Passover Seder

What you will need:

Matza Crackers 

Parsley 

Raisins

Apple 

Walnuts (optional)

Grape Juice or Wine

Horseradish 

Boiled Egg

Salt Water

Candles 

Cups

Damp Washcloth  

Lamb Shank Bone

Haroset
1 Cup Organic Apples
1/2 Teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
3 1/2 Teaspoon Honey
4 Tablespoon Grape Juice or Wine

Father: The Passover has begun.  We pray for the light of the Spirit of God to bring the special meaning of Passover to each of us and to the Jewish people around the world that have not yet received Yeshua as their Messiah.

The Lighting of the Candles

Mother:    Would all the mothers please stand with me and light the candles.  As the light of each candle is lit by a woman, we remember that Jesus, the promised Light of the World came into the world through the obedience of a woman.  May we as women obey the Word of God as an honor and privilege to bring forth the promises of God.

Father:    As it is written “A virgin shall conceive and bring forth a Son and call his name Immanuel, a light to the Gentiles and the Glory of your people, Israel.”

Mother:    God told Moses, “Now you will see what I will do.  And he made 4 promises about how He would save His people.

1. I will bring you out of Egypt.
2. I will free you from slavery.
3. I will save you by My own hand.
4. I will take you to be My own people and I will be your God.

Father:    To remember these 4 promises we drink from our cups 4 times.

The First Cup: Kiddush

Mother:    The 1st cup is Kiddush the cup of Sanctification.

Father:    When Jesus began His last Passover supper He offered a cup to His disciples and said, “Take this cup all of you and drink from it.” 

Raise our cups to the LORD.

All:    Blessed are You, O LORD our God, King of the Universe who creates the fruit of the vine and brings forth bread from the Earth. 

(drink)

Urkhats: The Washing of the Hands

Mother:  The ritual of Washing the Hands has been a part of Jewish life since God commanded Aaron to wash his hands and feet before approaching the altar of the LORD.  So we are washing our hands as a symbol of our desire to live lives of purity, acceptable to the LORD.

Father:    Husbands, please wash your own hands and then wash your wives’ hands as a symbol of blessing and serving them. 

Mother:    Mothers, please help your husbands wash each of your children’s hands as a symbol of blessing and serving them.

The Seder Plate

Father:    Look at the Seder Plate with its traditional symbols. 

The Karpas or green parsley is the symbol of life, but while the Israelites were slaves in Egypt their lives were miserable.  The salt water in the bowls represents their tears.  We dip our parsley in the salt water and eat it to remind us of the Hebrews’ tears and how miserable our own sin makes us. The salt water also reminds us of how God parted the salty Red Sea to deliver His people.  Dip the parsley twice in the bowl and as we taste it let us bless the LORD.

All:    Blessed are You, O LORD our God, King of the Universe who creates the fruit of the vine and brings forth bread from the Earth.

The Four Questions

Father:    There are some questions to be asked. 

Child:        1. On all other nights we eat leavened bread.  On this night why do   we eat only unleavened bread?

Child:        2. On this night why do we eat bitter herbs?

Child:        3. On all other nights we don’t dip our vegetables even once.  On this                         night why do we dip the parsley twice.

Child:        4. Why is this night different from all the other nights.

Mother:    It is a special privilege to answer the questions of Passover and tell everyone the great things God has done.  We have talked about the salty water reminding us of tears and sin and now the Seder plate will help us answer the other questions.

Matzah:  The Unleavened Bread

Father:    When the Israelites left Egypt they didn’t have time to let their dough rise.  Instead they baked their bread flat. In Jewish homes this is always a very important part of Passover.  See these 3 pieces of bread in this white napkin?  What do you think it is a symbol of?  (let children answer)

Father God, His Son Jesus and the Holy Spirit.  This is the mystery that we as Christians understand as the Holy Trinity.

The bread itself is a symbol of the promised Messiah.  Remember that Jesus called Himself the Bread of Life.

Mother:    The unleavened bread also must be striped and must be pierced according to the Old Testament prophecy about the One who would come.

Leaven or yeast is the symbol of sin.  The yeast itself is not bad.  It is just an example of how sin spreads through our lives just as the yeast spreads through the bread dough.  Jesus was sinless.  The stripes remind us of how Jesus was whipped and stripes covered His back.  He was also pierced with nails and a spear.  He was pierced for our transgressions.

Father:    This bread was made in the Jewish Orthodox tradition. It has to be made comepletely in 17 minutes or less from the time water touches the flour because the nature of the flour is to rise even without yeast.  The Lord showed me the first time I made it in the Orthodox tradition that we are like that dough.  It is our nature to let sin rise in us.  As Don Finto said, “If we are not actively seeking rightousness, we are passively seeking evil.”

Mother:    (Break the middle piece in half.)  The middle piece is always broken in half during Passover.  One half is shared before the meal and the other half is wrapped in the white cloth just as Jesus’ body was wrapped for burial and saved for after dinner.  Now we share this bread made with no yeast as a symbol of Jesus, who had no sin. 

Children, what does this bread and juice remind you of?  (Let children answer.)  Yes, it reminds us of communion.  As we take it and eat it let us bless the LORD,

All:    Blessed are You, O LORD our God, King of the Universe who creates the fruit of the vine and brings forth bread of the earth.

Maror:  The Bitter Herbs

Father:    Tonight we eat Bitter Herbs to remember how bitter life was for God’s people in Egypt.  The Maror is horseradish. Scoop some Maror onto a piece of matzah and let the bitter taste bring tears to your eyes and remember with compassions the tears the Israelites cried in their slavery long ago.  Also remember the bitterness of our own sin when we do not allow Jesus to set us free.  As we taste it let us bless the LORD.

All:    Blessed are You, O LORD our God, King of the Universe who creates the fruit of the vine and brings forth bread of the earth.

Haroset: Mortar

Father:    The Israelites worked very hard to make bricks out of straw and clay to build cities for Pharoah.  We remember this with the sweet mixture that looks like mortar, made from apples, honey, cinnamon and nuts.  It is sweet because it reminds us that even the bitterness of slavery is sweeten by the promise of redemption.  Scoop some Haroset onto a piece of matzah and eat.

Mother:    On all other nights we eat a regular meal but tonight we eat a meal to remind us of how God our Father has been working to bring people out of slavery to be His own children ever since Adam and Eve first sinned.

Father:    The first Passover was celebrated by slaves.  As Christians we celebrate Passover today to remember our freedom in Jesus, our redeemer and Messiah. 

The Second Cup: The Cup of Joy, Cup of Plagues

Mother:    We drink a 2^nd time from our cups, the Cup of Joy but it is also called the Cup of Plagues.  As we say the name of each plague let us dip our finger into the cup and let the drops fall on our napkins.  These drops remind us of the precious Blood of Jesus, making it our Cup of Joy.

All call out:  Blood, Frogs, Lice, Flies, Cattle Disease, Boils, Hail, Locusts, Darkness, Death of the Firstborn

Let us drink from our Cup of Joy, our Cup of Deliverance.

 

Father:    (Hold up the shank bone.)  This bone stands for the lamb whose blood was put on the doorposts of the Israelite houses.  God told Moses that the Lamb must be perfect.  Since Jesus has become our Perfect Passover Lamb, God has allowed the Temple in Jerusalem to be destroyed.  No more lambs need to be sacrificed.  Jesus, the Lamb of God takes away the sin of the world.

The Hagigah: The Egg

Father:    The last thing on the Seder plate is the Hagigah, the egg.  It is a symbol to the Jews of the traditional offering brought to the Temple on Feast Days.  The egg is also a symbol of mourning and sadness with the hard shell reminding us of the hardness of Pharoah’s heart; and the hardness of every heart that will not accept God’s love.

But the egg now is a symbol of new birth.  It is also a symbol of eternity with its shape having no beginning and no end.  When you see Easter eggs this year, think about how God wants all His children to be born into new life with Him.

Dip a piece of the egg into the salt water to remember Jews who do not yet know Jesus, the true Passover Lamb.

Mother:    The first Passover meal had to be eaten in a hurry but tonight we can relax and enjoy our meal because Jesus has already set us free.  After we eat we’ll remain at the table for our last cup. 

After the Meal

Father:     Remember this piece of Matzah.  It was hidden away and now it is back just like Jesus was hidden away in the tomb and then He rose again.  This is why we celebrate Easter.  Take a piece to finish our meal and as we do let’s remember Jesus’ sacrifice for us.  

The Third Cup:  The Cup of Redemption

Father:    Now let’s drink from our cups the 3^rd time, the Cup of Redemption.  This was the “after supper” cup that Jesus drank with His disciples. 

Jesus said, “This is the cup of the New Covenant of My Blood which is poured out for you.”  Just as the Blood of the Lamb brought salvation in Egypt, the Blood of Jesus, the Lamb of God brings salvation to all who believe and receive Him.

Let us bless the LORD.

All:  Blessed are You, O LORD our God, King of the Universe who creates the fruit of the vine and brings forth bread from the earth.

The Fourth Cup:  The Cup of Praise

Mother and Father  :    Now it is time to end our Passover celebration with the

4^th cup, the Cup of Praise.  We’ll say a verse and then everyone respond with

“His love endures forever.”

Give thanks to the Lord for He is good.

His love endures forever.

Give thanks to the Lord, God of all creation.

His love endures forever.

Give thanks to the Lord who destroyed the demon gods of Egypt.

His love endures forever.

Give thanks to the Lord who destroys the works of satan today.

His love endures forever.

Give thanks to the Lord who saved Israel from slavery.

His love endures forever.

Give thanks to the Lord who saves us from sin.

His love endures forever.

Give thanks to God, our God, who chose us to be His people, who gave us Himself as the ultimate sacrifice to take away our sins and the sins of the world.

His love endures forever.

Lift your Cup of Praise and say together:

Your love endures forever.