SEASONS - SPRING BEGINS WITH A FAMILY PASSOVER - (PART FIVE)

PRAYER OF THANKSGIVING

Had the Holy One, Blessed be He, not taken out our forefathers from Egypt, then we, our children, and our children’s children would still be enslaved to Pharaoh in Egypt.  Blessed is the Omnipresent, Blessed be He!  Blessed is He who gave the Torah to His people Israel.  Blessed be He!

 (Here the leader lifts his cup and says a sanctification blessing over the 2^nd Cup)

BLESSED ARE YOU, LORD OUR GOD, KING OF THE UNIVERSE, WHO CREATES THE FRUIT OF THE VINE.

The second cup is the cup of judgment.  When Jesus went to pray in the Garden of Gethsemane, He prayed, “Father, if Thou be willing remove this cup from me; nevertheless, not my will, but Thine be done.”  And there appeared an angel unto him from heaven, strengthening Him, and being in agony he prayed more earnestly.  And His sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground. 

He did not want to drink of this Cup of Judgment, but did so because He knew the will of His Father was best.  Jesus had a Passover Seder the night before He died for our sins.  While drinking the second cup, Jesus said “For this is my blood of the New Testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.”

Jesus drank from the Cup of Judgment so we will not have to. 

(EVERYONE DRANK THE SECOND CUP)

Luke 22:19 says “And he took bread, and gave thanks and broke it and gave unto them, saying “This is my body which is given for you:  this do in remembrance of me.”

BLESSED ARE YOU O LORD OUR GOD, KING OF THE UNIVERSE, WHO HAS SANCTIFIED US WITH HIS COMMANDMENTS AND COMMANDED US CONCERNING THE REMOVAL OF LEAVEN.

(Everyone took a piece of Matzoh and ate it)

BLESSED ARE YOU, O LORD OUR GOD, KING OF THE UNIVERSE, WHO HAS COMMANDED US TO EAT OF THE BITTER HERBS. 

This symbolizes of the bitterness of slavery and the bitterness of our sin.  The bitter vegetable should be eaten together with matzoh.  Let us also remember the bitterness of the crucifixion Jesus went through for our sins.

 

(Everyone takes a small piece of matzoh, dips it into the horseradish and eats it.)

Now we will eat the bitter herbs on the matzoh again, but this time with the Charoset.  The Charoset symbolizes the mortar used by the People of God in building during their slavery.  The mixture symbolizes how the sweetness of Jesus can overcome bitter sin.

BLESSED ARE YOU O LORD OUR GOD, KING OF THE UNIVERSE, WHO HAS ORDAINED THAT WE CELEBRATE THE PASSOVER.  HELP US, GOD TO REMEMBER THE TWO STORIES OF HOW YOU GIVE FREEDOM TO YOUR PEOPLE, FIRST THE FREEDOM FROM EGYPT, AND NOW OUR FREEDOM FROM SIN THROUGH YOUR PRECIOUS SON, JESUS. 

(Everyone makes the Hillel sandwich and eats).

At this point we pause for our full festive meal.

 

By this part of the service, everyone is hungry!
  

We are reminded there are still two more cups of wine and a few more things to finish up for the Seder after our meal is done, and that the Hebrew tradition is not to say grace until AFTER the meal is finished when you give thanks for it.

The food for this meal was kept very simple:

Matzoh

A Salad, A Main Dish, A Dessert

(No foods containing leaven)

If we are with our church congregation we enjoy a pause for fellowship.  If we are with other  friends we have a time to catch up on conversations and share our faith.  If we are with our family we often play music and discuss good family memories.  The actual meal is always an enjoyable time.  It is fun looking for special recipes each year.

After the meal there is the hunt for the Afikkoman.  Whoever finds the carefully hidden treasure hands it to the leader and receives a ransom prize.

GRACE AFTER THE MEAL AND THE THIRD CUP

THE CUP OF REDEMPTION

(Our leader pours the 3^rd cup)

 When Jesus ate the Passover meal as an obedient Jew, He drank from the first and second cups, however, He did not drink from the third cup.  While drinking the second cup, Jesus said, “Drink ye all of it; for this is my blood of the New Testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.  But I say unto you, I will not drink henceforth of this fruit of the vine, until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s Kingdom”  The disciples drank the third cup; but Jesus could not because it represented redemption.  Jesus was willing to drink the second cup, the cup of wrath, but He excluded himself of the redemption by not drinking the third cup.  The next day, Jesus, who knew no sin, became sin for us and died in that sin to redeem us.

BLESSED ARE YOU, O LORD OUR GOD, KING OF THE UNIVERSE, WHO HAS GIVEN US THE CUP OF REDEMPTION.

(Everyone dranks the third cup)

(Continued in Part Six)