After the meal. He took the Afikomen (the middle piece of Matzah broken in two and laid aside or hidden earlier) and gave thanks (Matthew 26:26): "Blessed are You, O Lord our God, King of the Universe, the Creator Who brings forth bread from the earth", according to the Jewish Haggadah. Then He broke the Afikomen bread and passed round the third cup of wine, called the Cup of Blessing or the Cup of Redemption. Jesus said "This cup is the new covenant in My blood, which is poured out for you" (Luke 22:20).
As we went through the Hagaddah (the Order of Service) it became clear that Passover is more than a festival, it is a teaching experience to call us to who we are as the children of God and especially poignant is the realization that the Passover Seder is not only the story of the redemption of the Israelites from slavery under Pharaoh, but our redemption in Christ Jesus.
At the heart of the Seder is the Passover story. It is traditionally read as a parent telling the exodus story to children, following the Biblical command, "When your children ask in time to come . . . then you shall tell them" (Ex 14:14; Deut 6:20-21). The four questions, actually five with the first general question introducing the four more detailed ones, are usually asked by the youngest child present that can read. Since we did not have children present, the youngest member of our group, Jeanine read the same four questions that have been asked from one generation to the next…..
Why is night different than any other nights during the year?
- Why is it that on all other nights during the year we eat either bread or matzoh, but on this night we eat only matzoh?
Although the traditional answers were read, I think in coming years we might consider answering differently…..
“Because tonight we remember our Lord and Savior Jesus, by whose stripes we are healed.”
Why is it that on all other nights we eat all kinds of herbs, but on this night we eat only bitter herbs?
“To remember the bitterness of slavery, not only the cruel slavery of the Israelites in Egypt but the bitterness of our bondage to sin.”
- Why is it that on all other nights we do not dip our herbs even once, but on this night we dip them twice?
“The first dip, green vegetables in salt water, symbolizes the replacing of tears with gratefulness, and the second dip, Moror in Charoses, symbolizes sweetening the burden of bitterness and suffering to lessen its pain. Christ bore that pain for us.”
- Why is it that on all other nights we eat either sitting or reclining, but on this night we eat in a reclining position?
“In the Jewish tradition, reclining while eating was a symbol of a freed slave. Today, we can recline because our Passover Lamb has given us freedom!”
And he said to them, "I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer. Luke 22:15
This yearly Passover tradition for our small group is a wonderful picture of Christ’s atonement for and deliverance from, the bondage of our sin. This is something we should celebrate and be thankful for daily!
