Dig into your spiritual roots and discover 8 Reasons Why the Passover Seder Matters to Christians.
There’s nothing quite like sitting down to a big meal with family or a gathering of close friends to celebrate a birthday, holiday or some other special event. Sitting around a table and sharing a meal—eating, laughing, telling stories, catching up—can bring you closer together and cause you to walk away feeling physically and emotionally full.
Throughout Scripture and history, however, no “family meal” has held more significance for as long as the Jewish Passover Seder—the meal God established more than 2300 years ago to commemorate His delivering the Israelites from their enslavement to Egypt. And it’s still around today! Just prior to Israel’s liberation and the first celebration of this meal, God told His people, “Each year, from generation to generation, you must celebrate it [the Passover meal] as a special festival to the LORD. This is a law for all time” (Exodus 12:14).
You can join with the Jewish people in celebrating the Passover Seder, which typically happens in the month of April. Here’s a list of 8 Reasons Why the Passover Seder Matters to Christians and is relevant to your faith today.
- The Passover meal required a lamb without spot or blemish to be slaughtered each year. Jesus is the Word of God that became flesh, lived on this earth and then became the Passover Lamb that was crucified, thereby taking away the sin of the world once and for all (Exodus 12:1-10; John 1:14, 29; Matthew 26:17-19, 26-28).
- The Passover meal commemorates Israel’s deliverance from enslavement to Pharaoh. Jesus is the Truth that delivers you from enslavement to sin (Exodus 13:8-10, 14-16; John 8:31-36).
- The Passover meal commemorates the blood of the lamb that caused death to pass over the Israelites (a one-time event). Jesus’ blood defeated death for all of eternity (Exodus 12:12-13; 1 Corinthians 15:54-57).
- The Passover meal required Israel’s households to be purged of all leaven. Jesus delivers your hearts from all wickedness (Exodus 12:17-20; 1 Corinthians 5:6-8; 1 John 1:9).
- The Passover meal included bitter herbs as a reminder of the bitterness of slavery the Israelites had suffered. You now live under the freedom of God’s grace and are slaves to God and to righteousness (Exodus 12:8; Romans 6:6-22).
- The Passover required the Israelites to smear lamb’s blood around their doors. Jesus, the Lamb of God, stands at the door to your heart and knocks, announcing that today is the day of your salvation (Exodus 12:6-7, 12-13; Revelation 3:20; 2 Corinthians 6:1-2).
- The Passover meal required the Israelites to wash their hands before taking part in the ceremonial food at the table. Jesus makes you clean (holy) by washing you with the water of God’s Word (John 11:55; Mark 7:1-4; Ephesians 5:25-27).
- It was the custom of royalty to recline at their meals, so the Israelites began reclining during the Passover meal to demonstrate their freedom. Jesus invites you to recline at the table with Him, to celebrate and partake of a feast of freedom, casting all your care on Him (Luke 22:14-16; 1 Peter 5:6-7).
To experience all the activities of the Passover Seder and its profound meaning, you can watch and participate in the feast with Pastors George and Terri Pearsons and their guests at Eagle Mountain International Church.
As the true Passover Lamb, Jesus was not keeping tradition alive for tradition’s sake. He brought Old Covenant teachings and requirements—like the Passover Seder—into fulfillment. And He did it for your sake!
God spent thousands of years preparing a table of freedom and blessing for His people to enjoy. Dig into your spiritual roots with these 8 Reasons Why the Passover Seder Matters to Christians and allow it to enrich your heritage of faith!
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