WELCOME AND INTRODUCTION

(Our script is revised for each particular seder, and is especially dependent on the location, size of the group, and number of children. Below is the script from our most recent seder. We have had many teachers over the years, both in person and online. The section on “The Path of the Passover Lamb” is not original to us, although it has been modified for our purposes. We regret that we are not able to properly credit the original source.)

BRAD:
• I want to thank all of you for coming this evening.
• Our goal tonight is to share this meal somewhat the same way that Jesus would have celebrated it.
• We want to share the context of what happened in that Upper Room on the night before He was crucified, and some of the insights that we as Christians have missed because of the historical disconnect from the Jewish heritage of our faith.
• We will also be incorporating some elements that may not have developed until after Jesus’ death and resurrection. We will be explaining the reason for this as we proceed through the evening.

DAWN:
• We want to begin by saying that we are not Jewish.
• We were both raised in traditional Christian churches, but prior to moving to North Carolina, we spent a number of years attending a Messianic Synagogue.
• This time represented a period of renewed excitement and deepened understanding of the scriptures – from Genesis to Revelation.

BRAD:
• The majority of what we share tonight are insights we learned from this time period in our lives.
• As we recite the traditional sayings this evening, you may hear us use words and phrases like “We”, “Us”, “Our forefathers”, etc.
• Please do not interpret this as either a misrepresentation of ourselves, or as a form “Replacement Theology”.

DAWN:
• We use these terms to be faithful to the teaching “In every generation, each person is obligated to see him or herself as if he or she had personally gone forth from Egypt.”
• We always participate in a Seder in the “First Person”, because when we each see ourselves as former slaves, set free by the grace and power of Almighty God, we should overflow with humility, compassion for others, and above all – love and gratitude to God.

BRAD:
• We are also not minimizing in any way the historical application of the Exodus story in the Passover, or the way that it has been practiced for centuries.
• At its core, Passover is a celebration of the character of God, and his promise to redeem his people.
• We owe a debt of gratitude to the generations of God’s people who honored this sacred command, celebrating it in even the darkest times in history, many forfeiting their lives in the process.

DAWN:
• We do believe that beginning with the creation account in the book of Genesis, and continuing through the Old Testament, God wove pictures of his plan to restore all mankind to himself into each book, each feast, each prophecy, and into the lives of individual people.

BRAD:
• Tonight, we want to look at the some of the pictures we see woven within the feast of Passover, and bring deeper understanding to the way that Jesus himself identified with them.

DAWN:
• We will also be looking at some elements of the Seder where Jesus did not personally say “This represents me.”, but many believers in Jesus see powerful symbolism in these traditions.
• We want to make it clear that there are people of both the Jewish and Christian faith that disagree with these conclusions.
• We present these for your consideration, and you are free to draw your own conclusions.

BRAD:
• Since we do serve a God who is always at work, and always revealing himself; it is not too big of a stretch to see Jesus pictured in some traditions that may not have developed until after his death and resurrection.
• As with all theology, there is room for debate, and there are some topics that we feel are just too big to dig into this evening.

DAWN:
• Likewise, in an effort to keep within our given time window, there are a few traditions that we did not include.

BRAD:
• It is God himself who instituted this time as a teaching tool for young and old alike.
• At the Seder table, people of various levels of belief, understanding and commitment came to the table together to learn about – or to deepen or renew their appreciation of – the Mighty God of Israel.

DAWN:
• There are no restrictions on who may participate this evening, and level of participation in any part of this evening is at your personal discretion.
• We encourage everyone to come to the table with open hearts and minds, and we ask that everyone be respectful to those around them.

BRAD:
• Passover is to be a time of celebration, a time to relax in freedom, and to praise God for his unending love.
• It is traditionally done “reclining” or at least in a relaxed environment.
• Keep this in mind when the small children wish to stretch their legs this evening.
• It is perfectly fine to allow them to wander around, or chatter. The noise of children enhances the celebration as we are reminded of God’s blessing!
• These are the sounds of Life! We are prepared for such “blessings”, and will improvise as the need arises.

DAWN:
• Likewise, as a reminder, childcare is available, should you decide that your child’s patience is exhausted, and they would be happier exercising their freedom with our childcare workers.
• There are pitchers of water and cups for you to use at any time. You’ll want to keep your flutes free for the ceremonial cups that we drink throughout the evening.
• Please feel free to eat from the snack trays on the table, as it will be about an hour or so before we eat our full meal. We just ask that you do not eat from the seder or matzah plates before instructed to do so.
• The word “seder” itself means “order”, and the items on the seder plate assist in telling the story in an orderly format.

BRAD:
• With that in mind, let’s get started.
• The Passover meal marks the beginning of the feast of unleavened bread, a celebration of the exodus of the Jewish people from Egypt by the mighty hand of God.
• It was intended to be a gathering of family and close friends celebrated in a group of about 10 to 20 people.
• Tonight, each table will be a “family”, and needs to appoint a “leader”, who will be called on to perform certain tasks as the evening progresses.
• We would also like to take a moment to introduce those who will be helping us this evening:…

DAWN:
• We will join together in reciting a lot of scripture, as well as several blessings. Each is intended to be an act of worship, so we encourage you to engage your heart with every word spoken.
• The program you have is called a “Haggadah” which means “the telling”.
• Don’t be intimidated by the number of pages. We go through this very quickly.
• The Seder is truly a model of effective teaching – engaging the mind and the senses, as well as stimulating the imagination.

BRAD:
• Please follow along and participate as we “tell” this great story of God’s deliverance, his love for his people, and his plan of salvation.
• Please read aloud where you see the word “ALL”.

ALL: I will give thanks to you, Lord, with all my heart; I will tell of all your wonderful deeds. I will be glad and rejoice in you; I will sing the praises of your name, O Most High. (Psalm 9:1-2)

BRAD: Passover is one of the seven “Feasts of the Lord”, and it is commanded to be kept through all generations.

READER 1: These are the Lord’s appointed festivals, the sacred assemblies you are to proclaim at their appointed times: The Lord’s Passover begins at twilight on the fourteenth day of the first month. On the fifteenth day of that month the Lord’s Festival of Unleavened Bread begins; (Lev. 23:4-6)

READER 2: Celebrate the Festival of Unleavened Bread, because it was on this very day that I brought your divisions out of Egypt. Celebrate this day as a lasting ordinance for the generations to come. (Exodus 12:17)

DAWN:
• “Pesach” – The Hebrew word for Passover, has multiple translations, which have been debated for centuries.
• Today, the most common of these is simply “to pass over” or “to skip over”.
• It brings to mind the “Angel of Death” passing over the homes of the Israelites during the last plague on Egypt when the first-born sons of the Egyptian households were killed.

READER 3: When the Lord goes through the land to strike down the Egyptians, he will see the blood on the top and sides of the doorframe and will pass over that doorway, and he will not permit the destroyer to enter your houses and strike you down. (Exodus 12:23)

BRAD:
• Another translation, “to have mercy”, or “to protect or provide shelter”, was very common in ancient times.
• It inspires an image of a mother hen passing her wings over her young ones, protecting them from surrounding threats.
• In this image, we see God hiding the houses of Israel in his own shadow, or under his wings , as the Angel of Death passes through Egypt.
• This imagery is used frequently in the Psalms.
• It was probably this image on the heart of Jesus when he wept over the city only days prior to his crucifixion.

READER 1: “Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were not willing. (Luke 13:34)

BRAD: Remember the passion in Jesus’ words. We will return to his invitation later this evening.

BEDIKAT HAMETZ – THE SEARCH FOR LEAVEN

DAWN:
• We need the kids to join Brad and Owen at the front.
• A great deal of preparation went into our gathering this evening, but not nearly as much as goes into a proper preparation for the feast of Passover. The Passover Meal followed weeks of preparation in which the house was to be cleaned from top to bottom.
• All items containing leaven were identified and removed from the home.
• Before we continue, we want to stop a moment, and talk about “leaven”.

BRAD:
• Kids, can any of you tell me how these pieces of bread are different?
• Most of the time, when we make bread, we put something called “yeast” or “leaven” in it. The leaven makes the bread get puffy and full of air holes inside like this piece.
• Tonight, we’re going to be eating bread that doesn’t have leaven in it, like this piece.
• Later, we are going to tell you why we do that, so I want you to listen. OK?
• I want you to stay here with me for just a little bit longer, because I’m going to need your help.

DAWN:
• After the house was cleaned, and the leaven was gathered, it was to be sold for a price to someone who was willing to purchase it.
• On the evening before Passover a few pieces of leaven would be left in obvious places.
• Before the meal, the father would take a feather, a wooden spoon and a candle, and gather the children together to search for the leaven.

BRAD:
• Ok. Kids. We know where this leaven is, but I think I missed some more. I need you to help me find it, but this part is important. When you find it, I don’t want you to touch it. (Children find it, wait for cue to remove it)

DAWN:
• Just like Brad told the children, when the leaven is found, the children are not to touch it, but to call the father to remove it for them.
• What we see played out here is almost a reversal of what happened in the garden of Eden.
• In the Bible, leaven represents sin. When the children’s eyes fall on the leaven, they do not reach out and take it – like Adam and Eve did. Instead, they call out to their father, who comes to their aid.
• Now we want to look at what the father does:

BRAD:
• OK, kids. God has said that when we do this celebration, we need to make the place where we celebrate it clean of all leaven. We want to obey God’s rules, so I am going to get rid of it for you so that there is no more leaven here.

DAWN:
• In response to the call of his children the father uses the feather to brush the leaven into the spoon without touching it. (Brad removes the leaven, and lets the kids go back to their seats)

BRAD:
• Today, the spoon is usually placed into a paper bag, but traditionally the feather, the candle, and the spoon with its contents were wrapped in cloth.
• The following morning the leaven, the spoon, the feather, and the bag are burned outside the home.

DAWN:
• Many see this as a picture of Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane.
• In the Bible, wood often symbolizes man, and one of Jesus’ favorite terms for himself was “Son of Man”

BRAD:
• Our spoon had no leaven in it until it was placed there by the father.
• Likewise, the man— Jesus —was without sin in the garden until he surrendered his will, and the sins of the world were placed on him by the will of the father.
• He was then hunted down with clubs and torches to be destroyed outside the camp the following morning, just like our spoon and leaven.

READER 2: God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. (2 Corinthians 5:21)

READER 3: Get rid of the old yeast, so that you may be a new unleavened batch – as you really are. For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed. Therefore, let us keep the Festival, not with the old bread leavened with malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth. (1 Corinthians 5:7-8)

DAWN: We have asked _ to open us with prayer.

OPENING PRAYER—UNWRITTEN

BIRKAT HA-NER – LIGHTING THE CANDLES

BRAD:
• When the preparations are completed, it is time to usher in the Passover week.
• It is the usually the role of the woman of the house to light the festival candles.
• It is commonly said that “the Lord’s blessing comes into the house through woman”.
• It is a reference to God’s promise that salvation would come through a woman.

READER 1: Therefore, the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel. (Isaiah 7:14)

BRAD: We remember that it was through a woman, Mary, that “The Light of the World”, Jesus, came into the world.

READER 2: But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God. You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.” (Luke 1:30-33)

DAWN: We have requested that ____ would do us the honor or ushering in our seder by lighting the candles.

DAWN: Baruch Atah Ado-nai, Elo-heinu Melech Ha-olam, Asher Kid’shanu B’mitzvotav V’tzivanu L’hadlik Ner Shel Yom Tov.
ALL: Blessed are you, O Lord our God, King of the Universe, who has sanctified us by your commandments, and has commanded us to kindle the Festival lights. Amen.

(Candles lit)

THE SEDER

BRAD:
• Long before we had our Bible, God himself instituted the Passover as a teaching tool.
• He created a picture that would help each generation to remember his mighty works for his people.
• The Jewish people have kept the feast for centuries, developing many traditions in the process, creating pictures of God’s faithfulness to his people.
• However, many see not only a picture of what God had done in generations past, but also a picture of his ultimate plan of salvation for mankind.
• As we progress through our seder, we will explore this picture.

ALL: “Now you will see what I will do to Pharaoh: Because of my mighty hand he will let them go; because of my mighty hand he will drive them out of his country.” (Exodus 6:1)

READER 3: I am the LORD, and I will bring you out from under the yoke of the Egyptians.

READER 1: I will free you from being slaves to them,

READER 2: and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with mighty acts of judgment.

READER 3: I will take you as my own people, and I will be your God.

ALL: Then you will know that I am the LORD your God, who brought you out from under the yoke of the Egyptians.” (Exodus 6:6-7)

THE FOUR CUPS

DAWN:
• Tonight, we will be drinking four cups.
• Each cup recalls one of the promises of God from Exodus 6:6,7—I will bring you out, I will free you from being slaves, I will redeem you with an outstretched arm, and I will take you as my people.
• Each of these promises paint both a picture of God’s deliverance from the Egyptians, and also of our personal deliverance from sin through the work of Jesus.

BRAD:
• As you pour your cups tonight, remember that you do not need to fill your cups completely, but it is important to drink each one fully.
• It is also customary to “lean to the left” when drinking the cups. This symbolizes the act of ‘reclining”. Reclining while eating was a symbol of wealthy or free people. This is done today as a symbolic celebration of freedom.

KIDDUSH – THE CUP OF SANCTIFICATION

DAWN:
• Leaders, please pour the cups for the first time this evening.
• This cup is the Cup of Sanctification. It recalls the first of God’s promises—“I will bring you out from under the yoke of the Egyptians”.

READER 1: Then the Lord said to Moses, “Go to Pharaoh and say to him, ‘This is what the Lord says: Let my people go, so that they may worship me.”

BRAD:
• Sanctification means to “set apart for a sacred purpose”.
• As we drink this cup, we sanctify this evening, setting it aside for the sacred purpose of worship.
• I will recite the traditional blessing in Hebrew, and then we will recite the blessing in English together

BRAD: Ba-rukh a-tah A-do-nai E-lo-hey-nu Me-lekh ha-‘o-lam bo-rey pri ha-ga-fen.

ALL: Blessed are you, O Lord our God, Ruler of the Universe, who creates the fruit of the vine.

DAWN:
• This blessing in which we honor our Lord as creator of “the fruit of the vine”, has a messianic fulfillment. Recall that the first miracle of Jesus’ ministry was creating the fruit of the vine, at the wedding in Cana.

BRAD:
• Let us lean slightly to the left and drink this first cup together.

URECHATZ: THE WASHING OF HANDS

DAWN:
• It is said that a father serves his family like a priest at the altar, and so it is customary for him to wash his hands at this point in the celebration.

(Pour water three times over right hand, then three times over the left.)

BRAD: Since our table leaders are tasked with the handling of the matzah, we would like for them to come forward at this time.

(One person pours the water, another dries the hands.)

DAWN:
• It is important to see that even our leaders have a need for cleansing. This cleansing is an act of humility.
• It symbolizes living water, pouring over human flesh, cleansing it from all impurities, in preparation for handling the truth of God.

KARPAS – DIPPING THE GREENS

BRAD:
• Now, it is time to “Dip our vegetables” for the first time this evening.
• This part of our meal is rich in significance.

DAWN:
• First, it represents the hyssop branches dipped into the lamb’s blood and applied to the doorposts of homes on that first Passover night, protecting the family from death.

BRAD:
• It also recalls Joseph’s coat of many colors being dipped into blood by his brothers after they sold him into slavery in Egypt.
• As the sale of Joseph into Egypt sets the stage for the Exodus story, it is appropriate for this act to open our seder.

DAWN:
• Everyone please take a piece of parsley from the seder plate.
• This vegetable is said to represent the time of abundance for the Israelites, from the days of Joseph until the days of their enslavement. On a deeper level, it is life as it was originally meant to be, before the fall of man, and the entry of sin into the world.
• Although in some traditions, potato, celery or even onion is used; parsley is often chosen for this part of the meal. There are multiple reasons for this:
• First, the vibrant green color is said to represent the vibrant life given to us by God;

BRAD:
• Second, the water droplets falling from the leaves closely resemble tears.
• In early tradition, the parsley would be dipped into vinegar, representing the pain and tears of slavery in Egypt, as well as those of daily life.

DAWN:
• Salt water eventually replaced the bowl of vinegar because accusations were made that the Jews were using the blood of the innocents in their feast; false accusations that added to the cycle of tears.
• Tonight, we solemnly recognize the tears and pain of life – past and present, and we remind ourselves that while tears are part of life in this fallen world, God has promised that one day, they will be no more.

READER 2: The Sovereign Lord will wipe away the tears from all faces; he will remove his people’s disgrace from all the earth. The Lord has spoken. In that day they will say, “Surely this is our God; we trusted in him, and he saved us. This is the Lord, we trusted in him; let us rejoice and be glad in his salvation.” (Isaiah 25:9)

READER 3: And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” (Revelation 21:3-4)

BRAD:
• Tonight, as we dip our parsley, we think of what sin has done to our world – the resulting trials and tears.
• As we watch the water droplets fall to the napkin, remember that when the blood of the lamb is applied to the doorposts of our hearts, we are cleansed from sin, and delivered from spiritual slavery, into a new, perfect, tearless, eternal kingdom.

READER 1: Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow. Let me hear joy and gladness; let the bones you have crushed rejoice. Hide your face from my sins and blot out all my iniquity. Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. (Psalm 51:7-10)

READER 2: let us draw near to God with a sincere heart and with the full assurance that faith brings, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water. (Hebrews 10:22)

ALL: Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. (Hebrews 10:23)

BRAD:
• Tonight, we have elected to use both the vinegar and the salt water.
• Each of you has a napkin by your plate.
• After the blessing, we are going to dip first into the vinegar, and apply these droplets to the napkin to remind us of the blood of the lamb.

DAWN:
• Next, we will dip into the salt water, as we remember that our God has promised to wipe away all tears. Our lives may be painful, but we trust in our God, and we rejoice in his promise of deliverance!
• After dipping into the salt water, we will eat the parsley.
BRAD: Baruch atah Adonai Eloheynu, melech ha’olam boray p’ree ha’adama.
ALL: Blessed art Thou, O Lord our God, King of the Universe, who creates the fruit of the earth.
BRAD: Let us now dip our parsley, and then eat as we honor our Deliver, and embrace the promise of new life, free from tears. (Dip and Eat)
THE MATZAH TOSH

DAWN: (Brad picks up the plate of matzah)
• Brad holds in his hands a plate of three matzah, covered by a single linen napkin.
• This is referred to as a unity.
• He will now take three matzah and place into each of three compartments, as has been done for centuries.
• We would like for the leader at each table to do the same.
• What he now holds is called a matzah tosh—one linen pouch, with matzah in three separate pockets.
• The origin of this tradition is considered a mystery.
• Some say the three pieces represent the patriarchs, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
• Others say it represents the high priests, the Levites, and the people of Israel.
• There are other various explanations.
• We are going to explore one of these alternate explanations.

YACHATZ: THE BREAD OF AFFLICTION

BRAD:
• Now, remove the middle matzah from the matzah tosh.
• At this time in the Meal the traditional invitation is sent out for anyone who is hungry to come and share in our celebration.
• (Each leader, hold up the middle matzah while the reader goes to the door, opens it, and offers the invitation)

READER 3: This is the bread of affliction which our forefathers ate in the land of Egypt. All who are hungry–let them come and eat. All who are needy–let them come and celebrate the Passover with us. Now we are here; next year may we be in the Land of Israel. Now we are slaves; next year may we be free.

BRAD:
• “All who are hungry… all who are needy …let them come and celebrate with us.” Again, remember these words. We will circle back around to them later this evening.

DAWN:
• Let’s take a moment, and look at the matzah.
• We just referred to it as “The bread of affliction”. Let’s look at why it is called that.
• Matzah has been made the same way for centuries.

BRAD:
• First it must be made without leaven. Remember that in the Bible, leaven represents sin.
• Matzah is a symbol of freedom from bondage that sin brings into our lives.
• It represents the spotless lamb that was sacrificed to bring about that freedom.
• Second, it must be grilled, a process that always leaves it scarred and striped.
• Third, it must be pierced during the grilling process to release air pockets.

DAWN:
• Although a blessing is spoken before most significant parts of the seder, no blessing is spoken before this next part, the breaking of the matzah.
• Some say that this is because the breaking is a sacred and solemn moment.
• This breaking represents millennia of broken hearts, broken lives, and broken dreams.
• It is the sound of the world at war with God’s people, and the war still rages.
• This “breaking” deserves a moment of silence and meditation. It should echo in our minds and hearts.

BRAD:
• So all of the leaders together with me, Let’s pause, listen, and remember. Break your matzah. (All leaders break matzah, followed by a moment of Silence)

DAWN:
• Once again, we see a picture of Jesus, in the broken matzah—Once part of a Unity of three-it has now been separated from the other two; it is without leaven; it is striped, pierced, and broken.

READER 1: But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed. We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to our own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all. He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; he was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before its shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth. (Isaiah 53:5-7)

THE AFIKOMEN

BRAD:
• We are going to place the smaller piece of the matzah back in the matzah tosh.
• Then, we are going to wrap the larger piece in a white linen cloth.
• It is now called the Afikomen, a Greek word which means “that which comes after” or “that which comes again”, and is often referred to as “dessert”.

DAWN:
• Once again, the origin and significance of the afikomen is a subject of debate.
• We will discuss this more a little later in the seder.

MAGGID: THE PASSOVER STORY

BRAD: It is now time to tell the Maggid–Passover story, keeping a command to teach it to our children.

READER 2: Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates. (Deuteronomy 6:4-9)

READER 3: In the future, when your son asks you, “What is the meaning of the stipulations, decrees and laws the Lord our God has commanded you?” tell him: “We were slaves of Pharaoh in Egypt, but the Lord brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand. Before our eyes the Lord sent signs and wonders—great and terrible—on Egypt and Pharaoh and his whole household. But he brought us out from there to bring us in and give us the land he promised on oath to our ancestors. The Lord commanded us to obey all these decrees and to fear the Lord our God, so that we might always prosper and be kept alive, as is the case today. And if we are careful to obey all this law before the Lord our God, as he has commanded us, that will be our righteousness.” (Deuteronomy 6:20-25)

READER 1: And when your children ask you, ‘What does this ceremony mean to you?’ then tell them, ‘It is the Passover sacrifice to the Lord, who passed over the houses of the Israelites in Egypt and spared our homes when he struck down the Egyptians.’” (Exodus 12:26-27)

MA NISHTANA – THE FOUR QUESTIONS

DAWN: In accordance with God’s commands, it is customary at this time for a young child to ask four questions to initiate the storytelling. __ is going to ask these questions this evening.

YOUNG CHILD: (Rising to ask the four questions)
• How different this night is from all other nights!
• On all other nights we eat bread or matzah. On this night why do we eat only matzah?
• On all other nights we eat all kinds of vegetables. On this night why do we eat only bitter herbs?
• On all other nights we do not dip our vegetables even once. On this night why do we dip them twice?
• On all other nights we eat our meals sitting or reclining. On this night why do we eat only reclining?

BRAD:
• Thank you for asking some very important questions _.
• Before we read the Haggadah which tells in detail the whole story, we will answer your questions one by one.
• –We eat matzah – known as the “Poor Man’s Bread” or the “Bread of Affliction”, because when we were told by Pharaoh that we could leave Egypt, we took our bread before the yeast was added, and we left, just as God commanded. Eating Matzah at Passover, reminds us to be ready and willing to respond to God, who loves us in our poverty.

ALL: For he has not despised or scorned the suffering of the afflicted one; he has not hidden his
face from him but has listened to his cry for help. (Psalm 22:24)

DAWN:
• –At the Seder, we eat bitter herbs to remind us of the bitterness of the slavery from which we have been delivered. We acknowledge that when we were powerless to provide freedom for ourselves, God intervened on our behalf.

ALL: I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt so that you would no longer be slaves to the Egyptians; I broke the bars of your yoke and enabled you to walk with heads held high. (Leviticus 26:13)

BRAD:
• –At the Seder, we dip food twice: the parsley in salt water, to remind us of the trials and tears of life; and later we dip the bitter herbs into charoset, which we will see brings sweetness to our bitterness. Dipping our vegetables reminds us that our redemption comes from God, who gives us hope in the midst of our despair.

ALL: Though you have made me see troubles, many and bitter, you will restore my life again; from the depths of the earth you will again bring me up. (Psalm 71:20)

DAWN:
–We recline when we drink the cup to show that we are a free people. Reclining reminds us to be grateful for God’s gifts of rest and freedom!

ALL: Truly my soul finds rest in God; my salvation comes from him. Truly he is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will never be shaken. (Psalm 62:1-2)

• –Now we will read the telling of THE PASSOVER STORY Responsively from our Seder program. We will begin with an overview of the history of Israel by reading Psalm 105. __________ has agreed to lead us in this responsive reading.

LEADER: Give praise to the Lord, proclaim his name; make known among the nations what he has done.

ALL: Sing to him, sing praise to him; tell of all his wonderful acts.

LEADER: Glory in his holy name; let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice.

ALL: Look to the Lord and his strength; seek his face always.

LEADER: Remember the wonders he has done, his miracles, and the judgments he pronounced, you his servants, the descendants of Abraham, his chosen ones, the children of Jacob.

ALL: He is the Lord our God; his judgments are in all the earth.

LEADER: He remembers his covenant forever, the promise he made, for a thousand generations, the covenant he made with Abraham, the oath he swore to Isaac. He confirmed it to Jacob as a decree, to Israel as an everlasting covenant:

ALL: “To you I will give the land of Canaan as the portion you will inherit.”

LEADER: When they were but few in number, few indeed, and strangers in it, they wandered from nation to nation, from one kingdom to another. He allowed no one to oppress them; for their sake he rebuked kings:

ALL: “Do not touch my anointed ones; do my prophets no harm.”

LEADER: He called down famine on the land and destroyed all their supplies of food; and he sent a man before them—Joseph, sold as a slave. They bruised his feet with shackles, his neck was put in irons, till what he foretold came to pass,

ALL: till the word of the Lord proved him true.

LEADER: The king sent and released him, the ruler of peoples set him free. He made him master of his household, ruler over all he possessed, to instruct his princes as he pleased and teach his elders wisdom.

ALL: Then Israel entered Egypt; Jacob resided as a foreigner in the land of Ham.

LEADER: The Lord made his people very fruitful; he made them too numerous for their foes, whose hearts he turned to hate his people, to conspire against his servants. He sent Moses his servant, and Aaron, whom he had chosen.

ALL: They performed his signs among them, his wonders in the land of Ham.

LEADER: He sent darkness and made the land dark—for had they not rebelled against his words? He turned their waters into blood, causing their fish to die. Their land teemed with frogs, which went up into the bedrooms of their rulers.

ALL: He spoke . . .

LEADER: and there came swarms of flies, and gnats throughout their country. He turned their rain into hail, with lightning throughout their land; he struck down their vines and fig trees and shattered the trees of their country.

All: He spoke . . .

LEADER: and the locusts came, grasshoppers without number; they ate up every green thing in their land, ate up the produce of their soil. Then he struck down all the firstborn in their land, the first fruits of all their manhood.

ALL: He brought out Israel, laden with silver and gold, and from among their tribes no one faltered. Egypt was glad when they left, because dread of Israel had fallen on them.

LEADER: He spread out a cloud as a covering, and a fire to give light at night. They asked, and he brought them quail; he fed them well with the bread of heaven. He opened the rock, and water gushed out; it flowed like a river in the desert. For he remembered his holy promise given to his servant Abraham.

ALL: He brought out his people with rejoicing, his chosen ones with shouts of joy;

LEADER: he gave them the lands of the nations, and they fell heir to what others had toiled for—that they might keep his precepts and observe his laws.

ALL: Praise the Lord.

BRAD:
• Let us return for a moment to the last plague – the death of the firstborn.
• We will draw parallels later, but for just a moment let’s focus on what actually happened on that night, as recorded in Exodus chapters 11& 12.

READER 2: Now the Lord had said to Moses, “I will bring one more plague on Pharaoh and on Egypt. After that, he will let you go from here
READER 3: “This is what the Lord says: ‘About midnight I will go throughout Egypt. Every firstborn son in Egypt will die, from the firstborn son of Pharaoh, who sits on the throne, to the firstborn son of the female slave, who is at her hand mill, and all the firstborn of the cattle as well.
ALL: But among the Israelites not a dog will bark at any person or animal.
READER 1: The Lord said to Moses and Aaron in Egypt, “This month is to be for you the first month, the first month of your year. Tell the whole community of Israel that on the tenth day of this month each man is to take a lamb for his family, one for each household.
READER 2: Take care of them until the fourteenth day of the month, when all the members of the community of Israel must slaughter them at twilight. Then they are to take some of the blood and put it on the sides and tops of the doorframes of the houses where they eat the lambs. That same night they are to eat the meat roasted over the fire, along with bitter herbs, and bread made without yeast. Do not eat the meat raw or boiled in water, but roast it over a fire
READER 3: On that same night I will pass through Egypt and strike down every firstborn of both people and animals, and I will bring judgment on all the gods of Egypt. I am the Lord. The blood will be a sign for you on the houses where you are, and when I see the blood, I will pass over you. No destructive plague will touch you when I strike Egypt.
ALL: “This is a day you are to commemorate; for the generations to come you shall celebrate it as a festival to the Lord—a lasting ordinance.
READER 1: Then Moses summoned all the elders of Israel and said to them, “Go at once and select the animals for your families and slaughter the Passover lamb. Take a bunch of hyssop, dip it into the blood in the basin and put some of the blood on the top and on both sides of the doorframe.
READER 2: At midnight the Lord struck down all the firstborn in Egypt, from the firstborn of Pharaoh, who sat on the throne, to the firstborn of the prisoner, who was in the dungeon, and the firstborn of all the livestock as well.
READER 3: During the night Pharaoh summoned Moses and Aaron and said, “Up! Leave my people, you and the Israelites! Go, worship the Lord as you have requested. Take your flocks and herds, as you have said, and go.
READER 1: The Israelites journeyed from Rameses to Sukkoth. There were about six hundred thousand men on foot, besides women and children. Many other people went up with them, and also large droves of livestock, both flocks and herds. With the dough the Israelites had brought from Egypt, they baked loaves of unleavened bread. The dough was without yeast because they had been driven out of Egypt and did not have time to prepare food for themselves.
READER 2: Now the length of time the Israelite people lived in Egypt was 430 years. At the end of the 430 years, to the very day, all the Lord’s divisions left Egypt. Because the Lord kept vigil that night to bring them out of Egypt, on this night all the Israelites are to keep vigil to honor the Lord for the generations to come.
READER 3: So on this same night the Israelites are to keep watch. They are to do this to honor the Lord from now on. All the Israelites did just what the Lord had commanded Moses and Aaron. And on that very day the Lord brought the Israelites out of Egypt by their divisions.
ALL: Your ways, God, are holy. What god is as great as our God? You are the God who performs miracles; you display your power among the peoples. With your mighty arm you redeemed your people, the descendants of Jacob and Joseph. (Psalm 77:13-15)

THE CUP OF PLAGUES–I WILL DELIVER YOU

BRAD:
• Pleae pour your cups for the second time.
• Tonight, we live in freedom, the food is abundant, and we are among friends and family. We are richly blessed!

DAWN:
• It is a night of celebration, but it is important to take a moment to remember the Egyptians, who suffered greatly – from the house of Pharoah, to the lowliest of non-Hebrew slaves.

READER 1: Do not gloat when your enemy falls; when they stumble, do not let your heart rejoice. (Proverbs 4:17)

READER 2: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. (Luke 6:27-28)

READER 3: Then your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. (Luke 6:35)

All: Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful. (Luke 6:36)

DAWN:
• Tonight, our cups are full, but we reduce our joy, in order to weep with those who weep. We remember that bondage has many faces.

BRAD:
• We will spill one drop out of our cup of each of THE TEN PLAGUES.
• As we recite each plague, dip your little finger into your cup to remove a drop, one for each of the Plagues placing it onto your plate [napkin].
• Repeat after me.

ALL: Blood …frogs … lice… flies …cattle disease …boils …hail …locusts …darkness …slaying of the first born.

DAWN:
• We will not drink this cup at this time, but set it aside.
• This reminds us that a period of time passed between the promise of deliverance, and the realization of it.
• However, during this time of waiting, God was working mightily on behalf of his people.

THE THREE ESSENTIALS

BRAD: The Rabbis say: Whoever does not explain the following three symbols at the Seder has not fulfilled his duty: the Passover offering, the matzah, and the bitter herbs.

THE Z’ROAH – THE PASSOVER LAMB

DAWN:
• Most believers in Jesus know that the Passover Lamb was a picture of Jesus’ final sacrifice for sin.
BRAD:
• Many do not know the intricate detail God has woven into this picture during the Passover celebration.
• Let’s take a look at the path of the lamb during this celebration.
DAWN:
• The sacrifice lambs would be led into the city while cheering crowds laid palm branches before them and shouted “Hosanna.”
BRAD:
• On the same day, at approximately the same time, Jesus entered the city while crowds waved palm branches and shouted the same words.
DAWN:
• Each lamb would be examined for blemishes for four days, after which it would be declared without fault.
BRAD:
• Jesus was questioned by many over the same four days, and finally declared to be without fault.
DAWN:
• The “father” of each family would then present the lamb for the sacrifice.
BRAD:
• Jesus was also “given over to be sacrificed” by the will of his father.
DAWN:
• The final lamb, sacrificed for the nation would be placed on the altar at nine A.M.
BRAD:
• Jesus was placed on the cross at 9:00 A.M.
DAWN:
• At 3:00 P.M. the priest would slit the throat of the lamb, and loudly declare “It is finished.”
BRAD:
• At 3:00 P.M., Jesus cried “It is finished”, and died.
DAWN:
• The lamb would then be placed on a vertical pole, and its forelegs would be held up by a horizontal pole.
• The skin would be removed from its back, to show that it was without defect inside and out.
BRAD:
• The cross on which Jesus hung was much the same as that on which the Passover lamb hung.
• The skin had already been removed from his back, during the beating he had earlier endured.
DAWN:
• The Passover lamb for the nation of Israel, and God’s perfect and final Passover lamb probably hung within sight of each other.
BRAD:
• Today, our Passover plate holds only a shank bone of a lamb.
• There is no Passover lamb because there is no temple, and it is impossible to properly sacrifice the lambs without the temple.
• A shank bone is placed on the plate as a memorial.
• For the believer in Jesus, there is no longer any need to sacrifice lambs, because the final sacrifice has been made.

READER 1: For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your ancestors, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect. He was chosen before the creation of the world, but was revealed in these last times for your sake. Through him you believe in God, who raised him from the dead and glorified him, and so your faith and hope are in God. (1 Peter 1:18-21)

DAWN:
• An egg has also been added to represent the temple.
• It is later dipped into the saltwater to symbolize mourning for the destruction of the temple.
• We place the egg on our seder plate not necessarily to mourn for the temple, for the Bible tells us that our bodies are now the temple of the Lord.
• Yet we remember that Jesus himself wept when he foresaw the fate of Jerusalem – the utter destruction of the temple, and the horrific loss of life. We should do no less.
• We place the egg on the plate to walk alongside those who mourn, and pray that all mankind will come to the knowledge of the One who weeps for us.

ALL: For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. (John 3:16)

RACHTZAH – WASHING OF HANDS

BRAD:
• Before the blessing over the matzah, it is traditional to do another ceremonial washing.
• The order of these washings was based on “who is the greatest”, so it is possible that it was during one of these washings that the dispute broke out among the disciples over who would be the greatest.
• Jesus took advantage of the moment to teach his disciples a powerful lesson on greatness and humility.

READER 2: Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God; so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist. After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him.
He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, “Lord, are you going to wash my feet?”
Jesus replied, “You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand.”
“No,” said Peter, “you shall never wash my feet.”
Jesus answered, “Unless I wash you, you have no part with me.”
“Then, Lord,” Simon Peter replied, “not just my feet but my hands and my head as well!” (John 13:4-9)

READER 3: Jesus answered, “Those who have had a bath need only to wash their feet; their whole body is clean. And you are clean, though not every one of you.” For he knew who was going to betray him, and that was why he said not everyone was clean. When he had finished washing their feet, he put on his clothes and returned to his place. “Do you understand what I have done for you?” he asked them. “You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and rightly so, for that is what I am. Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet. I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. Very truly I tell you, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them. (John 13:10-17)

(Pour water three times over right hand, then three times over the left.)

DAWN: We would like our table leaders to come forward once again.

(One person pours the water, another dries the hands.)

(Lift your hands and rub them together, and recite the blessing)

BRAD: Baruch atah A-donay, Elo-heinu Melech Ha’Olam, asher kideshanu bemitzvotav vetzivanu al netilat yadayim.

ALL: Blessed are You, Lord, our God, King of the Universe Who has sanctified us with His commandments and commanded us concerning washing of hands.

THE MOTZI

DAWN:
• It is custom that nothing is said between the blessing over the hand washing, and the next two blessings which are spoken over the Matzah.
• There are also traditions pertaining to which of these pieces of matzah is eaten at what time.

BRAD:
• We are going to simplify things a bit this evening.
• We need our leaders to hold up the plate with the three Matzah while we first speak the traditional blessing spoken over the bread.

BRAD: Ba-rukh A-tah Adonai E-lo-hey-nu Me-lekh ha-‘o-lam ha-mo-tzi le-khem min ha-‘a-retz.

ALL: Blessed are You, O Lord our God, King of the Universe, who brings forth bread from the earth.

THE MATZAH

DAWN: Now we speak another blessing, this time in reference to God’s command to eat Matza specifically.

BRAD: Ba-rukh A-tah A-do-nai El-o-hey-nu Me-lekh ha-‘o-lam a-sher kid-sha-nu B’-mitz-vo-tav v’-tzi-va-nu a-he-lot ma-tza.

ALL: Blessed are You, O Lord our God, King of the Universe, Who has sanctified us with His commandments, and has commanded us concerning the eating of the matzah.

DAWN:
• At this time, the leaders need to break off a piece of matzah, and distribute it to each person at their table.
• As you take your piece, remember the lamb, sacrificed for your deliverance.

THE MAROR

BRAD:
• Now it is time for the second vegetable – the horseradish.
• It is said “In every generation one must look upon himself as if he personally had come out from Egypt.”

ALL: On that day tell your son, ‘I do this because of what the Lord did for me when I came out of Egypt.’ (Exodus 13:8)

BRAD:
• We take a moment to reflect on our lives – on those times we may have felt powerless, enslaved or betrayed; and on the bitterness that we experienced in those moments.
• It is with this mindset that we will take the Maror – or the bitter herbs.

DAWN:
• In Israel and the surrounding region, as well as much of Europe, wild lettuce or varieties such as romaine or endive is used.
• In modern western culture, horseradish is commonly used as the bitter herb, partially because readily available varieties of lettuce tend to lack the necessary bitterness.
• It is desired that it brings tears to the eyes, to serve as a reminder of the bitterness of slavery.

BRAD:
• The Rabbis teach that such bitterness is not without purpose, as it causes us to cry out to God for deliverance, and results in praise and glory to his name.
• Consider the words of David, anointed to be king, yet fleeing from King Saul, and proclaiming these words (from a cave):

READER 1: I cry out to God Most High, to God, who vindicates me. He sends from heaven and saves me, rebuking those who hotly pursue me—God sends forth his love and his faithfulness. I am in the midst of lions; I am forced to dwell among ravenous beasts—men whose teeth are spears and arrows, whose tongues are sharp swords. Be exalted, O God, above the heavens; let your glory be over all the earth. (Psalm 57:2-5)

DAWN:
• As believers in Jesus, we also place our hope in knowing that God hears our cries, he promises deliverance, and that our trials serve an eternal purpose.

READER 2: Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. (1 Peter 1:3-5)

READER 3: In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. (1 Peter 1:6-9)

ALL: Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord! (Romans 7:25)

BRAD:
• As we place bitter herbs upon the matzah, we recall how Jesus lifted the bitterness of sin from our shoulders, and took it upon himself.

READER 1: “He himself bore our sins” in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; “by his wounds you have been healed.” (1 Peter 2:24)

DAWN:
• We encourage everyone to use the horseradish for this part. But the lettuce is an option, especially for young children.
• We will say the blessing, and then we will dip our matzah into the bitter herbs (or place the lettuce on the matzah), and taste the bitterness.

BRAD: Baruch atah Adonai Elohaynu, melech ha’olam, asher kideshanu bemitzvotav, vetzivanu al acheelat maror.

ALL: Blessed are You, O Lord our God, King of the Universe, who has sanctified us by Your commandments and commanded us to eat the bitter herb.

(eat the bitter herb.)

CHAROSET AND THE KORECH

DAWN:
• Charoset, a sweet apple mixture, is not mentioned in our Bible; but it is spoken of in the Talmudic writings.
• It is to remind us of the mortar with which the Israelites made bricks for Pharaoh.
• We will see that charoset lessens the bite of the horseradish.
• Likewise, as we grieve for the bitterness we experience as a result of sin, we rejoice that it is made sweeter by the promise of redemption.

BRAD:
• This brings us to the second dipping of the vegetables – dipping the horseradish into the charoset – with a little help from some matzah.
• At this time, leaders distribute two pieces of matzah to everyone, large enough to be able to place both bitter herbs and charoset on it, and make a sandwich.

DAWN:
• In Temple times, the rabbis would make a sandwich of the sacrifice lamb, the matzah and bitter herbs together, called the sop.
• In doing this, they would literally observe the words of the Torah concerning the Passover Offering: “They shall eat it with matzah and bitter herbs. (Exodus 12:8 & Numbers 9:11)
• After the temple was destroyed, charoset took the place of the lamb in the sop.

BRAD:
• It was a custom of the day to give this dipped sop with affection to a loved one.
• This sop is also known as the “Hillel Sandwich”. It is said to have originated with Hillel the Elder, a great Jewish sage and scholar who lived into the time of Jesus early childhood.
• Since Hillel the Elder had risen to prominence before this time, it is likely that this was the “sop” that Jesus offered to Judas, even as he spoke of his pending betrayal:

READER 2: After he had said this, Jesus was troubled in spirit and testified, “Very truly I tell you, one of you is going to betray me.”
His disciples stared at one another, at a loss to know which of them he meant. One of them, the disciple whom Jesus loved, was reclining next to him. Simon Peter motioned to this disciple and said, “Ask him which one he means.”
Leaning back against Jesus, he asked him, “Lord, who is it?”
Jesus answered, “It is the one to whom I will give this piece of bread when I have dipped it in the dish.” Then, dipping the piece of bread, he gave it to Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot. As soon as Judas took the bread, Satan entered into him. (John 13:21-27)

DAWN:
• We know for certain that Jesus shared this feast with Judas up until this point; he washed the feet of the man who was already conspiring with the Pharisees to betray him.

BRAD:
• It is possible that at this critical moment when Jesus handed Judas the sop, he extended one last visible display of love and affection to the one he knew was about to betray him.

ALL: But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans 5:8)

DAWN:
• Let us now eat the “sop”, and remember that Jesus reaches out to us in love, calling us friends, in spite of the fact that like Judas, we also betray him from time to time.

THE CUP OF DELIVERANCE

BRAD:
• It is now time to drink the second cup – the Cup of Deliverance, also known as the Cup of Miracles, the cup of Plagues, or the cup of Judgment.
• It recalls the second promise: “I will free you from being slaves to them.”

READER 3: But I know that the king of Egypt will not let you go unless a mighty hand compels him. So I will stretch out my hand and strike the Egyptians with all the wonders that I will perform among them. After that, he will let you go. (Exodus 3:19-20)

ALL: Who among the gods is like you, Lord? Who is like you— majestic in holiness, awesome in glory, working wonders? (Exodus 15:11)

BRAD: Ba rook Ah-ta Ah-do-ni El-olhay-knew Mel-ick How-o-lam Borea Parie Ha gawo-fen

ALL: Blessed art Thou, O Lord Our God, Ruler of the universe, Creator of the fruit of the Vine

DAWN: Let’s lean to the left, and drink the second cup together.

THE HALLEL

BRAD:
• Psalm 113-118, known as the Hallel, were sung in the temple while the lambs were being slain, and are traditionally recited during the Passover meal.
• We want to take a moment to reflect on the fact that while Jesus suffered in Jerusalem on that last day of his life, there were surely times that he could hear these Psalms of praise being lifted to the Father – these same Psalms that we speak tonight.

DAWN:
• These words – sang by the common people that he came to save – sang to the Father that he came to glorify; must have brought him comfort.
• Tonight, we add our voices to those who sang in the temple, surrounding our meal with praise to our father.

READER 1: When Israel came out of Egypt, Jacob from a people of foreign tongue, Judah became God’s sanctuary, Israel his dominion. The sea looked and fled, the Jordan turned back; the mountains leaped like rams, the hills like lambs. Why was it, sea that you fled? Why, Jordan, did you turn back? Why, mountains, did you leap like rams, you hills, like lambs? (Psalm 114:1-6)

ALL: Tremble, earth, at the presence of the Lord, at the presence of the God of Jacob, who turned the rock into a pool, the hard rock into springs of water. (Psalm 114:7-8)

DAYENU

DAWN:
• It is now tradition to recite “Dayenu”, a celebration of the extravagant love of God on behalf of his people.
• We are only going to recite a portion of this 15-verse song, but we encourage you to let this word find a place in your heart.
• In those times of life when you feel that God has “let you down” in some way, write your own version of Dayenu.
• This little declaration, repeated every year, has much to teach us about gratitude, contentment, and humility before God.

BRAD: How great is God’s goodness to us! For each of His acts of mercy and kindness we declare Dayenu [die-YAY-new] – it would have been sufficient.

BRAD: If he had brought us out of Egypt, and had not carried out judgments against them

ALL: Day-ye-nu!

BRAD: If He had given us their wealth, but not split the sea for us

ALL: Day-ye-nu!

BRAD: If He had supplied our needs in the desert for forty years, and had not fed us with manna.

ALL: Day-ye-nu!

BRAD: If He had brought us to Mount Sinai, and had not given us the Torah

ALL: Day-ye-nu!

BRAD: If He had brought us into the land of Israel, and had not built for us the Holy Temple

ALL: Day-ye-nu!

BRAD: Blessed are you Oh Lord, our God, who supplies all our needs, and blesses us abundantly beyond measure, according to your loving kindness.

DAWN:
• Through the items on the Seder plate, we have seen God’s hand at work, through life and death, joy and sorrow, bondage and freedom, despair and hope.
• As we move into our meal time, let us do so with simple gratitude for his grace that he pours out on us without merit. Day-ye-nu!

SHULCHAN ORAYCH – THE FEAST

READER 2: “When you have eaten and are satisfied, praise the Lord your God for the good land he has given you. Be careful that you do not forget the Lord your God . . . otherwise, when you eat and are satisfied . . . then your heart will become proud and you will forget the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.” (Deuteronomy 8:10-14)

BRAD:
• It is with this scripture in mind that we will eat our meal first, and then offer a prayer of thanksgiving afterward.
• Let’s continue with a spirit of freedom and celebration as we eat.

DAWN:
• You may also eat any of the items on the seder plate now. The only thing that must not be eaten at this time is the afikomen – which should be still wrapped in cloth.
• You will still need your flutes for the conclusion of the evening.

(BREAK FOR MEAL)

TZAFUN – RETRIEVING THE AFIKOMEN

BRAD:
• We have gift bags for the children, so kids come and get a bag, but don’t open them yet.
• Now it is time to bring back the afikomen, but I can’t seem to find it.
• The Passover meal cannot be completed until we find it…It is so important, that I am going to offer a reward to the person who can bring it to me.
• I don’t see it anywhere. . .I wonder . . .Kids, will you look in your bags, and see if maybe it was hidden in one of the bags?
• (to child who finds it) Will you bring that to me? I will make an exchange to get it back from you. The finder of the afikomen always receives a gift. (pays child, and unwraps the afikomen and holds it up)

DAWN:
• Jesus had previously referred to himself as the bread of life, but now he specifically identified himself with a broken piece of matzah.

READER 3: Then Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty. (John 6:35)

READER 1: And he took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me.” (Luke 22:19)

BRAD:
• Recall how the bread reminds of us him—it is striped, pierced, broken, and without leaven.
• Each leader, “bring back” your afikomen, and each person break off a piece, and pass it on.
• Now we see the piece of matzah that has been broken, buried, brought back, and distributed to everyone to eat.

READER 2: I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Whoever eats this bread will live forever. (John 6:51a)

READER 3: This bread is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.” (John 6:51b)

READER 1: Just as the living Father sent me and I live because of the Father, so the one who feeds on me will live because of me. (John 6:57)

DAWN: The afikomen is intended to be the last thing that is eaten this evening. This is so that the taste “lingers in the mouth”.

BRAD: Barukh atah adonai eloheynu melekh ha’olam hamotzi lekhem min ha’aretz.

ALL: Blessed are You, O Lord our God, Ruler of the universe, who brings forth bread from the earth.

BRAD: Let us now eat the afikomen.

THE CUP OF REDEMPTION – I WILL REDEEM YOU

DAWN:
• Let us now pour our cups for the third time this evening.
• This is the cup of redemption, symbolizing the blood of the Passover lamb.
• It recalls the third promise: I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with mighty acts of judgment.
• It was this cup “after supper” that Jesus held up, and declared to be “the new covenant in my blood”.

READER 2: In the same way, after the supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you. (Luke 22:20)

BRAD:
• This was a parallel to a Jewish wedding tradition. The man would offer his prospective bride a cup of wine which he declared to be a “covenant in his blood”.
• If she chose to accept his proposal, she would take the cup, and drink it completely, entering into a legally binding betrothal.
• The bride was sanctified, or set apart for the bridegroom.
• Like the hopeful groom, Jesus did not drink of the third cup, but told his disciples to drink it.

DAWN:
• As the disciples accepted this cup, and drank it fully, they would have been fully aware of the symbolism. They were entering into a covenant relationship with him.

BRAD:
• Likewise, when we first accept the cup that Jesus offers to us, we enter into a covenant relationship with him. Each time we accept it thereafter, we renew our vows to him.

READER 3: Then he took a cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you. This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. I tell you, I will not drink from this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom.”
When they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives. (Matthew 26:27-30)

DAWN:
• The relevance of “the cup” goes even deeper.
• In scripture, a “cup” is often a symbol of God’s judgment—we read of the cup of wrath, the cup of judgment, the cup of horror and desolation.

BRAD:
• Yet, the Psalmist declares that he will “lift up the cup of salvation, and call on the name of the Lord”. (Psalm 116:13)
• In Passover, we see the cup of judgment poured out on the Egyptians, and the cup of salvation offered to the Israelites through the blood of the lamb.

DAWN:
• In the upper room, Jesus identified this cup as the covenant in his blood.
• He did not drink this cup of redemption, but gave it to his disciples.
• Later, in the garden of Gethsemane, he agonized over the cup he was about to take.

READER 1: Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.”
Then he returned to his disciples and found them sleeping. “Couldn’t you men keep watch with me for one hour?” he asked Peter. “Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.”
He went away a second time and prayed, “My Father, if it is not possible for this cup to be taken away unless I drink it, may your will be done.” (Matthew 26:39-42)

BRAD: Only a short time later, he would reprimand Peter for interfering with the cup given to him by his Father.

READER 2: Then Simon Peter, who had a sword, drew it and struck the high priest’s servant, cutting off his right ear. (The servant’s name was Malchus.)
Jesus commanded Peter, “Put your sword away! Shall I not drink the cup the Father has given me?” (John 18:10-11)

DAWN:
• Jesus, drank the cup of judgment, and offered us the cup of Redemption.
• He literally fulfilled the promise of Exodus 6. I will redeem you with an outstretched arm.

BRAD: Raise your cups!

BRAD: Baruch atah Adonai Elohaynu, melech ha’olam, boray p’ree hagafen.

ALL: Blessed are you O Lord our G-d, King of the Universe, who created the fruit of the vine.

BRAD: Let us now lean to the left, and drink the third cup together.

THE CUP OF ELIJAH – I WILL BRING YOU INTO THE LAND

BRAD:
• This cup is for Eliyahu HaNavi, Elijah the Prophet.
• It is tradition at this time for a child to open the door to welcome Elijah to our seder.
• So now, we need the children to go to the door, and see if Elijah has come to visit us this evening. (Wait for kids to return).
• We have been speaking tonight about the four cups that recall the four promises found in Exodus 6:6-7.
• This cup actually recalls an additional promise, found in Exodus 6:8 – I will bring you into the land.

READER 3: And I will bring you to the land I swore with uplifted hand to give to Abraham, to Isaac and to Jacob. I will give it to you as a possession. I am the Lord.’” (Exodus 6:8)

DAWN:
• Up to this point in the seder, our focus has been on what God has done for us in the past. Now, our focus shifts to God’s promises for the future.
• A cup is filled for Elijah because scripture says he is associated with the coming of the Messiah.

READER 1: “See, I will send you the prophet Elijah before that great and dreadful day of the LORD comes. He will turn the hearts of the parents to their children, and the hearts of the children to their parents” (Malachi 4:5-6)

BRAD:
• Children are told that Elijah visits every seder, and that they should watch the cup to see if he drinks from the cup.
• Some think this is only to add to the excitement for the children, but there is also a message for the adults.

DAWN:
• To yearn for Elijah to appear, is to yearn for the Messiah, to believe that God has not forgotten us, and that he keeps his promises.
• To “keep the door open” is to keep the door of your mind and heart open.

BRAD:
• Those who believe that Jesus is God’s promised Messiah must also live in this spirit of anticipation.
• We believe that Elijah has come.
• His arrival was first announced by the angel Gabriel:

READER 2: “And he will go on before the Lord, in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous–to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.” (Luke 1:17)

DAWN: Zechariah, the father of John the Baptist, prophesied over his infant son:

READER 3: And you, my child, will be called a prophet of the Most High; for you will go on before the Lord to prepare the way for him, to give his people the knowledge of salvation through the forgiveness of their sins, because of the tender mercy of our God, by which the rising sun will come to us from heaven to shine on those living in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the path of peace.”

BRAD: John the Baptist fulfilled these prophecies by identifying Jesus as the promised Messiah

READER 1: The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! This is the one I meant when I said, ‘A man who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.’ I myself did not know him, but the reason I came baptizing with water was that he might be revealed to Israel.” (John 1:29-31)

READER 2: Then John gave this testimony: “I saw the Spirit come down from heaven as a dove and remain on him. And I myself did not know him, but the one who sent me to baptize with water told me, ‘The man on whom you see the Spirit come down and remain is the one who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.’ I have seen and I testify that this is God’s Chosen One. (John 1:32-34)

DAWN: Jesus confirmed John’s identity:

READER 3: For all the Prophets and the Law prophesied until John. And if you are willing to accept it, he is the Elijah who was to come. Whoever has ears, let them hear. (Matthew 11:13-15)

BRAD:
• “If you are willing to accept it…” Jesus knew that this was a difficult concept, even for his disciples.
• In Revelation, Jesus tells us that he, himself, is the one seeking the open door.
• He waits to come in and dine with us, not at our table, but in our hearts.

READER 1: Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me. To the one who is victorious, I will give the right to sit with me on my throne, just as I was victorious and sat down with my Father on his throne. (Revelation 3:20-21)

ALL: ‘He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’ ” (Rev 3:22)

BRAD: We hold this cup as a symbol of hope and anticipation for the coming of the Messiah.

HALLEL CONTINUES

DAWN:
• As we continue the Hallel, our song of praise to God, we will be reading psalm 118.
• This is an expression of faith in God’s complete and perfect love, even in the middle of our worst trials of life.

READER 3: Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever.

READER 1: Let Israel say: “His love endures forever.”

READER 2: Let the house of Aaron say: “His love endures forever.”

READER 3: Let those who fear the Lord say: “His love endures forever.”

READER 1: When hard pressed, I cried to the Lord; he brought me into a spacious place.

READER 2: The Lord is with me; I will not be afraid. What can mere mortals do to me?

ALL: The LORD is with me; he is my helper. I will look in triumph on my enemies.

READER 3: It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to trust in man.

READER 1: It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to trust in princes.

READER 2: All the nations surrounded me, but in the name of the LORD I cut them down.

READER 3: They surrounded me on every side, but in the name of the LORD I cut them down.

READER 1: They swarmed around me like bees, but they died out as quickly as burning thorns; in the name of the LORD I cut them down.

READER 2: I was pushed back and about to fall, but the LORD helped me.

ALL: The LORD is my strength and my defense; he has become my salvation.

READER 3: Shouts of joy and victory resound in the tents of the righteous: “The LORD’s right hand has done mighty things!

READER 1: The LORD’s right hand is lifted high; the LORD’s right hand has done mighty things!”

READER 2: I will not die but live, and will proclaim what the LORD has done.

READER 3: The LORD has chastened me severely, but he has not given me over to death.

READER 1: Open for me the gates of righteousness; I will enter and give thanks to the LORD.

READER 2: This is the gate of the LORD through which the righteous may enter.

ALL: I will give you thanks, for you answered me; you have become my salvation.

READER 3: The stone the builders rejected has become the capstone; the LORD has done this, and it is marvelous in our eyes.

READER 1: The Lord has done it this very day; let us rejoice today and be glad.

READER 2: LORD, save us; LORD, grant us success.

READER 3: Blessed is he who comes in the name of the LORD. From the house of the LORD we bless you.

READER 1: The LORD is God, and he has made his light shine upon us. With boughs in hand, join in the festal procession up to the horns of the altar.

READER 2: You are my God, and I will praise you; you are my God, and I will exalt you.

ALL: Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever. (Psalm 118:1-29)

THE CUP OF COMPLETION – I WILL TAKE YOU AS MY OWN

DAWN:
• The cup of praise or the cup of completion is the fourth and final cup of the evening.
• It recalls the promise of God—I will take you as my own.
• After the disciples drank the third cup, they sang a hymn and went out to the Mount of Olives.
• According to scripture, neither Jesus nor his disciples drank the fourth cup.
• This indicates that the Cup of Completion will be fulfilled when we are reunited with Jesus in the Fathers House – His Kingdom.

BRAD:
• The cup of completion also mirrors the ancient Jewish Wedding traditions.
• Remember that the cup of redemption mirrored the cup used for a hopeful groom to propose to a young woman.
• If the woman drank from the cup, the groom would make an announcement.
• “I am going to my father’s house to prepare a place for you and when he says it is finished, I will return for you and take you there to be with me.”
• He would then return to his father’s home to make preparations.
• Jesus was referencing the wedding ceremony at this point in the meal when he spoke to his disciples:

READER 2: Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me. My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. (John 14:1-3)

DAWN:
• At his father’s appointed time, the groom would return for his bride “like a thief in the night” to take her home to be with him.
• There they would share a fourth cup “the cup of completion”, making them husband and wife.
• Incidentally, it is tradition to read the full text of the Song of Solomon in the evening after the Seder meal.

BRAD:
• In the garden Jesus told his disciples to “keep watching and praying”.
• The night of Passover is referred to as “a night of watching for the Lord in all generations”.

READER 3: Because the Lord kept vigil that night to bring them out of Egypt, on this night all the Israelites are to keep vigil to honor the Lord for the generations to come. (Exodus 12:42)

DAWN:
• We are called to keep watch, just as a young bride was to “keep watch” for the return of her groom, not knowing just when that would be—only that it would be.

READER 1: “Let us rejoice and be glad and give him glory! For the wedding of the Lamb has come, and his bride has made herself ready. Fine linen, bright and clean, was given her to wear.”
(Fine linen stands for the righteous acts of God’s holy people.) Then the angel said to me, “Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb!” And he added, “These are the true words of God.” (Revelation 19:7-9)

BRAD:
• Earlier this evening, we told you to remember the passion in Jesus’ voice when he wept over the city of Jerusalem, as he cried “I longed to gather you, but you were not willing.”
• The invitation is still open; this time extending to all mankind the opportunity to enter into this covenant relationship with him.

DAWN:
• We also told you to remember the invitation that was offered before the open door: “Let all who are hungry…let all who are needy … come and celebrate…”
• Jesus offers the same invitation.

READER 2: “I, Jesus, have sent my angel to give you this testimony for the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, and the bright Morning Star.”

READER 3: The Spirit and the bride say, “Come!”

READER 1: And let the one who hears say, “Come!”

READER 2: Let the one who is thirsty come;

READER 3: and let the one who wishes take the free gift of the water of life. (Revelation 22:16-17)

ALL: As a bridegroom rejoices over his bride, so will your God rejoice over you. (Isaiah 62:5)

BRAD: Let us raise our cups for the fourth and final time this evening.

DAWN: Let us lean and drink this symbolic cup of completion, as we keep vigil for the Lord.

BRAD: Ba rook Ah-ta Ah-do-ni El-olhay-knew Mel-ick How-o-lam Bore a Parie Ha gawo-fen Amen

ALL: Blessed are you, O Lord our God, Ruler of the Universe, who creates the fruit of the vine.

(All drink)

NIRTZAH – ACCEPTED

              DAWN:

• Our seder is now complete, it’s customs and traditions fulfilled.
• It is customary to end a seder saying “Next year in Jerusalem”.
• It is the prayer of the heart that awaits the Messiah, holding fast to the promises of God.

BRAD:
• Next year may we all be drinking the true cup of completion at the marriage supper of the lamb in the new Jerusalem.
• I will give the Aaronic Benediction, and then everyone please join me in this final statement of faith.

BRAD: ‘“The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you; the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace.” (Num 6:24-26)

BRAD: La-sha-nah ha-ba-‘ah bi-ru-sha-la-yim!

ALL: Next year in Jerusalem!