Shalom! That was the greeting we were met with as we began an enlightening evening learning about Christ in the Passover with a visiting speaker from Jews for Jesus, Julia Pascoe. It took place on Maundy Thursday, the day in the church’s calendar when we remember the last supper that Jesus shared with his disciples ahead of the events of his betrayal, trial, death and resurrection. We were reminded that it was the Passover supper that Jesus was celebrating in the upper room that evening – the traditional meal re-enacted by Jews throughout history to remember their rescue from slavery in Egypt. Yet that night, Jesus re-wrote history, fulfilling the promises hinted at in the Passover meal, setting in train a pattern for remembering, through communion, the rescue that we have through him.
As we tasted our way through the different elements of the Passover (Pesach) meal (Seder), we learnt Hebrew words, were introduced to age-old traditions and were told about the symbolism of each item for the Jews. The Matzah (unleavened bread) was made in a hurry as the Israelites fled Egypt; Maror (bitter herbs dipped in salt water) and Chazaret (bitter root) remind us of the hardship and tears when God’s people were in slavery; Charoset represents the mortar of the buildings the Israelites built, and the Karpas (greens) evoked memories of better times.
Some elements of the Seder meal had particular goose-bump-inducing resonance with the salvation that we have through Jesus, such as the Zeroa (a lamb bone) representing the sacrificial lamb whose blood gave protection from the angel of death who literally ‘passed over’ in Exodus 12; and the Afikomen, a Matzah broken into three pieces, the middle piece being hidden, then found, to great rejoicing. That would have been the same bread that Jesus broke and likened to his own body at the last supper; and the four sips of wine, which in the Passover meal represent sanctification, deliverance, redemption and praise would have been the same cup of wine that Jesus shared with his disciples, likening it to his own blood.
We learnt that the Passover meal is a powerful re-enactment of a story of salvation for the Jews; a reminder to help them remember. So too, the bread and wine in communion are a wonderful reminder for us of the ultimate sacrifice of Jesus for our salvation. ‘Indeed Christ, our Passover, was sacrificed for us. Therefore let us keep the feast’. (1 Corinthians 5:7-8)
Here are a few comments from those who were there:
‘She was a wonderfully engaging speaker, really easy to listen to.’
‘I never knew there was so much symbolism in the Jewish Passover that we see made a reality in Jesus.’
‘I really enjoyed the evening – I found out things I hadn’t known before; it gave a useful insight into a tradition which helps us understand communion.’
‘The meal we had after the Passover Seder was delicious, many thanks to all who prepared and served it!’