April 8, 2020

Passover 5780

LET US KEEP THE FEAST IN HONOR OF THE WORD OF GOD AND OUR PASSOVER LAMB! LET US PRESENT OURSELVES BEFORE THE LORD AND LET US BRING OUR BEST OFFERINGS!

Exodus 23:14-17 14 I want you to celebrate a feast in My honor three times a year. 15 First, celebrate the Feast of Unleavened Bread. As I instructed you before, you are to eat only bread made without yeast for the seven feast days beginning at the appointed time in the month of Abib, for that is when you fled out of Egypt. During this time, no one is to come before Me without some offering. 16 Second, celebrate the Feast of Harvest in the spring when you bring to Me the first and best of the wheat crop you planted in the field. Third, celebrate the Feast of Ingathering at the end of the harvest season when you gather your crops from the fields, orchards, and groves. 17 All of your men must come before the Eternal your Lord, these three times a year.

We look forward to celebrating Passover 5780 with you! Below you will find a list of the items needed for your Passover table and Seder meal. If you cannot get all or even any of the items, you are still welcome to join in the celebration.

Dress: Be sure to have on shoes and wear a jacket or coat (something that can be put on and taken off). The Lord said to wear the coat and shoes and be ready to leave quickly.

Decorations:

  1. Fresh flowers on the table
  2. Extra cup for Elijah
  3. Lambs and Crosses to sit around as decorations
  4. Red cords for the door (fabric, ribbon, string, streamers, etc. are fine)
  5. Tape
  6. Bowls and cup for water (for hand washing)
  7. Towel
  8. White candles (two)

Seder Plate:


  1. Matzah (unleavened bread)
  2. Maror—bitter herbs such as Horseradish (one teaspoon per person is ample)
  3. Charoseth—a mixture of chopped apple, chopped nuts, honey, wine (grape juice) & cinnamon… or chunky applesauce will do (one heaping tablespoon per person or more – you all have enjoyed this in years past so you may want to make a little more)
  4. KarpasParsley or celery will do (just enough for everyone to have a sprig)
  5. Salt Water for dipping (enough for people to dip their parsley into)
  6. Grape Juice or Wine (enough for each person to have 4 sips—you will also need 4 small cups or glasses per person)
  7. Lamb. It is also traditional/symbolic to have a roasted lamb shank bone (Zeroah), (You can use a chicken bone if unable to get lamb)
  8. Boiled egg (Bytzah).
  9. Plate for napkins/matzah
  10. 3 Napkins and special napkin (cloth) for the Afikomen

Children: If you have children participating in your Seder meal, be sure to have prizes for them for finding the Afikomen.

If you would like to download the supply list and the Seder script to print, click here for the supply list & here for the MCG Passover Seder Script.

 

Passover Seder for ‘Gentile’ Believers

This is to be a “meal eaten in haste with shoes and coat on.”

It is not so important that you ‘do it right’, but that you do it with a right heart, spirit and attitude. Passover is an appointed time of the Lord and is to be celebrated with joy, feasting, singing and dancing. Let’s have FUN!

 BLOW SHOFAR

Everyone needs a coat and shoes on their feet. “You will eat this meal in haste!”

 Father of house wears the tallit

 LIGHTING OF THE PASSOVER CANDLES

 MOTHER: MOTHER OF THE HOUSE LIGHTS TWO CANDLES AND PRAYS:

“Blessed are You, O Lord our God, King of the Universe, who has brought us safely through another year and blessed us with Passover, as a celebration of Your goodness. We thank you tonight for Jesus, our Savior and Messiah, Who is the Light of the World” These represent ‘Creation’ and ‘Redemption’ OR ‘Remember’ and ‘Observe.’ (Ex. 12:14, 27

 At the “remember,” pick up the cross at each plate, stop and REMEMBER the date of your salvation.

FATHER: Now this day will be a memorial to you and you shall celebrate it as a feast to the Lord; throughout your generations you are to celebrate it as a permanent ordinance. It is a Passover to the Lord who passed over the houses of the sons of Israel In Egypt when He struck the Egyptians.” Ex 12:14, 27

In the New Testament, we are told in I Corinthians 5:7-8 “Therefore purge out the old leaven, that you may be a new lump, since you truly are unleavened. For indeed, Messiah (Christ), our Passover, was sacrificed for us. Therefore, let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth”

ALL READ: At one time, we Gentiles ‘were separate from Christ, excluded from citizenship in Israel and foreigner to the covenants of the promise…But now in Messiah Jesus we who once were far a way have been brought near through the blood of Christ.”

FATHER: Consequently, we are no longer foreigners and aliens. Through the work of Jesus, we Gentiles are heirs together with Israel, members together of one body, and sharers together in the promise. (Eph 2:12-13, 19:3,6)

ALL READ: “When the hour came, Jesus and his apostles reclined at the table. And He said to them, “I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer” (Lk. 22:14-15)

FIRST CUP OF WINE: CUP OF JOY AND FREEDOM!

FATHER: Our story tells us that in various ways, with different words, God gave promises of freedom to His people. With four cups from the fruit of the vine we celebrate and we recall God’s promises to Israel and to us.

EVERYONE: I am the Lord; I will bring you out from under the yoke of the Egyptians, I will deliver you from slavery, I will redeem you with an outstretched arm, I will take you as my people and be your God. [Exodus 6:6-7]

FATHER: In the four cups that we drink tonight we celebrate these four “I will” promises of God: Freedom, Deliverance, Redemption, and Thanksgiving & Restoration for fulfilling His promises that allows us to be His people.

Everyone take a small amount of wine in their glass. After everyone’s glass has been filled, the Father holds the cup in his right hand so the people can see it.

FATHER: We take the first cup and proclaim the holiness of this day of freedom. “I will bring you out of slavery!” Blessed is God who fulfills his promises, who is ever faithful to his servants who trust in Him. In every age oppressors rise against us to crush our spirits and bring us low. From the hands of all these tyrants and conquerors, from the power of anything that hinders us from being His people, the Lord rescues and restores us. We praise you, O Lord, who makes holy your people.

EVERYONE: I am the Lord, and I will free you from the yoke of the Egyptians and from the slavery of sin. [Exodus 6:6]

FATHER: Let us drink the first cup.

All drink the first cup.

WASHING OF HANDS

FATHER: This reminds us to cleanse our hearts from sin and impurity. “Who may ascend into the hill of the Lord? Or who may stand in His holy place?

He who has clean hands and a pure heart.”

WASHING OF HANDS-The boys & men get the bowl, cup and towel and begin to pour water over each person’s hands and offer the towel to dry.

THE BOYS SAY AS THEY WASH HANDS: Thank you, Lord, for the gift of washing our hands to remind us that we come to your table with holy hand and a clean heart!

DIP CELERY IN SALT WATER & HARD BOILED EGG

Pass around the celery and dip in salt water and take an egg.

FATHER: The celery dipped in salt water reminds us of the tears we shed when we cried out for deliverance from the bondage

FATHER: The Hard Boil egg reminds us of our hard hearts when we refused to obey the Lord!

THE UNLEAVEN BREAD IS BROKEN 

FATHER: (As you do this explain what you are doing and why)

The Three loaves of unleavened bread in one napkin are called UNITY. This symbolizes the unique unity of God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit We call it the Father, Son, the Holy Spirit. Jesus, is always the center loaf.

FATHER: (Take out the middle piece of matzo bread)

This piece represents Jesus, the second person of the Trinity. The breaking symbolizes His death. One half of the matzo is wrapped in a napkin and hidden in the room. This pictures Jesus’ burial. This piece is called the afikomen (af-i-KO’-men).

Put the rest of the matzo back into the napkin in the middle and have the children close their eyes while you hide this piece of bread.

THE INVITATION

SECOND CUP OF WINE: CUP OF SANCTIFICATION AND DELIVERANCE!

 FATHER takes the second glass, and raises it for all to see.

Everyone fills their glass again

FATHER: With the second cup we celebrate the deliverance that God has brought to us. We are privileged to thank God, to praise Him, to reverence Him, and to rejoice in His grace. He has brought us forth from bondage to freedom, from sorrow to joy, from darkness to light, from slavery to redemption.

ALL: I am the Lord; I will deliver you from slavery [Exodus 6:6]. We praise you O Lord our God, who has freed your people.

FATHER: We praise you O Lord our God, Ruler of the Universe, who creates the fruit of the earth.  Let us drink the Second Cup.

All drink the second cup

SING: Father Abraham

 FATHER: Let all who are hungry come and eat. For Jesus our Passover Lamb, has been sacrificed. Let us therefore celebrate the feast.” (I Cor. 5:7-8)

CHILDREN ASK:

“Why is this night different from all other nights?”

“Why, on other nights we eat bread with leaven, but tonight we only eat unleavened bread?”

“Why, on this night do we eat bitter herbs?”

“Why do we dip our vegetables in salt water?”

“What does this celebration mean?”

FATHER: “It will come about when your children say “What does this celebration mean?” that you shall say, “it is a Passover to the Lord who passed over the houses of the sons of Israel when He smote the Egyptians, but spared our homes” (Ex 12:24-27)

All: All Israel suffered as slaves in Egypt, but the Lord delivered them out of the hand of the enemy by His mighty hand and outstretched arm.

THE PLAGUES

FATHER: When Israel was in Egypt as slaves, God sent Moses to Pharaoh to say:

ALL THE CHILDREN SAY TOGETHER:  Let my people go!

FATHER: But Pharaoh would not let them go, so God sent ten plagues on the Egyptians. Each plague represented one of the Egyptian gods. This was a sign to the Israelites and the Egyptians that Jehovah, the King of the Universe, was stronger than any of their gods.

Moses ask Pharaoh to release the children of Israel, but he said, “NO!” So the Lord sent the first plague:

 #1 CHILD:  opens bag- WATER TO BLOOD!

FATHER: So Moses ask him again but Pharaoh said NO!

Then God sent:

CHILD #2: opens bag- FROGS!

 FATHER: So Moses ask him again but Pharaoh said NO!

Then God sent:

 CHILD #3:  Opens bag: LICE!

 FATHER: So Moses ask him again but Pharaoh said NO!

Then God sent:

 CHILD #4: Opens bag- INSECTS/BITING FLYS!

 FATHER: So Moses ask him again but Pharaoh said NO!

Then God sent:

 CHILD #5: Opens bag- COWS DIE!

 FATHER: So Moses ask him again but Pharaoh said NO!

Then God sent:

 CHILD #6: Opens bag: BOILS ON THEIR BODIES!

FATHER: So Moses ask him again but Pharaoh said NO!

Then God sent:

 CHILD #7: Opens bag-HAIL!

 FATHER: So Moses ask him again but Pharaoh said NO!

Then God sent:

 CHILD #8: Opens bag: LOCUSTS!

 FATHER: So Moses ask him again but Pharaoh said NO!

Then God sent:

 CHILD #9: Opens the bag: DARKNESS!

 FATHER: Finally Moses ask him the tenth time but Pharaoh still said NO!

FATHER: The Bible says it this way: Now the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, “Speak to all the congregation of Israel saying, “On the tenth of this month they are to take a lamb for each household. Your lamb shall be an unblemished male a year old. You shall keep it until the fourteenth day, then kill it at twilight. Moreover, 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.”

CHILDREN GO AND PUT RED STRIPS ON THE DOORS!

FATHER: And they shall eat the flesh that same night, roasted with fire. They shall eat it with unleavened bread and bitter herbs.

You shall eat it in haste-it is the Lord’s Passover. For I will go through the land of Egypt on that night and will strike down the first born in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and will execute judgments against all the gods of Egypt—I am the Lord. And the blood shall be a sign for you on the houses where you live. When I see the blood I will pass over you and no plague will come upon you to destroy you when I strike the land of Egypt.

 Plague # 10-Mother at the table opens the red bag and gives each person a red heart for the cross on the table.

 FATHER: God Passed Over the doors that had the blood of the lamb on them.  Jesus died on the cross and is called the “Lamb of God.” When we ask Jesus into our hearts, it is like the blood of the lamb over the door of our heart. BUT long ago on that night in Egypt he moved through the land and the firstborn son of the Egyptians died because there was no lamb’s blood on the door. The LORD PASSED OVER the homes of the Israelites because they had the blood of the lamb on their door.

Jesus is our lamb and His blood on the cross protects us and keeps us safe.

Each person puts the heart over the cross to show that they have the Blood over their heart.

 FATHER: When God sees Jesus blood over our hearts he “Passes Over” us and we do not go through the final Judgement.

 FATHER: There was a great cry in Egypt. Then Pharaoh called for Moses and Aaron at night and shouted, “LEAVE THIS LAND! GO AND WORSHIP YOUR GOD!” So the children of Israel left Egypt to go out to the desert to worship their God! In the same way, all of us were held in slavery and bondage to sin. Through Jesus, our Passover Lamb God delivered us. He set us free to live for Him.

ALL: So Passover is a celebration of God’s love for all mankind. It celebrates Israel’s release from slavery in Egypt and the redemption of all mankind from slavery to sin.

ALL: Blessed is He who kept His promise to Israel. The Lord brought an end to bondage and fulfilled His promise to Abraham. “Know for certain that your descendants will be strangers in a country not their own, and they will be enslaved and mistreated four-hundred years. But I will punish the nation they serve as slaves, and afterward they will come out with great possessions” (Gen. 15:13-14)

FATHER: Rabbi Gamaliel, who taught the apostle Paul, said: “He who does not speak forth these three essentials of the Passover Seder has not discharged his duty: namely, the Passover Sacrifice, unleavened bread, and bitter herbs.”

WASHING HANDS AGAIN (BOYS)

THE BITTER HERBS AND THE BLESSING THE BREAD

FATHER: Hold up the matzo blesses it saying: Blessed are you, O Lord our God, King of the Universe, Who brings forth bread from the earth, and Who gave us Jesus, the Bread of Life.”

 FATHER: lift up the bitter herbs (horseradish on matzo, and the Charset

 ALL: These bitter herbs symbolize the bitterness of slavery and Israel’s miserable existence in Egypt. To us as Christians, the eating of bitter herbs also reminds us of our lives before we knew Jesus. They are symbolic of the bitter cup our Lord tasted on our behalf. The horseradish brings tears to our eyes as we taste it and remember. The apple reminds us of the mortar of the bricks when the Israelites were in slavery.

Everyone eats the herbs and the apple mixture with the bread

THE PASSOVER SACRIFICE

 FATHER: Holds up the lamb and the bone

This lamb pictures the lamb slain in Egypt, to set Israel free from bondage. We also remember that Jesus is our Passover lamb and he was sacrificed on the Cross to set us free from the bondage of sin.

ALL: “The Lord passed over the houses of our fathers in Egypt. As it is said, “It is the Lord’s Passover, for He passed over the homes of the Children of Israel, when He killed the Egyptians; He passed over our homes and did not destroy us!”

FATHER: The Israelites were told how to protect themselves from the last plague. Each family was to take a lamb and kill it and drain the blood into a basin and then take a bunch of hyssop and dip it in the blood and strike the upper lintel and the two side doorposts of the house where they eat it. We have the Blood of Jesus over the doorpost of our hearts.

Pass the lamb around and take a bite.

ALL PRAY: Lord, we thank you that you gave Israel a place of protection under the blood of the Passover lamb. We now take this meal with thankful heart, remembering your faithfulness and love for your people. We pray that all men and women everywhere would discover the place of blessing and protection you have provided under the blood of Jesus, who is the perfect Passover Lamb.

All eat a piece of the lamb

THE UNLEAVEN BREAD

FATHER: In Passover, we not only remember the lamb slain in Egypt, we also celebrate the true Lamb of God, the Messiah, who was sacrificed to bear the sin of the world. The Prophet Isaiah wrote: “Surely He took up our infirmities and carried our weaknesses, …He was pierced for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon Him and by His wounds we are healed. We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to His own way; and the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all”

ALL: “The next day John saw Jesus coming to him and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.” (John 1:29)

The children look for the Afikomen (af-i-KO’-men) whoever finds it gets a reward. They bring it to the Father (BJ)

 (All get a reward! “we all run our race and we all receive a prize!”)

FATHER: This is the broken piece of matzo that was hidden early in our Seder. The unleavened bread is a picture of the body of Jesus. It is made of pure flour and water without yeast. When the dough is prepared, it is pierced and striped with a pointed tool. The prophecy of Isaiah 53 declares ‘He was pierced for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.”

When this loaf was broken at the start of the service, it symbolized Jesus death. When the loaf was wrapped in linen, it spoke prophetically of the wrapping of His body in linen after the crucifixion. When the broken and wrapped bread was hidden, it symbolized His burial in the tomb of Joseph of Arimathea, and now it is found, out of the hiding place, picturing the stone that was removed by the angel. The Matzo is unwrapped and held up for all to see. This symbolizes the resurrection of Jesus.

ALL: On the first day of the week, at early dawn, they came to the tomb. They found the stone rolled away. Two men suddenly stood near them in dazzling clothing; and said to them “Why do you seek the living one among the dead: He is not here HE HAS RISEN!”

FATHER: Break the Afikoman into small pieces and pass it around to each participant.

This is the place in the Passover celebration which was recorded in the Gospel of Luke, “Having taken some bread, 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)

 FATHER: (Folds the napkin and lays it to the side of plate)

When a Jewish man was buried, his tallit was wrapped around his head. Each man has a specific way to fold their own tallit. When the disciples recognized the way Jesus’ tallit folded and set aside from the grave clothes. They knew immediately this was the sign to them that He had risen, His carefully folded his tallit for them to see.

THE CUP OF REDEMPTION

 CHILDREN: OPEN THE DOOR FOR ELIJAH!

FATHER: Pour the third cup

Traditionally, a place at the Seder table was left empty along with an untouched cup of wine to symbolize the expectation of the coming of Elijah the prophet as forerunner of the Messiah [Malachi 4:50].

It was the third cup with the Afikomen that Jesus used at the Last Supper to institute Communion. We will combine Elijah’s cup with the third cup in celebrating Communion and Redemption, since we are no longer looking for Elijah to come.

FATHER: (lift up the Elijah cup) This cup is called the Cup of Redemption. At this point in the Passover, Jesus took the third cup and lifted the cup and said, “This cup is the New Covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me” (I Cor. 11:25

FATHER: (prays) Blessed are You, O Lord our God, King of the universe, who brings forth the fruit of the vine, and who gave the blood of your Son Jesus for our redemption.”

All drink the cup of Redemption,

 THE HALLEL

 FATHER:  Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good

ALL: His love endures forever

FATHER: The Lord is my strength and my song

ALL: He has become my salvation

FATHER: The stone the builders rejected

ALL: Has become the capstone

FATHER: The Lord has done this

ALL: And it is marvelous in our eyes

FATHER: This is the day the Lord has made

ALL: Let us rejoice and be glad in it

FATHER: Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord

ALL: From the house of the Lord we bless you

FATHER: The Lord is God

ALL: And He has made His light to shine upon us

At this time, EACH FATHER goes to his children, lays his hands on their heads, kisses the top of their heads and says a personal blessing over each child. This is actually part of the Sabbath ceremony, but can be used here.

Then the Father also blesses his wife using Proverbs 31.

Proverbs 31

A worthy woman who can find?

     For her price is far above rubies.

     The heart of her husband trusts in her,

     And he shall have no lack of gain.

     She does him good and not evil

     All the days of her life.

     Her children rise up, and call her blessed;

      Her husband also, and he praises her, saying:

      Many daughters have done worthily,

      But you excel them all.

      Grace is deceitful, and beauty is vain;

      But a woman that fears Jehovah, she shall be praised.

FOURTH CUP: THE CUP OF THANKSGIVING AND RESTORATION!

FATHER: Pour cup of wine

We raise our glasses a fourth time in Thanksgiving for God’s enduring grace and love to us. Jesus did not drink this cup that night. He said he would not drink this cup until we are fully restored when he returns. So we look forward to our full restoration at the Wedding Feast of the Lamb when Jesus returns. “Blessed are you, O Lord our God, Ruler of the Universe, who has adopted us as your children, and allowed us to call you Father.”

FATHER:  We drink the Fourth Cup and give thanks!

Every one drinks cup of wine

 

FATHER:  To You alone do we give thanks, O Lord!

Though our mouth were full of song like the sea

And our tongue of rejoicing like the multitude of its waves

And our lips of praise like the breath of the horizon

And our eyes were shining like the sun and the moon

And our hands were spread like the eagles of the sky

And our feet light as the hinds’ we could never thank You enough

O Lord our God for the good You have done for us

FATHER: “We have been redeemed by the blood of the Lamb!”

ALL: “Out of the hand of the Enemy! The bondage has been broken!”

FATHER: “We have been released from captivity!”

ALL: “We are set free to enter the promise!”

ALL PRAY: Holy One of Israel, we thank You for Your gift of salvation. We pray Your blessing on Your church, and on Your people Israel. We pray for the peace of Jerusalem. We pray that all Israel be saved and come to know Messiah Jesus.

FATHER: “and they returned to Jerusalem with great joy and were continually in the temple, praising God!” (Luke 24:52-53)

ALL SHOUT:

NEXT YEAR IN JERUSALEM!”

 

Seder Script provided by Billy Joe & Ruthie Young, Repairers of the Breach

 

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