The Christian Letter, Volume One: Chapter 27
The Speaker’s Portion of the Haggadah
“Your boasting is not good. Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the entire lump? Therefore cleanse out the old leaven, so that you are a new lump, as you are unleavened. For also Messiah our Passover was offered for us. So then let us observe the festival, not with old leaven, nor with the leaven of evil and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.” (1 Corinthians 5:6-8).
Before the Meal wash the feet of your guests, give a hug, shake the hand, kiss their beard (holy kiss), or other common greetings, and anoint their head in fragrant oil. Before the feast a game is played. The parents have cleaned the house thoroughly to make sure there is no leaven anywhere, but now is the time to make sure they did a good job. Say something to the effect of,
“Though we cleaned the house, even the best house cleaner may miss something, so we all need to double check.”
Of course you will have placed a cracker here, and a cookie there, along with a few pieces of bread over there. The kids will find all the pieces of bread / leaven you left out, and they will put it in a bag to be burned outside. This is a good practice as it teaches the children to always search, rather than to simply accept. To know that even parents make mistakes.
Now that the home is clear of leaven, pray for the blessing of Ruach HaKodesh, to clean any leaven / sin out of His temple.
Speaker: Isaiah 26:8 reads, “Also, in the path of Your right-rulings, O Yahoweh, we have waited for You; the longing of our being is for Your Name and for the remembrance of You.”
Give a welcome as each of the guests gather at the table.
“Shalom! And welcome to the Feast of Yahoweh! Long have I desired to celebrate this Passover with you. We remember the Exodus year after year. We refuse to forget. Though it was not so long ago, many have begun to deny that the Holocaust ever happened. We were slaves in Egypt and yet most of Egypt denies that we were ever there. But we know. Every year families have remembered what the world chooses to forget. For many generations the elder would tell about how it was his great, or perhaps great, great, great grandfather, who walked between the walls of water in the Red Sea. We know, for we were there.
This may take some time to tell and reflect, but lest we forget, we joyfully do this every year. If we forget, we forget the first Commandment. Exodus 20:2 reads, “I AM Yahoweh, your Deliverer, Who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.” Let us never forget Who He is.
Encourage everyone to remain standing until the songs have been sung. Songs can be found in the music section of this book and will be sung shortly.
Speaker: Exodus 12:19-20 reads, “For seven days no leaven is to be found in your houses, for if anyone eats what is leavened, that same being shall be cut off from the congregation of Yisra’el, whether sojourner or native of the land. Do not eat that which is leavened—in all your dwellings you are to eat unleavened bread.”
Reader: 1 Corinthians 11:26-34.
Speaker: We are gathered this evening to observe and remember Passover, Yahoweh’s deliverance of His people. Yahoweh delivered Israel from the bondage of slavery, and He commanded us to observe this festival forever, Jew or stranger alike, indeed, this feast will even be in the Kingdom of Heaven. We are not to celebrate in vain, but to give thanks to Him, and to recognize an even greater Exodus.
Through the death of the foretold Messiah, Yahoshuah, we will be passed over from death, and be released from the bondage of sin. I ask tonight that you consider each of the Scriptures we will be reading this evening, so that you may truly observe and recognize Yahoweh, the Mighty One of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
Have your wife, daughter, or guest light the traditional pair of candles so long as the sun has not yet set thus being a Sabbath, unless you already have a fire going.
Speaker: Light is a symbol of Yahoweh’s presence. Lighting candles is many people’s way of separating His Sabbath from the rest of the week. However, my household usually just prays and gives thanks for His separating the Sabbath day and making it holy. But on Passover we always light candles, because we enjoy doing so, and because they add a touch more loveliness to what is already one of the most beautiful nights of the year.
Speaker prays: “Blessings come from You, the Creator, King of the universe, Who has kept us in life and has preserved us, and has enabled us to reach this season. Thank You for separating this day from all others. Thank You for giving us the gift of the Kadosh Mikrah (Holy Rehearsal), of Passover. I ask that You guide this celebration. HalleluYah.”
This is a Sabbath!
Song time!
(While clapping.) All: Shabbat Shalom! Shabbat shalom, Shabbat shalom, Shabbat, Shabbat, Shabbat, Shabbat shalom. Shabbat shalom, Shabbat shalom, Shabbat, Shabbat, Shabbat, Shabbat shalom. Shabba Shabba Shabba Shabba Shabbat shalom. Shabba Shabba Shabba Shabba Shabbat shalom. Shabbat shalom, Shabbat shalom, Shabbat, Shabbat, Shabbat, Shabbat shalom. HEY!
After any songs have gone quite, and people are bowing their heads by observing you doing the same, then continue with the Passover.
Speaker: Please be seated. … We are called to celebrate Passover. For Yahoshuah said, “Do not think that I came to destroy the Torah or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to complete. For truly, I say to you, till the heaven and the earth pass away, one jot or one tittle shall by no means pass from the Torah till all be done. Whoever, then, breaks one of the least of these commands, and teaches men so, shall be called least in the reign of the heavens; but whoever does and teaches them, he shall be called great in the reign of the heavens. For I say to you, that unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you shall by no means enter into the reign of the heavens.” (Matthew 5:17-20). The Adversary is a deceiver. He has deceived many nations. Satan even tried something he did to Adam and Eve and does to you and me, on the Messiah. Listen very carefully! Never let Satan try to destroy you with a verse of Scripture taken out of context and filled with doubt. Yahoweh’s Word, His Passover, remains. ‘Til Heaven and earth pass.
Reader: Exodus 9:16.
Reader: Exodus 6:1.
All: Exodus 6:6-8 reads, “Say, therefore, to the children of Yisra’el, ‘I am Yahoweh, and I shall bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, and shall deliver you from their enslaving, and shall redeem you with an outstretched arm, and with great judgments, and shall take you as My people, and I shall be your Elohim. And you shall know that I am Yahoweh your Elohim who is bringing you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians. And I shall bring you into the land which I swore to give to Abraham, to Yitshaq, and to Ya’aqob, to give it to you as an inheritance. I am Yahoweh.’”
Speaker: Yah kept each of these promises. He freed us from Egypt and blessed us with His Torah.
Reader: 2 Thessalonians 2:13-15.
Speaker: Yahoweh is holy, and we cannot enter His presence with sin. He has established the sacrificial system to cleanse us of our sin. Yahoshuah is the ultimate sacrifice so that we can be in Yahoweh’s presence. May we all be sanctified though the blood of the Lamb, Yahoshuah.
Reader: Romans 6:23.
Speaker: Let us lift the cup of Sanctification and pray. All.
All: “Barukh atah Yahoweh Ha BaRa Melech ha’olam borei pri hagafen Amen. Blessed are you, Yahoweh, the Creator, King of the universe, Who creates the fruit of the vine. May it be.”
Drink the first cup.
Next the speaker will wash his hands, and then his guests. Their hands are done in remembrance of the priest who washed in a basin of water before he could go to Yahoweh on behalf of Israel.
(During the washing of hands.)
Reader: Psalms 24:3-4 and Exodus 2:23-25.
(During the washing of hands.)
Speaker: Yahoweh heard the cry of the children of Israel who wanted to be delivered from their bondage. Do we cry out to be set free? If we do, then we will know a great Exodus, like the children who walked on dry ground, with a wall of water towering on theirs sides, and Cloud and Fire of Love above.
(Towards the end of the washing of hands.)
Reader: Exodus 12:21-24.
Speaker: The doors here have been marked with wine, a symbol of His Blood. I hope you saw it when you came in. The parsley, dipped in salt water, symbolizes the Ezov (traditionally hyssop but more likely caper, oregano, or thyme, which grew heavily around wells of water), the Israelites used to mark their doors with the lamb’s blood in the traditional Seder. The salt water represents the tears shed in bondage. The weeping of wells. When we take the parsley and dip it into the salt water, let us be reminded of the tears of the Israelites who were in slavery. Let the second dip remind us of the drowning of the Egyptians in the Red Sea. We also remember the tears shed by Yahoshuah for us. Death and redemption. When Yahoweh commanded the Israelites to paint their doorposts with the blood of the Passover lamb, it was yet another sign of Yahoshuah. The lamb was killed in the “basin,” which was a gutter on the ground in front of the house to prevent flooding. The blood was then painted on the top and sides of the doorframe, and was in a poolat the base of this door. In John 10:9 Yahoshuah calls Himself the Door. He was covered in His own blood from the crown of thorns on His head, the nails in His hands to the side, and the nails at His feet, where blood would become as a pool beneath Him. The Israelites wentin through the blood soaked door on Passover night for safety. In the morning, they went out through this door to the Promised Land. We too, like the Israelites, have a door to go through. The Door’s Name is Yahoshuah. If we choose to go through that door we will have trials, but we will have the promise, and if we remain true, we will see the Promised Land known as Heaven.
(Picking up the Matzah.)
Israel’s Passover involved a young and perfect lamb. This lamb was cared for by the family, and was then slain for thecovering of sin. To kill a perfect lamb that you cared for had to be very hard, liken to that of killing your pet. And when a lamb is killed they sound like a child screaming. However sad this may have been, the wages of sin have not changed. In Romans 6:23 we learn the wage is death. We receive life only from death, be it the death of a plant for food, or the death of the Lamb of Yahoweh for our salvation. We have this strip of Matzah on our Seder plate to remind us of what once was, and to always remember Who came after, and Who is yet to come again. Let us silently remember. Let us take and dip the parsley thrice in the salt water, and eat, solemnly remembering the tears that flowed in the bondage, the freedom, and the loss of the Passover Lamb.
Reader: Revelation 5:11-14.
Reader: Exodus 12:34.
All: In haste we went out of Egypt.
(Lift the matzah plate.)
Speaker: There are three wrapped Matzahs on the Seder Matzah plate. There are many explanations for why we use three pieces of the same Matzah. One is that it represents Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. But how could this be? We know Yahoweh as our Creator. We know Yahoshuah as our Redeemer. We know the power of Ruach HaKodesh as our Enabler. Is it not then fitting that these three are represented in the Matzah? This! This is being done in households throughout the land, and has for many thousands of years, yet, sadly, many Jewish and Christian people do not understand what happens next.
Do not explain the following until much later: Take the middle piece of Matzah from the linen and break it in two. Then place one half back in its place. Wrap the other part in a white linen napkin (with myrrh if possible), ask everyone to close his or her eyes, and hide it in another room, preferably inside the Torah portion of a Bible. The rest of this will come later.
Reader: Deuteronomy 6:5-9.
Speaker: Tonight is different from all other nights because tonight we will remember what Yahoweh has done for His people with His Kodesh Mikrah (Holy Rehearsal). We do not yet know the full meaning of Passover.
Reader: Luke 22:16.
Speaker: We don’t rehearse after the play. We rehearse before it. What is the meaning yet to come? The Passover of Exodus was amazing. The Passover of our Salvation is beyond words! Can we know the wonders of Yahoweh’s coming Passover? Will the next exodus be an exodus from this fleshly thinking into a full Spirit thinking? Is He speaking of a wedding feast? Is the answer in the Torah?
All: Blessed is Ha BaRa Who has given the Torah to His people.
Speaker: To His people? But who are His people? He gave His Passover to His people. Are we Israel? What promise was made to Israel if they kept the Torah?
Reader: Exodus 19:5-6.
Speaker: Was this promise made to the Jewish people alone? What do you think?
Reader: Genesis 12:1-3.
Speaker: Only those who are of Abraham’s seed. Are any of you tonight of Abraham’s seed?
All: Galatians 3:29 reads, “And if you are of Messiah, then you are seed of Abraham, and heirs according to promise.”
Speaker: How great is Yahoweh’s goodness to us! For each of His acts of mercy and kindness we declare “dayenu”(sounds: die-YA-new), meaning, “it would have been sufficient.” Sufficient for what? Sufficient reason to praise Him for the mercy given to those who need mercy. If Yahoweh had merely rescued us, but had not judged the Egyptians.
All: Dayenu!
Speaker: If He had only destroyed their idols.
All: Dayenu!
Speaker: If He had only drowned our enemies, but had not fed us with manna.
All: Dayenu!
Speaker: If He had only given us the Torah, but not land.
All: Dayenu!
Speaker: But He gave His Word and we have faith in it. What He says will be. Yes, His love will last forever!
All: HalleluYah!
Speaker: I am reminded of the Messiah healing a little girl in Mark 5:38-43. He raised her from the dead. Thereafter, Yahoshuah said to get the girl something to eat. Dayenu! Dayenu, if Yahoshuah had only comforted the family. Let us always give thanks for all that He has done beyond sufficiency.
… The Torah speaks of four sons: a Wise one, a Wicked one, a Simple one, and one who is Unable to ask.
What says the Wise son?
(Be certain to have only one young reader read each of these portions. After all, we don’t want someone labeled as the Simple one!)
Young Reader: “What is the meaning of the witnesses, and the laws, and the right-rulings which Yahoweh our Elohim has commanded you?”
Reader: Deuteronomy 6:20-25. “… The Wise son seeks knowledge.”
Speaker: What says the Wicked son?
Young Reader: “What does this service mean to you?”
Reader: Exodus 12:26-28. “… The Wicked son looks down on the beliefs of his people and scoffs. He must be shown the beauty of redemption.”
Speaker: The Simple son asks a simple question. What says the Simple son?
Young Reader: “What is this?”
Reader: Exodus 13:14. “… The Simple son needs reminding. We are all sheep.”
Speaker: What of the mute son who is Unable to ask?
Young Reader: (Cover your mouth! Quick. Everyone is looking.)
Reader: Exodus 13:8-10. “… And the Mute son who is unable to ask, the parent must instruct in the ways of seeking.”
Speaker: Let us fill our wine cups a second time. A full cup is a sign of joy, and on this night we are filled with joy in remembrance of Yahoweh’s mighty deliverance. We must also remember the great sacrifice at which redemption was purchased. Lives were sacrificed to bring the Israelites out of the bondage of Egypt.
(During the filling of the glasses.)
Reader: Exodus 11.
Speaker: The Egyptians worshiped the Nile River; it became blood. They worshiped beetles; they got lice and locusts. They worshiped frogs and found them in their beds and in their pots. They worshiped the weather and had their crops destroyed by hail. Now think of Revelation. Asteroids plunging into the earth, the stars and moon going dark, man becoming sick, land destroying itself, poverty, and children becoming scarce. Modern day idols. There is One Mighty One and He will destroy the idols of Egypt.
Note: Seek and yea shall find. Pharaoh sought a hard heart, and so Yahoweh gave Him one. And many today are seeking the same by, like pharaoh, denying the plagues and the reality of Yahoweh Elohim. Now some of you may have read Bible commentaries trying to explain the plagues as natural occurrences, others may have heard alleged Biblical scholars and alleged scientists give “rational” explanations for the plagues, systematically leaving out Elohim as even a possibility. I have heard these supposed wise men claim that the blood was nothing more than an algae that when in bloom can make a river red. The fools had no explanation as to why even the pots and wells were blood. Nor did they admit that the Egyptians were incredible architects and were quite advanced in medicine and government. They were not brain dead zombies believing that algae was blood. A child could tell the difference!
I have also heard these fools claim that the death of the first born was due to the other plagues contaminating the food source, and because of a scarcity of food the first born got the larger portion, or the only portion. “You see the wheat got wet and the locusts and frogs spread germs with their feces so the death of the first-born was purely bacterial.” It is clear to me that none of these people read the accounting or knew of the large silos of grain they had. The Israelites all ate matzah, and the only ones that died were the first born of those that did not put the Passover lamb’s blood on their doorposts. The first-born died. Not just the young, but also the old, the dogs, the horses, and the Pharaoh’s son. The Pharaoh’s son had food testers! Food poisoning? Ha! How embarrassing for these fools calling themselves scholars to be caught in such a ludicrous lie.
The Truth is unshakable! All alleged scholars and scientists look with all possibilities when one person sees a U.F.O., but deny completely the eyewitness of over one million people fleeing Egypt. Yahoweh is our Saviour, and there has never been and there will never be an argument against Him. From reason, to archeology, to the Powerful Holy Spirit, His Truth is unshakable, for His Word is the Solid Rock of all Truth!
If you believe these plagues were normal occurrences, then I say yea are but fools! Turn and repent. You’ve been caught in a lie, but the day will come when you will stand before Yahoweh Himself, Who will ask you, “What have you done with My Son? Have you even considered Him?” Will you try then, to explain away the obvious? Or will it be indeed too late to paint your heart, the door to your soul, with the blood of the Passover Lamb Yahoshuah?
Turn and repent.
Yet, while they deny Him openly, sadly there are many tonight who deny Him silently, by not even bothering to remember what He said to remember. I pray for them, and my whole ministry is to them.
This second cup … is the cup of blessings that are reduced. This cup represents the ten plagues that Yahoweh poured out on the nation of Egypt. As we recite each plague, let us dip our little finger into the cup, allowing a drop of wine to fall on our plate, reducing the fullness of our cup of joy this night.
All: Blood (dip), frogs (dip), lice (dip), flies (dip), animals die (dip), boils (dip), hail (dip), locusts (dip), darkness (dip), and death of the first-born (dip).
Speaker: We dip once more than customary, and this drop represents a different plague that we are freed from, the eternal punishment for our sin (dip). It was a punishment we all deserved.
Hold the little plate onto which you let the wine drip from your finger up and at an angle so that everyone can see. They, too, should do this, just to see what it looks like.
Now tell more of the story of Passover using Scripture of your choosing. Be certain to have studied the full account of Genesis and Exodus to have answers and things to speak on throughout the Seder, from the pain of the drowning of the Israelite boys in Egypt, to the killing of the Israelite boys in the time of the Messiah. Study thy Sword well. No Haggadah is sufficient.
Now lift the glass, and pray, or have a guest who is full of the Spirit pray, thanking Yahoweh for delivering Israel from the plagues, and for delivering us all through His Son from our punishment of death eternal for our sin. Then drink the second cup.
All: Exodus 12:12 reads, “And I shall pass through the land of Egypt on that night, and shall smite all the first-born in the land of Egypt, both man and beast. And on all the mighty ones of Egypt I shall execute judgment. I am Yahoweh.”
Speaker: I shall pass through the land of Egypt
All: “I” —not “an angel.”
Speaker: I shall strike down every first-born.
All: “I” —not “a seraph.”
Speaker: I shall destroy all the Egyptian idols.
All: “I” —not “a messenger.”
All: “I am Yahoweh, I Am Saviour, and there is none besides Me.”
(Take middle Matzah.)
Speaker: It is said this piece of Matzah symbolizes the break from the life of slavery, and being set free as His people again. There is more, though. The Passover meal is celebrated with many different food items, one of which is unleavened bread. Leaven, any form of yeast, is used as a symbol for sin many times in the Word. A symbol only, as, much like a wolf is not evil, leaven is not sinful, save during the feast of unleavened bread. Hence, the removal of leaven in this feast is a symbolism of putting away all of the sinful ways of the old life, as a result of becoming a new creation in the Messiah. We do not put away leaven / sin to be redeemed, as we are redeemed, but rather because we love Him and His teachings.
Reader: 1 Corinthians 5:6-8.
Speaker: Why did Yahoweh chooseleaven as this symbol? Leaven was a product used daily in Biblical times. This bitter product caused bread to rise up with air, making it appear larger; however, much like a man puffed up with pride, it did not contain more bread, only air. His People practiced keeping back a small amount of raw dough to be placed in the next day’s batch. Thispractice of leaven being passed from loaf to loaf is a symbol of sin being passed from generation to generation. During Passover we remove all of the leaven, and instruct our children to continue in the search. We all know that the Messiah contained no sin, and so the symbolic leaven is removed. Yahoweh’s perfect plan again unfolds. Let us pray as Yahoshuah would have prayed, giving thanks:
All: “Barukh Atah Yahoweh Ha BaRa Melekh ha’olam hamotzi lekhem min ha’aretz Amen. Blessed are You, Yahoweh, the Creator, King of the universe, who brings forth matzah from the earth. May it be.”
Now, picking up the middle piece of matzah and breaking it in half again, pass it around the table. If you have many guests and cannot share this one piece you will need to use some of the Matzah on the other plates. Ask everyone to feel free to take from them.
Speaker: Take this time to remember His Word, from the fleeing of Egypt and the break from the life of slavery / sin, and being set free as His people again. You are free. Be joyous in this!
(Partake)
Speaker: Why do we eat bitter herb?
Reader: Exodus 1:14 and Zechariah 12:10.
Have each person take a small peace of Matzah, and dip it into the bitter herb or horseradish.
Speaker: This is to symbolize the bitterness of slavery the nation of Israel endured under Egypt. However, there is more. Remember how Matzah symbolizes our Saviour? Remember how Yahoshuah was given bitter drink upon the cross, and even more bitter, yes, the sins of us? It’s what this celebration is all about. Take a moment here, and simply close your eyes in silent prayer. Partake … and remember the bitterness.
Always be sure to allow time between each part of the Seder, as the Spirit leads. Here it is common to wait at least a minute.
Speaker: Now we take a piece of Matzah, and dip it into the Charoseth. This is the remembrance of the Israelites building bricks in Egypt with mortar. But just a moment before we partake. Why is this? Why is something sweet symbolizing something so bitter? Every labour is sweet when there is a promise of redemption at hand. Look again at the Messiah. We can look at His life very easily in two completely different ways. Bitter. Sweet. We know, however, by Hebrews 12:2, that He brings a sweetness to our bitter lives, just as this Charoseth brings sweetness after the bitter herbs.
Reader: Hebrews 12:2.
Speaker: I ask, though, how can we, only lowly slaves, accept such an offer? Who at this table is worthy? Brothers and sisters of the Messiah would be allowed to partake, but how can we do so without sharing the Good News about our Father the Redeemer? Give your Charoseth to the person on your right. We do this as a symbol of always sharing, and always receiving the sweetness of the Messiah’s work. (But don’t yet partake.)
Reader: Matthew 28:19-20.
Speaker: Let us then partake while in silent prayer, taking a few moments to remember, and be glad. … And to share some more.
(Take a little extra time here and be sure to encourage people to place more Charoseth on their matzah and pass it to the person next to them. Laugh a little by saying something akin to, “Look how much my wife loves me! There is so much Charoseth, so much love!” (When everyone has mostly finished, then proceed.)
Speaker: Let us take this time for some confusion to be done away with. The egg on the Seder plate.
(Lift the egg.)
While the egg is commonly on the plate, the egg is not commonly died red as I have it here. It is normally just a plain egg. Many wonder where it came from and why it is there. Most will make up their own idea, and then somehow make it point towards the hardening of the pharaoh’s heart, or the new life we find in the Messiah. However, the egg is not in Scripture, which made me look into its traditional placement a little harder. Even something as holy as Passover has felt the effect of sun goddess worship! The egg was added to the Passover festival during the Babylonian period.
Reader: 1 Corinthians 10:18-22.
Speaker: The tower of Babel was built to not only reach into heaven, but also in case there was another flood, and for the study of the stars, and to worship the Babylonian king, Nimrod.
When Shem killed Nimrod and cut up his body, sending it to all lands, Nimrod’s wife, Semiramis, also known as Ishtar or Easter, feared for her stature and was afraid that the nun, priest, and bishop service she had developed would turn on her. She announced to the people that Nimrod was now the Sun god and had impregnated her with his sunrays. When her son, Tammuz, was born, she claimed him to be Nimrod reincarnated. Easter was both mother and lover of her son Tammuz until he died at 40 years of age in a hunting accident. A wild boar skewed him to death. The nuns, who wept for Tammuz, gave up a pleasure in this life for forty days for Tammuz so he could have it in the afterlife. They ate ham on the vernal equinox in remembrance of him. Now I know none of you would ever be involved in something so perverse.
Reader: Ezekiel 8:14 and Joshua 24:15.
Speaker: Tammuz died on the same date he was born: December 25th. The self acclaimed Queen of Heaven, Easter, vowed to get her son and lover back. It is said that each year, during the vernal equinox, Easter would come down from heaven in a large egg and land in the Euphrates River. And, when she stepped out of the egg, the bare breasted goddess of fertility changed a bird into an egg laying rabbit to proclaim her divinity.
Reader: Jeremiah 7:18-19, Jeremiah 44:16-19, Jeremiah 16:19-21, and 1 Samuel 12:10.
Speaker: The priests, in Tammuz caves, would impregnate young virgins on an altar, on Easter sunrise service, and then take the three-month-old babies from the year before and sacrifice them. They would then take the blood of these babies and dye Easter eggs blood red. The Orthodox Catholic Church in Israel hands out Easter eggs ever year in only one color. Blood red. And the Tammuz caves can be found to this very day just a few miles from Jerusalem.
Reader: Deuteronomy 12:29-32.
Speaker: Yahoweh detests being worshiped “our way,” and not “His way.” We keep the egg in the Seder, uneaten, only to serve as a warning against serving and worshiping Him our way. We cannot worship our Father the way “we” want to, as it is an insult. Let us worship Him how He desires to be worshiped, in Spirit and Truth, not in flesh and lies.
A friend, while hosting a Passover, once stuttered, but then returned to hosting. Later he told me what he was going to say. When the Passover was almost over he recapped much of the Passover meal, and then almost added, “And you gave all this up for Easter and communion!” For the love of a lie many believers do just that. The beauty of a Saviour shines before many in Passover, and yet they forfeit His Words for the love of a lie.
(As you crush the egg and throw it away in a bag marked “pagan garbage”):
Speaker: Not in my household, nor that of my Father’s.
All: Luke 22:15 reads, “And He said to them, ‘With desire I have desired to eat this Passover with you before My suffering,’”
Speaker: The Israelites, on the night before fleeing Egypt, ate their meal in haste. Partake of Yahoshuah the Messiah (our Passover) in haste, with a belt on our waist, sandals on our feet, and a staff in our hand. This is to signify the haste in which we must depart from the sin and bondage that previously enslaved us.
Reader: Exodus 12:11-14.
Speaker: The Messiah set us free from Egypt / sin. But our faith is not a sitting, nor a walk, but a race. And so we are in haste to leave Egypt, Babylonian sun worship, and the sins our forefathers passed on to us, even those masked as church bylaws. I am free indeed, but a free man does not stay in his chains. In haste we went out of Egypt! Do you think if we linger in Egypt (sin) that Pharaoh (Satan) is going to let us go? Hurry! Hurry! Get the food. Let us hasten!
Reader: Deuteronomy 8:10.
Prayer will be said after the meal has been eaten. Take this opportunity to speak about the Passover. Make a few of your own conversation topics, and have them planned so the conversation does not, though I doubt it could, turn to idle chitchat. Be sure that your guests know before hand if you have any planned questions, like what each person’s favorite Scripture is, so they can be certain to have it ready and speak on it. Make sure to keep the Festival joyful even though it is in haste. After all have enjoyed the meal and the dishes are cleared, continue the Seder. Make sure people know that there is more after the dinner when inviting guests.
If anyone does not agree with the following, then politely ask to be able to discuss it with them the next day. Then ask that they show you where the Messiah, or anyone in Scripture, partook of such a thing. Passover was being celebrated, not communion. If they still do not agree, then let it be and simply pray for them.
Speaker: Now is time for a part of the Passover Seder that many mistake for the practice of communion. Yet, I cannot help but think of Peter … weeping when he and the other disciples partook of this meal every year after the Messiah’s ascension. The piece of Matzah that was hidden away earlier is now looked for.
Traditionally, the children do this, but we are all His children, and the one who finds it and brings it back gets a reward, such as a Bible, flower seeds, or a similar highly valuable gift. Be sure to have smaller rewards for all of the other children. (I usually get the adults to look as well.)
Speaker: This hidden and now found unleavened bread, this Matzah, called the Afikomen … the middle piece … you know without my speaking on it what this represents.
(Lifting the Afikomen.)
It is about the Afikomen that Yahoshuah said, “And taking bread, giving 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 22:19). The town of Bethlehem, where Yahoshuah was born, means “house of bread.” Indeed, Yahoshuah is the true unleavened bread. The Passover cannot be completed without the Afikomen, nor can our redemption be complete without Yahoshuah, the Unleavened Bread of Life! This has been done for thousands of years and is done to this day by every follower of His program.
Reader: John 6:41-58, and 1 John 2:3-6.
Speaker: What is His flesh and blood? He is the Word, the Torah, that became flesh and walked among us. He is the “Lamb of Yahoweh.”
Reader: John 1:29.
Speaker: He is the “Passover Lamb.”
Reader: Revelation 5:11-12.
Speaker: “Passover,” is the name of a sacrifice, not the festival, the festival is called Hag HaMatzot (Feast of the Unleavened). It is only in post-Biblical times that the word Passover took on the new meaning of referring to a holiday on which the sacrifice was partaken of, and not to the sacrifice itself.
Reader: Exodus 12:21.
Speaker: Yahoshuah is “Passover.”
Reader: 1 Corinthians 5:7, Exodus 12:46, and John 19:32-33.
Speaker: This Festival is the Feast of the Unleavened. When you accept Yahoshuah … you can know this feast’s meaning in your heart. Forgiveness. The removal of leaven. The cleansing from sin. The power of a love not yet fully understandable. In the accounting of Exodus, on the tenth day they examined the lamb to make sure he was without defect. So did the Messiah ride into Jerusalem on the tenth day with these lambs, and so, too, was He tested. They found no fault in Him. Do you? Not one case has stood even after 2,000 years. He is the Lamb! Darkness and earthquakes were present at the slaying of the Lamb of Yahoweh. I pretend I can imagine the anguish of Yahoshuah, but I cannot fathom the screams and pain of Yahoweh. He gave His Son! He gave His Son. For the Feast of the Unleavened. And yet so few partake.
By law there was to be no trial on the Sabbath or Passover. Yahoshuah was blindfolded and beaten, then asked to prophesy who beat Him. He was then scourged. Many men never faced the cross because the scourging would kill them. According to Roman law, scourging was to be done until the prisoner had shallow breaths and low or irregular heart rate. Leather whips with pieces of bone were the most common whips in this practice. This means that long ribbon-like shreds of skin were ripped off our Saviour’s body. A crown of thorns was pressed deeply into His already badly injured scalp. A rich purple robe was then placed over His wounded body. He was spit upon. He was further beaten. He was sarcastically praised. Later His robe was ripped from His body, like a surgical dressing poorly removed, making His wounds as new.
According to history, the portion of the cross that was carried was over one hundred pounds. It’s no wonder He fell. His hands and feet were then nailed to a splintery cross. Nails could not have held Him there. Love held Him there. I cannot fathom the pain.
On the cross He had to push Himself up to breathe, which meant tearing His nailed feet. The spasms and the loss of blood amplified the pain so much that most of us would have passed out from it. Can you imagine? Can you even fathom the turning of the Father, let alone the sin of the world? Your punishment paid. No film can portray it. Only the Word Himself can.
(Hold the Matzah up again.)
The unleavened bread has holes, bruises, and strips on it. He is Passover.
Reader: Isaiah 53:5-6.
Speaker: The Matzah looks like what the Bread of Life did for our iniquities and transgressions, with punctures, bruises, and stripes. Let us pray as Yahoshuah would have prayed in giving thanks.
All: Barukh Atah Yahoweh Ha BaRa Melekh ha’olam hamotzi lekhem min ha’aretz Amen. Blessed are You, Yahoweh, the Creator, King of the universe, Who brings forth matzah from the earth. May it be.”
Speaker: “Until He comes” is a loose translation of Afikomen. The Bread of Life. Let’s take a moment to thank Yahoweh for not remaining hidden to our hearts. Thank Yahoshuah for rising on the third day. Please be sure that each person gets a piece of Afikomen. When all have a piece, then let us eat. Let the taste of Afikomen linger in your mouth and heart. Reflect. “Take, eat, this is My body.”
Again, be sure to pause. Here we usually do for around two minutes.
Speaker: The next cup is the cup of redemption. This third cup is the cup of the blood of the Lamb.
If you so chose to use wine for only one cup, then please use it for this one.
All: Psalms 116:12-14 reads, “What shall I return to Yahoweh? All His bounties are upon me. I lift up the cup of redemption, and call upon the Name of Yahoweh. I pay my vows to Yahoweh now in the presence of all His people.”
Reader: Luke 22:20.
Speaker: This cup represents the Lamb’s blood, which was slain so death may Pass-over. This is a key part of the Passover meal. In the Exodus Passover this was a symbol of a perfect lamb’s blood, but at the Messiah’s last Passover that He celebrated with His disciples, He is the Passover Lamb. When He said this (have Luke 22:20 read again), this is a marriage proposal. Young Jewish men to this day say these words as a marriage proposal. If the proposed drinks, then she accepts the proposal. Sabbath, Passover, is the marriage convent. Take the cup, raise it above your head, and say the blessing with me.
All: “Barukh atah Yahoweh Ha BaRa Melech ha’olam borei pri hagafen Amen. Blessed are you, Yahoweh, the Creator, King of the universe, Who creates the fruit of the vine. May it be.”
Speaker: Much like in a marriage when we say, “I do.” to One, we must also say, “I don’t.” to all others. All those who accept the proposal, lift your glasses high, and say:
All: “Yahoweh! I love You and I accept Your marriage proposal.”
Speaker: Partake. And remember this vow.
Speaker: When the Messiah lifted the third cup of wine, and gave the marriage proposal, many Christians believe this to mean we are in the New Covenant. Nevertheless, in Jeremiah 31, we learn a New Convent is for the House of Israel and Judah, and in it no one will need to tell anyone to “Know Yahoweh for all shall know Him.” This was a proposal, not a wedding. When we accept the Messiah’s command to keep the Passover, and we lift the cups unto Him, then we accept His marriage proposal. We become a part of this Israel that awaits the Marriage Supper of the Lamb. If there is confusion, ask a woman if a proposal is the same as a wedding. Furthermore, I know the Bible says only for Israel and Judah, but much like the commandments given on Mt Sinai, and the Letter to Timothy, this is for you if you accept His Engagement ring: the Passover. It will be a sign on your hand and forehead.
Reader: Exodus 13:9-10.
Speaker: Year after year. What a wonderful way to remember. Now, about that empty chair. Why is it there? In Passover, our Jewish brothers and sisters have the chair there, ready and waiting for EliYahu. According to Malachi 3:1 and 4:5-6, EliYahu will prepare the way for the Messiah. Most of our Jewish brothers and sisters acknowledge the Messiah, some simply do not know He has already come and will return soon. They say, “Elijah was taken up by a great whirlwind in a chariot of fire. We wait for him today to announce the coming of our Messiah, Son of David.” And a child will go to the door and open it, inviting him to come, or to see if he is there.
Reader: Luke 1:17.
Speaker: Let us take a moment to pray that all Jewish people will see this Scripture, and will put their faith in the Jewish Messiah, Yahoshuah, as written of in Matthew 11:2-6 and 11:14-15. Let us pray for them, and let us also pray for the Christians who, knowing of Him, have yet to know Him by following Him. Pray.
Reader: John 1:29 “… May they see.”
Speaker: We open the door, indicating our readiness to receive the Prophet Elijah, herald of the Messiah. We must also now open our hearts to the truth. (Have a child open the door.) We leave the empty chair there as a reminder of the dear brothers and sweet sisters still waiting, partially blinded by the lack of obedience of the followers of the Messiah. We leave the chair there as well for the second coming. We wait patiently, O King, we wait.
What would happen if EliYahu did show up and we didn’t have a seat ready? I would give him my seat and sit upon the floor. And listen. But in truth I am sitting at the end of the table, not the head of the table, and the head of the table is always reserved for Yahoweh. However, at His Passover, every seat at His table is a place of undeserved honor.
Reader: Hosea 13:4. “… How great a Saviour we have in Yahoweh!”
Read a few portions of Psalms 119.
All: His love endures forever.
Speaker: “Celebrate Passover in remembrance of Me so oft as it is celebrated.” Not: “Celebrate one or two tamed down parts of Passover so oft as you want.”
(Pour the fourth cup of wine.)
Speaker: Now we have the fourth cup of juice / wine called The Cup of Praise. The Jewish people say each cup corresponds with the four “I wills” in Exodus 6:7-8. The first cup is “The Cup of Sanctification.” then, “The Cup of Blessings.” then, “The Cup of Redemption.” and last, “The Cup of Acceptance or Praise.” This is one of Yahoweh’s festivals. Not man’s, but given to man to keep so we can be prepared for His program. The first cup is a mystery. Could the cup of Sanctification have something to do with the Garden of Eden? The next cup, the Exodus from Egypt? The next being the Messiah? Then what of the last cup? The Cup of Acceptance. Could this have great meaning in the Marriage Supper of the Lamb? Or is this just a means of celebration, and of remembrance? Someday we will know, but, until then, let us rehearse what we do know. Let us keep the Kodesh Mikrah, the Holy Rehearsal, Paul instructed us to keep.
All: “Oh, what a joy we have in our Saviour. No joy can be without Him.”
Speaker: Rehearse the cup.
Speaker: Seek a relationship with Yahoweh, not a religion of man. What we have done today is His Law, not the legalism of man. I hope that you all have delighted in this portion of it. Many today do not believe that Yahoshuah is the Son of Yahoweh. To deny this, is to deny the Torah, the prophets, and the writings. Sadly, many do deny Him by denying the Torah, the prophets, and the writings. There is no mystery—it’s all there. Yahoshuah has already fulfilled all the prophecies pertaining to the first coming of the Messiah. If you go back and read the prophecies, you will clearly see that it would be impossible for anyone else to fulfill these prophecies. So we can look into, and study the prophets, and study Yahoshuah’s ministry, and see the true enactment of Yahoweh’s Word. Yet one may ask, “How can a Jewish person believe that Yahoshuah is the Son of Yahoweh, and still be Jewish?” Jews were not called to give up their Jewish faith. On the contrary, they were called to elevate their righteousness and abandon Babylon and its practices. Gentiles, too, are having the veil lifted from their eyes, for they have denied their Jewish heritage, Yahoweh’s Word, for so long that there remains division in the Church, and a lack of understanding of the depth of the Scriptures. I hope and pray that some of this has been lifted now that you have had the joy of Passover, of remembering Him. I hope this is not one of those things you did once to learn what the Jews do, but something you look forward to every year, and yes, for all eternity.
I am reminded of Yahoshuah’s trial. He is still on trial today in our lives. We have a great gift. The gift to choose this day who we will serve. This is Passover! On this festival it is tradition to release one prisoner. Tonight we release one prisoner. Will we ask for the thief or the Rabbi? Will we ask for the Easter Goddess or for the Passover Lamb? In turn we will ask for the Adversary … the deceiver, or Yahoshuah … the Saviour. No man can serve two masters. Be careful in your decision. Surely the Messiah said, “Father, forgive them,” yes, as surely as He continued, “for they know not what they do.”
Reader: Hebrews 10:26-31. “… Tonight you have seen the veil, and you have seen it lifted. Will you lower the veil again?”
Speaker: May you have a blessed Festival of the Unleavened and First Fruits, and, as we always say at the end of the Passover meal:
All: Next year in Yerusalem! May Yerusalem be free to rejoice, so our joy may be complete.
It’s not over yet. Take this Sabbath and enjoy a time of fellowship and song. (Have Kodosh and Go Down Moses ready to sing.) Speak on thankfulness. Play, or have a guest play a few worship songs, and if you care to worship as David did, then dance unto Him. This is only the beginning. Thank our King for the wonderful gift of Passover, with a greeting and a goodbye of, “Shabbat Shalom.” Come morning light when you step out of your front door, health permitting, go for a long walk. Recall how far the Israelites traveled to flee from sin. In your journey look along the way for idols to avoid, or get rid of. The Israelites worshiped a golden calf the day, the very day, before Moses brought down the Torah of Yahoweh. We now have this Torah. We know just how sinful it is to worship Yahoweh as pagans do. But let us also not forget every Sabbath, and indeed everyday, to be sure to praise Him for all the wonders. We may not see a giant river be parted save by the Truth of His Word, but is not a bird’s song also a miracle? Praise the Name of the Miracle Maker! Praise the Passover Lamb!
Please study and show yourself approved on the feast of unleavened bread, as well as the most forgotten festival of all, First Fruits, which points so amazingly to our Messiah. His death and resurrection is in perfect harmony with the feasts of Yahoweh! Be sure to invite your guests back for it as well. I hope that this has helped you in speaking your Haggadah.
And I part now with a wonder: How bitter will the bitter herb be (perhaps representing the world), and how sweet the Charoseth (perhaps representing the promise of Yahoshuah saying He has gone to prepare a place for us, fulfilled), when Yahoweh of Hosts … hosts Passover in Heaven?
He is worthy of our praise and every step in the race. May you all have a blessed Festival of attempting to keep leaven out of your life for a whole week. I pray you will give your life to Him in such a way that you even desire to set your watch by His.
Be Blessed and be a Blessing
Shalom
-Valentine Thalken Billingsley
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Additional Scripture References:
Deuteronomy 4:22, 13, 15:21, Mark 14-16, Matthew 5:19, 6:7-8, 12:1-13, 23:7-10, 16, 26-28, Luke 22-24, Numbers 9:1-3, 1-14, 28:16-26 Exodus 6:6, 12-15, 20:7-11, 2 Chronicles 35:17, Isaiah 53:5-7, Matthew 26:17-30, Luke 2:41-42, John 4:22, 13-21, 1 Corinthians 2:14-16, 11:20-30, 2 Chronicles 35:17, 1 Peter 1:18-19, Genesis 2:1-3, Leviticus 23:2-3, 24:16, 2 Kings 23:1-9, 21-25, Isaiah 7:14, 52:13-53:12, 56, Psalms 136, 139:20, Proverbs 28:4, Malachi 3:6, Luke 4:16, 22, John 13-21, Romans 3:23, Ephesians 2:12, 19, Hebrews 4:1-15, 10:26-31, 13:8, 2 Peter 1:20, 1 John 5, Joshua 3:5-7, 5:2-6:1, 6:27, Joshua 5:2-6:1
