No 2

(The Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread)

“And they shall eat the flesh in that night roast with fire and unleavened bread and with bitter herbs they shall eat it” (Exodus 12 : 8). “And ye shall observe this thing for an ordinance to thee and to thy sons forever” (v. 24). Of all the Jewish feasts, the Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread are the feasts that mostly picture our redemption in Jesus Christ; the feast is also called “Pesach”. Jewish families celebrate this feast during the month of Nisan, from the 15^th to the 22^nd. The actual ceremony is called “seder” and a book called a “Haggadah” is used that contains all the rabbinical commentaries, assorted prayers and songs. As a matter of fact, we are in the middle of Passover right now (Mar 29).

On the original Passover table there were the 3 elements as described in the above verse but since then, several items have been added with each having its own symbolic meaning. They are: 1) Wine or grape juice – Four times during the Passover seder, cups are filled with wine or grape juice that represent the 4 ways in which God describes Israel’s redemption from Egypt (Exod 6: 6,7). 2) The cup of Elijah – Based on Malachi 4:5, Jewish tradition would have it that an extra place for Elijah be set in case he comes back that day; during the evening, a child goes to the door and checks if Elijah is there. 3) Parsley – symbolizes the hyssop branch that was used to place the blood of the Passover lamb on the lintels and doorposts as described in Exod 12:22. 4) Salt water – symbolizes the tears that were shed in Egypt. 5) Charoset – a mixture of apples, nuts, cinnamon and wine that represents the mortar and bricks in Egypt. 6) A hard-boiled egg – the origin is uncertain and some families have it on the table simply for its symbolic meaning. 7) Lettuce – this serves as another form of bitter herbs. Today, Jews use bread that is unleavened and even has tiny holes in it to ensure that no fermentation could ever occur; this unleavened bread is called “matzo”. Three pieces of matso are placed in a pouch on the table. A piece is broken off and hidden in the house to be found later by a child; this hidden piece of matzo is called the “afikomen”.

During His last Passover meal, Jesus partook of the unleavened bread and drank of the Passover cup; He and His disciples concluded the ceremony with a hymn (Matt 26:30). A very significant aspect of the Last Supper is that Jesus applied two of the elements on the table to Himself: the bread and the wine. Just as the Passover was to be a memorial, so is the communion service. By applying these 2 elements to Himself, He clearly stated that Passover foreshadowed His coming as Messiah. The 3 original elements tell the story of the redemption of Jesus Christ: 1) The bitter herbs – spiritual slavery is much worse that physical slavery. 2) The unleavened bread – leaven symbolizes sin. 3) The Lamb – just as the Passover lamb was to be unblemished, so was Jesus; He was sinless.