For those of you who could not make it to our joint Good Friday Passover Service, below is the Seder Haggadah (the program) that we used.
Passover Seder Haggadah, April 19, 2019
This day shall be for you a memorial day, and you shall keep it as a feast to the Lord; throughout your generations, as a statute forever, you shall keep it as a feast. - Exodus 12:14
Cleanse out the old leaven that you may be a new lump, as you really are unleavened. For Christ, our Passover Lamb, has been sacrificed. Let us therefore celebrate the festival, not with the old leaven of malice and evil, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth. - I Corinthians 5:7-8
Tonight, Christians around the world are honoring "Good Friday" as the day that Yeshua (Jesus) died on the execution stake (the cross).
Also tonight, Jewish People will be celebrating their deliverance from Egypt at a Passover Seder. There, they will recount how the Angel of Death passed over the homes of the Israelites and all those in Egypt who applied the blood of the Passover lamb to their doorposts.
The night before He was executed, Yeshua gathered His disciples for a final meal.
Though this would be the last time Yeshua broke unleavened bread and shared wine with His disciples, He did not leave them without hope.
He emphasized the physical coming of the Kingdom of God to the earth as well as His return and the inauguration of a New Covenant:
“After taking the cup, He gave thanks and said, ‘Take this and divide it among you. For I tell you I will not drink again from the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes.’ “And He took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, ‘This is My body given for you; do this in remembrance of Me.’ In the same way, after the supper He took the cup, saying, ‘This cup is the new covenant in My blood, which is poured out for you.’” (Luke 22:17–20)
And so Yeshua taught His disciples that the Passover Seder was from that time on to be celebrated in remembrance of the sacrifice that He was to make of Himself in order to become an atonement for the sins of all mankind.
Tonight at sunset, the eight-day celebration of Passover begins. Jewish people will mark the beginning of this prophetic holiday, which foreshadows the salvation wrought for all mankind by Yeshua, with a ceremonial meal called the Seder, in which the story of deliverance from slavery in Egypt is retold.
The Prophetic Fulfillment of Yeshua's Death
“Clean out the old leaven so that you may be a new lump, just as you are in fact unleavened. For Messiah our Passover also has been sacrificed.’” (1 Corinthians 5:7)
As the blood of the Passover lamb spared the Israelite firstborns from death in Egypt, the blood of Messiah Yeshua spares us from eternal death and separation from God.
No animal sacrifice could cover intentionally disobeying the law. Nor could its covering of sin extend into eternity. Only the Lamb of God could redeem humankind from the curse and the punishment of disobedience, as well as give eternal life.
In 700 BC, the prophet Isaiah spoke of the fulfillment of Passover through the coming of the Messianic Passover Lamb, the Suffering Servant of God, who would become this curse for us and bear the sins of many:
“He was pierced for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by His wounds (stripes) we are healed. We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to our own way; and the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.” (Isaiah 53:5–6; see also Galatians 3:10, 13; 2 Corinthians 5:21)
But Isaiah 53 is not the only prophecy about Yeshua. We can know that Yeshua was this Suffering Servant and took our death penalty upon Himself as our Passover Lamb by carefully reading Passover Scriptures that foreshadow Him, such as these:
Foreshadow: Exodus 12:5 speaks of a spotless (unblemished) lamb to be used in the Seder. Isaiah 53:11 further describes the coming Passover Lamb as being the “righteous servant.”
Fulfilled: Paul tells us that “God made Him [Yeshua] who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God.” (2 Corinthians 5:21)
Foreshadow: Exodus 12:6 says that the lamb is to be slaughtered between the evenings (sometimes translated twilight).
Fulfilled: Matthew 27:45–46 describes how Yeshua hung on the tree from the 6th hour to the 9th hour, which is before evening fell. It is the same time that the Passover lambs were being slain for the Passover Seder.
Foreshadow: Exodus 12:46 says that not a bone of the lamb is to be broken.
Fulfilled: John 19:31–36 states that when the soldiers came to break the legs of those condemned to die on the Roman execution stake in order to hasten their death, Yeshua was already dead. Not one of His bones was broken.
Foreshadow: Leviticus 23:5 says that Passover is to be celebrated on the 14th of Nissan at twilight.
Fulfilled: Matthew 27:62 tells us that Yeshua died on the day of preparation for the Passover, which is Nissan 14.
Kria: The Jewish Custom of Rending the Garments
Yeshua's last words before giving up His Spirit were, "It is finished." At that moment, our Father in heaven fulfilled an important Jewish custom that may be overlooked this Good Friday.
In Judaism, there are seven immediate family members who are expected to observe a seven-day mourning period: the father, mother, daughter, son, brother, sister, and spouse.
These seven mourners participate in a special tradition.
To symbolize how death rips the fabric of life, their garments are symbolically ripped just before the funeral, as Jacob did when he thought his son Joseph had been killed.
“Then Jacob tore his clothes, put on sackcloth and mourned for his son many days.” (Genesis 37:34)
In this tradition called kria, the parents and children rend the garment on their left, closest to the heart. Spouses and siblings tear their garments on the right.
In fact, at the moment of Yeshua’s death, the Heavenly Father also seemed to observe kria in His grief over the death of His son Yeshua (Jesus) the Messiah.
“At that moment the curtain of the Temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook and the rocks split.” (Matthew 27:51)
Rending the curtain of the Temple also removed the need for an appointed High Priest to bring a sacrifice into the Holy of Holies and make intercession for the sins of the people year after year.
Yeshua is the Father's anointed High Priest, who sacrificed His own body and blood for us. He is our only intermediary.
As Yeshua said, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me." (John 14:6)
We come to our Father through Yeshua. Though He suffered and died, the tomb has been empty for 2,000 years and He is Alive!
Yeshua then rose on the Feast of First Fruits, the Sunday after Passover. Death could not contain Messiah!
Rabbi Shaul (the Apostle Paul) explained:
"Messiah has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have died." (1 Corinthians 5:20)
In the church, that is celebrated on Easter Sunday. This year, Good Friday falls on Passover, and Easter falls on the Feast of First Fruits. This weekend, the Heavenly Feast Days and the Earthly holidays converge into one.
He now sits at the right hand of the Father and all authority has been given to Him! He is our High Priest and only intermediary to God the Father for Jew and Gentile alike. (Colossians 3:1; Matthew 28:18; 1 Timothy 2:5)
Let’s celebrate Jesus Christ, our Passover, together.
Removing the Leaven
Exodus Chapter 12, verse 15 tells us that during the days leading up to Passover, we are to remove all of the leaven from our household. Leaven is another name for yeast.
In Galatians Chapter 5, Paul warns the church that a little sin and false teaching can corrupt the whole congregation. In verse 9, he warns them, “a little leaven leavens the whole lump”. What he was saying is that when we let just a little bit of sin or unbelief into our lives, it can spread like a cancer and take us over. It is better to remove the leaven, the sin, the unbelief, before it has a chance to take hold.
Jesus reiterates this principal in Matthew 13, verse 33, when He tells us: “Another parable He spoke to them: “The kingdom of heaven is like leaven, which a woman took and hid in three measures of meal till it was all leavened.” Three measures is about 2 pecks in today’s measurements. The woman in this parable liked her bread with yeast in it, so she thought that she would put a very tiny amount of it in her bread to improve the taste. But even just a tiny bit made 2 full pecks of yeast bread.
In the same way, something that starts as just a little sin in our lives can soon overwhelm us. This feast is about putting all of that away, and out of our lives. When Jesus said that He was the “bread of life”, he was holding a piece of unleavened bread. He lived a sinless life. There was no leaven in Him.
Paul tells us in that I Corinthians passage that we read earlier, that, through Christ, we are unleavened, too.
The Search for Leaven
The day before Passover, it is customary to do a final search around the house for leaven. For fun, some parents hide a few pieces of bread around the house so that their children will have something to find. It is also customary to turn off all the lights in the house and use a candle or flashlight during the search. The candle or flashlight represents the Light of the World, as Jesus is called in John 8:12. By His light we search and find sin in our lives, so that we can ask Him to help us overcome it.
Nullify and Destroy the Leaven
If leaven is found, the children call for their father to come and sweep it up. After all of the leaven has been found and swept up, it is put into a designated place. On the morning before Passover, it is customary to either burn it or throw it away.
This represents the concepts of repentance and spiritual cleansing. When we repent of our sins, the Father removes them from our lives, and cleanses us. In Psalms 103:12, we are told that when He removes them, he casts them as far as the east is from the west.
It is important to know why He did not say “as far as the north is from the south”. We have both a north pole and a south pole. If you are standing on the north pole, the very next step will move you south. If you are standing on the south pole, your next step will be a step north. At those two points on earth, the distance between north and south is very little.
However, there is no east pole or west pole. You can walk east around the earth an infinite number of times, and never go west. Conversely, you can walk west an infinite number of times, and never go east.
By sending our sins as far as the east is from the west, God was telling us that they are an infinite, unmeasurable distance away.
In I John 1:9, we read, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”
Welcome to the Seder!
Tonight is a very special night. It is a night above all other nights. Tonight is the night that we celebrated the Passover. We celebrate not only to remember how God freed His people from the hand of the Egyptians, but we also celebrate this day because the real Lamb of God, Jesus Christ, gave His life on this day to free us from our sins.
The telling of this story is called the Haggadah, which means “the telling”, and the ceremony itself is called a Seder, which means “order”.
During this Seder, we will be partaking of special foods that help us reconnect with the journey of the Israelites coming out of Egypt. They will also help us to recall our own spiritual journey of coming out of sin into salvation.
Tamra: In Exodus, Chapter 12, verses 24 through 27, we read the following:
And you shall observe this event as an ordinance for you and your children forever. When you enter the land which the Lord will give you, as He has promised, you shall observe this rite. And when your children say to you, ‘What does this rite mean to you?’, you shall say, ‘It is a Passover sacrifice to the Lord who passed over the houses of the sons of Israel in Egypt when He smote the Egyptians, but spared our homes.
Then, in I Corinthians 5, verses 7 and 8, we read:
Clean out the old leaven so that you may be a new lump, just as you are, in fact, unleavened. For Christ our Passover also has been sacrificed. Therefore, let us celebrate the feast, not with old leaven, nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.
Dave: Father, I ask you to bless this year’s Seder. I ask you to open our eyes to the things that have been hidden from us; the things that we cannot see, so that we may truly celebrate and worship You with sincerity and truth.
The Seder Plate
In front of you tonight is a commemorative plate showing the traditional items in the Passover meal. These items will help us to understand the Passover story.
In a very real way, they are symbolic of each part of both the Israelites’ journey and our own.
Zeroa (zeh-ROH-ah) – A roasted lamb shank bone. It represents both the original Passover lamb offering and the sacrifice of Jesus, the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. Lamb is no longer used in most Passover seders because there currently is no temple to receive the sacrifice. So we remember the Passovers of days gone by, when the temple and the priesthood were still in operation.
Beitzah (bah-TSAH) – A roasted egg. The egg serves as a reminder of the special holiday sacrifice offerings in the temple, that ceased when the temple was destroyed. The roundness of the egg also symbolizes the cycle of life, the flow between life to death to new life in Christ.
Karpass (kar-POSS) – Parsley that is dipped into salt water. The parsley represents the growth of the Israelite people and God’s blessing on them as promised to Abraham. It also represents the blessings that a Christian receives by becoming a child of God through the acceptance of Jesus’ sacrifice. The salt water reminds us of the tears shed by the Israelites during their period of slavery in Egypt, and for the Christian, the tears that have been shed by and for us due to our sin.
Charoset (hah-ROW-set) - A mixture of apples, nuts, and honey. The texture represents the mortar that the slaves in Egypt used to make bricks, and the sweetness reminds us of the grace of God through His Son, Yeshua, the Lamb who was slain.
Maror (mah-ROAR) – A bitter herb, usually horseradish. It represents both the bitterness of slavery and the bitterness of sin.
Lighting the Candles
Before we begin our journey, we will light the two candles before us. We are commanded to be a light to the nations. And that light is to be kindled the most on the Holy Feast Days.
The candles have many deep symbols built into them. They can represent the two Houses of Israel; the 2 witnesses of Revelation, or even Jew and Gentile believers.
Since Messiah was born of a woman, it is traditionally fitting to ask a woman to light the candles and let her begin the Passover Seder to honor women believers everywhere.
I have asked Tamra to do the honors tonight.
You will notice as she lights each candle that she at one point closes her eyes, and uses her hands to fan the smoke towards her eyes. This symbolizes that we are all blind to the light that is right in front of us.
But when we invite Yeshua, the Light of the World, to come into our lives, He opens our blind eyes to see! When we look upon the candles this evening, let us remember that one of the candles represents the Light of Yeshua, and the other represents His light shining through us. Ultimately, we should not be able to tell them apart. They are supposed to look exactly the same. We should live our lives so that, when people look at us, they see the Light of the World’s brilliance shining through us.
Tamra prays – Blessed are you, our Lord and our God, King of the Universe, Who sanctifies us with your commandments and commanded us to kindle the light of this holy day.
Ceremonial Washing
Dave: Ephesians 5:26 tells us that we are washed with water by the Word. On the night of the Last Supper, Jesus demonstrated this concept by washing the disciples’ feet. In the process, He demonstrated humility and servant-hood. In the same way, let us each help wash the hands of the person to our left.
Each person will now pour a small amount of water over the person’s hands to their left, over the bowl provided.
The Four Cups of Passover
At a Seder, each participant drinks four cups (toasts) of wine or grape juice over the course of the evening. These four cups correspond to the four expressions of redemption spoken by God the Father, in Exodus Chapter 6, verses 6 and 7.
1) The Cup of Sanctification – I will bring you out
2) The Cup of Deliverance – I will deliver you
3) The Cup of Redemption – I will redeem you with an outstretched arm
4) The Cup of Praise – I will take you to be my people
Each time that you pour a cup, do not pour it for yourself; pour it for the person on your left. If you need your cup refreshed, please ask the person on the right to do it for you.
The First Cup of Wine – the Cup of Sanctification
Dave: We read in the Book of Luke, Chapter 22, and verses 17 and 18:
And He took a cup, and when He had given thanks, He said, “Take this, and divide it among yourselves. For I tell you that from now on I will not drink of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes.
We thank you, our Father, for the holy vine that you made known to us through your servant Yeshua. Yours is the glory forever. Blessed are you, our Lord and our God, King of the Universe, who creates the fruit of the vine.
Everyone responds: Amen
Dave: Blessed are you, our Lord and our God, King of the Universe, who has given us life, sustained us, and let us arrive at this season.
Everyone responds: Amen
It was the custom of ancient royalty to always lean on their left elbow as they were eating and drinking. Tonight we are all kings and priests, so let’s all lean to the left and drink the Cup of Sanctification together.
The Dipping of the Parsley
Dave: Blessed are you, our Lord and our God, King of the Universe, who creates the fruit of the ground.
Everyone responds: Amen
Dave: Dip the parsley in the salt water twice and shake the salt water from the parsley to symbolize the tears shed by our forefathers when they were in slavery, and for us while we were yet sinners.
Let’s partake of the parsley together.
This is the part of the seder when the traitor was revealed. Let’s look at Matthew, Chapter 26, verses 20-25:
When it was evening, he reclined at the table with the twelve. And as they were eating, he said, “Truly I say to you, one of you will betray me.” And they were very sorrowful and began to say to him, one after another, “Is it I, Lord?” He answered, “He who has dipped his hand in the dish with me will betray me. The Son of Man goes as it is written of him, but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been better for that man if he had not been born.” Judas, who would betray him, answered, “Is it I, Rabbi?” He said to him, “You have said so.”
Breaking the Matzah
Dave: The Matzah or Unleavened Bread is traditionally kept in a special covering with three compartments. One piece of Matzah is placed in each compartment. In Christianity, these three pieces of Matzah represent the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, the triune nature of our God. In Judaism, they represent Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. The middle matzah represents Isaac, the son of Father Abraham, who willingly submitted to his father to be a sacrifice.
This is a beautiful picture of our Savior Yeshua, the Son of God, who willingly laid down His life in our place. The prophet Isaiah prophesied that the sins of the world would be cast upon the coming Messiah.
Take a look at the piece of Matzah. You will notice that it is baked in such a manner as to have both pierced holes and stripes.
Tamra: The prophet Isaiah recorded these words in Chapter 53 of his book. I will read from verses 5 through 7:
He was pierced through for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities. The chastening for our well-being fell upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed. All of us like sheep have gone astray; everyone of us to his own way. But the Lord has caused the iniquity of us all to fall on Him. He was oppressed and He was afflicted, yet He did not open His mouth. Like a Lamb that is led to the slaughter, and like a sheep that is silent before his shearers, so He did not open His mouth.
Dave: Just like Yeshua was broken for our transgressions, so we take the middle piece of matzah and break it into two. One half of the broken matzah is placed back into the covering. The other half is to be wrapped in a separate linen cloth. This piece is called the Afikomen, which means “that which comes after”. This Afikomen is then hidden until after the Seder dinner. This represents Yeshua’s body on earth. After He was sacrificed, His body was wrapped in cloth, and then He was hidden away in the tomb.
(Dave hides the afikomen while Tamra is speaking).
Tamra: In Matthew Chapter 27, verses 59 and 60, we read:
And Joseph took the body of Yeshua and wrapped it in a clean linen shroud and laid it in his own new tomb, which he had cut in the rock. And he rolled a great stone to the entrance of the tomb and went away.
Tamra: Repeat with me the passage from the book of John, Chapter 3, verse 16 from the King James Version of the Bible:
Everyone: For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
The Second Cup – The Cup of Deliverance
Dave: It is now time for the second cup, the Cup of Deliverance. This cup represents the second “I will” from Exodus Chapter 6: “I will deliver you”. This cup reminds us that the Lord promises to deliver us from our bondage, just like He delivered the Israelites from their bondage in Egypt. As we take this cup, may we remember the death of the Lamb of God, who gave up His life to deliver us from death. Please raise your cup, and say the blessing with me.
Everyone: Blessed are you, our Lord and our God, creator of the universe, who creates the fruit of the vine. Amen.
Everyone drink the second cup.
Blessing the Matzah
Dave: Matzah is called “the bread of affliction” in the Book of Deuteronomy, Chapter 16, verse 3. It reminds us of the suffering that the Israelites endured as slaves, but also the stripes and piercings remind us of the suffering that the Messiah endured for our salvation and healing.
Tamra: In John Chapter 6, verse 35, Jesus said to them, “I am the Bread of Life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me will never thirst.”
Dave: This is the bread of affliction. All who are hungry, all who are needy, come and eat.
Blessed are you, our Lord and our God, king of the universe, who brings bread out of the earth.
Everyone: Amen
Dave: And he took the bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it, and gave it to them saying, “This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” (Luke 22:19)
Lean to the left as you partake of the matzah.
The Passover Meal
At this time, all are invited to take part in the Passover Meal. In keeping with the Jewish roots of the meal, we will pray a blessing over the meal at its conclusion.
When everyone is finished, we will conclude our Seder. Enjoy your meal!
The Resurrection of the Afikomen
We have resurrected the buried afikomen as a symbol of Yeshua’s coming out of the grave on the third day. He is Risen!
Everyone: He is risen indeed!
Giving Thanks for the Meal
Dave: We thank you, Eternal Father, for your holy name that you have caused to dwell in our hearts, and for the knowledge, faithfulness, and eternal life that you have made known to us through your Servant Yeshua. Yours is the glory forever. Blessed are you, O Lord, who nourishes all.
Everyone: Amen
Dave: You, O Lord of Hosts, created all things for the sake of your name; you gave nourishment and drink for humans to enjoy, all in order that they would give thanks to You. You also bestowed upon us spiritual nourishment and drink and eternal life through your Servant Yeshua. And for all these things, we thank you. Yours is the glory forever.
Everyone: Amen
Dave: May grace come, and may this evil world pass away. Hosanna to the God of David! Everyone who is holy, let hime come. Everyone who is not, let him repent. Maranatha!
Everyone: Amen
The Third Cup
Dave: This cup represents the third “I will” from Exodus Chapter 6, verses 6 and 7: “I will redeem you with an outstretched arm.” The Lord promises to redeem us. We drink this cup to remember our redemption through the sacrifice of our Savior, Yeshua.
Tamra: And he took and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them saying, “Drink of it, all of you, for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.” - Matthew 26:27.
Dave: Let us all hold up the third cup – the Cup of Redemption – that represents the blood of the Lamb of God, and take a moment of silence to reflect on what our Savior did to redeem us back to Himself. Please say the prayer of blessing with me:
Everyone: Blessed are you, our Lord and our God, creator of the Universe, who creates the fruit of the vine. Amen.
Everyone drinks the third cup.
The Cup of Elijah
Dave: This cup is poured and placed on the dinner table, but not consumed. This cup is to recall the prophecy that Elijah is to return to prepare the way for the Messiah. That prophecy comes from the Book of Malachi, Chapter 4, and verse 5.
Tamra: Behold, I am going to send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and terrible day of the Lord.
(Someone goes to the door and opens it to see if Elijah has arrived, and to welcome him if he has).
Dave: Many feel that this prophecy will be fulfilled in Revelation, Chapter 11, when 2 witnesses are identified by doing miracles that both Elijah and Moses originally did. In any event, just in case he gets here early, a place is set for Elijah at each Passover Seder.
Both Christians and Jews are waiting on the coming of the Messiah. The Jews are looking forward to what they believe to be his first coming, and the Christians are looking forward to his return.
The Fourth and Final Cup – The Cup of Praise and Restoration
Dave: This cup represents the fourth “I will” spoken by God in Exodus Chapter 6. The Lord promises to make us his people. In Luke 22:20, Yeshua said that He would not drink the fruit of the vine again until He is with us in His Father’s Kingdom. As we drink this fourth cup, we anticipate His promise being fulfilled when we are all together together with Him in His Kingdom and everything is finally restored.
Tamra: Praise the Lord, all nations; applaud Him, all peoples! For His lovingkindness is great towards us, and the truth of the Lord is everlasting. Praise the Lord! (Psalms 117:1)
Dave: Everyone, hold up your glass, and Please say the prayer of blessing with me:
Everyone: Blessed are you, our Lord and our God, creator of the Universe, who creates the fruit of the vine. Amen.
Everyone drinks the fourth cup.
Dave: Our seder is now complete. Tonight, we ate and drank together in remembrance of our Savior and Messiah. Our prayer is that soon we will be eating and drinking with Him in His Kingdom, in the New Jerusalem.
Everyone (shouting): Next year in Jerusalem!