Jesus in the Passover: More than an Haggadah

There is no more meaningful celebration in Jewish life than that of Passover.It is deeply rooted in Jewish history and an essential part of Jewish identity. But Passover is also as wide as it is deep, because Jewish communities around the world have added their own particular flavors by elaborating upon already existing traditions or even contributing their own.A brief tour of some of them can add to our appreciation of how the creativity of the Jewish people has adorned the ancient story and the time-honored traditions of the Exodus. Both the timing of the event and the Apostolic writings reveal that the Passover sacrifice was a type and foreshadowing of an even greater event. The Messiah, the true Lamb, would be sacrificed and His blood accepted as protection from the bondage and slavery of eternal death. Jewish Because there is no longer a Temple in which to perform the sacrifice of a lamb, Rabbinical law has replaced the Passover sacrifice with the seder ceremony. The seder is a memorial dinner which is designed to remember the coming out of the bondage of slavery in Egypt and also the entering of the Promised Land. Christian The blood of Messiah, as the fulfillment of the Passover sacrifice, brings atonement for sin and salvation from death. However, the Passover sacrifice has been associated with or replaced by the Last Supper (or the communion meal). Messianic The Jewish and Christian themes of the Passover sacrifice have been combined together within Messianic Judaism. The Passover sacrifice has been replaced by a seder meal which represents the Last Supper (specifically, the third cup of wine and the matzah). It memorializes both the coming out of Egypt and sacrificial death of the Messiah on the cross. The "Jesus in the Passover" demonstration is ideal for any Sunday, but a demonstration that includes your communion service is especially meaningful. Passover banquets are appropriate all year, but are very popular during the Passover/Easter season. Many churches find that a banquet works well on a Friday or Saturday. If you're interested in hosting a Passover celebration like the one in this presentation, contact Tov Rose at info@tovrose.com, or call 651-686-5600