Passover is one of the major feasts in the Torah that God commands His people Israel to keep. On this holiday, the Jewish people remember and recount their deliverance from harsh slavery in Egypt. The holiday begins with a special meal and a retelling of the story of the Exodus from Egypt and the hands of Pharoah.
“Say therefore to the people 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 slavery to them, and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with great acts of judgment. I will take you to be my people, and I will be your God, and you shall know that I am the Lord your God, who has brought you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians.” Exodus 6:6-7.
The Blood Of The Lamb
The name “passover” comes from Exodus 12:11-13. It is the central theme in the deliverance story. “It is the Lord‘s Passover…. The blood shall be a sign for you, on the houses where you are. And when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and no plague will befall you to destroy you, when I strike the land of Egypt. The blood shall be a sign for you, on the houses where you are. And when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and no plague will befall you to destroy you, when I strike the land of Egypt.”
It was the blood of a lamb without blemish painted on the doorpost of the houses that was the sign to save each family from death. As believers in Jesus, we see clearly that this part of the story is a foreshadowing pointing to Jesus. He is the ultimate pure and spotless Lamb. It is only by His redeeming blood that was shed through the greatest sacrifice of history that we are saved from the power of death.
Tell The Children
One fundamental element of Judaism is the value of passing on of ancestral history and traditions to the children. Everyone at the table has a part to play, including the children. Psalm 78 speaks to this. “I will utter dark sayings from of old, things that we have heard and known, that our fathers have told us. We will not hide them from their children, but tell to the coming generation the glorious deeds of the Lord, and his might, and the wonders that he has done.”
At a certain point in the meal, a child will ask four specific questions. This practice is a fun way to engage with the children in the meaning of Passover.
The Passover Seder
The first evening of Passover begins around a table with many elements. Each element speaks to part of the deliverance story. Parsley, horseradish, sweet dates and nuts, a shank bone – these are just some of the elements representing crucial stages of the story. This meal is a Seder. Seder is the Hebrew word for “order” or “procedure.” It is the liturgy of Passover-a living tradition that links the present with the past. Passover is an exciting blend of elements designed to make the story of the Exodus from Egypt as exciting as possible. The Seder evening can be an exciting event remembering and retelling a family’s history. Following the Passover meal, the Jewish people fast leavened bread for eight days. This is done as a way to remember leaving Egypt in haste. There was no time for the bread to rise.
Should Gentiles Celebrate Passover?
The celebration of Passover for the Jewish people is a living testimony to the faithfulness and saving power of God. When Passover come around each year, there is an opportunity to stop and slow down. It is an appointed time to recount the saving attributes of God. As believers, we are adopted into the family and this history becomes our own history. Celebrating a Passover Seder with Jewish people is a wonderful way to show unity and love for one another. It’s truly and redemption story. It not only takes us on a journey back through history, but also points to Jesus (Yeshua) as the ultimate sacrificial lamb. Through the retelling of rescue and redemption we cannot deny the power of hope that this celebration instills in us.
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