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| Remembering that Last Passover Meal with the Lord. |
Men didn’t often carry pitchers of
water…that was a women’s job in early Jewish culture. So it must have been easy
for the disciples to identify the man with whom they needed to speak. He was
carrying a pitcher of water. The disciples went to the Upper Room and prepared
the Passover Meal. Passover. A very sacred time in the life of a Jew. One of
their great holidays—a celebration of their liberation from the oppressive
slavery under the Egyptians. Remember—God had told them. Remember and
commemorate.
This is a day you are to commemorate; for
the generations to come you shall celebrate it as a festival to the LORD—a lasting
ordinance. Exodus 12:14 NIV
I love the way the Passover Meal is a
special family time and everyone is involved—children, parents, others family
members and guests. When the family is looking through the house searching for
leaven, I wonder how far back that tradition dates. Did Jesus and the other
children in His home look for leaven in preparation for the Passover? Did His
mother, Mary, like other mothers, light a candle to begin the celebration? Wash
your hands before you eat…part of the Levitical ritual, but Jesus carried this
tradition further to include foot washing, showing Himself to be a servant to His
disciples. This purification was only for the external body…not for the spirit.
No amount of water could wash away sin, only blood could take away that
transgression.
For the life of the flesh is in the blood,
and I have given it to you on the altar to make atonement for your souls; for
it is the blood by reason of the life that makes atonement. Leviticus 17:11
NASB.
The Passover Seder continues including four
questions asked by children. Did Jesus ask these questions as a child?
1.
Why is this night
different from all other nights?
2.
On all other nights we
eat any kind of vegetable. Why on this night only maror—the bitter herbs?
3.
On all other nights we
are not required to dip our vegetables even once. Why on this night two times?
4.
On all other nights we
eat sitting upright or reclining. Why on this night do all recline?
Just a little later the ten plagues that
God inflicted on the Egyptians are recalled:
Blood
Frogs
Lice
Flies
Pestilence
Boils
Hail
Locusts
Darkness
Death
of the firstborn
The three essentials of Passover are
discussed.
The
Passover Lamb, slain for the redemption of the Hebrew people in Egypt. The lamb’s
blood was placed on the doorposts to show that a Hebrew family lived in that
house. That family was spared as the angel of death took the lives of the first
born throughout Egypt. Likewise by faith the blood of our Savior applied to our
hearts allows God’s judgment to pass over our sin—and we are saved.
The
matzoh, the unleavened bread, reminds us how the Hebrew people didn’t have time
to let their bread rise as they prepared to leave Egypt. It reminds us of the
perfect life of Jesus who was without sin. It also has stripes, like those that
were inflicted on Jesus’ back. Jesus declared that He is the Bread of Life…
Jesus
said, "I tell you the truth, Moses didn't give you bread from heaven. My
Father did. And now he offers you the true bread from heaven. The true bread of
God is the one who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world."
... Jesus replied, "I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never
be hungry again. Whoever believes in me will never be thirsty." John
6:32-33, 35.
The maror, a
bitter herb—represented often using horseradish, reminds us of the bitter life
of slavery that the Egyptians inflicted on the Hebrew people. The Israelites
worked hard making bricks and mortar, doing field work and whatever labor the
Egyptians asked of them. Life was bitter. Likewise God has brought us out of
slavery to freedom with Him—from darkness to light—from bondage to redemption.
Besides of course, a grand and glorious
meal, the Passover Celebration includes singing, Scripture readings, responses
and four cups: Sanctification, Deliverance, Redemption, and Praise. A time of
looking for Elijah, who was to return before the coming of the Messiah, takes
place near the end of the Seder celebration. For the Messianic Jews, and for
Christians, the Passover is completed with the sacrifice of Jesus’ death on the
Cross. How do you view the Passover? Does the Journey to the Cross bringing
Jesus closer to completing God’s redemption plan? Are you part of that plan?
Prayer ~ Jesus, as You journeyed closer to
the Cross and experienced Your last Passover with Your disciples, did You
recall the Passover celebrations that You had with Your family when You were
growing up? Did You sing the Psalms, like Psalms 115-118? This time of Passover
is a celebration…and also a time of humbling sadness as we recall Your
sacrifice on the Cross, the beating that You experienced prior to Your crucifixion,
and the humiliation You endured from the Romans and the Jewish religious
leaders. Thank You for being obedient to Our Heavenly Father.
Daily Bible Reading: 1 Samuel 18-20; Psalm
11, 59
©
2017 by Mickey M. Hunacek. All rights reserved. Photo by Mickey.
All
scripture quoted from the New Living Translation (NLT) unless otherwise noted.
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