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What is Passover?
Have you ever wondered what Passover is and why it is celebrated and why it is so different from Easter? Well I have found lots of great information on the topic. I have to take the folks who already wrote all of this down for us. You can find the web address of each site with the following information below.
Take some time to read all about Passover and also watch the video below of a Passover meal. I promise you will be bless and you will learn lots of cool stuff you didn’t know before!
When is Passover this year? Passover in 2011 will start on Tuesday, the 19th of April
This website is a great resource for understanding why Christians should celebrate passover.
If you are not Jewish, there are certain things that just tend to offend the Gentile mind... things we do not understand. Most of us have never celebrated Jewish feasts and certainly most of us have not understand or come close to appreciating the richness of the heritage we have been given spiritually by the Jewish people and from the Law of Moses itself. As one Jewish teacher put it, if we celebrate holidays that have Pagan roots and assign spiritual significance to them (take Easter and Christmas for example), wouldn't it be more appropriate to celebrate the feasts and holidays that God gave His people?? It does make sense if you think about it... God's feasts probably hold a lot more symbolic meaning and depth of life than anything a good ole pagan could come up with... I mean if we are going to roll around Easter eggs and put up Christmas trees (which I am not criticizing-- I can draw spiritual pictures of Messiah in both these exercises), then why can't we commemorate the very festivals that DIRECTLY point to the person, work, and ministry of Jesus??
Passover, for any Christian who has spent the time to actually study it, is the equivalent to the Easter holiday most of us celebrate. There are three festivals or feasts or "rehearsals" of the LORD that are in view actually, as recorded and observed from Leviticus 23: Passover, Unleavened Bread, and Firstfruits. If it is any wonder that Passover is around the same time of the year as Easter, that is because the "Last Supper" that Jesus (Yeshua) and His 12 disciples were celebrating was His last PASSOVER meal that He shared with them before his death, burial, and resurrection. This was actually a "memorial" meal as the rest of Israel would sacrifice their Passover lambs the following evening, the 14th of Nisan, consistent with when Jesus was being offered up on the cross. In 30 CE (or AD), Jesus was crucified on that Wednesday and buried before the "Sabbath" day that was observed as part of the feast of Passover, the following Thursday.
Now it was the Preparation Day of the Passover, and about the sixth hour.
And he said to the Jews, "Behold your King!"
But they cried out, "Away with Him, away with Him! Crucify Him!"
Pilate said to them, "Shall I crucify your King?"
The chief priests answered, "We have no king but Caesar!"
Then he delivered Him to them to be crucified. So they took Jesus and led Him away.
John 19:14-16
Easter commemorates the death and burial of the Lord Jesus, and as a remembrance of this event, Christians participate in what we call Communion or the Lord's Supper. The "Lord's Supper" for most of us is taking of grape juice and a wafer... but the ORIGINAL Lord's Supper was the entire Passover meal. The Passover looks back at the delivery of the Jewish people from the power of Pharaoh just as communion looks back at our delivery from the power of sin. Many of us do not understand the significance of Communion because we have never participated in a Passover meal... the traditional Passover celebrated by Jews worldwide today is essentially the SAME meal that Jesus celebrated with the disciples on that fateful night. What we know of as "Good Friday", is really more correctly "Good Wednesday" and what we know as the "Lord's Supper" is really the "Lord's Passover".
Why does the Passover matter so much? Why should it be that big of a deal?? We're not Jewish, so why do we need to celebrate a Jewish festival? Friends, we may not be Jewish, but we are MESSIANIC... we are Messianic Gentiles just as those of our Jewish brothers who have received Jesus as Messiah are Messianic Jews. Because of our faith in the Jewish Messiah, we need to hold dear the things that God held dear to them... the "Older" Testament was not "done away with" in Messiah... rather the Law was fulfilled completely so that we would not have to find our righteousness in it, but in the person the Law, the Writings, and the Prophets pointed to: Yeshua (see Luke 24:44). To the degree that we understand our place in the olive tree, a wild branch grafted in, is the degree to which we will understand ALL that Jesus died to give us. Let's take a quick look at why you should celebrate a Messianic Passover as part of your "Christian" experience.
Therefore purge out the old leaven, that you may be a new lump, since you truly are unleavened.
For indeed Messiah, our Passover, was sacrificed for us. 1 Cor 5:7
What is all this talk about leaven and why is it linked to Passover?? Well, if we were Jewish, we would understand that for the period of days (and sometimes weeks) leading up to the Passover feast, the Jewish household would rid their house of ALL leaven (leaven is symbolic for sin). This is a picture of our own self examination and our own putting away of idols and sin from our lives. When the last bit of "leaven" was removed from the house and the final cleansing ceremony (known as Bedikat Hametz) was performed, the Father of the house would make the pronouncement "God, our home has been purged of all leaven to the best of my knowledge and is now ready for your presence." Does this shed any light on the Apostle Paul's instruction (who was a Jew of Jews himself):
But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of the bread and drink of the cup. 1 Cor 11:28
Paul (or Saul, as his Jewish/Hebrew friends would have called him) was writing this admonition to a predominantly Gentile (or non-Jewish) body of believers in Corinth. They did not understand a lot of things because many did not have Jewish heritage to fall back on... Paul corrected them for many things most Jews would never have to think twice about. For example, sexual immorality still seemed to be an issue for many believers coming out of a pagan society. It appears too from Paul's instructions about the Lord's Table that many did not understand the significance of the meal. How many Gentiles today understand the concept of purging ourselves from the sin that so easily entangles us so that we are READY for the presence of the LORD?? How many of us do not experience the presence of God in our midst because we have not removed the leaven from our midst?? Paul said for us to purge out the old leaven, so that we be a new lump... for Messiah our Passover (Paschal) lamb has been sacrificed for us!
Why is Jesus called the Passover lamb?? Consider briefly the description of the Passover lamb that was a normal part of the feast for countless years after God gave Moses the command to keep this feast.
On the tenth of the Jewish month Nisan, the Passover lamb was led through the Sheep Gate for its journey to the temple. When it entered in, people would wave palm branches in all four directions and sing a Psalm known as the "Hallel". The Hallel for those of you who do not know is "Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord". They laid palm branches down before the lamb as it walked. Consider this from the Word of God:
So the disciples went and did as Jesus commanded them. They brought the donkey and the colt, laid their clothes on them, and set Him on them.
And a very great multitude spread their clothes on the road; others cut down branches from the trees and spread them on the road. Then the multitudes who went before and those who followed cried out,
saying: "Hosanna to the Son of David!
'Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!' Hosanna in the highest!"
Matt 21:6-9
The Passover lamb was taken to the Temple for four days for a specific purpose: it was to be kept under close observation. Why? The Passover lamb had to be a spotless lamb. Around 50 separate tests were performed to insure the lamb's purity. On the fourteenth day of the month of Nisan, after the lamb was officially declared to be pure and free from defect, it was placed upon the altar at 9:00 AM. The lamb remained until 3:00 PM in the afternoon. At that time, the High Priest took a knife and slit the throat of the lamb and said "IT IS FINISHED". After the death of the lamb, it was taken and then thrust on a vertical pole. A horizontal pole was transfixed on this pole and the lamb was layed out on it so that its skin could be flayed. The skin on its back was removed to ensure one thing: that it was as pure on the inside as it was on the outside. The heart of the lamb was removed and all the blood was drained from it. In all of this exercise, not one bone of the lamb was broken.
On the fourteenth day of Nisan, after Jesus had taken the Passover meal with His disciples the night before, faced betrayal in Gethsemane, and had endured a night long of anguish and torment at the hands of both Roman and Jewish officials, He was lead away to be crucified at the third hour.
Now it was the third hour, and they crucified Him. Mark 15:25
For those of you who do not know, Mark wrote from the Jewish perspective, and the third hour was 9:00 AM in the morning. [On a side note, the Apostle John used the Roman time system, and said that the TRIAL was still taking place at the 6th hour... which by Roman time was 6:00 AM.. thus placing the trial BEFORE the crucifixion exactly as would be expected]
Jesus hung on the cross from 9 AM to 3 PM, when according to Scripture, Jesus voluntarily yielded up His spirit as an offering and cried, "IT IS FINISHED!". By dying so quickly, the Lord Jesus did not have one bone broken as did the other two men beside Him (crucifixions normally were LONG and they were expedited by the breaking of a leg bone to bring the onset of suffocation even sooner). Exactly at the SAME TIME that the High Priest slaughtered the Passover lamb of Israel, THE PASSOVER LAMB of the WORLD was slain and cried "IT IS FINISHED". According to the Scripture, the veil of the temple where the Holy of Holies separated the glory of God from the fallen humanity was SPLIT in two, from top to bottom. Jesus our Paschal Lamb has been sacrificed!! The sacrifice has been paid... now purge the leaven ... purge all known sin from your life... remove the idols from your household... prepare your home and family for the PRESENCE of the Lord! The veil has been torn.. the glory of the Lord is awaiting a resting place in the hearts of men and women today!
Here is a video from Jewish Jewels Television program explain what Passover meal is. Watch as they share a Passover meal together.
Click here to watch a video of a Passover Meal and listen as the whole process is explained! You may get a black screen at first but hang on it will load.
Passover Explained!
Passover: Now and Forever
From the newsletter April 2000
Passover, the oldest continuously celebrated religious festival in the world, is also the most beloved holiday for Messianic Jews, and for many born-again Christian believers as well. Passover is a feast dear to the heart of God because it is the Feast associated with the loving sacrifice of His Son, Yeshua, the Lamb of God. It is the feast of freedom, liberation, deliverance, joy, and a foreshadow of the glorious Marriage Supper of the Lamb to come.
The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob instituted the Passover at the Exodus from Egypt. The answers to the Why, When and How of Passover are given by God in the Book of Exodus, Sh'mot in Hebrew.
Why?: "So this day [Passover] shall be to you a memorial; and you shall keep it as a feast to the Lord throughout your generations. You shall keep it as a feast by an everlasting ordinance." (Exodus 12:14)
When?: "In the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month at evening, you shall eat unleavened bread, until the twenty-first day of the month at evening." (Exodus 12:18 )
How?: Read Exodus 12:1-20 and be blessed!
Passover is an eternal celebration. As believers, we now celebrate both the physical deliverance of our ancestors from Egypt, and our personal spiritual deliverance from the bondage of sin. But one day, in the Heavenly Kingdom, we will also celebrate the liberation from our frail, earthen vessels and from a fallen world which is not our home. With the Lamb as the Light we will experience the unspeakable joy of being in the presence of our loving Lord forever.
Each year as we prepare to celebrate Passover we read and re-read the story of the Exodus, and marvel at the new insights we gain on an old story. The Ruach HaKodesh (Holy Spirit) leads us into new truths, and refreshes old ones.
Exodus 2:24-25 Notice God's reaction to the groaning of His people in bondage as their cry came up to Him:
God heard their groaning,
God remembered His covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob,
God looked upon the children of Israel and
God acknowledged them. Trust God in your life to respond to your groanings in the same way. He hears, He remembers, He looks upon, and He acknowledges. After that: A miracle! An exodus! Expect it.Exodus 6:6 The traditional four "I wills" of Passover (from which we get four cups of wine in the seder), are actually five "I wills."
I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians,
I will rescue you from their bondage,
I will redeem you with an outstretched arm...,
I will take you as My people, and
I will be your God. Number 5 signifies to us the personal deliverance or salvation that is ours in the Messiah. The same idea is echoed in Jeremiah 31:33 where a New Covenant is promised to the House of Israel. As Messianic Jews we see ourselves as having personally come forth from Egypt, since we have in reality experienced a great deliverance. And we can boldly proclaim: He is my God!
Exodus 9:1(Complete Jewish Bible) `Then Adonai said to Moshe, "Go to Pharoah, and tell him, `Here is what Adonai, the God of the Hebrews, says, "Let my people go, so that they can worship me." ' " ' The reason Israel was set free from Egyptian bondage was so that they could worship God. The reason we have been delivered (saved) from sin is so that we might worship God. WORSHIP is to be our lifestyle, our goal, a major part of our lives.
Exodus 10:23 When God visited the homes of the Egyptians with the plague of darkness, there was light in the homes of the people of Israel for three days. It was light that distinguished God's people from the rest of the world. This concept is very much reinforced by Yeshua in the New Covenant. We are called to be lights in a dark world. How much light is there in your home? We need to pray: "Lord, flood my home
with Your light. Show me any darkness that needs to be rebuked in the Name of Yeshua. Help me to walk in the light and to let my light shine that You might be glorified."
Exodus 11:2-3 When the Israelites left Egypt, God gave them favor with the Egyptians who gave gold and silver jewelry to their Jewish neighbors when they requested it. Why did God do this? Was it a test? Was He giving His people an opportunity to show their love for Him? Was the gold to be used for the vessels of the mishkan (tabernacle), instead of a golden calf? Is our gold and silver a test also? Do we use it for the service of God or to make idols?
Exodus 12:41-42 Exactly 430 years to the day, God brought His people out of Egypt. The 14th of Nisan, that begins at evening, is called a "night of solemn observance to the Lord" in the Holy Scriptures. In the Complete Jewish Bible, Dr. Stern translates Ex. 12:42 in the following manner: "This same night continues to be a night when Adonai keeps vigil for all the people of Isra'el through all their generations." How wonderful! God watches over His people in a special way on Nisan 14...the evening of April 19 this year. Should we not praise Him on that night for His watchful care? (Psalm 121:4)
Passover: Pesach
It bears repeating each year that the word for Passover in Hebrew is Pesach (pronounced PAY-SOCK), which is also the word for the Passover lamb. In the truest sense, Pesach cannot be separated from the Lamb. Sadly, however, in Jewish homes around the world, the major symbolic element of Passover as defined in the Holy Scriptures, is often missing from the table. Instead of the shankbone of a lamb, there might be a chicken or a turkey bone. This was not always the case. The lamb used to be central to the celebration of Pesach. For example, in the days of King Solomon when the first Temple stood, around 960 BCE, Passover was an awesome celebration. The shofar was blown, announcing the paschal sacrifice. Priests, wearing scarlet robes, stood in two rows, one holding silver basins and the other gold. When an Israelite slaughtered his lamb, the closest priest caught its blood in his basin, then passed it to the priest next to him and so on until it reached the altar, where the blood was poured at the base. The empty basin was returned the same way to the first priest. While this took place, the Levites sang Hallel, praising God. Then the lambs were roasted and eaten, together with matzah and bitter herbs as the Exodus story was told. This year we learned that the "Four questions" asked in the Passover Seder by the youngest child have remained the same since the seder was instituted _ except for question number four. The fourth question used to refer to the paschal (lamb) sacrifice. It was discontinued, along with the sacrifice, after the destruction of the second Temple in 70 C.E. So, today, in traditional Jewish homes no one asks about the lamb. We really should ask: "Where is the lamb that the Holy Scriptures speak about?" Some believe that the matzah became a symbol of the paschal offering after 70 C.E. Others believe that even at the time of Yeshua the matzah was identified with the lamb sacrificed at the first Passover. The Israelites carried that identity even further and made a connection between the matzah and the manna that their ancestors had eaten in the wilderness. They believed that the Messiah would come at Passover, and that manna would once more fall down from heaven. Yeshua, of course, identified Himself as bread that comes down from heaven. When Yeshua said to His disciples, "This matzah is me," He clearly meant: "I am your Passover sacrifice." When we consider the middle matzah, the afikomen, that is broken, wrapped in a burial cloth, buried and then resurrected during the course of the seder, we can clearly see Yeshua, our Passover, broken for us, buried and raised from the dead!
ORDER!
From the newsletter March 2002
Order is the very essence of Passover. The word seder as in Passover Seder, means "order." If you go to Israel, you’ll hear the word b’seder hundreds of times each day. It means O.K. or "in order." GOD IS A GOD OF ORDER. He desires order in the home, order in the congregation, and order in all human affairs. I Corinthians 14:40 says, "Let all things be done decently and in order."
A wonderful example of this divine order is found in Matthew Chapter 3 at the tevilah (immersion) of Yeshua the Messiah. Yeshua came to John for immersion, but John said that he had need of being immersed by Yeshua, not vice-versa. "And Yeshua answered and said to him, ‘Permit it to be so now: for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.’ " God’s order. Always.
As we celebrate the Lord’s Passover this year, may we all seek, and find, God’s divine order for our lives. May our prayer be the one voiced in Psalm 119:133: "Order my steps in Thy word; and let not any iniquity have dominion over me." (KJV)
We were fascinated to find that the first reference (and many thereafter) of order in the Torah had to do with sacrifices, specifically laying the wood in order for the sacrifice.
Order and blood sacrifice. Over and over. And so, we come to Passover, the culmination of ORDER and BLOOD SACRIFICE.
Order in the Passover Seder
There are 14 steps in the order of the traditional Passover seder. We’d like to take you through these steps and show you their connection with Messiah.
#1 KADESH (Ka-DESH) - the cup of sanctification, the blessing.
The seder always begins with a cup of wine. Wine is a symbol of sanctification in Jewish life. Wine is not the source of joy for believers in Messiah. God is. We
are filled with the "new wine" of His Spirit!) Yeshua had nothing against wine (His first miracle at a wedding involved making wine.), however, wine as a source of joy was replaced by the One who can make wine. The real source of joy is the Messiah Himself. Kadesh comes from the Hebrew word, Kadosh (holy, set apart, sanctified). Just as the first cup of wine sets apart the table for Passover, Yeshua’s first miracle set Him apart as the Holy One sent from God. Through Him, we too are "set apart," kadosh l’cha! Kadesh is also the "kiddush," or sanctification of the seder. God is praised for both sanctifying his people Israel and for enabling them to reach this time of celebration. Let us remember to thank the Lord that we have lived to celebrate one more Passover in His honor!
#2 URCHATZ (oour-CHATZ) – handwashing
The second step in the order of the Passover seder is called netilat yadayim in Hebrew. The father of the household cleanses his hands through a ceremonial washing, just as the High Priest in Bible times cleansed himself in the laver before ministering in the Tabernacle or Temple. At the last Pesach of Yeshua, when it was time for the handwashing, our Messiah did something quite radical. He took the form of the servant (who normally would appear with a water basin) and began to wash His disciples’ feet. What was the message? After sanctification comes service. God has set us apart to serve others with the same humility of heart as our Messiah.
#3 KARPAS (CAR-pas) - the greens
A green vegetable, a symbol of spring, is dipped in salt water. Parsley is generally used. Just as hyssop (a green vegetable) was dipped in blood at the first Passover, we dip the greens. The salt water represents both the Red Sea that the Israelites passed through, and the tears that they shed while slaves in Egypt. Dipping was a common way of eating in Yeshua’s day. It is a blessing to participate in a ritual that He participated in and helps us remember where we have come from!
#4 YACHATZ (yah-CHATZ) - breaking the middle matzah
The word yachatz literally means to "break" or "divide." At this point in the Seder, the leader breaks the middle of three ceremonial matzot which are kept in a matzah tash (pocket). Traditional Judaism views the middle matzah as Israel, suffering and being broken, in its place between God and the Nations. As Messianic Jews, we know that the middle matzah represents Yeshua, our High Priest and the "one Mediator between God and men" (1Timothy 2:5) who was broken for us. In The Passover Seder by Dr. Ron Wolfson, a traditional Jewish author, the following comments are made: "Yachatz is a powerful symbol of redemption." In the future, something now in hiding will make complete that which is now incomplete. This is a foreshadowing of the Messiah, establishing that we not only celebrate the Passover of the past but the Passover of the future." Yeshua is the "hidden one." He is the "broken one." He is also the "resurrected one." May He be revealed this Pesach to His ancient people, so that they may be complete in Him!!
#5 MAGGID (ma-GEED) Telling the story
The story of the first Passover is re-told every year. The Bible instructs us in Exodus 13:8 as follows: V’higad’ta l’vinkha, "You shall tell your son in that day, saying, ‘This is done because of what the Lord did for me when I came up from Egypt.’ " The word higad’ta comes from the root l’hagid, "to tell." The words Haggadah and Maggid come from the same root. The Exodus story is actually told in four different ways during the Maggid. Each of the four tellings begins with a question, followed by an answer, followed by praise to God. Telling #1 includes the "four questions," telling #2 includes the four types of "Jewish learners," telling #3 is a consideration of four verses in Deuteronomy that summarize the Exodus story and telling #4 deals with the ritual items on the Passover table - the Lamb, the Matzah and the Bitter Herbs. As we tell the story of God delivering our people from Egyptian bondage, we acknowledge the God who is mighty to save. This is the God who has delivered us from darkness and called us into His marvelous light. Our God has set us free from the bondage to sin and self. When we tell that story, our own personal maggid, we overcome the enemy of our souls. As Revelation 12:11 expresses it: "And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony..."
#6 Rochtzah (rach-TZAH) - second handwashing
A second handwashing occurs before the breaking of matzah, symbolic of the meal. Observant Jews wash their hands before breaking bread at every meal. The cleansing during Rochtzah is a ritual cleansing in which first the right hand is cleansed then the left. Special pitchers with dual handles are often used. "Then the scribes and Pharisees who were from Jerusalem came to Jesus, saying, ‘Why do Your disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? For they do not wash their hands when they eat bread.’ But He answered and said to them, ‘Why do you also transgress the commandment of God because of your tradition?’... Hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy about you, saying: ‘These people draw near to Me with their mouth, and honor Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me.’ " (Matthew 15:1-3, 7-8) Let’s make sure this Pesach that as we wash our hands, our hearts are clean before the Lord.
#7 MOTZI MATZAH (MO-tzi MAH-tzah) Blessing for the Matzah
Matzah is unleavened bread. It is just flour and water - no yeast. It is plain and relatively tasteless. It is the "bread of affliction" (lechem oni) spoken of in Deuteronomy 16:3 Just as leaven, chametz is a type of sin in the Holy Scriptures, matzah is a type of sinlessness. No bloating. No pride. Simplicity. In fact, the Hasidim (ultra-Orthodox Jews) talked of Passover as a time to become a "matzah person," a time to rid ourselves of any inflation. An unleavened person. This traditional Jewish concept sounds very familiar. Consider the following verses from the B’rit Hadasha, the New Testament: "Therefore purge out the old leaven, that you may be a new lump, since you truly are unleavened. For indeed Messiah, our Passover was sacrificed for us." (I Corinthians 5:7) You are a MATZAH PERSON in Yeshua! A deep thought about the matzah at Passover. This matzah is traditionally considered to be a symbol which is transformed through the Seder experience from the bread of affliction into the bread of freedom. Yeshua is the fulfillment of this concept. His affliction purchased our freedom. By embracing His death, we enter into life. He who became a curse, is the consummate Blessing.
#8 MAROR (ma-ROAR) the bitter herbs
Maror is first mentioned in the Bible in Exodus 12:8, "and with bitter herbs they shall eat it (the paschal sacrifice)." God commanded His people to eat something bitter with the lamb. Today that something is usually prepared horseradish, but may also be bitter lettuce. As we taste the maror and perhaps wince or even begin to tear, we are reminded of the bitterness of slavery in Egypt (Exodus 1:14) or the bitterness of bondage to sin (Messianic interpretation). According to one rabbinic legend, the enslaved Israelites called Pharoah MAROR because he embittered their lives. But God defeated Pharoah. And Yeshua defeated Ha Satan (the devil). Through Him we can have victory over bitterness. The Pesach and the Maror should not be juxtaposed in our lives! "Does a spring send forth fresh water and bitter from the same opening?" (James 3:11) There is a struggle (Romans 7:18-25), but we can be victorious through The Lamb!
#9 KORECH (co-RECH) Hillel’s sandwich
Some of you have heard of the "Hillel sandwich" which consists of maror and charoseth between two pieces of matzah. This part of the Seder ritual was developed by Rabbi Hillel, one of the greatest rabbis in Jewish history, as a reminder of God’s instruction to eat the flesh of the paschal lamb with bitter herbs. The original Hillel sandwich consisted of roasted lamb and maror. Once the Temple was destroyed and lambs could no longer be sacrificed, the sandwich became matzah and maror. A later addition was something called charoseth. This is a sweet mixture of wine, nuts, honey, spices and sometimes fruits. The rabbis decided that the charoseth would symbolize God’s kindness which made the bitterness of slavery easier to bear. (The charoseth also represents the mortar with which the Israelite slaves made bricks.) It is certainly true that when we bring God into our lives we can find sweetness in even the most bitter of situations.
#10 SHULCHAN ORECH (shool-CHAN o-RECH) The Meal
The literal tradition of Shulchen Orech is "set the table," but this term is used to describe the meal itself. The Passover meal is a festive meal and might well be described as a "feast." At the time of Yeshua, lamb, roasted or as a stew, was standard fare. Today in Jewish homes, lamb is rarely if ever eaten. This has been the case since 70 AD. Chicken, turkey or beef brisket are eaten instead. As Messianic Jews, we have reintroduced the lamb at our Passover table, as we lift up the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.
#11 TZAFUN (tzah-FOON) The Afikomen
Dr. Wolfson comments in his book that religion is all about "finding... finding God, finding truth, finding faith, finding the way..." A good thought! God said: "And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for me with all your heart." (Jeremiah 29:13) Tzafun, literally means "hidden." The larger half of the broken middle matzah is called the afikomen. It is wrapped in white cloth, hidden, and later found and redeemed. For Messianic believers who know Yeshua as the "Unleavened bread of sincerity and truth," the afikomen ceremony is a graphic portrayal of the death, burial and resurrection of Messiah. The ancient rabbis understood the afikomen to be a symbol of the korban Pesach, the Passover sacrifice. How accurate! May modern day rabbis come to see that Yeshua is the once and-for-all Korban Pesach! When He held up the afikomen and said,"Take, eat; this is My body which is broken for you...." (Luke 22:19), He was inviting all to partake of His redemption.
#12 BARECH (bah-RECH) Blessing after the meal
Most of us are accustomed to bless the Lord for our food before the meal. Barech (from baruch, to bless) shows us the more scriptural way... to thank God after we have eaten. Deuteronomy 8:10 gives us the Biblical precedent: "When you have eaten and are full, then you shall bless the Lord your God for the good land which he has given you." The grace after meals is usually referred to as Birkat ha-Mazon (the blessing of the sustenance) and consists of four parts, 1) the blessing for food, 2) the blessing for the land, 3) the blessing for Jerusalem, and 4) the blessing of goodness (God is good and does good for all). The blessing after the meal would have included the third cup of wine, the cup of redemption (the cup after supper) that Yeshua said represented His blood. (Luke 22:20)
#13 HALLEL (ha-LELL) Praising God
The Hallel, or Songs of Praise, are found in Psalms 113-118. They end with Ho du l’Adonai ki tov, ki l’olam hasdo ("Give thanks to the Lord for He is good, His love endures forever.") Prophetic references to Yeshua are found twice in Psalm 118: "The stone which the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone. This was the Lord’s doing; It is marvelous in our eyes." (verses 22-23) and "Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord." (verse 26) #14 NIRTZAH (neer-TZAH) Conclusion Nirtzah, literally "acceptance", is the last step in the order of Passover. It includes a fourth cup of wine which, according to most Jewish sources, is a reminder of God’s promise of redemption, "I will take you as My people, and I will be your God." (Exodus 6:7) The focus turns to Jerusalem and future hope for God to restore the redeemed to Zion. The seder ends with Lashanah ha-baah b’Yirushalayim! ("Next year in Jerusalem!")
I hope all this information has helped you to better understand Passover!!
