THE SEDER part 1

“On that day tell your son, ‘I do this because of what the L-RD did for me when I came out of Egypt.’”
Exodus 13:8

This weekend marks the beginning of Passover, and many families both Jewish and non will sit around the table and partake in the Passover meal. But unless you have a Passover Haggadah, you may not understand the meaning and symbolism behind each prayer, drink, or item on the plate. The meal is made up of more than just lamb, parsley, and charoseth. It is made up of remembrance, hope, and life. Over the next two days I would like to take some time to explain the Passover meal in hopes that you too will see more than just ritual, but rather see G-d’s hand.

The booklet that contains the compilation of passages and remembrances used during the Passover Seder Service is known as the Haggadah. This term comes from the word V’HIGAD-TA, as seen in Exodus 13:8, meaning to tell the story of
G-d’s redemptive grace. This story of grace is told through the death, burial and resurrection of the Messiah. But this story is also told through the acts of prayer, washing of hands, and drinking from the cup, as well as items both on and off the plate. For instance, when the Seder meal begins, it begins with the searching for the leaven. In Exodus 12:19-20, G-d order’s that the Israelites must eat unleavened bread. Therefore, in many Jewish homes, before Passover begins, all leavened items must be removed from the house. Our Messiah made the unleavened bread a symbol of His own sacrifice for our sins, and we must also search out the leaven of sin in our lives so as to keep this feast holy. For as we read in I Corinthians 5:6-8, Paul reminds us that a little leaven works through the whole batch.

Following the search, the lighting of the festival candles is performed. It is traditional for a woman to light the candles and recite a blessing as she does. As the feast moves on, the candles will continue to burn showing us light, symbolizing the Messiah as the light of the world. Then, the first of four cups is taken. The drinking of the cup is known as the Kiddush, and this first cup is the Cup of Sanctification. Represented in this is the first of the “I will” promises made by G-d. “I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians.” But I want to point something out concerning this cup. If Egypt represents slavery, and Israel has indeed already been brought out, then perhaps there is another reason for this cup, one personal to us. Think about your life. Are you in slavery to sin? Are you in bondage to ways not of G-d? Then this cup is for you, and this “I will” is G-d telling you that you too will be brought out of slavery.

Continuing forward, we move on to the washing of the hands. In the book of John, we read of the Messiah getting up from the meal and showing the full extent of His love for His disciples. He washed their feet (Jn 13:1-11). We wash our hands before moving on as a reminder of His washing of the disciples’ feet. It is only after these steps that we are then able to turn our attention to the items on the plate. The karpas, or parsley, is that first food. The parsley is dipped into salt water or vinegar and followed by a blessing. This act represents the hyssop which was used to place the blood of the Passover lamb upon the doorway, but the salt water is used to represent the tears shed in Egypt which were salty. Please, I know that parsley comes standard on fancy restaurant dishes, but I ask that you never look at parsley the same way again. Let it be seen as a remembrance, as a tool used in your deliverance.

The last piece of the Seder that I want to focus on today is the breaking of the middle matzah. As the leader of the table takes the middle matzah and breaks it in two, one half is replaced between the whole ones. The other half is wrapped in a linen cloth for the Afikomen, the hidden portion of the feast that children will later seek out for a prize. This breaking of the bread is representational of the Messiah’s breaking the bread in Luke 22:19. “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.’” This act is followed then by the retelling of the story of the Exodus, for it is here that not only do we see the people of Israel in need of a Savior, but if we look honestly we will see our need for a Savior.

The parallels are deep, but so often we count them as history. But the Word of G-d is alive. If it were dead it would have no meaning to us today; it would just be another good book. But the Word speaks to us, calls out to us, and beckons us to come into a relationship with Him. We are no different than the Israelites. We need deliverance. The Passover lamb brought deliverance for the Israelites, and the Messiah brought deliverance for us. All we have to do is cry out to Him and He will save us also. My prayer is that this season will not just be ritual, but that it will be the day for your salvation from slavery.