CHRISTIAN PASSOVER HAGGADAH INTRODUCTION I would like to welcome all of you to our Passover Seder this evening. This may be a new and unique experience for many of you, one that I hope will bring great insight, meaning and comfort. I encourage everyone here to fully participate as we worship Jesus with new songs, new foods, and in new ways. The Passover service is at the center of the Judaism s high holy days. You may remember the story of Exodus, when God led Moses to bring the people of Israel out of their slavery in Egypt by means of ten plagues, each more powerful than the last, until the final plague, when the angel of death was sent to all of the firstborn children in Egypt on the evening of the feast of unleavened bread, except those who were protected by the blood of the sacrificial lamb, which was painted over the door frames of their houses. For Christians who have been saved by the blood of the Lamb, Jesus, the story has a special meaning as well. Haggadah, a Hebrew word that, literally translated, means the telling, is the name of the service, celebrated by Jews around the world at this time of year, fulfilling the commandment in Exodus 13:8 to tell our children of the liberation from slavery in Egypt.. The story takes place during the Israelites last supper in Egypt, just before they will leave Egypt to go to the promised land. This meal is called a seder, another Hebrew word that means order, and we will all celebrate this meal together in the order that has been handed down for thousands of years. This celebration is not a spectator event, and the meal is meant to give us spiritual food, not material food. We should eat dinner somewhere else these foods are here to help us do what the Torah the first 5 books of the bible say to remember how God brought our ancestors out of Egypt to the promised land. The rabbis of Jesus' day insisted that each participant in the Passover celebration was to consider him or herself as having been personally freed from bondage and slavery, reliving the events as though they were actually there. We will have readings from the Scriptures, and you are invited to follow along. Tonight, we will observe Passover by having a service in five parts: Celebrating a special meal together, examining the meaning of each of the symbolic foods. Responsively reciting the story of the Exodus Singing some songs, Talking about what the Passover means for us Having communion. During the meal, we will all eat the food and drink together at the same time, remembering that night so long ago, and remembering that we are God s community here on earth. The leader will tell us what to eat, and when to eat it - and most importantly, why we eat it.
PREPARATION FOR PASSOVER BEDIKAT CHAMETZ/ CLEANSING THE LEAVEN: We start at preparation for Passover. It begins a week-long celebration called Unleavened Bread. All products containing leaven or yeast are prohibited during this period. Houses are thoroughly cleaned and swept, and all items containing yeast are discarded. During this cleaning we remember that the last supper in Egypt had to be eaten quickly, and finished before Pharaoh changed his mind again. There was no time for the bread to rise, and no leaven was used. Throughout the Scriptures, yeast or leaven is also a symbol of sin which can get into a person's life, contaminating us entirely. Paul writes in 1 Corinthians that we should clean out the old leaven. This phrase is a Passover phrase referring to the cleansing of the house according to the Scriptural command to remove all leaven. Before we begin, let us take time for personal examination, quietly confess our sin to the Lord, and ask Him for forgiveness and cleansing according to His Promise. (pause for prayer) Our "house" is now clean and we can celebrate the Passover. The Seder Plate: Before us on each table is the Seder plate. On it are the ceremonial foods which are used to tell the story of Passover. There is parsley, a horseradish root, an apple-cinnamon mixture, a roasted egg, salt water, and a lamb's shankbone. Very odd things to have on a plate, but all of them play a part in the "telling". As we share these foods, let the tastes and aromas fill your senses, causing the story to come to life! This meal might just turn out to be more familiar than we might think. Passover is not just a Jewish feast. It is Christian in every sense of the word. The Last Supper was a celebration of the Passover meal. Through the Passover Seder, Jesus showed His disciples a clear and vivid picture of God's plan of redemption, who the Messiah was and what He had come to do. What we call Communion is really the last part the Passover Seder and it was no accident that Jesus chose that section as the basis for Communion. With the words in Luke 22:15,16, Jesus began the Passover meal with his disciples. PASSOVER: PREPARATION
KADESH, SANCTIFICATION OF THE DAY/LIGHTING THE FESTIVAL CANDLES The service now begins. On each Sabbath and at this Passover, women light lamps and candles, and we remember that it was a woman, Eve, who brought light into the world. The words holy and sacred - kadesh in Hebrew, mean set apart. With these lamps, we set the time here apart from the rest of our lives, and pray for the illumination of the Holy Spirit. (Pastor's wife or honored woman steps forward) Woman: (English) "Blessed are You, O Lord our God, King of the universe, who has set us apart by Your Word, and in whose Name we light the festival lights." As we begin, will someone pray for the Holy Spirit to bring us illumination and understanding? SONG - "Open Our Eyes, Lord" KOS KIDDUSH, THE FIRST CUP - THE CUP OF SANCTIFICATION (Ushers pass out the first cup) A cup is set before you. During the evening, we will drink four cups of juice. These four cups each have their own names, and represent the four promises Yahweh gave to the Israelites, revealing His plan for redemption. "I will bring you out from under the yoke of the Egyptians..."(Setting apart) "I will free you from being slaves...with great acts of judgment."(judgment) "I will redeem you with an outstretched arm..."(redemption) "I will take you as my own people, and I will be your God..." (Restoration) THE CUP OF SANCTIFICATION (SETTING APART) Let us take the first cup and bless the name of the Lord, setting apart this time unto Him. "Blessed are You, O Lord our God, King of the universe, Who creates the fruit of the vine."
"Blessed are You, O Lord our God, King of the universe, Who has kept us in life, sustained us, and brought us to this festive season!" Let us all drink from this first cup, setting ourselves apart to the Lord. (All drink) URCHATZ, WASHING THE HANDS (Ushers pass the water bowls and towels) Part of the Passover custom is for the house-servant to pass the water bowl for the guests to ceremonially wash their hands. Another custom was for the servant to wash a guest's feet upon entering a dwelling. This was such a humble, demeaning act that it was reserved for only the lowest of the servants. "The evening meal was being served, and the devil had already prompted Judas Iscariot...to betray Jesus. Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that He had come from God and was returning to God..." "...So he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist. 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." The Highest in the room took the lowest place, The Betrayed washed the feet of His betrayer, knowing full well the intentions of his heart. Jesus said: "Do you understand what I have done for you? 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. I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. I tell you the truth, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the One who sent him.. Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them." (John 13:2-5,12-17) KARPAS, REBIRTH AND RENEWAL (celebration of new life) (Ushers pass parsley first, then salt water) Passover is a springtime festival. Winter has passed, the earth renews in warmth and abundant life. (lifting the parsley) This parsley, called Karpas, commemorates the rebirth and renewal of the season, and the celebration of life! But life for the Israelites was pain under the Egyptian bondage. Likewise, sin has caused pain to exist in all of creation. (lifting the salt water) We will dip the karpas into the salt water, representing tears, remembering that life is sometimes touched by tears.
Blessed are You, O Lord our God, King of the universe, who creates the fruit of the earth. Let us now eat the herb. MATZAH - The Bread of Affliction PASSOVER: BEFORE SUPPER, THE TELLING (YACHATZ, A BOND FORMED BY SHARING (THE MATZAH) Would a young person please stand and ask the questions of Passover? Child: Why is this night different from all other nights? It is both a duty and a privilege to ask and to answer the questions of Passover and to declare the mighty acts of our faithful Lord. On all other nights we eat bread with leaven, but on Passover we eat only matzah, bread without leaven. As the children of Israel fled Egypt, they did not have time to allow the bread to rise. The desert sun baked it flat. More than that, the Scriptures tell us that leaven symbolizes sin. Let us throw out our habits of sin and start fresh in holiness and love toward one another! Child: On all other nights, we eat either yeast bread or matzah; on this night why do we eat only matzah? (lifting the matzah stack) "This is the bread of affliction, the poor bread which the children of Abraham ate in the land of Egypt. As Christians, we are Abraham's children as well, so we also shared in the slavery of all mankind. Let all who are hungry come and eat. Let all who are in need share in the hope of Passover. As we celebrate here we join with believers everywhere. This year we celebrate here. Next year may it be with Lord Jesus the Messiah. Now we struggle. Next year may all be free. Three matzot are wrapped together for the Passover. The rabbis call this stack "the Unity" and offer various explanations for this. Some say it represents
the patriarchs, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. (remove middle matzah) The matzah (bread) of affliction is pierced... "Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered Him stricken by God, smitten by Him, and afflicted. But He was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities..." (Isaiah 53:4,5a) It is striped... "...the punishment that brought us peace was upon Him, and by his stripes we are healed." (Isaiah 53:5b) The middle matzah is separated from the Unity. The bread of affliction is broken. One half is called the afikoman, a Greek word that means that which comes after. The Rabbis said we eat the afikoman last so that we keep the taste of matzoh in our mouths. It is wrapped in a white napkin and hidden away until after the Passover Supper. Would the children please "cover their eyes" (make it funny so that they will peek!) so I can hide the afikoman? (Ushers pass the plates of matzoh) Please take a piece of matzoh large enough for three good bites, Don't be shy! In the traditional Passover service, this sharing of bread is a bonding which joins us, the celebrants, with their forefathers who suffered under Pharaoh's hand, and with all Jews around the world. Let us now share in a piece of the bread of affliction, for as members of Messiah's body, we share in one another s joys and sorrows. Let us bless the Lord. Blessed are You, O Lord our God, King of the universe, who brings forth bread from the earth. MAROR - The Bitter Herbs Child: On all other nights we eat all kinds of vegetables; on this night why do we eat only bitter herbs? On all other nights we eat all kinds of vegetables, but on Passover we eat only maror, bitter herbs. As sweet as our lives are today, let us remember how
bitter and hopeless life was for the Israelites in slavery - and how bitter and hopeless life was for us when we were in bondage to sin. Let us scoop some of the bitter herbs onto a piece of matzah, and eat. (Ushers pass the maror) "...so they put slave masters over them to oppress them with forced labor...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 servitude in the fields..." (Exodus 1:12-14) As we eat, may the bitter taste cause us to cry tears of compassion for the sorrow that the children of Israel experienced in their bondage to Egypt, tears of repentance for our own sin which grieves our Father, and tears of intercession for those who are unsaved - still caught in bondage to sin. Blessed are You, O Lord our God, King of the universe, who has set us apart by Your Word and commanded us to eat bitter herbs. (all eat) CHAROSETH - The Sweet Apple Mixture ( Ushers pass the maror again, and the charoseth) Again, we dip the maror in the salt water (Lifting the charoseth, the sweet apple mixture,) The Israelites labored hard to build the storehouse cities for Pharaoh, using bricks and clay. This sweet mixture of apples, cinnamon, honey and grape juice is to remind us of the mortar they used. Let us again dip some bitter herbs onto a piece of matzah. This time before we eat, let us scoop some charoseth onto the matzah and maror. Child: On other nights we don t dip vegetables at all; on this night why do we dip them twice? We ve already dipped the parsley into the salt water. We dip the bitter herbs to remind ourselves that even the most bitter of circumstances are sweetened by the hope we have in God. (all eat)
During the Last Supper, a Passover seder, Jesus said, "I tell you the truth, one of you is going to betray me...simon Peter motioned to this disciple and said, `Ask him which one he means.' Leaning back against Jesus, he asked him, `Lord, who is it?' Jesus answered, `It is the one to whom I will give this piece of bread when I have dipped it in the dish.' Then, dipping the piece of bread, he gave it to Judas...`What you are about to do, do quickly.' As soon as Judas had taken the bread, he went out. And it was night. RECLINING - Our Rest in Freedom Child: The seder says that we should eat our meals leaning on a pillow; on other nights we eat our meals sitting up straight - on this night why should we lean on a pillow? The seder says that leaning on a pillow symbolizes that we rest in freedom (lifting the pillow). The first Passover was celebrated in slavery to Egypt, Once we were slaves to sin, but now we are free. May we rest in freedom! The Israelites' Passover was eaten hastily - their sandals on their feet, their staffs in their hands, waiting to flee from the land of Egypt. Tonight we may recline on our pillows, enjoying our Passover and experiencing the rest we enjoy as a free people. MAGGID, THE STORY OF PASSOVER - TELL YOUR CHILDREN Now we will tell each other the story of the Passover, so that we and our children and our children s children will never forget how the Lord rescued our ancestors in faith, and ourselves, from the bondage of slavery and sin. The famine had been severe. To escape starvation, the children of Israel had moved into the land of Egypt where food had been stored by Joseph for seven years. All went well for quite some time. But Jacob died, Joseph too, and all that generation. But the descendants of Israel were fruitful and increased greatly until the land was filled with them. There arose a new king over Egypt, a Pharaoh who had not known Joseph. He feared the Israelites. "Look, they are too many and too mighty for us! Let's deal shrewdly with them. For if they continue to multiply, and war comes, they might join our enemies." So Pharaoh enslaved them and put cruel slavedrivers over them to oppress them. They made their lives bitter with hard labor in brick and mortar, and all kinds of work in the fields. The Egyptians dealt with them ruthlessly! Yet the Israelites continued to grow and spread out over the land.
Then the Pharaoh issued a decree that all Israelite baby boys be drowned in the Nile river. One couple was able to hide their baby boy for three months. They eventually set him in a basket and floated him down the Nile, praying God would protect him. Pharaoh's own daughter found the baby, felt compassion for him and drew him out of the water as her own child. She named him Moshe, "Moses", which means "drawn out". As Moses was the one God used to "draw out" the Israelites from Egypt, so Jesus, whose name means "salvation", was God's Chosen Servant to draw out his people from slavery to sin and death. As a young man, Moses was forced to flee into the desert of Midian after killing an Egyptian slavemaster oppressing one of the Hebrews. He had tried to work deliverance for his people in his own strength. For the first forty years of his life, Moses tried to show God what a Someone he was. For the next forty years in the desert, God showed Moses what a Nobody he really was. For Moses' last forty years, God showed the world what he could do with a Nobody who trusted and obeyed God. God heard the groanings of His people in Egypt. He would raise up a deliverer for them. He appeared to Moses in the midst of a bush that burned with fire, but was not consumed! Moses drew near and listened as God commissioned him to return to Egypt, confront Pharaoh and proclaim, "Let My People Go!" KOS MAKOT, SECOND CUP OF JUICE - CUP OF PLAGUES/INIQUITY Moses left the desert and returned to the place where he had been raised. God told Moses that Pharaoh would not willingly release the Israelite slaves. "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) (Ushers distribute the second cup) Plague after plague tore through the land. Each of the plagues were a direct attack against the gods of Egypt, showing Yahweh to be the only true God. The Egyptians suffered greatly under their own affliction, yet the Israelites themselves were never touched. But Pharaoh hardened his heart! Finally, God sent the tenth and most terrible judgment. "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) A full cup of juice is a symbol of joy and we have every reason to be joyful about God's mighty deliverance. But we must also remember that deliverance cost the lives of the first-born in Egypt - a terrible price to pay for freedom. A far greater price was paid by the First-Born of the Father for our deliverance from sin. As we now recite the plagues three times, I will dip a finger into the cup, allowing a drop to spill, symbolizing the reduction our fullness of joy by those deaths. All: BLOOD! FROGS! LICE! FLIES! CATTLE DISEASE! BOILS! HAIL! LOCUSTS! DARKNESS! DEATH OF THE FIRSTBORN! (three times) According to rabbinic teaching, we are to mention the three main things: The Unleavened Bread, The Bitter Herbs, and the Passover Lamb. The Matzah reminds us of the haste with which the Israelites fled Egypt. The Bitter Herbs remind us of the bitterness of slavery. This shankbone represents the Passover lamb whose blood marked the door frames of the Faithful in Egypt, who obeyed God's command. "...on the tenth day of this month each man is to take a lamb for his family, one for each household." (Exodus 12:3) "The animals you choose must be year-old males without defect..." (Exodus 12:5) "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." (Exodus 12:6) Twilight in Jewish time is "between the evenings", that is, at three o'clock in the afternoon. "Take a bunch of hyssop, dip it into the blood in the basin and put some of the blood on the top and on both sides of the doorframe...where they eat the lambs." (Exodus 12:2,7) Hyssop is used throughout the Scriptures in connection with cleansing. The basin is the trough in front of the threshold which drained water from the street. When the Israelites performed this act, they were making a cross with four bloody points, a symbol of our cleansing.
"That same night they are to eat the meat roasted over the fire along with bitter herbs and bread made without yeast." (Exodus 12:8) At the time of Jesus' Passover, rabbinic teaching required that the Passover Lamb was to be roasted vertically on a stake of wood. Since the animal was to be roasted whole and the entrails would spoil it if left inside the lamb, the rabbis also required that they be wrapped around the head of the lamb before roasting. The rabbis then called it the "crowned sacrifice". "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" (Exodus 12:11) "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." (Exodus 12:12,13) It is God Himself who works salvation for his people, whether in Egypt or on Golgotha. So the Lord brought us out "with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm, with great terror and with miraculous signs and wonders." (Deuteronomy 26:8) Let us drink the second cup now. (Drink the second cup here) Since the Temple no longer stands, lamb is not eaten at Passover. The shankbone is here to remind us of the Passover lamb. (lift the egg) An egg has been added to the Seder to signify the special holiday offering, sacrificed in the Temple on the day of Passover. In Judaism it is a symbol of mourning, for they mourn for the destruction of the Temple. Yet, it is also a symbol of birth and new life. DAYENU, IT WOULD HAVE BEEN SUFFICIENT Dayenu is the title of a very old Hebrew Passover song. The word "Dayenu" means approximately, "it would have been enough for us", ( Day in Hebrew is "enough", and enu is "for us"). Fortunately for some of us, we won t sing the song, but responsively recite the verses. For all He has done for us, it is more than enough, it is more than we deserve! He has been abundant in His blessings. The Lord is great and his steadfast love endures forever! For his acts of grace and mercy, we reply Dayenu, it would have been enough! Lord, if you only had died for us, Lord, if you only had forgiven us, Lord, if you only had cleansed us, Dayenu! Dayenu! Dayenu!
Lord if you only had raised us up, Lord, if you only had made us new all over again, Dayenu! Dayenu! Hallel - "Lord I Lift Your Name On High" SHULCHAN OREYCH, THE PASSOVER SUPPER A time to stretch/sing/break, etc PASSOVER: AFTER SUPPER/THE REVEALING TZAFUN, THE SEARCH FOR THE AFIKOMAN It is now "after supper", the time when Jesus revealed everything to his disciples. Earlier in our meal, we hid something, we called it afikoman. This was the middle Matzah, symbolizing for us the body of Jesus wrapped in a shroud and buried. Would one child please bring to me the afikoman which I wrapped in a linen cloth and hid earlier? (A child will retrieve it and find the Afikoman ) (Ushers pass the matzah again) There are many traditions about how the Afikoman became a part of the Passover ritual. The word Afikoman is directly related to the Greek word afikomenos, which means "that which comes after." Because of the two Passover themes of redemption and deliverance, the Jews came to look for their Deliverer, the Messiah, to appear during Passover. By Jesus' day, the Afikoman was a part of the ritual, symbolizing the long-awaited Messiah. To the early church, this meant Jesus. I would like to share some insights about what was happening at this point in the Last Passover. First the new covenant. NEW COVENANT: When Jesus took the Afikoman and the Cup of Redemption, he showed his disciples why he was to die. Jesus' death began a New Covenant with his disciples and all who would believe. What is a covenant? It is a contract between two parties declaring what each party will do for the other. It is voluntary and binding. In the New Covenant, Jesus promises complete forgiveness of sins, total cleansing from sin, and eternal, abundant life. All He asks in return is that we stay in our relationship with Him. Our love and obedience to Him are the signs of that relationship. In every covenant there are blessings for obedience and curses for disobedience. Jesus' words in John 14-17 shows us just a part of the blessings under the
New Covenant. Jesus promised: I WILL...Love you, send you the Holy Spirit, not leave you as orphans, give you the gift of life, give you eternal life. I Will...Reveal myself to you, Prepare a place for you, will come back for you, My Father and I will make our home with you, make the Father known to you, let the Father's love for me be in you. I WILL...Teach you, give you peace, you will bear much fruit, you will have answered prayers, let you ask the Father directly, let you use My name. I WILL...Lead you into all truth, take what is mine and share it with you, tell you what is to come, tell you things plainly, protect you, let you know me (intimately), bring you into unity, and let you see my glory. The curse for walking away from the New Covenant is found in John 15:2,4 and 6. "(The Father) cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit...remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me." "If anyone does not remain in me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned." Jesus showed them that while they stayed in relationship with him, wonderful fellowship and a fruitful life was theirs. If they walked away from him, they would begin to whither in their lives, having been cut off from the source of life, and over time, risking even eternal separation. Every time we eat the Afikoman and drink the third cup, we reaffirm our relationship with Jesus under the New Covenant. But something more was happening... MARRIAGE COVENANT In New Testament times, when a young man found a young lady he wanted to marry, he and his father approached the bride and her family with a proposal for betrothal or engagement. The bride-price was agreed on and a ketubah, or bridal covenant/contract, was written up. A cup of wine was poured and the young man drank from it. He then presented it to his potential bride. By drinking the cup, the young lady agrees to his proposal, accepting the price paid for her and the terms for the marriage. At that moment, the couple was now legally husband and wife. The only way to break the engagement is to file for a divorce. Remember Joseph and Mary? The young man then leaves for his father's house to begin building a place for the future newlyweds to live and consummate their love. Every day the son asks the father if it is time to go get or "take" his bride. Even if the house is not completed, he still asks. The father knows the son is so desirous of the bride that he might do a quick job. Everything must be just right to insure the couple's happiness. Only the father knows when the house is done. Meanwhile, the bride begins her preparations. She must learn how to lovingly please and serve her Beloved. A light is kept burning in her window to show him, when he comes, that she still loves him and wants to marry him. Every Sabbath, the bride drinks from the engagement cup to remember her husband and her vows to him.
When all is ready, the father sends his son to "take" his bride. The bridal procession begins at sundown, so torches and oil-lamps are needed to light the way. When the bridal procession reaches the edge of the bride's village, the friend of the bride-groom, a best-man of sorts, shouts "Behold, the bridegroom comes". The procession arrives at the bride's house, the couple are whisked away for the formal ceremony, the marriage supper, and the consummation of their marriage. Where else have we heard about someone preparing a place for us why does it sound so familiar? That's because Jesus wove the New Covenant together with the bridal covenant. We are the bride of Christ! "You are not your own, you were bought with a price." Repeat His promises with me: "In my Father's house are many rooms...i am going to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am." (John 14:2,3) No one knows the length of time until Jesus' Second Coming. No one knows the day or the hour of the Bridegroom's return, only the Father. There will come a shout at Jesus' appearing. We will celebrate the Marriage Supper of the Lamb. THE PASSOVER/COMMUNION As the Covenant People of God and the Bride of Christ, let us together remember all Jesus has done for us and proclaim his death. Messiah Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took the Afikoman, and spoke the blessing: Blessed are You, O Lord our God, King of the universe, who brings forth bread from the earth. He broke it and added the words, "This is my body, which is broken for you; do this in remembrance of me." (Luke 22:19) (prayer) With this matzah, Lord, we remember your death and how your body was broken on the cross because of our sin. Let us eat, meditating on the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. Let us allow the taste to linger in our mouths. KOS G'ULAH/B'RACHA, THIRD CUP - CUP OF REDEMPTION/BLESSING (ushers begin to pass the third cup) The first cup we drank was the Cup of Sanctification, the setting apart. The second cup was the Cup of Plagues - Iniquity. This Third Cup is called the
Cup of Redemption. It symbolizes the blood of the Lamb which redeemed the Israelites from slavery and redeems all believers from sin and death. Messiah Jesus lifted the Cup of Redemption and spoke the blessing, Blessed are You, O Lord our God, King of the Universe, who creates the fruit of the vine. Jesus said, "I am the vine and you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. This is to my Father's glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples." (John 15:5,8) Jesus said, "This is my blood of the New Covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins...do this in remembrance of me." (Matt 26:28, 1 Cor. 11:25) (all drink) ELIYAHU HANAVI, THE PROPHET ELIJAH You may have noticed that there is an empty chair here. There is a special place set at every Passover Seder table. This is for Elijah the Prophet. Malachi writes: "See, I will send you the prophet Elijah before that great and terrible day of the Lord comes." (Malachi 4:5) Since it is believed that Messiah will come at Passover, it is natural for Jewish people to look for Elijah to arrive first. And he did! Before John the Baptist's birth, the Lord said, "And he will go on before the Lord, in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous - to make ready a people prepared for the Lord." (Luke 1:17) Jesus said, "If you are willing to accept it, he is the Elijah who was to come." (Matthew 11:14) And John saw Jesus and declared, "Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!" "...I am not the Messiah but am sent ahead of him. The bride belongs to the bridegroom. The friend who attends the bridegroom listens for him, and is full of joy when he hears his voice. That joy is mine..." (John 1:29, 3:28,29)
KOS HARTZA-AH/, FOURTH CUP - CUP OF TAKING Our final cup is the Cup of Restoration, for Yahweh took His people from slavery and unto Himself. With this cup we join in praise for all the wonderful things the Lord has done. Just as he freed Israel from her enemies, He has freed us from our enemy and has brought us near to his heart. With this cup we anticipate Jesus' return to "take" his bride home for the Wedding Feast of All Wedding Feasts. As we stand, let us thank the Father from our hearts for drawing us together into His family. Let us exalt Jesus, our Messiah, Lord and Passover Lamb. Let us bless the Holy Spirit for making us new creations in Christ. Blessed are You, O Lord our God, King of the universe, who creates the fruit of the vine. Let's drink. Songs - "Let Us Rejoice!", "Behold, God Is My Salvation", "You Shall Go Out With Joy" All: MARANATHA! COME, LORD JESUS! Our Seder service is now complete! In Jesus' words, "It is Finished!" Give thanks to the Lord for He is good! "And his steadfast love endures forever! ALL: AMEN!