by Stan Kellner

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When I was a child, spring-time at my Jewish home Boston's North Shore heralded the celebration of a favorite eight-day holiday: Passover.

For at least a week before the ceremony, my mother cleaned the house of all products that contained yeast or "leaven."  Then she'd scrub the pantry before storing the matzo meal and farfel flour she'd use in many of the Passover dishes.

I loved the meal, which began with Mother singing the blessing over the candles. Then Father would hand out copies of our 48-page text (called the "Haggadah") marked with all of our speaking parts--English on one side; Hebrew on the other. Since I was the youngest child for several years, I had the task of singing (in Hebrew, of course!) the four questions that would trigger the story of our nation's captivity in Egypt and the way God had led us out.

I pondered the drama of the Exodus and the reminder through the stinging horseradish of how bitter slavery had been for my nation.  That wonder continued until the late '60s, when I "dropped out" of society--and out of my family's traditions.  

A New View

After six turbulent years in the hippie scene, I wound up in the Air Force, where a buddy introduced me to Jesus, the Son of the living God.  I'll never forget my first Bible study, which gave me a new appreciation of my heritage.

One week, the leader announced that we'd study Passover.  I thought, Hey, I'm the Jewish one.  How can you talk about that?  But as he explained the significance of each element, I was astonished at the link between Judaism and Christianity.  I wanted to know more, so in 1975, after I was discharged from the service, I enrolled at Dallas Bible College.  It was there I met my wife, Nita.  

Shortly after we were married in 1977, we heard a Jewish believer explain the seder to our church.  As I watched him, I realized I could present Passover in the same manner to other groups.

To help your family or Bible study group celebrate this special occasion, here are highlights of a 45-minute seder I present as a Jewish believer. (The seders of my youth lasted three or four hours.) You might also investigate Passover texts in bookstores.

Parsley (2 sprigs)
Charoseth (1 tablespoon)--Chopped apples, nuts, honey, cinnamon and a touch of grape juice, mixed to your liking.
Grape Juice (4 servings, 3 ounces each)
Saltwater (1 bowl per 4-5 people)--Add enough salt to cloud the water.
Horseradish (1/2 teaspoon and as "biting" as possible)
Matzo (plain, 1/4 square)

At the leaders place setting also provide:
1 bowl of saltwater
1 lamb bone (meatless and oven-roasted until browned)
3 whole squares of matzo and 4 napkins (the matzos are stacked between the napkins on a plate)
1 roasted egg (boil for 10 minutes;  then place it under oven broiler until shell is browned)

An extra setting for "Elijah":  Same as the "per person" setting with the exception that only one glass of juice is poured and left next to the plate. This symbolizes the future appearance of Elijah, who will signify the coming of the Messiah.

2 candles (white) and candlesticks (in the table center)

Stan Kellner shares the Passover tradition with (from the left): Nicky Martinez and his mother, Tina; Stan's wife, Nita; and Rich Martinez with daughter, Christina. The vacant chair symbolizes the expected appearance of Elijah.

* The cleaning of leaven. A few crumbs of leavened bread are dropped on the floor. The father--or another male leader--then sweeps them up as a symbol that the house is ready.

* The lighting of the candles. The candles are lit by the mother, who recites, "Blessed are You, O Lord our God, King of the universe, who sanctifies us by Your commandments and has ordained that we kindle the Passover lights."

* The first cup: The cup of sanctification. The father lifts his cup and explains, "sanctification means to be set apart. We are setting apart this ceremony as special to our Lord."

The Jews remember Exodus 6:6a, "I will bring you out [set you apart] from under the burdens of the Egyptians." God performed miraculous deeds to free Israel from Egypt. As believers, we remember the death of Jesus to free us. (Everyone drinks.)

* Washing of the hands. Here the father washes in a basin as a reminder of the priests' need to wash before they could go before God on behalf of Israel.

As Jesus celebrated His last Passover with His disciples, John 13 records that

He took a towel and washed their feet "--- instead of washing His hands as a symbol of His rightful leadership.

* Dipping the parsley. Everyone dips his or her parsley, one sprig at a time, into the saltwater and then eats it.

The first dip refers to the tears shed in slavery by the Israelites. The second dip refers to the drowning of the Egyptian army in the Red Sea and the miraculous deliverance of the nation of Israel as a result (Ex. 14:13-31).

*Breaking of the middle matzo. The father takes the middle square of the three whole matzos, breaks it in half, puts one half back and hides the other half anywhere he wants. Everyone closes his eyes while this is done. The children will look for the hidden piece later. The three squares of matzo are a beautiful picture of the Trinity, with the middle piece representing Jesus-broken and hidden away.

* At this point, the youngest child and the father interact to explain why Passover is celebrated. After asking the first "stage-setting" question, the child will ask four detailed ones.

Child: "Why is this night different from all other nights?"

Father: "Once we were slaves in Egypt, but now we are free, and we set aside this night each year to remember the great things God did for us."

Child: "On all other nights we eat either bread or matzo, but why, on this night, do we eat only matzo?"

Father: "Matzo reminds us of two things--we were delivered from slavery in Egypt, and we have a new life."

Child: "On all other nights we eat whatever vegetables we want, but why, on this flight, do we eat only a bitter one?"

Father: "We remember how bitter our ancestors' slavery was in Egypt."

Child: "On all other nights we do not dip our vegetables even once, but why, on this night, do we dip twice?"

Father: "We are reminded of tears and of a miraculous deliverance."

Child: "On all other nights we eat either sitting up or reclining, but why, on this night, do we all recline?"

Father: "Before we were slaves, but now we are able to recline to express the rest we enjoy as free people."

The story of Passover. During this time, Exodus 12:1-13 is read with brief comments and with the elements held up at the appropriate moment.

The lamb bone. The lamb was killed, its blood spread on the doorposts and lintel of the house to protect the home from the 10th plague, the slaying of the first-born. God said He would pass over the house when He saw the blood.

The unleavened bread. Dough was not given time to rise since the Hebrews had to be ready to leave quickly.

*The second cup: The cup of plagues. God poured out 10 plagues on Egypt, the last of which, the slaying of the firstborn, convinced Pharaoh to let the people of Israel leave the land.

After this explanation, the father invites the participants to recount these plagues. He reads each plague aloud; they repeat it and then dip a finger into the grape juice, letting a drop fall onto the plate to symbolize the plagues.

Believing fathers can add, "Now, let us lift our cups and drink, thanking God that He not only delivered the nation of Israel from the plagues, but that, through Jesus, He delivered us from the plague of sin, which brings death that we all deserve."

*The bitter herbs. Each person places horseradish on a matzo and eats it, symbolizing the bitterness of Israel's slavery.

*Eating of the charoseth. Each person places charoseth on a matzo and eats it, symbolizing the mortar that was used to make bricks by the Israelites.

*Eating the egg. The father presents the roasted egg as a reminder of the Temple's destruction in A.D. 70. The egg is dipped into the saltwater the symbol of tears--and then eaten.

* The eating of the meal. At this point, the Jewish family eats a full meal. (Some groups present just the ceremony, while others start the evening with a potluck dinner.)

* Eating of the Afikomen. This Greek word loosely translated means, "after dinner." At this point, the children hunt for the hidden matzo. Whoever finds the piece gets a token reward, maybe a coin or a piece of candy. When found, the Afikomen is broken and shared. Likely, it was at this point that Jesus said, "This is my body given for you" (Luke 22:19).

*The third cup: The cup of redemption. After the leader says, "I will redeem you," which is from Exodus 6:6, everyone drinks. Redemption means to buy out of slavery. The lamb offered on Passover was the price to deliver the nation of Israel. This third cup is what Jesus drank with His disciples as a symbol of His blood (Matt. 26:28).

*Searching for Elijah. Here one of the children peeks out the door.

Father: "Is Elijah there?"

Child: "No, he is not here."

Father: "Maybe next year Elijah will come!"

The Jewish people believe, according to Malachi 3:1 and 4:5-6, that Elijah will prepare the way for the Messiah. They are looking for the Messiah year after year, not recognizing that He, Jesus, has already come.

*The fourth cup: The cup of praise. As everyone lifts this cup, the father quotes Exodus 6:7, "I will take you for My people." The Jewish nation looks forward to a golden age where everyone will be at peace. We, as believers in the Lord Jesus, eagerly wait for His return when He will take us home to heaven.

So, with the Passover ceremony finished, everyone drinks the fourth cup proclaiming, "Even so, come quickly Lord Jesus." ·

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