Appointed Times Of The L-RD OR Passover: Why Should I Care?!?
[Please note, this post introduces ideas pulled from a few sections of scripture, the evidence for which is not complete. Those sections should be apparent to the reader. These sections of scripture and the ideas we are pulling from them aren’t meant to be taken dogmatically. Rather, they are pulled to get us thinking about something in a way that we might not have done before.
In Jewish thought, strict black and white lines of demarcation are not the norm. Instead, there is the idea of constantly looking for additional meaning which may have been previously missed. That is the spirit in which this post is presented.]
Why did G-d create the sun, moon & stars? We’re told in Genesis 1:14 that He created them, first and foremost, to indicate signs and seasons.
The order in which the L-RD gives us the functions of the “greater and lesser lights” is important. He lists the most important, primary uses first and the secondary utilities last.
What’s particularly interesting about this is that, at this point, HaShem has not informed us about what these signs and seasons might be.
Since the primary purpose for which HaShem created the heavenly hosts was to be markers for signs and seasons, it is our obligation as His worshiping servants to search out exactly to what those signs point because they are of utmost importance to Him. We’ll revisit this idea in a minute.
In Genesis chapter 4 we have the recounting of the history of Cain & Abel.
In verse 3 the Hebrew literally says “at the end of days” both Cain & Abel brought sacrifices to the L-RD.
“At the end of days” indicates a specific, predetermined time.
Let me ask you, how did they know when the “end of days” was?
Could it be that HaShem had told them how to read the signs He put in the heavens? Could it also be that G-d had communicated to them about the specific times He had set aside to meet with them for specific, special purposes? Maybe this time of the “end of days” was one of the seasons mentioned in Genesis 1:14. I don’t think this is too far-fetched, but let’s put that thought on hold for a while. We’ll revisit it later in this post.
Let’s move on to Exodus 12. We’re interested in Exodus 12:1-4 and Exodus 12:14-15.
Here it seems HaShem introduces, for the first time in the written scriptures, the idea of Passover, or “Pesach” in Hebrew. However, one of the primary elements of the greater festival of Passover, and centric to the Feast of Unleavened Bread, is referred to here in a casual way. G-d assumes that ‘unleavened bread’ is already something familiar to Moses and the Israelites.
In these verses in Exodus 12, HaShem specifically details every single aspect of how to observe Passover. Every aspect, that is, except for the matzoh – the unleavened bread. This is a significant detail we should not simply gloss over. Why?
We should remember that faithfully, and properly, observing Passover in Egypt was the difference between life & death for the Israelites. If the L-RD failed to describe the proper preparation of such an important element, it could potentially mean the deaths of many Israelites. If unleavened bread wasn’t a food already familiar to the Israelites, G-d would have described its preparation in detail, just as He did for the other elements.
In fact, some biblical scholars have decided the way G-d speaks about the unleavened bread indicates familiarity with it on the part of Moses and the Israelites. I agree with them.
To find out why, let’s turn now to Genesis 17:23-26.
The phrase “that very day” is significant. It indicates significance of immediacy. The particular phrase is telling us to pay attention to the time frame in which all these things happened.
Earlier in Genesis 17, the scripture describes an encounter Abram has with HaShem. It is during this encounter that HaShem both changes Abram’s name to Abraham and instructs him to circumcise himself, his son, Ishmael, and every male in his household.
In verse 23 and 26 we’re told Abraham carries out G-d’s instruction “that very day”. And Chapter 18 is a direct continuation of the events of chapter 17. That’s not necessarily to say it happened in the hours following the day Abraham circumcised himself and his household, but from the wording in the text we could certainly infer these events all happened immediately one after the other.
Chapter 18 starts with the word “And”. It also refers to Abraham as “him” without clarifying who “him” is referring to. Again, the continuation is significant. In fact, it looks like the events of Genesis 17:1-18:24 happened over the course of perhaps 2-3 days at the most.
Let’s take a step back & summarize what’s happening in these verses.
HaShem appears to Abram, changes his name to Abraham and instructs him concerning circumcision. “That very day” Abraham circumcises himself and his household “and the L-RD appeared to him by the oaks of Mamre”.
Abraham invites the L-RD and His angels to sit down while Abraham brings them “a morsel of bread”. He then turns to Sarah and tells her to make cakes.
Here’s one place where only reading the text in English is a huge drawback. In the English, this event seems pretty inconsequential. In the Hebrew, however, we see something completely different.
The Hebrew for “cakes” here is “uga” (‘oog ah). “Uga” was flat, round bread – thin wafers.
In this passage we should also note that Abraham is in a hurry and mentions nothing to Sarah about waiting for the bread to rise. This is because “uga” was a type of unleavened bread.
Keep this in mind as we move a little further in the text and take a look at what goes on with Lot, possibly on the same day, in chapter 19.
In verse 3 it literally says Lot “made them a feast and baked unleavened bread, and they ate”.
We should notice this feast actually took place later in the evening. Notice that the topic of conversation in the first 2 verses center around where the angels would spend the night. The day’s activities in the market were over and people were settling into their homes for the night.
So, at this point, we see how G-d appeared to Abram (17:1), Abraham circumcised himself & his whole household and served flat, unleavened bread to HaShem. It’s also interesting that Abraham served a calf, “tender and good” to the L-RD as part of their meal. We won’t take the time to expound on what this means here, but suffice to say that this was a very special and important thing to do.
Down in Sodom, seemingly that very evening, Lot feeds the angels a feast, specifically with unleavened bread. After which meal, the men of the city, who are attempting to act violently towards the angels, are struck with blindness while Lot & his family are hurriedly delivered from destruction by being rushed from the city in the night.
Does any of this seem like it might fit just as well into another story?
Does it sound like another story where, on a certain night a certain group of people ate a feast including a year old animal and unleavened bread, who were then swiftly and miraculously delivered through supernatural signs & wonders, leaving on the heals of a wake of death and destruction in the middle of the night?
Is any of this ringing a bell? Seems like we might have just read part of a story that seems a lot like one that happened in Egypt.
Hmm… oh, yeah… the Passover! Exodus 12. It’s all coming back to you now, isn’t it? Isn’t it interesting that we started looking at one of the only other stories in scripture that talks about unleavened bread and have now stumbled upon the fact that this story closely mimics the Passover story we all know & love.
I’d like to draw your attention back to the part where Abraham circumcised everyone the day before Sodom bit the dust. I believe the timing of G-d telling Abram to do that at this particular time carries weight.
It just so happens that Passover is the only, I repeat, the ONLY appointed time/feast of the L-RD (moedim [moe eh ‘deem]) that requires its male participants be circumcised as a prerequisite for taking part in the festal sacrifice. (See Exodus 12:43-48)
Now let’s take this thing full circle. Turn back to Genesis 1:14.
Remember what the most important, primary purpose of the sun, moon & stars / heavenly bodies / “lights in the expanse of the heavens” is? They are to act as signs & “for seasons”.
Funny thing about the Hebrew word for “seasons” there in verse 14. This is one of only three (3) times that Hebrew word is ever translated as “seasons”. I’m trying to find a good reason why because almost everywhere else in scripture it’s translated differently using one of a couple of phrases.
The word translated “seasons” in verse 14 is the Hebrew word “moedim”. I hope that sounds familiar because almost everywhere else it’s translated as “appointed times”. As in the “appointed times of the L-RD” in Leviticus 23.
It’s the same phrase G-d uses with Abraham in Genesis 18 when He’s talking about Sarah having a child.
It’s also interesting to note that the Jewish sages place the timing of the incident of Cain & Abel bringing their sacrifices to G-d at Nisan 14 on the Hebrew calendar. We won’t look at why right now and we won’t put too much emphasis on it, but you should know that Nisan 14 is the first day of Passover.
Conclusion
What does all this mean? Why should we care? And how does it apply to our lives today? To find out, let’s ask ourselves a few questions, shall we?
Our first question centers around the “moedim” (appointed times) of the L-RD: Are what most Christians call the “feasts of Israel” really Israel’s feasts, or are they the L-RD’s? Let’s take a look at Leviticus 23:1 to find out.
G-d Himself calls them “the appointed feasts (moedim) of the L-RD”. He then emphasizes this by stating “they are My appointed feasts (moedim)” [emphasis mine].
Just a few verses later in Leviticus 23:4 the second moed (appointed time, singular) G-d outlines is Pesach (Passover). And, again, G-d makes sure we understand these are His moedim, not Israel’s. So, the answer to “who’s feasts are they, anyway” is fairly obvious.
Second question: To whom do the moedim (appointed times) of Genesis 1:14 apply (which are described in Leviticus 23)?
Well, let’s think about this.
Since Genesis 1:14 is right in the middle of creation, I think maybe a more appropriate question might be “To whom do the moedim of Genesis 1:14 not apply?”
While I think this should be a self-explanatory, rhetorical question, let’s look at who in the Bible might have celebrated them.
I know I haven’t built a case for it here, but, as I mentioned earlier, several Jewish sages believe that when Cain & Abel offered their sacrifices to the L-RD “at the end of days”, it was actually Nisan 14 – the eve of Passover. If this is true, it’s very easy to see why Abel’s offering of a lamb was accepted while Cain’s offering of produce was not.
Assuming the sages are correct, something else to think about is this: when Cain & Abel offered their sacrifices before the L-RD there were no Jews to be found. It was hundreds & hundreds of years before the Israelites would come on the scene. I believe this could be a hint that at all of mankind should be observing Passover. Within the criteria set forth by HaShem, of course.
Moving forward quite a few years to Genesis 17-19, we see both Abraham & Lot possibly celebrating Passover.
Both these instances (Cain & Abel and Abraham & Lot) occur hundreds or thousands of years before the events of Exodus 12 and before the nation of Israel even existed.
There were no Jews in Genesis 4. Depending on your viewpoint, there weren’t really any in Genesis 17-19, either, though Abraham is the father of the Jewish people. But even if we count Abraham as being “Jewish”, the same case cannot be made for Lot. Though he was related to Abraham, he wasn’t Abraham’s descendant.
When we take into consideration:
A) the moedim are introduced in the middle of the creation account in Genesis 1:14,
B) we see evidence of other, non-Jewish people celebrating at least one moed (appointed time),
C) HaShem goes to great lengths to separate His appointed times from being strictly Jewish, and
D) the specific appointed time we see non-Jews participating in is the second moed described by G-d,
it becomes apparent that the appointed times of the L-RD in Leviticus 23 should apply universally to mankind – at least from G-d’s perspective.
There does, though, seem to be one HUGE difference between the moedim as they relate to the Jewish people versus the rest of us.
G-d doesn’t mince words when talking about the nation of Israel being HIS PEOPLE. He makes it abundantly clear they are specifically required to celebrate all His feasts and uphold all His commandments. And even though they are required to do these things, G-d still promises a blessing for observing some commands and feasts.
Gentiles don’t seem to be under the same obligation.
The Gentiles seem to have incentive to observe certain commands or moedim, but are not under the same obligation as the Jews. Isaiah 56 is a great example of this kind of incentive.
However, I would say that, even if G-d’s moedim aren’t “required” for Gentiles, as G-d fearers, we should be especially eager to take part in them. Not for our own benefit necessarily, but because they are important to G-d.
If I only did things that were important to me and refused to do anything that was important to my wife (that I didn’t directly benefit from) how good of a relationship would you suppose we’d have? Not very.
Part of having a relationship with someone is doing things that person likes simply because they like it. Our own enjoyment isn’t the point – theirs is.
G-d has specifically and specially set aside certain dates and times to meet with us for certain purposes. Why would we waste such opportunities? We shouldn’t.
I’ll leave you with one final thought about the L-RD’s appointed times.
In Genesis 2:1-3 it says G-d finished His work on the seventh day and rested from His work. The next sentence is so often overlooked in Christianity, but I think it deserves special attention.
Verse 3 says, “So G-d blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it G-d rested from all His work that He had done in creation”.
Not only did G-d specially bless the seventh day, but he also set it apart as special and unique. He made it to be treated differently than the six other days of the week. That’s exactly what making it “holy” means – set apart.
In Isaiah 66:23 it says: “From new moon to new moon, and from Sabbath to Sabbath, all flesh shall come to worship before me, declares the L-RD.”
In Zechariah 14:16-17 it says: “Then everyone who survives of all the nations that have come against Jerusalem shall go up year after year to worship the King, the L-RD of hosts, and to keep the Feast of Booths. And if any of the families of the earth do not go up to Jerusalem to worship the King, the L-RD of hosts, there will be no rain on them.”
From these verses, it seems to me, that at least Shabbat & Sukkot (Feat of Booths) are not just for Israel to observe, but apply to “all flesh”.
I believe G-d made the sabbath day part of creation for a reason, just as he put the sun, moon and star in the sky for a reason. It’s one of His moedim. He’s specifically set it aside in order to make time to meet with us, as He outlines in Leviticus 23:1-3.
This year, why not make an effort to learn about G-d appointed times and make time in our schedules to meet with the Creator of the universe, just as He’s made time to be with us?
Cheers!
-Mark
Messianic/Christian Passover (Pesach) Seder in Meridian
On the evening of Monday April 14th we will be hosting our second annual Messianic Passover Seder in Meridian, Idaho.
See below for details
There are a few times each year that I and my family very much look forward to. These times are the appointed times of HaShem, which also includes our weekly holiday of Shabbat. These come up about six times a year; three times in the spring & three times in the fall. You can find these times in Leviticus 23.
For the past decade we have been enjoying these appointed times, fellowshipping with other believers, learning about our G-d, and growing closer to Him.
Last year we opened our home for our first community Passover Seder. It was packed! We had nearly 40 people in our home, and that was without any advertising!
This year we are holding our second annual Community Passover Seder.
It will be held at the address and time below. If you are in the greater Boise/Eagle/Meridian/Nampa/Caldwell area, you are welcome and invited to attend.
Come take part in the Passover with us! Learn the messianic significance of Passover and see how it points to Yeshua, Jesus, as the Redeemer and Messiah of Israel and the world!
Treasure Valley Worship Center
50 W Spicewood Drive
Meridian, Idaho 83680
Time: 6:30pm
Cost: $16 adults, $6.50 children – dinner will be fully catered
Please visit boisepassover.com for more information and to purchase tickets!
Cheers,
-Mark
Rosh Hoshannah / Yom Teruah
Greetings and blessings to you from us! We trust this post finds you and yours doing well and in good health, physically, spiritually and emotionally.
Today is Rosh Hoshannah / Yom Teruah. Rosh Hoshannah means ‘Head of the Year’. It is literally the Day of Blowing (Yom Teruah), also known as the Feast of Trumpets. It is found in the Bible in Leviticus 23:23-25:
And the L-RD spoke to Moses, saying, “Speak to the people of Israel, saying, In the seventh month, on the first day of the month, you shall observe a day of solemn rest, a memorial proclaimed with blast of trumpets, a holy convocation. You shall do no ordinary work, and you shall present a food offering to the L-RD.
Jewish tradition holds that this is the time of year G-d created all things according to Genesis 1. I believe that is very fitting. Why? Because Rosh Hoshannah is the beginning of a time of great introspection and restoration. Just as all things started new at creation, so, too, we have the opportunity at Rosh Hoshanna to start fresh in our own lives. Rosh Hoshannah/Yom Teruah is the beginning of the 10 Days of Awe. During this time we ask G-d to help us search our hearts. If we’ve wronged anyone, we make it right. If we’ve put up barriers between ourselves and G-d, we tear them down. It is a time of preparation for the holiest day of the year, Yom Kippur (The Day of Atonement).
This time reminds us that G-d is merciful and gracious, but He also requires holiness from us. Part of holiness and relating rightly to G-d is relating rightly with other people in our lives.
Our Master, Yeshua, commanded us to live at peace with one another. In fact, our relationship with G-d is directly affected by how we relate to one another. In Matthew 5:23-24 Yeshua says:
So if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar and go. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift.
The onus is on us to make things right when we realize someone has been hurt or offended by our actions. We’re not to wait until they bring it up, but we’re to be proactive about making amends instead. The clear implication here is G-d won’t hear our prayer or receive our gift if we’re not in right relationship with those around us. 1 John 4:20-21 says:
If anyone says “I love G-d”, and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love G-d whom he has not seen.
And this is the commandment we have from Him: whoever loves G-d must also love his brother.
For some of us, we have had strained relationships for years. Trying to right past wrongs doesn’t seem feasible.
That’s what Rosh Hoshanna is for! It’s G-d’s gift to us to give us the opportunity to correct our past mistakes, no matter how long we’ve been making them. This applies to many areas of our lives, but the one we’re focusing on today is our relationships.
Romans 12:18 says:
If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all.
There’s no better time for a fresh start than now. Let this Rosh Hoshanna be the season of change and restoration for you and those in your life!
May you have a sweet new year!
Read MoreCelebrating Our Messiah’s Resurrection
This is a guest post from my lovely wife:
This week our family has been celebrating Passover, and it’s been a lovely week!
It started out with us hosting our first community Passover Seder on the first evening of Passover. Next, we celebrated our oldest’s 7th birthday, and we will celebrating Yeshua’s resurrection on Sunday.
With the festive nature and significance of the holidays of this week I felt inspired to write a little more about Passover. I want to introduce you to the little-known holiday of Yom HaBikkurim, discuss the roots of Easter, and then go over the whole thing from a Messianic perspective.
I’m not going to write an exhaustive essay on these topics. But my hope is that you’ll come out on the other side with a better understanding than you started out with. 
Passover – A Quick Overview
As an overview, the Passover holiday is comprised of three parts:
1.) The first night (often 2 nights)- which is what is typically referred to as Passover, when we celebrate with a seder dinner.
2.) The week of unleavened bread- when God tells us to eat only unleavened bread in remembrance (Leviticus 23:4-8)
3.) Yom HaBikkurim, which is the Feast of Early Firstfruits. (Here is a great article about the timing of Yom Habikkurim and the counting of the omer.)
Yom HaBikkurim – The Feast of Early Firstfruits
The Feast of Firstfruits is a very interesting holiday because it spans 50 days! The first day is the Feast of Early Firstfruits, Yom HaBikkurim, which is when the first fruits of the barley harvest were brought to the L-RD. This day begins the counting of the omer, a counting of 49 days, after which another holiday, the Feast of Latter Firstfruits, or Shavuot, is celebrated. The latter firstfruits is when the first fruits of the wheat harvest was brought to the L-RD.
Like all of the other holy days that the L-RD has designed for us to celebrate and meet with Him, these two holidays have much more than an agricultural meaning. Historically, it is believed that the first Yom HaBikkurim was the day that God delivered His people from the Egyptians at the Red Sea, finalizing their freedom. It is also believed that the first Shavuot was the day that God gave the Torah on Mount Sinai.
But where I believe this gets really interesting is when we look at the Messianic fulfillments of these two holidays. Yom HaBikkurim is the day that our Messiah rose from the dead after His crucifixion. Just as we will someday rise from death, He has risen, as the firstfruits:
But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive. But each in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, then at his coming those who belong to Christ.
1 Corinthians 15:20-23
And Shavuot is also known as Penticost, meaning fifty. As we know, this is the day that Yeshua sent His Spirit to the Jewish believers gathered in Jerusalem. (Acts 2)
Our Celebration of His Resurrection
Just as we honor the L-RD’s death on Passover, we have found much meaning celebrating the resurrection of our Master on Yom HaBikkurim. There is a deep authenticity to the keeping of a holy day that was set apart by the L-RDHimself. Knowing that God established these days so far in advance, with the plan of their ultimate fulfillment in Yeshua’s coming, is such an amazing realization!
While we can’t bring the first fruits of the barley harvest to the temple to offer to the L-RD, we can offer Him the first fruits of our lives. We can continue to meditate on the freedom that He gives us through Yeshua’s death that is ultimately known through His resurrection. And we can celebrate that just as our Master was risen from death, we have achieved victory over death through His sacrifice!
What About Easter?
Now I am going to shift gears a bit. I want to talk about the holiday that is usually used to celebrate the Messiah’s resurrection: Easter.
There is a lot of information out there discussing the history of Easter. And a lot of it is just plain terrifying! I don’t know about you, but when we began down the road of Messianic observance, we were mortified at the things we read and quickly put a stop to all of our celebrations that had questionable history. (Another blog coming later about this.) After several years of learning, we were finally introduced to some thorough, unbiased scholarship in this area. The FFOZ teaching, What About Paganism, was an eye-opening look into the actual history of these holidays. I would encourage anyone who is questioning the roots of these celebrations to check out this resource and get the whole scoop.
Here are a couple of things we’ve learned:
Myth: Easter is named after Ishtar, the goddess of fertility.
Fact: Easter is named after Ēastre , the month in the Old English calendar on which it fell. (Just as most of our months are still named after ancient gods.)
Myth: The Eucharist is pagan in origin, derived from the worship of Mithra.
Fact: The Eucharist comes from the Passover Seder, and has become separated from its Jewish roots over time.
Also, in most cultures and languages around the world, the celebration of Yeshua’s death and resurrection is still known as Passover – Pasqua, Paska, Pascha, Pascua – all derived from the Hebrew word Pesach, meaning Passover.
If you are questioning the roots of Easter I highly recommend you check out the resource above. But suffice to say that we have come to the conclusion that celebrating Easter is not participating in some ancient pagan ritual. Like anything else in life, you can choose to do it in a way that brings honor and glory to the L-RD, or you can choose to do it in a way that pleases the flesh and ignores God.
Reconciling Easter as a Messianic Believer
In the Messianic community the misinformation I referenced briefly above has caused a lot of paranoia about paganism. Many people refuse to get together with the rest of their families who celebrate certain holidays because they believe it’s sinful. Many spread false information and fear among believers. And while I believe that the majority of people who do this do it out of genuine desire to honor God, it grieves me. It grieves me because it is so alienating. It causes dissension and animosity between believers and does nothing to build the kingdom of God. So much of this information is also based on poor scholarship, which sends the message to the rest of the Christian world that we are “fringe” and uneducated. It can also cause deep, lasting hurt in families.
The Weightier Matters of Torah
This year we will be attending an Easter morning service for the first time since we’ve been married. Why? Because we now live close to Mark’s parents and we know that it would honor them (and bless us as well) to celebrate with them. This year, Easter is also the same day as Yom HaBikkurim, which means our family will already be celebrating the Resurrection that day.
Yeshua tells us that we should be holding to the weightier matters of Torah – justice, mercy, and faithfulness:
Woe to you! For you tithe mint and dill and cumin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faithfulness. These you ought to have done, without neglecting the others.
Matthew 23:23
He also tells us that love is the highest commandment of all:
This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.
John 15:12
Rabbi Shaul (Paul) reiterates this sentiment:
Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor.
Romans 12:10
And so does John in his first epistle:
And this is his commandment, that we believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ and love one another, just as he has commanded us. Whoever keeps his commandments abides in God, and God in him.
1 John 3:23-24
I want to encourage you to let love reign in your celebrations of our L-RD this season. Whether you celebrate Yom HaBikkurim or Easter, do so in a way that brings honor to Yeshua and His power over death. May your love for others take precedence over the particulars of your observance.
And may we all strive to outdo one another in showing honor!
~Judy
Read MoreDo This In Remembrance of Me
Today is one of my favorite days of the year- Passover!
This year will hold a special place in my memory, as we hosted our first community Seder last night. We turned our dining and family rooms into a banquet hall and fit 34 people in our home to celebrate God’s deliverance!
This is one of the holiest days on God’s calendar, and it holds even more significance for us as believers. Passover was the first holiday (other than the Sabbath) created by the Lord, set apart as a holy day to remember his deliverance of his people from slavery. Most of us know that Yeshua was crucified on Passover as well, fulfilling an even deeper aspect of the holiday.
As we went through the Seder last night, we talked about the meaning of each of the elements, and it always amazes me how God set up these symbols to all have dual meaning- both for the Exodus and for Yeshua’s death and resurrection. The most memorable part of the evening for me was when Mark taught about the afikomen. He was brought to tears, recalling our Messiah’s brutal, sacrificial death.
Our Master, Yeshua, told us what the significance of the afikomen is.
And when the hour came, he reclined at table, and the apostles with him. And he said to them, “I have earnestly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer… And he took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.”
Luke 22:14-15, 19
We believe the three matzot represent the unity of the Godhead – the Father, the Son (Messiah) and the Holy Spirit. The middle matzah represents our Messiah, Yeshua. There are may ways the afikomen points to our Master:
- The first significance is in it’s name. Afikomen means “The One Who Comes Again”. Yeshua rose again from the dead to complete His mission of redemption and, of course, He will come again to establish His kingdom.
- It is made without leaven which is a symbol of sin. Likewise, Yeshua was sinless.
- The matzah is striped from hot, swift baking. Likewise, His body was striped by means of the Roman whip.
- The matzah is pierced to prevent rising. Similarly, His body was pierced by the Roman nails in His hands and feet and the Roman spear thrust in his side.
- As the afikomen is wrapped in white cloth, so was His body prepared in white cloth for burial in a tomb.
And when the hour came, he reclined at table, and the apostles with him. And he said to them, “I have earnestly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer. For I tell you I will not eat it until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God.” … And likewise the cup after they had eaten, saying, “This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood.”
Luke 22:14-16, 20
Another key part of the Seder is the 4 cups of wine/juice that are drank in certain parts of the evening. Each cup has a specific meaning. The cup after the meal – the one that Yeshua took and said “Do this in remembrance of me” – is the third cup – the Cup of Redemption. How appropriate is it that we are told to remember Yeshua’s sacrifice at the Cup of Redemption! Not only do we celebrate the redemption of the Jewish people from slavery, but we celebrate our redemption from slavery to sin, bought by our Messiah’s precious blood!
Passover & Communion
Growing up in the church, communion was a part of my life for as long as I can remember. I have memorized the verses our pastor read every time:
The Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it, and said, “This is my body which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” In the same way also he took the cup, after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.”
1 Corinthians 11:23-25
But in doing this every month, it was never explained to me that what Christians do as Communion was in fact instituted by the Messiah as a part of Passover! While Communion does have beautiful meaning and symbolism, the depth of Passover far exceeds it. God created this day to be a sacred celebration for His people, and we – as Gentiles grafted into His people – are encouraged and welcome to partake in it and receive the blessings that it entails.
This season, I encourage you to look into Passover yourself. Learn about the dual symbolism that the Lord gave us to remember Him by, and let Him speak to you through it!
Many Blessings this Passover Season,
– Judy
*For more of Judy’s thoughts about God, family, and home, check out her blog at http://liferichlylived.com.
Read MoreAbout the Author
This is the blog of Mark Rich. Mark lives in the Boise area and enjoys studying theology, photography, and playing music when he's not spending time with his family or growing his marketing business.
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