Passover Seder

Johnston, Dan

Moses • Sermon • Submitted 2 years ago

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Welcome

So glad you’re here!

We’re going to have fun

This will be interactive

We all have things to do, but I’ll walk you through it

Introduction

Exodus 12:14 ESV

14 “This day shall be for you a memorial day, and you shall keep it as a feast to the Lord; throughout your generations, as a statute forever, you shall keep it as a feast.

Passover is a chance for older generations to share what God has done with younger generations

Keep that in mind, as you can share this with your kids/grandchildren

We want them to know what God has done!

Let’s review:

As we have been learning, God setup a chosen people

He began with Abraham, and built all the way to Joseph and his bothers in Egypt

430 years in, they had become slaves

God then uses Moses (along with Aaron) to be a leader to free Israel

This happened after the 10th plague

God sent death, but the Israelites were “passed over”

The angel of death knew to pass them over, because of the blood of a sacrificial lamb

For Christians though, we see a bigger picture

God began humanity with Adam in Eve in the Garden of Eden

However, because they at the fruit, mankind became slaves to sin

He setup a sacrificial system for His people, but that wasn’t the end

Ultimately, God sent His Son Jesus

Jesus became our perfect sacrificial lamb

Death now passes us over, if we are saved by His blood

To remember God saving the Israelites, they celebrate on the Passover

It is a festival of freedom

For Jews, it was freedom from slavery to Egypt

For Christians, it continues with freedom from slavery to sin

Beginning

Before Passover begins, we prepare hearts AND homes!

Yes, our houses too!

Passover begins a week of the “Feast of Unleavened Bread”

Exodus 12:15–17 (ESV)

15 Seven days you shall eat unleavened bread. On the first day you shall remove leaven out of your houses, for if anyone eats what is leavened, from the first day until the seventh day, that person shall be cut off from Israel... 17 And you shall observe the Feast of Unleavened Bread, for on this very day I brought your hosts out of the land of Egypt. Therefore you shall observe this day, throughout your generations, as a statute forever.

Why do we remove leaven from our homes?

Leavening represents sin working in our lives

When leaven is added to bread, it spreads and spreads and causes the dough to swell

Paul uses this leavening as an illustration:

1 Corinthians 5:6–8 ESV

6 Your boasting is not good. Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump? 7 Cleanse out the old leaven that you may be a new lump, as you really are unleavened. For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed. 8 Let us therefore celebrate the festival, not with the old leaven, the leaven of malice and evil, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.

Traditionally, Jews remove all leaven from their homes to reflect us removing sin from our lives

If you like, you can do that this week too!

A season of purging as we seek God

We check ourselves and our character

As believers, this goes a little further

We don’t think about having no good bread

We don’t think about a lamb sacrificed in Egypt

We don’t think about bunnies and eggs

Those are a part of what we do, but there’s something more!

We think about a man named Yeshua - or Jesus...

This is a time of fun, excitement and celebration!

Why? Because Passover is all about freedom!

Not just from Egypt, but from the pain and oppression of sin!

Leaven out

So, how do we get the leavening from our houses?

Leaven has an interesting way of working

Ancient Jews would leave a small piece of dough out

Natural yeast in the air would begin to ferment that small piece

Then you take that piece and mix it into new dough

If you want to remove yeast, where do you remove it from?

First, eliminate all bread, cakes, cookies, even some pasta from your house for a week

Then, you have to clean your house

Yeast is on couch cushions, the walls, in air vents, and on you!

Leaven is everywhere! You have to clean everything!

If you choose to do this, get your children to clean the house with you!

The more you clean, the more they learn about sin

Sin is everywhere! As much as you try to remove, there is always more...

Thank God, He gives us help with our sin in His Son Yeshua

The Table

What do we have on your table?

Lamb - Typically you see a lamb shank bone here (zeroa - zroe-uh), but not always. This represents the Passover lamb peace offering. Usually it is a bone, or a chicken wing. The reason Jews don’t usually use lamb is because this peace offering is only supposed to be made at the Temple, which doesn’t exist now. They don’t use lamb because they don’t even want to make it seem like they might have made that sacrifice at home. I assure you, this lamb was not a sacrifice and Christians are now the Temple. We are where the Presence of God dwells. So, this lamb only reminds us that a lamb - Jesus - was sacrificed for us as our perfect lamb.

Roasted Egg - This represents the hagigah (ha-gee-gah) or the festival offerings that were roasted. They used an egg because they wanted it to be very different from the main offering of the lamb.

Green vegetable - This is the Karpos (kar-poce), and it represents the betrayal of Joseph’s brothers. This betrayal is what brought Israel to Egypt in the first place. This is parsley, but could be celery or something else.

Charoset - (Ha-roe-set) Has walnuts, apples, spices and wine traditionally. This represents the mortar used by the Israelites when they built cities in Egypt.

Bitter herbs - (Maror - mah-roar) is made from horseradish and represents the bitterness of slavery.

Warning

Think about what you are eating

Vegans - meat products

Nut allergies - walnuts

Wusses - horseradish is strong (really be careful with the kids)

We do have water on the tables just in case

Distribute

At this time, go ahead and take small portions of each of those things and put them on your plate

If there’s something you don’t want or can’t have or don’t trust, that’s okay

For most of us, we should have 5 things on our plate

Lamb, egg, parsley, charoset and horseradish

Other Things

As you pass, there are other things on the table

Matzah - Crispy, unleavened bread

Cup with grape juice - traditionally wine

We will drink 4 cups of grape juice

Listen to this - you are expected to finish each cup

When we get to pouring, just pour a little bit!

3. Paper towels

4. Salt water

5. Finally, regular water for ceremonial handwashing

Don’t confuse that with the salt water! Could get gross...

Assign a Leader

We have a few tasks where we need a leader

Nothing too complicated - just need someone in charge

The Seder

Let’s begin!

Matthew 26:17–19 ESV

17 Now on the first day of Unleavened Bread the disciples came to Jesus, saying, “Where will you have us prepare for you to eat the Passover?” 18 He said, “Go into the city to a certain man and say to him, ‘The Teacher says, My time is at hand. I will keep the Passover at your house with my disciples.’ ” 19 And the disciples did as Jesus had directed them, and they prepared the Passover.

Kadesh - Opening Prayer

First Cup

Luke 22:17–18 ESV

17 And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he said, “Take this, and divide it among yourselves. 18 For I tell you that from now on I will not drink of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes.”

We give thanks this day to you, God of creation. For you have redeemed us from the oppressive powers of death and freed us from slavery to sin. You have provided the greatest Exodus through the blood of the Passover, Yeshua.

We will now drink our first cup

Remember, not too much! You are expected to finish it

Warning

When I finish certain recitations, you have a response

When I finish the Hebrew, you are going to say: Amen in the name of Yeshua!

Let’s try it! Amen in the name of Yeshua!

Here we go...

Blessed are you, O Lord, our God, King of the universe, who has created the fruit of the vine. Hebrew: Baruch atah, Adonai Eloheinu, Melech haolam, borei p’ri hagafen.

And everyone said: Amen in the name of Yeshua!

Blessed are you, King of creation, who has sanctified us through your living word. Who has appointed times of remembrance and celebration. Be with us as we join you in celebrating your redemptive love through the Passover Seder as we recall the time in ancient Egypt where the Israelites were slaves, but also as we recall our own exodus from slavery to sin.

And everyone said: Amen in the name of Yeshua!

Drink the first cup

Traditionally, people will lean to their left here

In Jesus’ day, they adopted Rome’s eating style

You lay out, and lean to your left

This reveals you are at ease and comfortable

Lean on your left and eat with your right

You don’t have to, but it’s tradition!

Ceremonial Hand Washing

We begin with the ceremonial handwashing

This reminds us of the purity in God’s Temple and how the priests washed before approaching God.

Simply dip your hands, and dry them off with the paper towels

Psalm 24:3–4 ESV

3 Who shall ascend the hill of the Lord? And who shall stand in his holy place? 4 He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not lift up his soul to what is false and does not swear deceitfully.

Karpas - Parsley in Salt Water

The parsley represents the betrayal of Jospeh’s brothers

Joseph would be sold into slavery by his brothers, this represents their saltiness

It also represents the tears of the slaves in Egypt

For us, it represents our tears, from the mistakes we’ve made in our lives before Christ

Take the parsley and dip it into the salt water, shake it, and hold it up!

BUT DON’T EAT IT YET!!

Blessed are you, Lord our God, King of the universe, who creates the fruit of the earth. Hebrew: Baruch atah Adonai Eloheinu melech ha-olam borei p’ri ha-adama.

And everyone said: Amen in the name of Yeshua!

Now eat!

Yachatz - Breaking the Matzah

This is where I need the leaders

Take the basket of Matzah and the napkin on top

1. Lay out the napkin

2. Take the 3 pieces, and remove the middle piece

3. Hold up the middle piece and try to break it in 2

If it’s more, that’s okay

4. Take the largest piece, and wrap it in the napkin

5. Set that piece aside

This becomes the Afikomen

You hear me say that during Communion on Sundays

This piece represents the Messiah!

I have also hidden an Afikomen in this room - the children get to try and find the Messiah later

Just like Yeshua was broken, wrapped, and buried, we take this special piece of matzah that was broken, wrap it up, and hide it away.

Maggid - The Story

Tell the story of the Exodus - simplified for children

Deuteronomy 16:3 ESV

3 You shall eat no leavened bread with it. Seven days you shall eat it with unleavened bread, the bread of affliction—for you came out of the land of Egypt in haste—that all the days of your life you may remember the day when you came out of the land of Egypt.

Every pick up a piece of Matzah

This is the bread of affliction (Deut. 16:3) that the Israelites ate when they left Egypt. This is a bread that is absent of leavening representing the absence of Egypt in our lives. Let all who are hungry come and eat! Let all who are needy come and celebrate God’s redemption! We are no longer slaves but free.

Since we are free, we can set the bread of affliction down on our plates

Second Cup

Everyone pour a second cup

I need the youngest child who can read

1. This night is so different than other nights. On other nights, we can eat regular bread. Tonight, why do we eat only matzah?

2. On other nights, we eat other vegetables. Tonight, why do we eat bitter herbs?

3. On other nights, we do not have to dip our food at all. Tonight, why do we dip our food twice?

4. On other nights, we do not sit in a certain way. Tonight, why do we recline or lean?

I’m glad you asked!

Tonight is special because we remember the power of God’s redemption. We will now retell the story of the Exodus.

The Israelites were slaves to Pharaoh in Egypt. Task masters were set over them and they were forced to do heavy work and were oppressed daily. They cried out to God and He answered!

God sent ten mighty plagues against Egypt, defeating the evil pharaoh and the oppressive powers of Egypt. These are the ten plagues God sent:

Remove one drop of juice from your cup using your finger and let it drop on a piece of matzah every time a plague is mentioned in English AND Hebrew.

Dam (dom) - Blood

Tzefardea (Ze-far-dee-uh) - Frogs

Kinnim (Kuh-neem) - Gnats

Arov (Air-rove)- Flies

Dever (Deh-vore) - Disease on livestock

Shechin (Sheh-keen) - Boils

Barad (Bar-rod) - Hail

Arbeh (Are-bay) - Locusts

Choshech (Koe-sheck) - Darkness

Makkot Bechorot (Mah-kott Beck-are-rote)- Death of the Firstborn

Before the final plague, God told the Israelites to do something very important. They were to sacrifice a lamb, place its blood on the doorposts of their home, and eat the flesh of the lamb. The Bible tells us that the LORD passed over the homes when He saw the blood, protecting them from the angel of death that came upon the firstborns of Egypt.

It was through the blood of the lamb that the Israelites were redeemed from a life of slavery and the plague of death.

After the ten plagues, The Israelites fled Egypt. They came to a huge sea, but the Lord split the Red Sea in half, which allowed the Israelites to cross on dry land, entering a new life of liberty.

They were given the Torah at Mt. Sinai, representing a new way of living as God’s people.

This was the first Exodus, but not the last. Jeremiah 23:5- 8 tells us of a coming King that God will establish, a “new Moses” that will conquer the oppressive powers governing God’s people. This will be a greater Exodus that will result in all of God’s people being reconciled back to him, ending the exile from God’s presence.

As believers, we know this King to be Yeshua, the true Son of God. Yeshua taught us what it means to truly follow God with our hearts. He proclaimed the birth of God’s Kingdom on earth, performed miracles, and birthed the promises of God that were prophesied by Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Malachi. When Passover came and the lamb was to be slain to remind us of God’s redemption, it was Yeshua that died, birthing a new type of Passover, a greater Passover just as Jeremiah 23:7 says.

The story of Yeshua does not end there. After Yeshua was crucified for the sins of the world, He was taken off the cross and buried. The world thought it had lost the appointed Son of God. But three days later something amazing happened. The grave that held His body broke open and Yeshua walked out. By God’s power, Yeshua had conquered death and He invited everyone to follow Him and share in that same life giving power. This is what Passover means to Christians. It means celebrating the power of our God and the life-giving presence of Yeshua!

1 Corinthians 5:7 ESV

7 Cleanse out the old leaven that you may be a new lump, as you really are unleavened. For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed.

Passover is a festival of freedom—freedom from sin, death, and the oppressive powers of this present evil age.

Matzah - Unleavened Bread

When Israel left, they were told to remove the leaven from their homes

Also, Yeshua was not leavened with sin

Instead, He took on our leaven to redeem us

Everyone holds up a piece of Matzah

Blessed are you, Lord our God, King of the universe, who brings forth bread from the earth. Hebrew: Baruch atah Adonai Eloheinu melech ha-olam hamotzi lechem min.

Put matzah down

Maror - Bitter Herbs

Leaders, raise the bitter herbs (horseradish)

The bitter herbs remind us of the bitterness of slavery as well as the oppressive powers of sin in our own lives. God commanded His people to eat the bitter herbs every year at Passover along with the matzah and Passover lamb

Put bitter herbs down

Exodus 13:8 ESV

8 You shall tell your son on that day, ‘It is because of what the Lord did for me when I came out of Egypt.’

In every generation, a person should try to imagine that it was they themselves that were brought out of Egypt. This is something that many struggle with, as the event told in the Book of Exodus was so long ago. As believers, we have experienced an Exodus event within our lifetime. We have experienced the power of the blood of the lamb, the power of God’s strength, the defeat of principalities, and we have experienced God’s complete redemptive work through Yeshua. We are no longer slaves to sin.

Give Praise

Everyone lift the second cup

For this reason, we give honor, praise, gratitude, and blessing to elevate the name of our King above all names and to give complete glory to the one who not only performed the miracles for our forefathers in Egypt but also saved us. Let it be known that our God keeps His promises and is the savior of all!

Blessed are you, O Lord, our God, King of the universe, who has created the fruit of the vine. Hebrew: Baruch atah, Adonai Eloheinu, Melech haolam, borei p’ri hagafen.

And everyone said: Amen in the name of Yeshua!

Drink the second cup

Pick up the Matzah

We eat this bread to remind us of the greatest Exodus performed by the power of God.

Take a bite of the matzah you were just holding up.

Pick up bitter herb bowl

Warning - before you eat this, it might get rough so watch your kids!

Blessed are you, Lord our God, who has commanded us to eat the bitter herbs.

And everyone said: Amen in the name of Yeshua!

Place a generous amount of horse radish or lettuce on the matzah and eat.

Note: It is an honorable pursuit to bring a tear to your eye as a result of the bitter herbs. Generous helpings help. There is water on the table.

Matzah Sandwich

Take two pieces of Matzah - place herbs on one, charoset on the other

This is much more mild

For the rest of our time, eat as much of the herbs and charoset as you like

Also, you may now enjoy the lamb and egg as well

Father, we thank you for this time together as your family. We thank you for the opportunity to reflect on your redemptive love, and we thank you for the food we have here before us. Allow your spirit of peace, love, and joy to overtake our hearts as we remember the true Passover, Yeshua (Jesus) the Messiah.

And everyone said: Amen in the name of Yeshua!

Kids, I have hidden an Afikomen in this room

Now you can get up and god find it!

When you find it, yell out “I found the Messiah, I found the Messiah!

Then bring it back to me

While they do that, we’ll take a few minutes to eat and enjoy each others company

Then we’ll come back together to finish the Seder

Make sure you still have juice and the covered Matzah ready for Communion and fourth cup

Break

Third Cup and Tzafun (Zah-foon) - Hidden Matzah

1 Corinthians 11:23–26 ESV

23 For I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took bread, 24 and when he had given thanks, he broke it, and said, “This is my body, which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” 25 In the same way also he took the cup, after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.” 26 For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.

Leaders, take the Matzah you wrapped before

Break off a piece for each BELIEVER at the table

Explain this is going to be Communion

Also, pour a third cup of juice

Hold up the Matzah

Paul instructs us to partake in a rite set forth by Yeshua Himself. At the Last Supper, Yeshua held up the bread and broke it. He held up the cup of wine and said to drink it. “This is my body. This is my blood.” It was here at the Passover that Yeshua reveals Himself as the ultimate Passover sacrifice. The lamb that was not only slain but consumed in order to give life. The blood remains a sign of overpowering death and entering into new life. Leader: Yeshua said, “This is my body, broken for you. Do this in remembrance of me.”

Eat the Matzah

Hold up the third cup

Yeshua said, “This is my blood of the new covenant, poured out for many. Do this in remembrance of me.”

Drink the third cup

Let us remember at this moment that the power of God knows no limits. The salvation of God is manifest through Yeshua. Tonight, we celebrate the Passover remembering the ultimate Lamb, the lamb that takes away the sins of the world, granting freedom for all. Yeshua, our King.

Hallel - Psalms of Praise

Invite Jacob to lead “Death Was Arrested”

Fourth Cup

Everyone pours a fourth cup

This cup is to remind us that we are children of God

Blessed are you, O Lord, our God, King of the universe, who has created the fruit of the vine. Hebrew: Baruch atah, Adonai Eloheinu, Melech haolam, borei p’ri hagafen.

And everyone said: Amen in the name of Yeshua!

Drink the fourth cup

Tonight as we have remembered the salvation of our God. We have broken the bread and drank the wine. With four cups of wine we remember the fulfillment of God’s promises:

1. He has brought us out from under the oppression of death.

2. He has delivered us from slavery to sin.

3. He has redeemed us with an outstretched arm and with mighty acts of judgement.

4. He has taken us to be His

1 Corinthians 6:20 ESV

20 for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.

Closing

Passover has traditional closing

We’ll say it in Hebrew together, then in English

It means, “Next year in Jerusalem!”

It began around the 15th century and is a 4 fold reminder

It reminder of living in exile

It was a goal for those before Israel became a nation again in 1948

It acknowledges that we have a ways to go

Jerusalem means God’s peace (shalom) and God’s completeness (shaleim)

The goal is to be closer to that each year

For us, it’s a reminder of the New Jerusalem

This is hope for a rebuilt 3rd Temple in Jerusalem

Ezekiel describes this new city in his book

John also describes it at the end of the Book of Revelation

Revelation 21:22–27 ESV

22 And I saw no temple in the city, for its temple is the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb. 23 And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and its lamp is the Lamb. 24 By its light will the nations walk, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it, 25 and its gates will never be shut by day—and there will be no night there. 26 They will bring into it the glory and the honor of the nations. 27 But nothing unclean will ever enter it, nor anyone who does what is detestable or false, but only those who are written in the Lamb’s book of life.

Perhaps next year, we will do this again in the New Jerusalem!

So let’s say this together! Repeat after me!

Leshanah Haba’ah Birusha’Lay’Yim

Next year in Jerusalem, everyone together:

Next year in Jerusalem!

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