How do the elements of the Passover Seder point to Christ?

Answer

The Seder is the traditional dinner that Jews partake in during Passover. The annual Passover celebration is observed by almost the entire Jewish community, connecting families and communities to their Jewish heritage. Every year, Jewish people, whether religious or not, honor the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob by coming together to participate in the Passover Seder.

The Hebrew term Seder translates to “order.” The Passover meal follows a specific sequence in which food is consumed, prayers are said, and songs are sung. Each item on the Passover plate holds a distinct historical significance linked to the Jews’ exodus from Egypt and their liberation from slavery. However, 1 Corinthians 5:7 reveals Jesus Christ as our Passover; hence, the Seder also conveys a New Testament significance associated with Jesus the Messiah.

Within the Seder, there are several powerful symbols of Christ. One such symbol is the shank bone of a lamb, which serves as a reminder to participants of God’s deliverance. During the tenth plague, God instructed the Israelites to mark their doorposts and lintels with the blood of an unblemished lamb so that the Lord would “pass over” their homes and spare the lives inside (Exodus 12:1-13). This act symbolizes salvation in Egypt but also represents Jesus, who was and is the “Lamb of God” «The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world. », (John 1:29). His sacrifice spares the lives of all who have faith. The guidelines for the original Passover stipulated that none of the lamb’s bones should be broken «In one house shall it be eaten; thou shalt not carry forth ought of the flesh abroad out of the house; neither shall ye break a bone thereof. », (Exodus 12:46), another foreshadowing of Christ’s death «But when they came to Jesus, and saw that he was dead already, they brake not his legs: », (John 19:33).

Another symbol of Christ on the Seder plate is the matzoh, or unleavened bread. As the Jewish people left Egypt, they were in great haste and therefore had no time to allow their bread to rise. From then on, Passover was followed by the week-long Feast of Unleavened Bread «Thou shalt eat no leavened bread with it; seven days shalt thou eat unleavened bread therewith, even the bread of affliction; for thou camest forth out of the land of Egypt in haste: that thou mayest remember the day when thou camest forth out of the land of Egypt all the days of thy life. », (Deuteronomy 16:3). There are some fascinating things about the matzoh that provide a remarkable picture of the Messiah:

For example, the matzoh is placed in a bag called an echad, which means “one” in Hebrew. But this one bag has three chambers. One piece of matzoh is placed into each chamber of the bag. The matzoh placed in the first chamber is never touched, never used, never seen. The second matzoh in the bag is broken in half at the beginning of the Seder; half of the broken matzoh is placed back in the echad, and the other half, called the Afikomen, is placed in a linen cloth. The third matzoh in the bag is used to eat the elements on the Seder plate.

The word echad is used in Genesis 2:24 (the man and his wife will become “echad,” or “one” flesh). The word also appears in Numbers 13:23 when the spies returned from Canaan with an echad cluster of grapes. In both cases, the word echad refers to a complex unity of one. Many Jews consider the three matzohs to represent Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. But they cannot explain why they break “Isaac” in half or why

They place half of the middle matzah back in the echad and keep the other half out, wrapped in a cloth.

The meaning of the Seder’s ritual of the matzahs is understood with clues from the New Testament. The Trinity is pictured in the matzahs. The first matzah that remains in the bag throughout the Seder represents Ha Av, the Father whom no man sees. The third matzah represents the Ruach Ha Kodesh, the Holy Spirit who dwells within us. And the second matzah, the broken one, represents Ha Ben, the Son. The reason the middle matzah is broken is to picture the broken body of Christ «and when he had given thanks, he broke it, and said, Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me. », (1 Corinthians 11:24). The half put back in the echad represents Jesus’ divine nature; the other half, wrapped in a linen cloth and separated from the echad represents Jesus’ humanity as He remained on earth.

The linen cloth that wraps half of the second piece of matzah suggests Jesus’ burial cloth. During the Seder, this linen cloth with the Afikomen inside is hidden, and after the dinner, the children present look for it. Once the Afikomen is found, it is held as a ransom. Again, we see that these rituals point to Christ: He was fully God yet fully human; He was broken for us; He was buried, sought for, and resurrected; and His life was given as a ransom for many «For even the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many. », (Mark 10:45). Jesus is the completion of the New Covenant of Jeremiah 31:31, and the Passover Seder rituals bear that out.

Also, the matzah used for the Passover Seder must be prepared a certain way. Of course, it must be unleavened—leaven is often equated with sin in the Scriptures, and Jesus is sinless. Second, the matzah

Oh, it must be striped—Jesus’ “stripes” (His wounds) are what heal us spiritually. «But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. », (Isaiah 53:5). And, third, the matzoh must be pierced—Jesus was nailed to the cross. «For dogs have compassed me: The assembly of the wicked have inclosed me: They pierced my hands and my feet. », (Psalm 22:16).

The other elements of the Seder plate are traditional reminders of the Israelite enslavement to the Egyptians. They are as follows:

Vegetable (Karpas) – This element, usually parsley, is dipped in salt water and eaten. The karpas pictures the hyssop that was used to apply the blood of the Passover lamb to homes of the Israelites in Egypt. In the New Testament, hyssop was used to give the Lamb of God vinegar when Jesus said He thirsted. «Now there was set a vessel full of vinegar: and they filled a spong with vinegar, and put it upon hyssop, and put it to his mouth. », (John 19:29). The salt water represents the tears shed during the bitter years of slavery and the Red Sea that God split during the exodus.

Bitter Herbs (Maror) – The eating of “bitter herbs” is commanded in Exodus 12:8. In modern times, this is usually horseradish, one of the bitterest herbs. The maror reminds the Jews that they were unable to offer sacrifice and worship to God, and that was more bitter than the slavery of Egypt.

Charoset (haroseth) – Charoset is a mixture of apples, nuts, wine, and spices. It represents the mortar the Israelites used in constructing buildings during their slavery to the Egyptians. Of all the elements of the Seder, charoset alone is sweet, and this is.As a reminder of the hope of redemption.

Hard-boiled or Roasted Egg (Baytzah) – Traditionally, hard-boiled eggs were eaten by mourners, and the egg is consumed during the Seder to remind participants that they are always in mourning for the loss of their temple. The fact that the egg is roasted evokes the roasting of the sacrifice on the altar of the temple.

There are also four cups of wine used at various points during the Seder. Each of these glasses of wine has a name: the first glass is the “cup of sanctification.” The second is the “cup of judgment.” The third is the “cup of redemption.” And the fourth is the “cup of praise.” At the Last Supper, Jesus took the first cup and promised His disciples that the next time He drank the fruit of the vine with them would be in the kingdom «And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and said, Take this, and divide it among yourselves: », (Luke 22:17). Later in the Seder, Jesus took the third cup—the cup of redemption—and used that cup as a symbol of the New Covenant in His blood «Likewise also the cup after supper, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood, which is shed for you. », (Luke 22:20). Thus, Jesus fulfilled the Passover symbolism and infused the whole feast with a new meaning.

In Exodus 6:6, the Lord God promised His people that He would save them from slavery: “I am the LORD, and I will bring you out from under the yoke of the Egyptians. I will free you from being slaves to them, and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with mighty acts of judgment.” The phrase “with an outstretched arm” is repeated throughout the Old Testament in connection with Passover remembrances: Deuteronomy 4:34; 7:19; 9:29; 26:8; 2 Kings 17:36; Psalm 136:12; Jeremiah 32:21. Can it be a coincidence that, in the New Testament, the Messiah had both of His arms out?

Have you ever considered how Jesus stretched out to free us from sin and bring us salvation?