in honor of holy week I thought I'd share some of the insights of what I learned from that time, and hopefully, you, like me, will find a new appreciation of the beauty and symbolism behind this tradition as you find the Messiah in the Passover.
As some of you may remember, I shared with you all how each of the celebrated holidays of Judaism unfold the story of salvation in order. Jesus would have died on the day of atonement, risen on the feast of first fruits (he is first among the harvest), and ascended to heaven during the feast of weeks.
Passover itself is celebrated through a ritual ceremony known as the Seder to commemorate the Lord's deliverance of his people from the Egyptians when the angel of death passed over homes painted with the blood of a perfect lamb. While there are some variations, the Seder has generally been celebrated the same for thousands of years without major change:
Chametz: The ceremony opens with the Father sweeping bread crumbs off the shelf, symbolizing the removal of yeast from the house (yeast in scripture is used to represent sin) the mother in turn lights the Passover candles and pronounces a blessing over the family
The Passover plate: each item on the plate represents a part of the deliverance story
The cup of Wine: the cup of wine is sipped from four different times, each sip with its own significance and meaning.
The First Cup - Cup of Sanctification: this is the first sip from the cup, symbolizing it is God who sanctifies us and sets us apart for special use. The father speaks a blessing, " Blessed are you O Lord our God, the King of the universe, the Maker of the fruit of the vine"
Urchatz: This is the ceremonial hand-washing to symbolize cleansing and purification. Jesus chose this part of the ceremony to wash his disciple's feet, demonstrating that true leadership not only serves but washes us in the word
Parsley/karpas: the parsley represents the hyssop used to paint the blood the lamb over the doorposts on the night of Passover. This parsley is dipped in salt water, symbolizing the tears and sorrows of their years spent in slavery, which in turn sweetens the parsley.
The First question: The children ask four different questions throughout the ceremony. The first is this: "Why on this night do we eat only unleavened bread?" The adult answers: Because our ancestors left Egypt in haste and did not have time to let the bread rise, and the unleavened bread was easier to carry for the journey.
The Matzah covering: In the covering are placed three pieces of unleavened bread. Some believe these represent Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. But the bread more likely symbolizes the oneness of God the Father, the Son, and Holy Spirit. Only the middle Matzah, the one marked by stripes, is removed from the covering and pierced. This pierced bread is then broken. One piece is wrapped in linen and hidden to be found at a later time and brought back to the father. The other piece is returned to the covering. Before consuming the bread, a blessing is pronounced: Blessed are you O Lord our God, who bring forth bread from the earth. "Then Pilate took Jesus and had him flogged.." (Jn 19:1). "He was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed" (Isa 53:5).
The Second question: The children then ask, "Why on this night do we eat only bitter herbs?" The adults respond: Because herb remind us of the bitterness of our slavery. They then eat the bitter herb by taking a piece of matzah and dipping it into horseradish.
The Third question: "Why on this night do we dip twice, when on all other nights we do not even dip once?" They respond: "Because the second time we dip not only into the horseradish but also the kharoset (a mixture of apples, walnuts, and grape juice). The kharoset symbolizes the bricks we made in slavery but the sweetness of God's deliverance. "He who dips his hand with me in the dish, he will betray me." Judas would betray the messiah out of bitterness and though the Lord would suffer, the suffering was made sweet through the hope and victory of resurrection.
The Fourth question: "When the hour came, Jesus and his disciples reclined at the table" Lk 22:14. And the children ask: "Why on this night do we recline when on all other nights we sit upright?" They respond: Because on the night of the first Passover, God commanded us to eat standing and get ready to flee. Now we are free, so we recline proclaiming our freedom and rest.
The Passover story: Just before supper, the life of Moses and the exodus of the Israelites from Egypt is retold, recapturing the first Passover. As they recount the ten plagues, with each plague they dip their fingers into the grape juice and pour a drop on their plate.
The Lamb Shank Bone: The shank bone is symbolic of the sacrificial lamb used in the Passover. The lamb was to be consumed that night but none of its bones were to be broken and nothing was to be left in the morning. In the same way, the guards broke the bones of the thieves on the cross to hasten their deaths so that no one remained until morning. But when they came to Jesus they saw he was already dead and did not break his bones. The bodies were removed that evening and nothing was left in the morning.
Dayenu: The Dayenu (translated: "it would have been sufficient") is sung at the Passover meal. The choruses journey through five stanzas (covering the gift of deliverance, miracles, and being with God), erupting in thankful praise. The song says that it would have been enough if God had only brought his people out of Egypt but had not brought his judgment on the gods of Egypt. It would have been enough if God had brought his judgment on the gods of Egypt but had not given his people the spoils. But God gives us more than we deserve and he is always going beyond what is enough.
The Second cup - the Cup of Judgment: once again they drink from the cup of wine; this time symbolizing God's judgment - His judgment on the Egyptians at the first Passover and His coming judgment where He holds all accountable.
Afikomen: As previously mentioned, a piece of matzah (unleavened bread, symbolic of being without sin) with stripes is broken. This piece is the Afikomen. While the family eats, the father goes and hides the half of the afikomen wrapped in linen. The children go look for it and when they find it the father buys it back from them with a gift or coin. The father then breaks it into pieces and distributes it to everyone. "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" (Lk 22:19). "Joseph took the body, wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, and placed it in his own new tomb that he had cut out of the rock" (Matt 27:59-60). "Jesus knew...that he had come from God and was returning to God" (John 13:3).
Third Cup - Cup of Redemption: After supper, the third sip is taken from the cup of wine, symbolizing God's salvation of His people. It is God who saves us. In the same way that the Israelites could not escape from slavery in their own power so our redemption is something only God can do on our behalf rather than something we achieve in our own strength. "After the supper he took the cup, saying, ' This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you" (Lk 22:20).
Elijah: At modern Passovers, a seat is reserved for Elijah, who will announce the coming of the Messiah. The mother of the home opens up the front door to invite Elijah to enter. The disciples asked him, “Why then do the teachers of the law say that Elijah must come first?” Jesus replied, “To be sure, Elijah comes and will restore all things. But I tell you, Elijah has already come, and they did not recognize him, but have done to him everything they wished. In the same way the Son of Man is going to suffer at their hands.” Then the disciples understood that he was talking to them about John the Baptist" (Matt 17:10-13).
The Final Cup - the Cup of Praise: One final drink is taken from the cup, representing a heart of praise and thanksgiving for God's salvation. At the end of the Passover, this heart is captured in the reading and singing of Psalms 113-118 in what is known as the Hallel. Some well known verses read, "This is the day that the Lord has made let us rejoice and be glad in him" and "Blessed be He who comes in the name of the Lord." And finally, "The Lord has become our salvation."
