Shalom, Parents! Are you looking for a fun and exciting event to experience with your family, but completely centered on your faith? Look no further! Passover is just around the corner!
Isn’t Passover Jewish?
Passover is the primary biblical festival that commemorates the deliverance of the Jewish people from Egypt. Although celebrating Passover is a commandment God gave to the Jewish people thousands of years ago when He redeemed them from Egypt, Passover is also inseparably connected to Jesus. When we celebrate Passover, we are actually obeying his instruction, “Do this in remembrance of me” (1 Corinthians 11:24). He said, “For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes” (vs. 26). The tradition of communion developed around these words, but in the original context he was talking to his disciples during their last Passover meal together (see Luke 22). Jesus expected his disciples to continue celebrating Passover, but remember what he had done for them in the process. They would not only celebrate their redemption from slavery to Pharaoh, but they would also celebrate their redemption from sin.
What About Us?
How does this work for those of us who are not Jewish? Paul tells us that Gentile disciples of Yeshua are engrafted into the root of the Jewish people (Romans 11). We have left our past and taken on a new identity as we have come under the kingship of Jesus, who is the Jewish Messiah. We have become spiritually joined to the physical descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Therefore, we can also use this opportunity to celebrate our deliverance from the Dominion of Darkness to the Kingdom of Light. Passover is a prime opportunity to celebrate our redemption.
When And How Do We Do It?
Passover is always on a specific date on the biblical calendar (Nisan 15), so it falls at different times on our Gregorian calendar. This year it begins Friday night, April 15. This is when we hold our Seder. A Seder is a special meal that goes through a specific order of things that keep us focused on the event we are celebrating. There are a few main items that are required for a Seder: matzah (unleavened bread – check major grocery chains), bitter herbs (traditionally horseradish), and wine or grape juice. Everyone at the table traditionally uses a Haggadah—a book specifically designed for the Seder—in order to guide us through each of the steps of the Seder.
There are four cups of wine or grape juice that are drunk over the course of the evening. Each of these cups corresponds to the four expressions of redemption found in Exodus 6:6–7. They are:
Sanctification—“I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians”
Judgment—“I will deliver you from slavery”
Redemption—“I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with great acts of judgment”
Kingship—“I will take you to be my people, and I will be your God”
Tips For A Great Seder
If you would like to hold your own Seder, plan ahead. First, purchase a Haggadah (I recommend my Cup of Redemption Messianic Haggadah) and read up on what all is involved in a Seder. For your first Seder, you’ll probably want to pick and choose what parts of the Seder you will do, rather than trying to do it all. You may also want to learn some of the traditional songs that make the evening fun for the whole family. Next, purchase your supplies including decorations to make the event special. Then, you’ll want to go back and review the Scriptures that cover the Exodus event and the Last Supper and Crucifixion of Jesus.
Special note: If you have small children you’ll also want to look for creative ways to keep them engaged and make it fun for them. The entire point of the Seder is to transmit this information and experience to the next generation.
Next, you’ll want to set aside at least two hours for the Seder so you won’t feel rushed trying to get everything in. Last, enjoy the expressions on everyone’s face as they experience this amazing event for the first time. Even if they never experience it again, it will be something they will remember for the rest of their lives. Most likely, however, they’ll be begging to do it again next year. May your homes be filled with the grace of our Messiah as you celebrate your redemption this year and the years to come.
Bonus
Here’s a fun little song I wrote specifically for Passover that your family may enjoy singing together. Click here and enjoy!
