Maybe you are familiar with traditional Seders that are about five hours long, and have so many steps and procedures that participants literally need a fifty page book to keep up. There is a special Seder plate, a certain order that you eat in, some unusual ingredients, and four cups of wine. Those things are traditions. Your Passover celebration does not have to be like that. The instructions from Scripture are much more simple. We are told to do this in remembrance of the Messiah and the Exodus story on the 14th of the Biblical month Aviv (see how that corresponds to this year's calendar here), to get the leaven out of our homes, and to eat unleavened bread and herbs, and take communion.
That's really about it. Obviously, there are many different approaches you could take and I love that there is flexibility in keeping this commandment, so plan your evening in a way that makes sense and is doable to you.
A Passover Seder honoring the Messiah could look something like this:
-Starting things off with a prayer.
-Telling the story of YHWH bringing the Israelites out of slavery and into the Promised Land.
-Remembering and sharing the ways YHWH has set us free and provided for us in our lives, specifically over the last year.
-Eating the meal.
-Telling the story of the last supper and the death of the Messiah.
-Having communion.
-Reciting a Psalm of praise.
-Prayer and giving thanks for the Messiah dying for our sins.
These Scriptures would be appropriate to read during your Seder.
If you're interested in some of the traditional elements of Seder, I'm going to give a general overview of what those are and how they tie into the story of our redemption. You can use all of these if you like, just a few, or none at all. Many of these serve as excellent analogies for the Passover story and the redemptive work of Messiah in our lives, but please remember that these are just traditions, and are not required by YHWH. While these elements can be meaningful and fun, these are not commandments so it would be wrong to say that they are or to value these things higher than actual instructions from Scripture.
This is a simplification. This is not meant to be an official, rabbi-ordained Jewish Seder, and honestly if you are a follower of Messiah then your Passover should look different as you remember and honor his sacrifice for our sins.
Traditional Seder elements include:
Sanctification.
This is a blessing said that would be something like, "Blessed are you YHWH our Elohim, King of the Universe, who has sanctified us with your commands, and commanded us to keep Passover." The idea of praying and blessing the name of YHWH is a great one, and appropriate for Passover, but be sure and watch the phrasing of some of these traditional blessings as they often claim that YHWH has commanded us to do something when he hasn't. We shouldn't add to his word!
First cup of wine. The Cup of Sanctification or "I will bring you out."
The feast of wine is a lovely tradition of Hebrew and Jewish marriages. When a suitor proposes marriage he takes a cup of wine, has a sip, and says something like, "This cup represents everything I am, everything I have, and everything I will be," and then offers it to the woman he is pursuing. By taking the cup and drinking it she is saying, "I accept everything that you are, and offer you everything that I am and will be." I can't help of thinking of this betrothal ceremony for the glasses of wine at Passover, when he offered himself for us.
This cup of wine is a great time to talk about the promises of YHWH, both for the Israelites to be brought out from slavery and for ourselves to be brought out from the slavery to this world and culture.
Hand or foot washing. Urechatz in Hebrew.
Ritual hand washing is from Judaism, and not Scripture. (We see the Messiah addressing this very issue in Mark 7.) However, one of the things Yahusha did at the last supper was to wash the feet of his followers. Believers could certainly do this at a Passover meal, though the logistics of such could be tricky.
Parsley and salt water. Karpas in Hebrew.
Each person takes a piece of parsley and dips it into a dish of salt water before eating. The parsley reminds us of life (it is one of the first edibles to come up in the springtime), and the salt water represents the tears that the Israelites shed in Egypt.
Breaking of matzah. Yachatz in Hebrew.
Unleavened bread is eaten during Passover to remind us that circumstances changed so quickly for the Israelites when they were enslaved in Egypt that they didn't have time to let their bread rise before they left. We eat to remember their deliverance from slavery.
Something cool in this tradition is that a piece of matzah is broken. Those of us who are believers in the Messiah recall him breaking bread in the last supper and saying, "this is my body, broken for you." The symbolism of his being killed is obvious here. An adult wraps the broken piece in a napkin (like for burial), and hides it for the children to find later.
Seder plate.
This traditionally consists of: roasted lamb bone, bitter herbs, a vegetable, and charoset. I enjoy the symbolism of these foods and think of it as the Gospel in edible form. Pass the Seder plate (this can be a regular plate, you don't need to have anything special) around so that everyone can see it, while the leader explains the significance of each item.
Telling the Passover story!
There are many different ways to do this - have kids act out a play, read the whole story from the Bible, or tell a simplified version. This is also a good chance to talk about our own testimonies and the work of YHWH in our own lives as a group.
When you get to the part about the plagues against Egypt, you can give children related toys or have everyone throw something to represent the plagues.
Second cup of wine. The Cup of Deliverance or "I will deliver you."
At this point in the Exodus story, the Israelites have been brought out of Egypt but still need deliverance to escape their former captors and get across the Red Sea. Maybe you can relate to this waiting time in your own life. This is a time to remind ourselves and to celebrate that YHWH is faithful to complete his good works.
Bitter herbs. Maror in Hebrew.
Horseradish is used to remind us of the bitterness of the slavery the Israelites were under in Egypt, as well as the bitterness of life without Messiah. You eat this with matzah. Be forewarned that horseradish can be quite hot!
Charoset. Korech.
This is a smashed apple mixture usually containing honey, nuts, and a splash of wine. The texture reminds us of mortar, and therefore the heavy burden the Israelites had making and laying bricks in Egypt.
Dinner. (Blessing after the meal.)
Now it's time to enjoy a wonderful meal! I'll have menu ideas and tips below. The reason the blessing is said after the meal comes from Deuteronomy 8:10 which says after you have eaten you should praise YHWH.
Third cup of wine. Covenant or "I will redeem you."
There is no better time to talk about the Messiah who was killed on Passover for our redemption. Feel free to tell the story of the Last Supper and his death. Again this can be done by reading it straight from Scripture, telling and abridged version, or creatively.
Dessert.
You can find great desserts for Passover here. Before or after dessert, send the children to look for the 'afikoman' (which means dessert), the piece of matzah that was broken and hidden earlier. This is a good break for them from a lot of sitting. Reward the winner with a small prize.
Fourth cup of wine. Promise or "I will take you."
This cup represents the promises to come for us and for YHWH's people as a whole.
Hallel Psalms.
Hallel means praise, so any Psalm that praise YHWH works here. Traditionally Psalms 113-118 are used.
(The foods for all these steps are wine and/or grape juice, matzah, parsley, salt water, horseradish, and charoset.)
Again, these are all traditions and you can do with them what you will. Pray about your plans and ask the Holy Spirit for wisdom.
What do I consider the essentials of a great Seder that honors the Messiah?
Elements for a great Passover Seder:
-Talk about or read the Exodus story.
-Talk about the Last Supper and the Messiah's death.
-Have matzah and wine/grape juice. (Remember that when Yahusha took the wine and the bread and said to do this in remembrance of him he was seated at the Passover table! This is the appropriate time for communion.)
-Share something that YHWH has done in your life.
-Eat a festive meal.
-Join with with those also in covenant with the Messiah.
-Prayer and thanksgiving.
What do you eat at a Passover Seder?
That's really up to you! Other than not serving anything with leaven or unclean animals, the menu is your choice. My recommendation would be to include the foods found in Scripture related to Passover:
-Lamb. Not as a sacrifice, but as a practical way to make tangible the story of the Israelites sacrificing lambs in Egypt, and how they were spared because of their diligence to follow YHWH's instruction. Scripture specifies that the lamb they ate was roasted, so I would either cook it on the grill or roast it in the oven.
-Unleavened bread. This is a significant part of the Passover story of the Israelites in Egypt, and of the Messiah's last supper. This can be store bought or homemade.
-Bitter herbs. Scripture doesn't specify an exact plant here, but indicates the early lettuces and herbs of springtime. Lettuces or chicory work well. So do herbs like parsley or cilantro. Serve a simple salad of lettuces or make a chimichurri (herb sauce) out of parsley.
-Grape juice or wine. While this isn't expressly found in the Exodus story, it is such a central part of the Messiah's last supper that I think it should definitely be included with Passover.
These ingredients can then be served in any way from a Middle Eastern inspired meal with roasted lamb, hummus, and tabbouli to meat-and-potatoes grilled lamb with roasted potatoes. Or how about making soft unleavened bread to be used as tortillas and having Passover lamb tacos? Of course you can add in whatever side dishes, veggies, salads, and soups too that you would like. (Just keep it leaven free.)
Tips to simplify the Passover meal:
-Don't do it all yourself. Have a potluck and ask guests to bring a dish so that you don't have to cook everything. You could ask them to prepare a specific recipe or let them come up with something on their own. If you want or need to prepare the entire meal, come up with a doable menu that you can accomplish in a reasonable about of time. Recipes that can be made ahead are your friend here!
-Make the 'food rules' clear. If you're hosting the Seder, then you get to set the rules. If you're only comfortable with certified kosher meats, make that clear. If you don't want dairy served alongside meat, let your guests know. Do you want organic ingredients? Are you avoiding common allergens? Make sure everyone is on the same page, so a guest doesn't show up with bacon in a salad! (True story.)
-Pick dishes that hold well in a warm oven. Or in a slow cooker or roaster on low. Or salads and dips and whatever else that can be served cold or at room temperature. Seder can take a while and it's hard to time everything exactly right. Serving dishes that are more forgiving and not timing critical can alleviate a lot of headache.
-Make extra! At my congregation's potluck the rule is that you bring a lot of whatever food you're providing so everyone can go home with leftovers. Since the very next day after Passover is the no-work day of day one of Unleavened Bread, cooking should be avoided then, so how perfect to go home with food for the next day! Ask guests to bring containers and have a good supply of bags on hand.
-Round out your meal with easy foods. You don't have to do this, but if you're the type that worries there's not enough variety or that you'll run out - then add some easy foods to the menu. Fresh veggies, extra unleavened bread, green salad, olives, hummus, and fruit are great ways to round out the menu.
Recipes and menus for Passover:
This is my Seder plate inspired Passover menu.
See a past menu my congregation did here.
Want to make your own unleavened bread? Here is my recipe for Einkorn Matzah.
Here are recipes that are free of leaven that would work great as part of a Seder.
Other tips for a great Passover Seder:
-Divvy up the work. You don't have to do it all! Ask guests to bring a dish, read passages from Scripture, refill wine glasses or whatever else you could use help with. Feel free to ask for a hand ahead of time.
-Make it kid friendly. There is beauty in simplicity, and if we're making things so complicated that the kids can't follow along, then chances are good that we are missing out on some great parts of this special day. Make this time approachable. After all, Scripture says we should have child-like faith. See this post about helping kids get the most from Passover here.
-Invite those who are in covenant with the Messiah. Passover is a sacred event and I don't think it should be treated like a show-and-tell to those who aren't believers. It's also not the time to try and convert anyone to your way of doing things. That can be stressful and distracting from the true purpose of the event. Invite those who have sincere relations with the Messiah and who genuinely want to honor him by keeping Passover.
-Give guests an idea of what to expect. Give them an idea of a time frame if you're planning on a lengthier meal. If you're planning to invite your guests to share what YHWH has done in their lives, let them know ahead of time so they can prepare for it. If you don't want anyone snacking during the Exodus story make that clear ahead of time. Communication is a good way to avoid confusion and frustration.
-Do what you can ahead of time. Don't try and squeeze in the cooking, cleaning, decoration, and spiritual preparation all into one day. Set time aside in the days, or even weeks, leading to Passover to prepare what you can ahead of time.
-Make the atmosphere lovely and memorable. Ask guests to dress up, and make the tables festive with a centerpiece or flowers. If you have a menorah, there's no better time to use it!
-Make it doable for you. There's nothing wrong with skipping the traditions or using paper plates if that simplifies your life! The most important thing here is that you're remembering this set apart time from Scripture.
-Do it in remembrance of the Messiah. The menu, the traditions, the decor all take a backseat to, as Paul said, "the priceless gain of knowing the Messiah Yahusha." Let your Seder be done in his honor. While the other parts of Passover are nice, don't let them become the focus over the Messiah.
I hope this amount of information is helpful and not overwhelming. If you're feeling like this might be too much to pull off, then pause and ask the Holy Spirit to help you. You can do this! Stick to the basics, and don't let a fear of things not being done 'perfectly' stop you from enjoying this significant time with the Creator. There is tremendous blessing when we make an effort to celebrate his set apart times!
More Passover things:
The Beginner's Guide to Passover
Unleavened Desserts for Passover
Meal Ideas for the Feast of Unleavened Bread
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