Good Friday
On Wednesday night my friend Denise hosted a Seder dinner at her house for Passover. Denise likes to learn about the historical and cultural context in which the Bible was written and she likes to pretend she’s Jewish (Messianic, of course), so she researched the Seder and has been hosting each year since 2006. A Seder is a communal meal held on the first night of Passover, set aside to remember God’s faithfulness in bringing his people out of Egypt.
I’m always amazed at how I’m affected every year by the readings we use in the Seder. We use a Haggadah (the guide used to go through the different rituals and retelling of the events of the Exodus) that is written from a Christian point-of-view. It is such a neat tradition because it gives Christians an opportunity to see God’s redemption plan through His history with the Israelites. I think it’s important for me, as a Christian, to understand the events of the Old Testament so that I can better understand what happened in the New Testament.
It has also given more meaning to The Lord’s Supper for me. The Last Supper was a Passover meal, something that I have skimmed right over in the past because I didn’t understand all of the historical context for the Jewish festivals. Christ chose to share his last Passover meal with his disciples. Matthew 26:17-30 recounts the story, as do the other three gospels. Christ and His disciples went through the same rituals we did, on the very night He was betrayed. He took the traditional rituals further and when the disciples ate the unleavened bread and drank the last cup, He gave additional meaning to their tradition.
The deliverance they had been waiting for was going to be fulfilled in their immediate future. Christ broke away from tradition, refusing the last cup and stating that He would not drink of the fruit of the vine until He drank with them in His Father’s kingdom (Matthew 26:29). Through this, He commanded us to remember His sacrifice and to look to the future, for His second-coming. He bridged God’s commands to retell and remember the past with the New Covenant—He died for us and He will return for us, fulfilling all of His promises.
There is so much symbolism in the Passover, some that I don’t fully understand. But I do understand that Christ was the fulfillment of God’s covenant with His people. He poured out His life for them and for us. He is our deliverance. I am always moved by the end of the Seder because we anticipate the fulfillment of the New Covenant—Christ’s return to this Earth. It ends with everyone saying “Next year in the New Jerusalem.” That is so meaningful to the believer who has placed his faith in Christ’s promises. He will return for us and rebuild Jerusalem. As I reflect on His death today, I also look forward to His return. I pray that you will too.
"Praise and glory and wisdom and thanks and honor and power and strength be to our God forever and ever." Revelation 7:12
I’m always amazed at how I’m affected every year by the readings we use in the Seder. We use a Haggadah (the guide used to go through the different rituals and retelling of the events of the Exodus) that is written from a Christian point-of-view. It is such a neat tradition because it gives Christians an opportunity to see God’s redemption plan through His history with the Israelites. I think it’s important for me, as a Christian, to understand the events of the Old Testament so that I can better understand what happened in the New Testament.
It has also given more meaning to The Lord’s Supper for me. The Last Supper was a Passover meal, something that I have skimmed right over in the past because I didn’t understand all of the historical context for the Jewish festivals. Christ chose to share his last Passover meal with his disciples. Matthew 26:17-30 recounts the story, as do the other three gospels. Christ and His disciples went through the same rituals we did, on the very night He was betrayed. He took the traditional rituals further and when the disciples ate the unleavened bread and drank the last cup, He gave additional meaning to their tradition.
The deliverance they had been waiting for was going to be fulfilled in their immediate future. Christ broke away from tradition, refusing the last cup and stating that He would not drink of the fruit of the vine until He drank with them in His Father’s kingdom (Matthew 26:29). Through this, He commanded us to remember His sacrifice and to look to the future, for His second-coming. He bridged God’s commands to retell and remember the past with the New Covenant—He died for us and He will return for us, fulfilling all of His promises.
There is so much symbolism in the Passover, some that I don’t fully understand. But I do understand that Christ was the fulfillment of God’s covenant with His people. He poured out His life for them and for us. He is our deliverance. I am always moved by the end of the Seder because we anticipate the fulfillment of the New Covenant—Christ’s return to this Earth. It ends with everyone saying “Next year in the New Jerusalem.” That is so meaningful to the believer who has placed his faith in Christ’s promises. He will return for us and rebuild Jerusalem. As I reflect on His death today, I also look forward to His return. I pray that you will too.
"Praise and glory and wisdom and thanks and honor and power and strength be to our God forever and ever." Revelation 7:12
Dear Micah, I prasie the Lord that you are standing on the promises of God. Love, MeeMaw
ReplyDeleteLove it. Shalom.
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