A Few Things to Remember about Passover

No matter if you are new to celebrating Passover and the other Biblical holidays, or have been doing so as long as you remember, here are a few things to keep in mind as we approach this set apart time. These reminders will help you to focus on what's really important: the promises of YHWH and the death of the Messiah for our sins. 

As believers in Messiah our focus should be on remembering and honoring his sacrifice and death to give us life! Passover is all about being passed over from death, because of the blood of the lamb. 

It's okay if the food is not perfect. It's okay if you're not sure what to say during the service or meal or worship time. It's okay if you've never celebrated before and it feels strange. Passover is not about our actions being perfect, but resting in the one who is complete perfection.

No matter how simple or extravagant your celebration is, no matter if it goes according to plan or not, take joy in remembering the awesomeness of what happened on this day in Biblical history.

At Passover we remember that YHWH set the Israelites free from slavery. No one would have ever thought that a million slaves would one day walk out of Egypt. But all things are possible with our God, and whatever you're dealing with there is hope for you too!

Remember the meaning of this set apart time and enjoy Passover!

More about Passover:
What the Bible Says about Passover
Five Reasons Believers Should Keep Passover
Things the Messiah Said at Passover

What the Bible Says about Passover

Today we are going to take a look at what the Bible has to say on the topic of Passover. While we don't hear much about it in the Christian church, the word Passover is used around 75 times in Scripture, including more than 25 times in the New Testament. The amount of times this Biblical holiday comes up should call our attention to the importance of this to the Creator. This post won't enumerate each verse, but will give us a general idea of what the Bible says about this often overlooked holiday.

What Scripture says about Passover:

"This is how you eat it: fully clothed, your sandals on your feet, and your staff in your hand. And you shall eat it in haste. It is the Passover of YHWH." -Exodus 12:11

"YHWH's Passover is to begin at twilight on the 14th day of the first month." -Leviticus 23:5

"Keep the lamb until the fourteenth day of the first month. Then all the assembly of Israel shall slay it between the evenings. And they shall take some of the blood and put it on the two doorposts and on the lintel of the houses where they eat it. They shall eat the flesh that night, roasted in fire - with unleavened bread and bitter herbs they shall eat it." -Exodus 12:6-8

"No outsiders are allowed to eat the Passover meal." -Exodus 12:43

"All the congregation of Israel is to perform Passover." -Exodus 12:47

"And when a stranger sojourns among you, then he shall perform the Passover of YHWH. He shall do so according to the law of the Passover and according to its right ruling. You have one law, both for the stranger and the native of the land." -Numbers 9:14

"Have the Israelites celebrate Passover at the appointed time." -Numbers 9:2

"When they celebrate Passover they must follow all of its regulations." -Numbers 9:12

"The Israelites set out from Rameses on the fifteenth day of the first month, the day after Passover." -Numbers 33:3

"Guard the month of Aviv and perform the Passover to YHWH your Elohim, for in the month of Aviv YHWH your  Elohim brought you out of Egypt." -Deuteronomy 16:1

"On the evening of the fourteenth day of the month, while camped at Gilgal on the plains of Jericho, the Israelites celebrated Passover." -Joshua 5:10

"The King gave this order to all the people, 'Celebrate the Passover to YHWH your God, as it is written in the Book of the Covenant.'" -2 Kings 23:21

"And Hezekiah sent to all Israel and Judah, and to Ephraim and Manasseh, to come to the House of YHWH to perform the Passover of YHWH Elohim of Israel." -2 Chronicles 30:1

"They sent to all Israel from Beersheba to Dan, to come to perform the Passover to YHWH Elohim of Israel since they had not done it for a long time." -2 Chronicles 30:5

"Josiah provided to the lay people 30,000 lambs and young goats from the flock, all for Passover offerings, and 3,000 cattle - all from the king's own possessions. His leaders also contributed a voluntary offering to the people, to the priests, and to the Levites. Hilkiah, Zechariah, and Jehiel, leaders in the House of YHWH gave to the priests 2,600 Passover offerings, and 300 cattle." -2 Chronicles 35:7-8

"Passover had not been observed like this in Israel since the days of the prophet Samuel. None of the kings of Israel had ever celebrated such a Passover as Josiah did, with the priests, the Levites, and all Judah and Israel who were there with the people in Jerusalem." -2 Chronicles 35:18

"On the fourteenth day of the first month, the exiles celebrated Passover." -Ezra 6:19

"Every year, Yahusha's parents went to Jerusalem for Passover." -Luke 2:41

"When he was in Jerusalem at the Passover festival, many believed in his name when they saw the miracles he was doing." -John 2:23

"When he came to Galilee the Galileans received him, having seen all that he had done in Jerusalem at the Passover festival, for they had been there." -John 4:45

"As you know, the Passover is in two days - and the son of man will be handed over to be crucified." -Matthew 26:2

"I am going to celebrate the Passover with my disciples at your house." -Matthew 26:18

"The disciples did as Yahusha had directed and prepared the Passover." -Matthew 26:19

"I have earnestly desired to eat this Passover with you." -Luke 22:15

"Get rid of the old leaven, so that you are a new batch, as you are unleavened. For the Messiah our Passover was slaughtered for us." -1 Corinthians 5:7

"When you eat this bread and drink this cup you proclaim the death of the Messiah until he comes." -1 Corinthians 11:26

"By faith Moses performed the Passover and the sprinkling of blood, so that the destroyer of the first born would not touch the firstborn of Israel." -Hebrews 11:28

The frequency of Passover appearing in the Bible should call our attention to the importance that the Creator puts on this holiday. By comparison, birthdays are mentioned two or three times in Scripture, and the holidays of Christmas and Easter aren't mentioned at all in the Bible. Keep in mind that the verses here represent only a portion of the word Passover in the Bible, and don't go into parts of Scripture that deal with something happening on Passover, such as the last supper or death of the Messiah. Genesis 18 where Sarah makes unleavened bread for the visiting angels could possibly be another instance of Passover. Take time to study this popular theme of Scripture!

Related posts:
Things the Messiah Said at Passover
Comparing Passover and Easter
Five Reasons Why Believers Should Keep Passover

How to Host a Passover Seder (for Believers in Messiah)

How to host Seder: let's talk about it! Passover is a very significant holiday to believers and it's important to take the time to honor and remember this day. Hosting a Seder (which means 'Passover meal') does not have to be overwhelming. If you're a person of faith and can host a dinner party then you can do Seder!

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

Passover Menu Inspiration from the Seder Plate

Here's a Passover menu to think about trying this year. If you do a Seder plate, I think it's really fun to use those elements for your actual meal. While a Seder plate (consisting of a roasted lamb bone, bitter herb, some sort of vegetable, charoset, and horseradish) is traditional, I love that each elements tells part of the exodus and Passover story - the gospel in five courses, if you will. I've put together a menu based on these foods. These recipes are healthy, and can be made ahead of time. Other than the lamb, everything can be served cold or at room temperature - which I'm a huge fan of because sometimes Seder runs long, and this way I don't have to keep running back to the kitchen to keep an eye on things. You can feel free to cut out a few of the dishes and still have a wonderful meal. Are you hosting a potluck? Just email each person one of these recipes to bring.

Mediterranean Grilled Lamb Kabobs from Half Baked Harvest
Of course lamb is one of the centerpieces in the Passover meal of Exodus. While we no longer need animal sacrifice because of the Messiah, this is a great way to experience part of Scripture.

Einkorn Matzah Bread from Land of Honey
Unleavened bread is another food from the Passover story. This version is a hundred times better than the boxed stuff, if I do say so myself. It is also much more similar to what would have actually been eaten during the Biblical Passovers.

Chopped Greek Salad from Cookie and Kate
Romaine is often used as the 'bitter herb' that the Israelites were instructed to eat at the Passover right before the exodus. The bitterness reminds us of Israelite slavery and the bitterness of life without the Messiah. You can omit the feta cheese to avoid mixing with meat, if necessary.
Serve it with horseradish vinaigrette! 

Red Pepper Tabbouleh from Minimalist Baker
Parsley is used in traditional Seders as the "karpas" or vegetable which is dipped in salt water to remind us of the tears of the Israelites as they cried out to YHWH. This tabbouleh is a great use for the abundance of spring time parsley and goes well with lamb.

Easy Honey Apple Charoset from Raia's Recipes

Charoset symbolizes laying bricks under slavery, because of its mortar-like consistency. The sweetness of it reminds us that he is faithful to work all things together for good.

To round out the meal...

These items aren't found on a Seder plate but go well with the above recipes.

Vegan Tzatziki from Minimalist Baker
Using lots of herbs this is fitting with the bitter herbs of Scripture. It's great with lamb or on the romaine salad or just as a veggie dip.

Epic Baba Ganoush from Cookie and Kate
Serve this with fresh veggies and unleavened bread.

Chickpea Salad with Carrots and Dill from Cookie and Kate
A filling option for vegetarians in your group.

Beet Hummus from Snixy Kitchen
Any kind of hummus would be a great addition to this meal. This one reminds me of Seders where the horseradish was hot pink. You can leave out the yogurt.

Find kosher for Passover dessert recipes here.

Passover Gifts for Kids

Passover is coming up! Are the kids in your life equipped to celebrate? While I definitely don't think gifts are mandatory for a joyous Passover or Unleavened Bread celebration, they can be a great way to generate excitement and to make this time special for the little ones (and adults) in your life! Having certain books or games to get out at Passover each year can build the excitement and these things can also help your children to focus on the set apart time at hand.

Let My People Go Game from Modern Tribe

Passover Old Maid/Memory Game from MomsandCrafters

Betrayal of the King Book from Bible Pathway Adventures

Risen King Book from Bible Pathway Adventures

Happy Passover Shirt from GreenTurtleTShirts

10 Plagues Nail Decals from Midrash Manicures

Last Supper Block Kit - I'm not seeing this for sale anymore, but maybe you could buy Legos and challenge your kids to make something like this!

Matzah Passover Leggings from GiftsNShtick

Prince of Egypt Book (or movie)

Passover and Unleavened Bread Activity Book from Bible Pathway Adventures

Go Feast Card Game from Rebekah Co

Can of Plagues from Modern Tribe

Seder Slides Game from Modern Tribe

Related posts:
Beautiful Things for Passover
Kids Crafts for Passover, Unleavened Bread, and First Fruits

Helping Kids Get the Most from Passover Seder