Passover Seder

PASSOVER OVERVIEW

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Dr. Paul Manuel—2004

The Passover seder (service) commemorates Israel’s exodus from Egypt, so it dates back thousands of years. We can trace most aspects of the seder at least to the late Second Temple Period, when Jesus ministered, and the major aspects we can even trace to the original event. We need two things to conduct the seder: certain symbols of the exodus, and the story of the exodus.

The symbols remind us of Israel’s experience in Egypt, and the three major elements appear in…

Exod 12:8 [The Israelites] are to eat the meat [of the Passover sacrifice] roasted over the fire, along with bitter herbs, and bread made without yeast.

• The matzah (unleavened bread), also called the “bread of poverty,” reminds us that Israel was poor in Egypt, and that the people had to leave quickly, before their bread could rise (Exod 12:39).
• The maror (bitter herbs = romaine lettuce) symbolizes the bitterness of Israel’s bondage (Exod 1:14).
• The zeroa‘ (shankbone) is in lieu of the Passover sacrifice, which was discontinued after the destruction of the temple.

There are others elements, but these are the three major symbols of the exodus.

• Because this is a joyful celebration, and because the “fruit of the vine” is a symbol of joy, attendees partake liberally of four glasses during the seder.

Realizing that the disciples consumed quite a bit of food along with all that wine, explains why they had trouble staying awake with Jesus when they moved from the upper room to the garden of Gethsemane.

For the story of the exodus, modern participants use a haggadah (“telling”; cf. Exod 13:8), a book that contains an account of the exodus, some rabbinic commentary, and a few songs that relate to the Passover.

As I mentioned, Jews today observe Passover much as Jesus and the disciples would have 2000 years ago, because in…

Exod 12:14 The LORD said to Moses, “This is a day you are to commemorate; for the generations to come you shall celebrate it as a festival to the LORD—a lasting ordinance.”

The apostle Paul writes to the church at Corinth…

1 Cor 5:8a Therefore let us keep the Festival….

…and early believers continued to observe the Passover.

I. The Preparation

A. The house purged (cf. 1 Cor 5:7-8)
B. The food prepared

Luke 22:8 Jesus sent Peter and John, saying, “Go and make preparations for us to eat the Passover.”

1. Wine
2. Unleavened bread
3. Bitter herbs
4. Paschal sacrifice Since the destruction of the Second Temple (70 CE) and the cessation of sacrifices, the lamb is represented by a shank bone.

II. The Seder before the Meal

A. The Cup of Sanctification (#1; Luke 22:17-18 [?])

1. Hand washing (John 13:1-20 [?])
2. Vegetable dipped (first time) in salt
3. Afikomen set aside

B. The four questions

• Why is this night different from all other nights?

a. Why is only unleavened bread eaten?
b. Why is the paschal lamb roasted (not stewed or boiled)? Omitted since the destruction of the Second Temple
c. Why are only bitter herbs eaten?
d. Why are vegetables dipped twice (once before and once during the meal)?

C. The narration

(Pour cup #2 & diminish with each plague reading from Exod.)

1. Blood (Exod 7:17-21)
2. Frogs (Exod 8:1-7)
3. Gnats (Exod 8:16-18)
4. Flies (Exod 8:20-24)
5. Disease on livestock (Exod 9:1-6) 
6. Boils (Exod 9:8-11)
7. Hail (Exod 9:22-26)
8. Locusts (Exod 10:12-15)
9. Darkness (Exod 10:21-23)
10. Death of firstborn (Exod 11:1; 12:2-13)

E. The Cup of Praise (#2)

Luke 22:17 After taking the cup, he gave thanks and said, “Take this and divide it among you. 18 For I tell you I will not drink again of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes.”

III. The Meal

A. The preparation

1. Hand washing (second time; John 13:1-20 = foot washing)
2. Elements

a. Matzah
b. Bitter herbs dipped (second time) in haroset

John 13:21 …Jesus was troubled in spirit and testified, “I tell you the truth, one of you is going to betray me.” …25 [John] asked him, “Lord, who is it?” 26 Jesus answered, “It is the one to whom I will give this [morsel] when I have dipped it in the dish.” Then, dipping the [morsel], he gave it to Judas Iscariot, son of Simon.

B. The main course
C. The Afikomen distributed

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.”

IV. The Seder after the Meal

A. The grace
B. The Cup of Blessing (#3)

Luke 22:20 In the same way, after the supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you.”

1 Cor 11:25c “Do this…in remembrance of me.”

C. The Hallel (part two = Pss 115-118)
D. The Cup of Acceptance (#4)

Matt 26:30 When they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.

The communion we celebrate in church is part of a larger commemoration of deliverance. By viewing yourself as part of this tradition, you will enhance your appreciation of the progress of redemption, from the initial deliverance that God accomplished in the past when He brought Israel out of Egypt to the final deliverance the messiah will accomplish in the future when he establishes God’s kingdom and again celebrates this festival with his disciples.

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