Good morning! Today is going to be a little different. We are going to look at Luke 22:1-23 on page 881 in the pew Bibles but rather than walk through an exposition of that text like we typically do I’d like to walk through the actual Passover Seder so that we can appreciate the importance and the symbolism of what we have come to know as the Last Supper and the service we know as Communion or the Lord’s Supper.
So let’s read the text of Luke 22:1-23, we’ll pray and jump right in to the Seder.
Now the Feast of Unleavened Bread drew near, which is called the Passover. 2 And the chief priests and the scribes were seeking how to put him to death, for they feared the people.
3 Then Satan entered into Judas called Iscariot, who was of the number of the twelve. 4 He went away and conferred with the chief priests and officers how he might betray him to them. 5 And they were glad, and agreed to give him money. 6 So he consented and sought an opportunity to betray him to them in the absence of a crowd.
7 Then came the day of Unleavened Bread, on which the Passover lamb had to be sacrificed. 8 So Jesus sent Peter and John, saying, “Go and prepare the Passover for us, that we may eat it.” 9 They said to him, “Where will you have us prepare it?” 10 He said to them, “Behold, when you have entered the city, a man carrying a jar of water will meet you. Follow him into the house that he enters 11 and tell the master of the house, ‘The Teacher says to you, Where is the guest room, where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?’ 12 And he will show you a large upper room furnished; prepare it there.” 13 And they went and found it just as he had told them, and they prepared the Passover.
14 And when the hour came, he reclined at table, and the apostles with him. 15 And he said to them, “I have earnestly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer. 16 For I tell you I will not eat it until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God.” 17 And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he said, “Take this, and divide it among yourselves. 18 For I tell you that from now on I will not drink of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes.” 19 And he took 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.” 20 And likewise the cup after they had eaten, saying, “This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood. 21 But behold, the hand of him who betrays me is with me on the table. 22 For the Son of Man goes as it has been determined, but woe to that man by whom he is betrayed!” 23 And they began to question one another, which of them it could be who was going to do this.
Let’s pray.
So today we are going to be participating in a Passover Seder. The word Seder is of Hebrew origin and it means "the order of service." Years ago we put together a booklet to guide us through the Passover observance referred to as a Haggadah and that’s what I’ll be working off this morning.
The word Haggadah means "the telling". This comes from Exodus 13:8: "On that day tell your son, 'I do this because of what the LORD did for me when I came out of Egypt.'" Originally, the Haggadah was brief, but each successive generation has added their own interpretations and embellishments. Our Haggadah is different because it not only revolves around the story of redemption from slavery in Egypt, but it also celebrates our redemption from sin by the atoning sacrifice of Jesus.
In a sense, this morning, we will be doing some time traveling. Jewish tradition teaches that in each generation, we must consider ourselves as having personally been freed from slavery in Egypt. However, our travels will not only be to ancient Egypt but also to that upper room in Jerusalem, where we will re-enact the inauguration of the New Covenant.
The Passover Seder is a family event and usually takes place in the home and has roles and readings for the fathers and the mothers but this morning I’ll be taking care of all of that.
In the days preceding Passover, a Jewish family would search their whole household and remove all leavened items (all products with yeast) from their home. This is in keeping with the Biblical command that describes the steps necessary to observe the Feast of Unleavened Bread found in Exodus 12:19-29:
"'For seven days no yeast is to be found in your houses. And whoever eats anything with yeast in it must be cut off from the community of Israel, whether he is an alien or native-born. Eat nothing made with yeast. Wherever you live, you must eat unleavened bread.'"
In addition to these preparations, it would also be necessary to purchase various foods and items to celebrate the Passover. As followers of Jesus, we should be reminded of the fact that the Scriptures often use leaven as a symbol of sin. As it is written in First Corinthians five: "Your boasting is not good. Don't you know that a little yeast works through the whole batch of dough? Get rid of the old yeast that you may be a new batch without yeast-- as you really are. For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed. Therefore let us keep the Festival, not with the old yeast, the yeast of malice and wickedness, but with bread without yeast, the bread of sincerity and truth."
Let us also make preparations in our heart. As we read in Luke 22, Passover is the Biblical feast from which we derive the Lord’s Supper. Therefore, it is important that we search out the leaven of sin in our lives and in doing so we may keep the Feast of the Unleavened Bread. For it is written in 1 Corinthians 11:28: "A man ought to examine himself before he eats of the bread and drinks of the cup."
On the table is a Seder Plate, holding the ceremonial items of Passover. There are bitter herbs, a roasted egg, a sweet apple mixture, parsley, and a bone. Curious things, yet all part of the telling. Each piece was to allow the senses to fully participate, taking in the sights and smells, tasting each ingredient in turn and listening to every word so that those who participate can see, hear, and feel the truth of God’s love.
As we kindle the festival lights, we pray for the illumination of the Spirit of God to bring great personal meaning to this, our Messianic Passover celebration.
Blessed are you, O Lord our God, King of the universe, who has set us apart by His Word, and in whose Name we light the festival lights.
The mother would typically light these candles. As a woman begins the Seder and brings light to the table, let us remember that the Lord used a woman to bring forth our Messiah, the Light of the world.
As the Lord spoke these words of encouragement to Moses, he revealed to his servant the plan by which he would redeem the children of Israel.
Exodus 6:6-7 says, “I will free you from the forced labor of the Egyptians… rescue you from their oppression… redeem you with an outstretched arm… I will take you as my people, and I will be your God.”
At Passover we celebrate these promises of redemption by drinking from the cup four times. With each drink let us remember the union that God desires.
The first cup is called "kiddush." Kiddush is Hebrew for sanctification. The act of sanctification is akin to an act of separation. God said that He would bring the Israelites out (or separate them) from the burdens of the Egyptians. Indeed...an act of sanctification!
(raise the cup and ask the blessing) Blessed art thou O Lord our God, King of the universe, Creator of the fruit of the vine.
The events that took place between Jesus and His disciples during the first cup are recorded in Luke 22:14 -18
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. For I tell you, I will not eat it again until it finds fulfillment in the kingdom of God." After taking the cup, he gave thanks (he said the blessing) and said, "Take this and divide it among you. For I tell you I will not drink again of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes."
And so we would drink this, the first cup of Passover!
Concerning the events regarding the washing of the hands the following is recorded in John 13:5, 12-14:
After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples' feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him.
When he had finished washing their feet, he put on his clothes and returned to his place. "Do you understand what I have done for you?" he asked them. "You call me 'Teacher' and 'Lord,' and rightly so, for that is what I am. Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another's feet.
The leader at the head table would take some of the water from the cup and pour it over his hands at the wash basin. Then he would wipe his hands with the towel.
Next we’ll take the parsley, break off a sprig and dip it into the saltwater.
(Lifting up the parsley) The wine is red in color and represents the blood of the Passover lamb. This parsley represents the hyssop which the Israelites used to place the blood of the Passover Lamb upon the sides and tops of the doorframe of their house. The saltwater represents the tears shed in Egypt because life there was full of pain, suffering and tears. So we take a sprig of parsley and dip it into the salt water, remembering that life is sometimes immersed in tears.
Blessed art thou O Lord our God, King of the universe, Creator of the fruit of the earth.
And then they would eat the parsley.
Traditionally now the youngest member of the family would rise and ask four questions about why this meal was different.
"On all other nights we eat either leavened or unleavened bread; why on this night do we eat only matzah which is unleavened bread?"
"On all other nights we eat vegetables and herbs of all kinds; why on this night do we eat only bitter herbs?"
"On all other nights we never think of dipping herbs in water or in anything else; why on this night do we dip the parsley in salt water and the bitter herbs in charoseth?"
"On all other nights we eat either sitting upright or reclining why on this night do we all recline?"
I am glad you asked these questions. It is both a duty and a privilege to answer the four questions of Passover and to recite the mighty works of our faithful God.
So, the first question, why do we eat only matzah?
On all other nights we eat bread with leaven, but on Passover we eat only matzah, unleavened bread. As the children of Israel fled from Egypt they did not have time for their dough to rise. Instead, the hot desert sun baked it flat. But even more than that, the Scripture teaches us that leaven symbolizes sin.
1 Corinthians 5:6-7 says, Don’t you know the saying, “It takes only a little leaven to leaven a whole batch of dough? Get rid of the old leaven, so that you can be a new batch of dough, because in reality you are unleavened. For our Passover lamb, the Messiah, has been sacrificed.
During this season of Passover let us break our old life habits of sin and selfishness and begin a fresh, new, and holy life.
(Lifting the plate which contains the matzot) The matzah, the unleavened bread, is the bread of affliction, the poor bread that our fathers ate in the land of Egypt. Let all who are hungry come and eat. Let all who are in need share in the hope of Passover.
The matzot are wrapped in a special covering which is called a Unity, even though it has three sections. Some consider it a unity of the patriarchs – Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Others explain it as a unity of worship – the priests, the Levites, and the people of Israel. We who know Messiah can see in this the unique tri-unity of God – The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, three in one.
In the matzah we can see a picture of Messiah. See how it is striped.
Isaiah 53:5 says, But he was wounded because of our crimes, crushed because of our sins; the disciplining that makes us whole fell on him, and by his stripes we are healed.
See how the matzah is pierced.
Zechariah 12:10 says, “I will pour out on the house of David and on those living in Jerusalem; a spirit of grace and prayer; and they will look to me, whom they have pierced.” They will mourn for him as one mourns for an only son.
Bypassing the first section and the third section, the middle piece of the bread of affliction is removed; it is broken just as Messiah was afflicted and broken. One half is hidden in a small napkin and is called the Afikomen, a Greek word which means “He came,” or, “the coming one.” It is wrapped in a white cloth just as Messiah’s body was wrapped for burial. (Wrap the Afikomen.)
Then the children would cover their eyes and the Afikomen would be hidden.
Just as I have hidden the Afikomen, so Messiah was placed in a tomb, hidden for a time. But just as the Afikomen will return to complete our Passover Seder, so the sinless Messiah rose from the dead to ascend to heaven.
Next, I’ll Break a piece from the other half of the middle matzah and it would have been distributed to the people at the table so that we could share a piece of this unleavened bread of Passover.
Blessed are you, O Lord our God, ruler of the universe, who brings forth bread form the earth.
The second question, "Why do we eat bitter herbs tonight?"
On all other nights we eat all kinds of vegetables, but on Passover we eat only bitter herbs, also known as horseradish. As sweet as our lives are today let us remember how bitter life was for the children of Israel in the land of Egypt.
(lift the horseradish) This bitter herb which we eat, what is the reason for it? It is because the Egyptians embittered the lives of our ancestors in Egypt, as it is written in Exodus 1:11-14: "So they put slave drivers over them to oppress them with forced labor ... but the Egyptians came to dread the Israelites and worked them ruthlessly. They made their lives bitter with hard labor in brick and mortar and with all kinds of work in the fields; in all their hard labor, the Egyptians used them ruthlessly.
Then we would scoop some bitter herbs onto a piece of matzah and allow the bitter taste to cause us to shed tears of compassion for the sorrow that our ancestors knew thousands of years ago.
Blessed are you, O Lord our God, ruler of the universe, who has set us apart by his Word and commanded us to eat bitter herbs.
The third question, "Why do we dip the herbs twice tonight?"
On all other nights we do not dip our vegetables even once but tonight we dip them twice. We have already dipped the parsley into the salt water.
(Lifting the apple mixture) The children of Israel toiled to make treasure cities for Pharaoh, working in brick and clay. We remember this task in a mixture called kharoset made from chopped apples, honey, nuts, and wine. Then we would once again scoop some bitter herbs onto a small piece of matzah. But this time before we eat, let us dip the herbs into the sweet kharoset.
We dip the bitter herbs into kharoset to remind ourselves that even the most bitter of circumstances can be sweetened by the hope we have in God. The sweetness of the apple mixture cancels out the bitterness of the horseradish.
Mark 14:18-20 says, As they were reclining and eating, Jesus said, “Yes! I tell you that one of you is going to betray me.” They became upset and began asking him, one after the other, “You don’t mean me, do you?” “It’s one of the Twelve,” he said to them, “someone dipping matzah in the dish with me.”
The fourth question, "Why do we recline at table?"
On all other nights we eat sitting or reclining, but tonight we eat reclining. Because reclining was a sign of a free man long ago, and since our forefathers were freed on this night, we recline at the table.
The first Passover was celebrated by a people enslaved. Once we were slaves, but now we are free!
The children of Israel were instructed to eat the Passover in haste, their loins girded, their staffs in their hands, and their sandals upon their feet awaiting departure from the bondage of Egypt. Today we all may recline and freely enjoy the Passover Seder.
Jesus said in Matthew 11:28, “Come unto me, all you who are struggling and burdened, and I will give you rest.”
Exodus 12:1-13 says, The Lord said to Moses and Aaron in Egypt, "This month is to be for you the first month of the year. Tell the whole community of Israel that on the tenth day of the month, each man is to take a lamb for his family, one for each household.... The animals you choose must be year old males without defect and you may take them from the sheep or the goats. Take care of them until the fourteenth day of the month, when all the people of the community of Israel must slaughter them at twilight. They are to take some of the blood and put it on the sides and tops of the doorframes of the houses where they eat the lambs. That same night they are to eat the meat roasted over the fire, along with the bitter herbs, and bread made without yeast. Do not eat the meat raw or cooked in water, but roast it over the fire.... Do not leave any of it till morning. If some is left till morning, you must burn it. This is how you are to eat it: with your cloak tucked into your belt, your sandals on your feet, and your staff in your hand. Eat it in haste. It is the Lord's Passover. On that night I will pass through Egypt and strike down every first-born; both men and animals and I will bring judgment on all the gods of Egypt. I am the Lord. The blood will be a sign for you on the houses where you are; and when I see the blood, I will pass over you. No destructive plague will touch you when I strike Egypt."
As God saw the blood and passed over the houses of the Israelites, so does He pass over sins when He sees Jesus's blood shed on our behalf. We keep Passover to remember the physical deliverance God gave in Egypt and we keep Messiah's Passover, Communion, or the Lord’s Supper, to remind us of the spiritual deliverance He brings us from sin.
God raised up Moses to lead the children of Israel out of the bondage of Egypt. Moses was to go to Pharaoh to demand that the children of Israel be released so that they may worship the Lord their God. God reminded Moses that he would encounter resistance from Pharaoh:
But I know that the king of Egypt will not let you go unless a mighty hand compels him. So I will stretch out my hand and strike the Egyptians with all the wonders that I will perform among them. After that, he will let you go. Exodus 3:19-20
Each time that Moses approached Pharaoh to gain the release of the children of Israel, Pharaoh refused. With each refusal, God sent a plague to the land of Egypt. The Egyptians became afflicted with discomfort and disease, bane and blight. With each plague Pharaoh hardened his heart all the more. Ten plagues were delivered in all. The tenth plague was, by far, the worst. With this plague Pharaoh finally relented. Of the tenth plague it is written:
On that same night I will pass through Egypt and strike down every first-born-- both men and animals-- and I will bring judgment on all the gods of Egypt. I am the LORD. Exodus 12:12
At this point the cups would be filled to the brim.
A full cup of wine is considered a symbol of joy. It is indeed good to be joyful of God's mighty deliverance. Our joy should be tempered at the recognition of the great cost at which redemption was purchased. For the Israelites, many lives were sacrificed to bring about their release from the slavery of Egypt. In Proverbs 24: 17-18 we are reminded "Do not gloat when your enemy falls; when he stumbles, do not let your heart rejoice, or the LORD will see and disapprove and turn his wrath away from him." As believers in Jesus we recognize that a far greater price purchased our redemption from slavery to sin...the death of our Savior Jesus.
I will be reciting the ten plagues that Egypt was afflicted with because of Pharaoh's hardened heart. As I do so, I will dip my little finger into the cup, allowing a drop of wine to fall on the napkin or the plate. We do this to reduce the fullness of our cup of joy and we would not drink the second cup at this time.
Blood, Frogs, Gnats, Flies, Pestilence, Boils, Hail, Locusts, Darkness, Death of the first born
The Passover offering which our forefathers ate in temple times...what was the reason for it? Because the Holy One spared the lives of our forefathers in Egypt, as it is written in Exodus 12:26-27, "and when your children ask you, 'what does this mean?,' then you tell them, 'It is the Passover sacrifice to the Lord who passed over the houses of the Israelites in Egypt and spared our homes when He struck down the Egyptians. Concerning the Messiah it is also written in Isaiah 53:7: "He was oppressed and afflicted, yet He did not open His mouth; He was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep is silent before her shearers, so He did not open His mouth." Also, in John 1:29, "John saw Jesus coming to him and said, 'Behold the lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.'"
We have considered the matzah to remind us of the haste with which the children of Israel fled Egypt. We have considered the bitter herbs to remind us of the bitter slavery they experienced there.
And now we consider the bone. The shank bone of the lamb is untouched, because lambs are no longer sacrificed. As believers in the Messiah, we recognize that sacrifice is no longer necessary, because the death of our Messiah satisfied the need for sacrifice. In His death there is life. In the shedding of His blood there is remission of sin.
We also consider the egg. The roasted egg speaks of sacrifice, which can no longer be made because the Temple was destroyed. The egg is regarded as a symbol of mourning, reminding us of the destruction of the Temple. Is it not strange that an egg is used to represent sacrifice? But one must remember that sacrifice not only means death; it also means life. Since the shape of an egg shows no beginning and no end many consider it to represent not only new life but eternal life.
We who have trusted Jesus the Messiah, believe He is the Lamb of God, our Passover. Like the ancient Israelites, we know that it was God Himself, and not an angel, God Himself, and not a seraph, God Himself, and not a messenger, who achieved final redemption from sin and death. God Himself, through Jesus, who takes away the sin of the world.
In light of this redemption we acknowledge God's goodness to us. For each of His acts of mercy and kindness we will declare "Dayenu!" Dayenu is the Hebrew word which means, “it would have been sufficient.”
If the Lord had merely rescued us, but had not judged the Egyptians, Dayenu!
If He had only destroyed their gods, but had not parted the Red Sea, Dayenu!
If He had only drowned our enemies, but had not fed us with manna, Dayenu!
If He had only led us through the desert, but had not given us the Sabbath, Dayenu!
If He had only given us the Torah, but not the land of Israel, Dayenu!
As followers of the Messiah, we can add a further "Dayenu," knowing that if God had only provided atonement for us through the death of the Messiah, it would have been enough for us. But He did much more. Jesus said, "I have come that you might have life, and have it in abundance." He gives us peace within when we know Him as our Messiah.
Blessed are you, O God, for you have, in mercy, supplied all our needs. You have given us Messiah, forgiveness of our sin, life abundant and everlasting. Hallelujah!
After the Passover meal, the children would search for the afikomen. The father would redeem it by giving the child a coin. The matzah that was hidden was broken and distributed to the people at the table.
Concerning the Afikomen, it is written:
"And He took bread. and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, 'This is my body, which is for you. Do this in remembrance of Me.'"
At this point we will distribute the Afikomen for Communion.
"Jesus said to them, 'I tell you the truth, it was not Moses who gave you the bread from heaven, but it is my Father who gives you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is He who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.'
'Sir', they said, ‘from now on, give us this bread.'
Then Jesus declared, 'I am the Bread of Life, he who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never go thirsty. ... I am the Bread of Life. Your fathers ate the manna in the desert, yet they died. But here is the bread that comes down from heaven. If a man eats this bread, he will live forever. This bread is my body, which I give for the life of the world.'"
Is it not significant that it is this middle matzah, which was broken and then hid away, finally to be brought back, broken and distributed, that Jesus points to and says, "this is MY body which is given for you"? Is it not significant that “Afikomen” is a Greek word which means - "I have come"?
As the matzah is unleavened, striped and pierced, so was our Messiah without sin, striped by the Roman's whip and pierced by nails and the soldier's spear.
For the believer in Jesus, that He is the Messiah, and our atonement, this Afikomen symbolizes His sacrifice of atonement for our sins, that we might have peace with God. If you are a believer in Jesus Messiah, you can eat this piece as a communion service, reminding yourself of what happened in the upper room at the Last Supper.
Also, as you eat, it will remind you of what the Messiah did for you, in that He came and gave Himself for your sins.
Blessed art Thou, O Lord our God, king of the universe, who brings forth bread from the earth.
Let us now eat the Afikomen, meditating on the broken body of the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. Let us allow that taste to linger in our mouths.
The third cup, the cup of redemption symbolizes God's promise of redemption from slavery. It was this cup, after supper, in the upper room that Jesus raised and said, "This cup is the New Covenant in my blood, which is shed for you."
At this point we will distribute the cup.
He died to give us atonement from sin, and new life with God, just as the Passover lamb was sacrificed to bring us redemption. For the believer in Jesus, this cup symbolizes our participation in the New Covenant, that God has forgiven our sins because of Jesus’ sacrifice.
Just as the blood of the lamb brought salvation in Egypt, so Messiah’s atoning death can bring salvation to all who believe.
Blessed art Thou, O Lord our God, king of the universe, Creator of the fruit of the vine. Drink the cup.
At every Passover Seder one place setting would be set up but left untouched throughout the meal. This is the traditional place for Elijah. A child would be asked to open the door to see if the prophet Elijah will come to the Seder.
Elijah did not see death, but was swept up to heaven in a whirlwind, in a chariot of fire. John the Baptist who Jesus spoke of as the forerunner of Himself, was indeed the prophet Elijah. It was the same John who looked upon Jesus and said, "Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world."
Elijah has already come! John the Baptist prepared the way for Jesus over two thousand years ago. We need not expect him to come again so we can close the door.
We come to the fourth last drinking of the cup. The Lord said, "I will take you to Me for a people." This speaks of the time when the Lord will gather Israel again in the Lord. To the believer in the Messiah this cup also represents the great hope that someday the Messiah is coming back to take up His followers to be with Him.
It is written in 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17: "For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord''
Psalm 136, Give thanks to Adonai, for he is good, For his grace endures forever. Give thanks to the God of gods. For his grace endures forever. Give thanks to the Lord of lords, For his grace endures forever. To him who alone has done great wonders, For his grace endures forever. To him who skillfully made the heavens, For his grace endures forever. To him who spread out the earth on the water, For his grace endures forever. To him who made the great lights; For his grace endures forever. The sun to rule the day, For his grace endures forever. The moon and starts to rule the night, For his grace endures forever. To him who struck down Egypt’s firstborn, For his grace endures forever. And brought Israel out from among them, For his grace endures forever. With a mighty hand and an outstretched arm, For his grace endures forever. To him who split the Sea of Suf. For his grace endures forever. And made Israel cross right through it, For his grace endures forever. But swept Pharaoh and his army into the Sea of Suf, For his grace endures forever. To him who led the people through the desert, For his grace endures forever. Give thanks to the God of heaven. For his grace endures forever.
Let us lift up the cup and bless the name of the Lord! Blessed art Thou, O Lord our God, King of the Universe, Creator of the fruit of the vine
The Seder of Passover is now complete, even as our salvation and redemption in Jesus are complete. Just as we were privileged to celebrate it, so may we be privileged to do so in the future, maybe next year in the New Jerusalem with Jesus!
Amen.
