{Be sure to pick up the handout listing the seven feasts of the Lord on the little table in the foyer.}
Last Sunday I began our study of the Feast of Passover in Exodus 12. If you will recall, there was only one Passover when the Lord passed through the land of Egypt in judgment. Every observance since then has been a memorial commemorating that occasion. In Exodus 12:21-28 the Lord commanded the Jewish people to observe this feast as a memorial forever.
[Exodus 12:21-28]
21 Then Moses called for all the elders of Israel and said to them, “Go and take for yourselves lambs according to your families, and slay the Passover lamb.
22 “You shall take a bunch of hyssop and dip it in the blood which is in the basin, and apply some of the blood that is in the basin to the lintel and the two doorposts; and none of you shall go outside the door of his house until morning.
23 “For the Lord will pass through to smite the Egyptians; and when He sees the blood on the lintel and on the two doorposts, the Lord will pass over the door and will not allow the destroyer to come in to your houses to smite you.
24 “And you shall observe this event as an ordinance for you and your children forever.
25 “When you enter the land which the Lord will give you, as He has promised, you shall observe this rite.
26 “And when your children say to you, ‘What does this rite mean to you?’
27 you shall say, ‘It is a Passover sacrifice to the Lord who passed over the houses of the sons of Israel in Egypt when He smote the Egyptians, but spared our homes.’ ” And the people bowed low and worshiped.
28 Then the sons of Israel went and did so; just as the Lord had commanded Moses and Aaron, so they did.
God ordered in verse 25 that Passover was to be kept by a rite, or service. The service was to incorporate the lamb, matzah (unleavened bread), and bitter herbs. Verses 26-27 tell us the purpose of the service was to raise questions in the minds of the children so that the Exodus story could be rehearsed from generation to generation.
God did not tell the Israelites everything that was to be included in the service, only that it was to be kept. Today, we will explore the traditional Passover Seder (order of service), and next Sunday we will examine the beautiful picture of Jesus that is presented to us.
Several centuries before Christ’s birth, the ritual Passover Seder (meaning order of service) emerged. It prescribed the traditional order of the Scripture readings, prayers, symbolic foods, and songs in the Passover service.
The basic order of the Passover Seder today is the same as in the days of Jesus. The service continued to be embellished with more songs and traditions up through the middle ages. Yet, when Jesus and the apostles met in the upper room on the night before the crucifixion, it was this very order of service that was followed.
As the Passover holiday grows near, painstaking preparation takes place within the observant Jewish home to rid it of all leavened bread and related products. Houses are scrubbed, pockets are turned inside out and laundered, cooking utensils are scalded, and everyday dinnerware and flatware are replaced with the finest Passover china, silver, and crystal.
If you think that our services are sometimes quite lengthy, the Passover service takes a number of hours. During the Seder, the Passover story unfolds through many prayers, songs, and narrative readings in the Haggadah (“the telling”; it is a book that relates the Passover story through readings, songs, and prayers). The Seder sometimes lasts until midnight, or even into the early hours of the morning.
The Special Seating Arrangements
As the family is seated, special seating arrangements are observed. The leader sits at the head of the dinner table. The youngest sits at his right side in order to fulfill a special role later in the Seder. To the left of the leader, a guest of honor is seated, or sometimes the place setting is reserved for the prophet Elijah.
The Lighting of the Passover Candles
The mother of the house ushers in the holiday by lighting the Passover candles. She then covers her eyes with her hands and recites a Hebrew blessing over the candles thanking God for the special occasion: “Blessed art Thou, O Lord our God, King of the Universe, Who has set us apart by His Word, and in whose Name we light the festival lights.”
The First Cup—the Cup of Thanksgiving
Wine is often a symbol of the joy of harvest; four cups of wine are shared during the Passover Seder to reflect the fourfold joyous promises of the Lord’s redemption.
The Lord used four promises regarding His deliverance from Egypt in Exodus 6:6-7: “Say, therefore, to the sons of Israel, ‘I am the Lord, and I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, and I will deliver you from their bondage. I will also redeem you with an outstretched arm and with great judgments. Then I will take you for My people, and I will be your God; and you shall know that I am the Lord your God, who brought you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians.’”
The four promises of God are:
*I will bring you out.
*I will deliver you from their bondage.
*I will also redeem you.
*I will take you for My people
To begin the service, the father (leader) pours the first cup of wine and asks everyone to rise from the table. The father then lifts his cup toward heaven and recites the Kiddush (“prayer of sanctification”) to set the day apart to God:
Blessed art Thou, O Lord our God, King of the universe, Who createst the fruit of the vine. Blessed art Thou, O Lord our God, Who hast chosen us for Thy service from among the nations…Blessed art Thou, O Lord our God, King of the universe, Who hast kept us in life, Who hast preserved us, and hast enabled us to reach this season.
It was the Messiah, Jesus Christ, as the leader of the Seder service observed in the Upper Room, who said the Kiddush. Luke 22:17 says, “Then He took the cup, and gave thanks.”
The Washing of the Hands
The next part of the Seder is known as the “washing of the hands.” One of the family members brings a pitcher of water, a bowl, and a towel to each person at the table to wash his hands. This is a symbolic act of purification as they prepare to handle the food.
It was at this point that Jesus chose to teach the disciples an object lesson. Instead of just washing hands, John 13:4-5 tells us that Jesus “rose from supper and laid aside His garments, took a towel and girded Himself. After that, He poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet, and to wipe them off with the towel with which He was girded.”
Jesus was showing them that He was about to become the Suffering Servant of the Lord, and as such, He would be the One to cleanse not just their hands, but their even dirtier feet.
The Green Vegetable
After the hands are washed, the karpas (green vegetable) is dipped into salt water and eaten. The green vegetable is a reminder that Passover occurs in the springtime—the time of beginning. The salt water is a reminder of the tears of pain and suffering shed by the Jewish people in slavery.
The Middle Matzah
Three matzahs (unleavened bread loaves) are placed on top of each other and placed in a linen bag, called a matzah tash.
The leader removes the middle matzah from between the upper and lower matzah. He removes it from the bag and breaks it in half. Half is replaced in the bag, or tash. The other half is carefully wrapped in a linen napkin and hidden somewhere in the house while the children cover their eyes. It reappears later in the service to illustrate a very important truth.
The Four Questions
Next, the youngest child is called on to recite his diligently rehearsed part. The child asks the traditional Passover questions to fulfill Exodus 12:26: “When your children say to you, ‘What do you mean by this service?’” Beaming with joy and accomplishment the child will ask:
Why is this night different from all other nights? On all other nights, we eat either leavened or unleavened bread, but on this night, only unleavened bread? On all other nights, we eat all kinds of herbs, but on this night, only bitter herbs? On all other nights, we do not dip even once, but on this night, we dip twice? On all other nights, we eat either sitting or reclining, but on this night, we eat reclining?
Often the youngest will recline upon the leader. This was the context of the Apostle John reclining upon Jesus at their Passover supper. John recorded, “Now there was leaning on Jesus’ bosom one of the disciples, whom Jesus loved” (John 13:23). This would indicate that John sat to the right of the Savior and was the youngest at the meal, a position consistent with early church tradition that John was the youngest apostle. John had the honor of asking the questions that night.
The Second Cup—the Cup of Freedom
In response to the four questions, the second cup of wine is poured. A lengthy narrative recounting the Passover story begins. The story relates the whole panorama of the beginnings of the nation: the calling of Abraham in Ur; God’s promises to the patriarchs; the story of Joseph and his brothers; the enslavement of the Jewish nation; the deliverance brought at the hand of Moses; and the giving of the Law at Mt. Sinai.
As the ten plagues are described, a tiny bit of wine is poured out for each plague. This expresses the sorrow felt for the suffering of the Egyptians. As the Passover story unfolds, each element on the table is carefully explained and woven into the telling of the story.
Before the second cup of wine is taken, the first half of the praise psalms, known in Judaism as the Hallel (Psalm 113-118), is recited responsively. Hallel is a Hebrew word meaning “praise.” This word has made its way into many languages in the form of hallelujah (“praise Jehovah”).
According to the Talmud, which records ancient rabbinic commentary on Jewish practices, the Levites would chant this group of psalms while the Passover lambs for each family were being sacrificed.
The Dipping of the Matzah
In preparation for the meal, everyone present washes his hands a second time for ceremonial cleansing.
The upper matzah and the remainder of the middle matzah are broken into pieces and distributed to everyone. Each person must eat a piece of matzah dipped in horseradish and haroset (apple mixture). This is a reminder of the sweetness of God’s redemption in the midst of their bitter slavery. The leader will dip a piece of matzah and give it to the guest of honor seated to his left.
Each person then puts a filling of horseradish between two pieces of the matzah. This is called the “Hillel Sandwich.” It is named in honor of an ancient rabbi who was brilliant and highly revered. He taught that enough of the bitter herb should be eaten to bring tears to the eyes. In this way, each participant can identify with tears shed by their forefathers in Egyptian slavery.
It was this ritual which gave rise to another important event in the Last Supper. Jesus foretold that one of the disciples would betray Him (John 13:21-27). Peter motioned to John who was reclining against Jesus to inquire of whom this was spoken. Jesus replied that it would be the one to whom He gave a dipped piece of matzah. Jesus dipped the matzah and gave it to Judas Iscariot.
The Scripture is not specific as to the seating arrangement. Most likely, Judas was sitting to the left of the Lord in the seat of honor and naturally would have received the dipped matzah. Or, Jesus may have reached across the circle to begin with Judas first. However, if tradition was kept, everyone received a dipped piece of matzah that night. Perhaps this is why the disciples were still not clear as to who would be the betrayer. In either case, after this, Judas left the service and went out to finalize the betrayal. This ceremony occurred before the meal, and Judas was not present later when Jesus instituted the Lord’s Supper after the dinner.
The Dinner
At last, it is time for the Passover dinner. In the day of Jesus, it would have consisted of roasted lamb, served with bitter herbs and matzah. Today, however, the meal is far more varied and sumptuous. Today’s typical Jewish Passover meal includes gefilte fish, matzah ball soup, glazed chicken, matzah nut stuffing, potato kugel, honeyed carrots, stewed fruit, and sponge cake. In observant Jewish homes of today, it is a meal fit for a king!
The Afikomen
After the meal, the children (or adults if no children are present) are sent out to find the broken half-matzah that was wrapped and hidden away. It is known as the afikomen. The children search high and low with great excitement. The one who finds it receives a special prize. The children shout with delight to announce when the treasured afikomen is found.
Each person eats a piece of the afikomen that is broken off. It is a reminder of the Passover lamb.
We don’t think about the apostles playing a game in searching for the afikomen which Jesus hid that night! Most likely, it was after the afikomen had been found, that Jesus said these words in Luke 22:19: “This is My body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of Me.”
This was the first part of Jesus’ institution of the Lord’s Supper.
The Third Cup—the Cup of Redemption
Immediately after the afikomen has been eaten, the third cup of wine, called the Cup of Redemption, is poured and shared.
It was here in the Passover Seder that the Messiah instituted the second part of the Lord’s Supper. Luke 22:20 says, “And in the same way He took the cup after they had eaten, saying, ‘This cup which is poured out for you is the new covenant in My blood.’”
It was the third cup or Cup of Redemption, that Jesus chose to be a reminder of His work on the cross.
Passover is closely associated with the fervent hope for the coming of the Messiah. After the third cup, a child is sent to the front door to open it and hopefully welcome in the prophet Elijah. It is hoped that the prophet will step through the doorway, drink his cup of wine, and announce the coming of the Messiah. This tradition is rooted in Malachi 4:5 which says, “I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord.”
Many believe that Elijah will be one of the two messianic witnesses mentioned in Revelation 11 since one of them will perform the miracles of Elijah. Although the Scripture teaches that Elijah will return in the future, it does not name the two witnesses, and one cannot be absolutely dogmatic about their identification.
The Fourth Cup—the Cup of Acceptance
The fourth cup of wine, called the Cup of Acceptance, or Cup of Praise, is poured and taken. It was this cup that the Messiah said He would not drink until He drank it with the disciples in the Kingdom. Jesus said in Matthew 26:29, “But I say to you, I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you in My Father’s kingdom.”
Jesus knew that the hour of His acceptance by His Jewish nation was yet future—at His second coming. His joy would not be full until then.
The Closing Hymn
At the conclusion of the service, a hymn is usually sung or recited. This was also the tradition in the day of Jesus. Matthew 26:30 states, “And when they had sung a hymn, they went out.” Perhaps since Matthew was writing to a Jewish audience, he knew that they would know the name of the hymn since, by tradition, every Seder ends with the latter half of the Hallel (Psalm 115-118).
Conclusion
I want you to note that just hours before Jesus was betrayed and went to the cross, at the end of the Passover seder, He sang the prophetic words of Psalm 118:22-26: “The stone which the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone. This was the Lord’s doing; It is marvelous in our eyes. This is the day the Lord has made; We will rejoice and be glad in it. Save now, I pray, O Lord; O Lord, I pray, send now prosperity. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!”
The Messiah sang these words just hours before He fulfilled them in becoming the stone that was rejected by the religious leaders.
How utterly tragic that the majority of the Jewish nation did not realize the truth of this Psalm, that the Messiah would first be rejected and suffer before He would reign on David’s throne. How doubly tragic, since Psalm 118 was a messianic psalm sung to Jesus proclaiming Him the Messiah at His so-called triumphal entry.
Don’t make the same mistake and reject Jesus! He is the Messiah who gave His life on the cross to save you from your sins. Come to Him now!
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