Last Thursday night our family had our traditional Passover meal which we have every Thursday evening before Easter to remember the Last Supper that occurred during the feast of the Passover on Christ's final week before his crucifixion. We have been doing it for several years now, and it is a special evening for our family. It started out very simple where we sampled a few of the foods from the Jewish Seder ceremony and discussed the symbolism of them before eating our "Jerusalem dinner" of foods that Christ might have had in his time. But as my boys have gotten older and are to the point where they can really understand and participate, and as I have learned more and received more insights, we spend more and more time on the symbolism of the Seder - there is SO much symbolism of Christ and his atonement there! My children really listen and pay attention, and the spirit is so strong.
We have our Passover meal outside. I cover the table with muslin then decorate with palm fronds, oil lamps, a statue of Christ in Gethsemane, and of course the ceremonial Seder food. (I don't have a Seder plate yet - still looking for a cool one at a garage sale.)
When dinner is ready, we light the lamps, someone gives a blessing on the food, and perhaps we will sing an Easter hymn, and then we begin. The actual Seder ceremony is quite long and involves stories, prayers and chants. It's purpose is to bring the Jews to a remembrance of Moses' bringing the children of Israel out of bondage to the Egyptians and the miracle of the passover. We don't do this as a family, though we did a shortened version of it just Wednesday with the youth and I found it extremely interesting and I learned a lot.
What I do with my family is much simpler. We discuss each of the ceremonial foods in the Seder, (and sample them, of course) and some of the other things that occur during the ceremony. We talk about what Each thing represents as far as the Jews believe concerning the events of the passover, and then we discuss what each thing represents as symbolic for Jesus Christ and his atonement.
First we talk about what symbols are, and how the Lord uses symbols to teach, especially in his temples. Then I have the boys tell us the story of Moses and the plagues and the Passover. then we go through the foods: a lamb shank, fresh parsley and salt water, horseradish, romaine lettuce, charoset (finely chopped apples, nuts, cinnamon, and honey), and a roasted egg, grape juice (wine), and matzos (unleavened bread.)
lamb shank: The lamb shank represents the pascal lamb - unblemished first born lamb - the blood of which the Jews were supposed to paint their doorposts with on that fateful night of the first Passover. After that, the pascal lamb was to be used for sacrifice in the temple in Jerusalem. back then, the Jews would sacrifice and devour an entire lamb. Now that the Jews no longer have a temple, they only use a lamb shank to symbolize the pascal lamb. Of course, Christ is the Lamb of God, the firstborn, only begotten of the father, and without blemish of sin. The Jews were being prepared for Christ's coming and then crucifixion when they were told to sacrifice the lamb. Additionally, the lamb also reminds us that Christ is the Good Shepard, and we are his sheep. The sheep know his voice and follow him. He gives his life for his sheep.
I have tried to make lambs a special part of our Easter, and we kind of steer away from the Easter Bunny for this reason. Lambs are just so much more symbolic of the true meaning of the holiday. Click here to see my lamb collection that I posted last year.
This year I have added these sweet sheep that my dear friend Shari brought me from a small wooden toy shop in Germany. I just love them!
Parsley and salt water: The saltwater represents the tears of the Jewish slaves in Egypt, and the fresh parsley represents springtime and life. The Jews dip the parsley into the salt water and eat it as a remembrance that they were in bondage and in sorrow, and that they were freed and given a new life. Of course, the salt water can also represent the bitter tears spilt by Christ in the garden of Gethsemane on our behalf, and also the tears of sorrow spilt by His disciples when he was crucified, and later tears of joy when they learned that he was indeed risen again. Also, the tears of pain and sorrow that we feel when we sin. The parsley is spring and life, and absorbs the tears, like Christ and his atonement will do for us if we but repent.
Bitter Herbs (horseradish/romaine): We used to do Romaine as our bitter herb, because it is much milder fir the kids. But this year we tried the horseradish, and it had a much more powerful effect. Both start our mild when you first eat them, but then get bitter as you shew them. The horseradish gets eye-watering intense! They both represent the state of the Jews in Egypt. They came to Egypt initially because of Joseph to flee the famine. Sweet. But over the generations, somehow their stay there became extremely bitter as they were made into slaves. Egypt represents sin. So too, the bitter herbs can represent sin, which often at first seems mild, like addiction for instance, like it isn't hurting anybody, or its not that bad, but the longer it is indulged, the more bitter it becomes.
Charoset: Charoset is a mixture of finely chopped apples, cinnamon, and nuts, sometimes with grape juice or honey added for sweetness. It is supposed to represent the mortar that the Jewish slaved used when laying the bricks and stones to build Egypt. It is eaten with the horseradish to drastically cut the bitterness. It represents the sweetness that has replaced the bitter for the Jews, though they still remember the bitterness. It represents taking the bitter with the sweet, and how there are always blessings that come from every misfortune. And as we take the sweet charoset with the spicy horseradish, it represents Christ's atonement, and how it can make bitter things sweet for us, and how his suffering in the Garden of Gethsemane was both bitter and sweet.
Roasted Egg: Eggs also represent the promise of new life, which is why they are the premiere symbol of Easter. When the Jews left Egypt is was a new life for them. Of course eggs represent Christ as he was resurrected with new life, and as the giver of new life after repentance and redemption from sin. To be eaten, eggs must be broken out of the shell, just as Christ has to be broken out of the tomb, and as we can be broken out or our shells of sin through Christ.
Wine (grape juice): Wine is for celebrating and rejoicing, and represents the joy of the Jews for being saved from slavery. It plays an integral part of the Seder, as the wine is drunk 4 times during the ceremony corresponding to Jehovah's 4 promises of redemption: 1) I will deliver you from the burdens of you oppressors, 2) I will rid you of their bondage, 3) I will redeem you with stretched out arms, and with great judgements, and 4) I will take you to me.
Of course, as we know, it was this passover meal the that Christ was eating when he had his last supper and introduced the sacrament to his beloved disciples. Luke records that Jesus chose the "cup after supper" to use for the first sacrament. This would be the cup #3 "I will redeem you with stretched out arms, and with great judgements." This is significant as that very night he would begin to fulfill that promise in the Garden of Gethsemane.
And, of course, for us during sacrament each week, the wine, or in our case, water, represents the blood of Christ that was spilt for us, that we partake of in remembrance of him.
Matzos (unleavened bread): In the passover feast the Jews use unleavened, or flat bread to represent the fact that when the Pharaoh changed let the Jews go, it was sudden and they had very little time to prepare to leave. They did not even have time to let the dough rise so they used no leaven, like yeast, in their bread. Thus it was flat.
While leavening produces gasses that make bread fluff up and rise, it is also corrupting as leavened bread will get moldy, and unleavened bread will not. In that way, the unleavened bread represents Christ who was pure, without sin and puffed up pride.
Also, if you look at a square of matzo it is pierced and striped, just as Christ was pierced in his hands and feet, and with his stripes, we are healed.
Interestingly, there is a part of the Seder, where three pieces of matzo are held up. The middle or second, piece is removed, broken in half, and half is wrapped in a cloth, and hidden somewhere in the room by an adult. Later a child must find the hidden piece of the second matzo, and return it before the Seder can proceed any further. The second matzo is then eaten by everyone in the room.
The symbolism for Christ in this Jewish ceremony is remarkable. The three matzos represent the Godhead: God the Father, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Ghost. Christ is the second of the three. His body, like the second matzo, was broken and wrapped in a clean linen cloth, where it was separated from his other half, his spirit, for a time. And nothing could proceed until it was returned - just like the resurrection for all living things could not commence until Christ was first resurrected. Eating the matzo is exactly the same reason we eat the bread during sacrament on Sunday. It represents his flesh, and in eating it, we are internalizing him, and he becomes a part of us.
I'm a sure that there is much more symbolism of Christ and his mission hidden in the Passover meal. This is just what I have learned so far. I learn something new every year, and I know my children are understanding it more and more as well. I am amazed at how reverent they all were as we discussed these things at our passover meal this year, and at the insights they had when I asked questions. Even Caleb said some insightful comments.
One last thing that I learned this year that I thought was really wonderful was that at the very end of the Seder everyone cheers "Next year in Jerusalem!" together. In hopes that this will be the year that the Messiah will come and the temple will be rebuilt. I love that! We should do the same. "This year in New Jerusalem!" perhaps, in hopes that this is the year that our Savior will come again and usher in the millennium. We can always hope, right?
I can't let this day go by without writing a post about our birthday boy, Nathan, who is now, officially a teenager! I can't believe it! It seems like just a few days ago he was born, by far the easiest pregnancy and childbirth of all of my kids. He was so easy on his poor old mom, and I am hoping he will continue the tradition, and be my easiest teenager. Then again, he may have different ideas about that.
Nathan is a musician. He plays both the saxophone and the piano. I love to have real, live music in my home all the time!
And that boy can cook! He is a whiz in the kitchen. His specialty: crepes - filled with everything yummy. But he can cook lots of different stuff, and it is so nice as a mom to say, "Hey Nate, will you whip up some dinner?" and know we'll all be eating something fabulous. I love that!
Nathan can build really great stuff with Legos, and really likes his Star Wars action figures, especially the "cool" ugly ones. But his favorite toys (well, he wouldn't call them 'toys' - they are serious business!) are his airsoft guns. His favorite way to spend the day is battling with his buddies behind bunkers. Whooya!
Nate is quite a kid. But I think my favorite thing about Nathan is is grin! He is witty and fun to be around when he is on one of those clever funny moods - dishing it out with the best of them. We are hoping for lots of those moments through his teenage years.
