A Messianic Jewish Passover

Since converting to Christianity eight years ago, I developed an interest in learning about Jewish culture, as it was within Jewish culture that Jesus lived. When I moved to Chicago and was looking for a church to attend, I was thrilled to find a Messianic Jewish congregation not far from where I was living. For those who don't know, Messianic Jews are Jews who have come to recognize Jesus as their Messiah, as opposed to non-Messianic Jews, who are still waiting. Church services are full of Jewish elements, such as worship songs in Hebrew, Hebrew terminology, and other bits of Jewish culture.

In addition to the services, the congregation also celebrates Jewish holidays together. While I was a part of this congregation, for example, I had the opportunity to learn more about the Jewish Holocaust on Yom HaShoah, or Holocaust Remembrance Day. I also had the tremendous experience of celebrating Passover with them, which was something I had wanted to do since my first weeks as a Christian, during which I ravenously devoured the Bible from cover to cover. I had, however, already celebrated Passover, but with a Christian congregation that knew little of Jewish culture. Honestly, I don't even know what the point is if every single element has been Christianized and there is no mention of the original Passover. What are we really learning, then?

The Passover with the Messianic Jewish congregation was refreshingly different than the Christian Seders in which I'd participated. It was the cultural experience I'd been seeking, full of actual Jewish cuisine, an authentic Seder plate, Jewish songs, the reciting of the Haggadah, the hiding of the afikoman, and so on. While the celebration was thoroughly Jewish, it was also Christian. While we recognized that the maror, or bitter herbs, represented the bitterness of the slavery of the Israelites in Egypt, we also recognized that it represented our own slavery to sin.

The karpas represented not only the tears cried by the Israelites while enslaved, but our own tears that will one day be wiped away. As it is written in Revelation, "For the Lamb in the midst of the throne will be their shepherd, and he will guide them to springs of living water, and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes" (7:17), and, "He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away" (21:4).* Additionally, while we recognized that the z'roa, or lamb shankbone, represented the original sacrifice that spared the Israelites from the Tenth Plague, the death of the firstborn, it also represented the final and ultimate sacrifice of the Lamb of God, Jesus Christ, who spares those who trust in him from eternal death.

There are also four cups of wine that are drunk during the Seder. These cups represent four promises made by God to the Israelites. The first cup, the Cup of Sanctification, represents God's promise to bring them out of Egypt. The second, the Cup of Deliverance, symbolizes God's promise to deliver the Israelites from slavery. The third cup, the Cup of Redemption, reminds us of God's promise to redeem His people. The last cup, the Cup of Restoration, represents God's promise to take the Israelites to be His people. According to some, it was this third cup, the Cup of Redemption, that Jesus told his disciples to drink, saying, "Drink it, all of you, for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins" (Matt 26:27b-28). 1

Another important element of the Seder is the plate of three matzot, which are stacked inside of a pouch, each piece inside its own compartment. Those who celebrate Passover from a Christian perspective have come to find special meaning in these three matzot, believing that while together but separate, they represent the Holy Trinity. In the Jewish tradition, the middle matzo is broken and one half is placed back inside the pouch, while the other half is used as the afikoman. Christians see this as symbolic of Jesus's sacrifice of himself, the breaking of his own body. Indeed, it seems that Jesus intended for Christians to make this identification: "Now as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and after blessing it broke it and gave it to the disciples, and said, "Take, eat; this is my body." Christians also take note of the stripes and punctures that mark the pieces of matzo, recalling Isaiah 53, particularly verse 5, which states, "But he was wounded for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his stripes we are healed."

For those Christians, and even those who are not but are curious, who haven't yet participated in a Seder, I highly recommend looking for an opportunity to celebrate with a Messianic Jewish congregation if there is one in your area. While the Seders hosted by Christian churches with no Jewish roots are okay, they are missing the history, collective memory, and authentic cultural elements that are so essential to really appreciating Passover and God's eternal faithfulness to His people.

*All verses are from the English Standard Version.

1. http://www.hebrew4christians.com/Holidays/Spring_Holidays/Pesach/Seder/Kadesh/kadesh.html