Chapter 7 Passover

The thought of the approaching feast of Passover and Unleavened Bread can strike stress and joy into the hearts of Jewish (and some Gentile:) mothers. It is a time for the Marthas of the world to freak out! If you don’t know Martha’s story read Luke 10:38-42, right now!
We are expected to clean out every last speck of leaven from our homes. The bagels, the flour, the cereal must go. But there could be a bit hiding in a cabinet, or behind a dish, or a crumb under the bed. Everything must be clean. It's time for spring-cleaning gone wild.
Leaven or yeast, ‘hamatz’ in Hebrew is a symbol for sin.
Exodus 12:15b commands ‘you shall remove the leaven from your houses, for whoever eats anything leavened from the first day until the seventh day, that person shall be cut off from Israel.’
Paul gives us a little Passover lesson in his letter to Corinth.
I Corinthians 5:6b-8
Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump of dough? Clean out the old leaven, that you may be a new lump, just as you are in fact unleavened. For Christ our Passover also has been sacrificed. Let us therefore celebrate the feast, not with old leaven of malice and wickedness but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.Get that sin out of your house!
During this busy time of cleaning, a visitor came to Bethany, the city of Martha and Mary. The Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread were just two days off. Jesus had come to Bethany and was reclining at the table when in comes Mary.
Perhaps she had been busy for days trying to get the last specks of leaven out of her home. But she stops her work realizing that there is an even more important task for her to carry out. I hope that Martha had learned her lesson from their previous encounter with Jesus and did not hinder Mary in her ‘better choice.’
Mary brings her most costly and cherished possession, a vial of perfume. Mary breaks open the pure nard and pours it over Jesus’ head.
Jesus has much to say about her act of worship but one of his comments brings great comfort to me.
Mark 14:8 “She has done what she could…”Mary has been working to clear her home of leaven. She cleans, she tries, she worships, and she gives. She has done what she could.




We try to rid ourselves of leaven, to free ourselves from sins. We clean, we try, we worship, and we give. We have done what we could, but it falls far short.
Despite the struggle to clear our home and lives of leaven, despite doing what we can, the Passover Lamb must be sacrificed.As Jesus says in the latter part of Mark 14:8, she has anointed my body beforehand for burial. He knows Passover is coming he knows all the human effort was not enough. The Passover Lamb must be sacrificed.


We don’t have an Easter egg hunt at our house but my kids love ‘Bedikat Khameytz’ or the ‘Search for the Leaven.’ In the evening, a candle is lit and the search begins. Traditionally, a feather is used to sweep up any crumb or bit of dust, which may contain leaven. The bits are swept into a wooden spoon on which they are carried into the fire. I intentionally leave some crumbs hidden about; of course I used to put them in little plastic bags. I didn’t want my nice clean house getting dirty again.
When some leaven is found, the candle shines upon it and then it is swept into the wooden spoon by the feather. I attach a little verse about some sin to each bag of leaven. Then we read all the verses and burn them up with the leaven in the fire.
Psalms 119:105
Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet
And a light unto my path.
Psalms 139:23
Search me, O God and know my heart
Try me and know my anxious thoughts
And see if there be any hurtful way in me,
And lead me in the everlasting way.We light the candle thinking of God’s word, our lamp, our light, searching for the leaven in our home and hearts.
We sweep away the leaven with the feather as the Holy Spirit, like a dove, (Luke 4:22) cleans out the sin in our lives.
We place that leaven upon the wooden spoon removing into fire where it cannot come back, just as a wooden cross carries away our sin as far as the east is from the west, (Psalms 103:12).
Oh, yeah, it’s a lot better than any old Easter egg hunt! My boys love the searching and reading the verses and burning the hamatz. It’s not just a wild hunt for candy and chocolate eggs. It means something and they know and feel it. One of my sons says that Passover is his second favorite holiday. (His first being Christmas for obvious, materialistic reasons!)

On the eve of the first Passover, God told Moses exactly how to prepare for and celebrate this holiday. The year was about 1445 B.C. The Israelites had been slaves in Egypt for hundreds of years, calling out to God for a savior. Moses was that man. Saved from certain death as an infant, raised in Pharaoh’s palace, he was now standing up for his people, read Exodus 2 thru chapter 11 for the whole story.
Moses had called down nine plagues from the Lord upon Egypt but still Pharaoh refused to let the Israelites go. Now Moses announced the tenth plague. The angel of death would slay all of the first-born of Egypt, but the first-born in Israel would be passed over.
Each Israeli household was to take an unblemished lamb, kill it and apply some of blood to the doorposts and lintel of their houses with a branch of hyssop. This would be a sign to the destroyer not to enter. The lamb was to be eaten in haste, loins girded, sandals on feet and staff in hand, for they would be leaving in the morning.
Just after midnight, a cry was heard throughout Egypt, the first-born sons of the lowliest peasant to the King himself, were dead.

After 430 years of slavery the Egyptians begged the Israelites to leave and gave them silver, gold, and clothing, to take with them. Pharaoh would later make one last attempt to keep his slaves but that ended in a watery grave for him and his army. Read Exodus 14 thru 15 for the whole story.
The Israelites had removed the leaven, a symbol of sin from their homes.

Why was the lamb’s blood put on their doorposts and why use a hyssop branch to apply it?

The lamb’s blood was a symbol of the animal sacrifices. According to the Law, there is no forgiveness of sin without the shedding of blood, Hebrews 9:22. It was a foreshadowing for the Messiah’s sacrifice as Isaiah 53:7b states “he was led as a lamb to slaughter.’




Isaiah 53:10b states ‘He would render Himself as a guilt offering.’



Then Isaiah 53:11b, ‘He will bear their iniquities’ and12b ‘he poured out Himself to death…He Himself bore the sin of many and interceded for the transgressors.’As Zechariah’s son the prophet John said, “Behold the lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.”Yes, the cleaning by the housewives wasn’t enough and again I say, our attempts to clean out our lives fall far short. We need that blood covering our doors, protecting our homes.




Why the hyssop branch? In Psalms 51:2, King David is calling out to God for forgiveness. His sin, which included adultery and murder were weighing heavily upon him. This shepherd, prophet, song-writing King asks God (Psalms 51:2) to ‘wash me thoroughly from my iniquity and cleanse me from my sins.’ In verse seven, he asks God, ‘Purify me with hyssop and I shall be clean, wash me and I shall be whiter than snow.’Perhaps David was thinking of the hyssop used to apply the Passover Lamb’s blood to the doorposts and lintel. Perhaps he was speaking prophetically.
John 19:29-30
A jar full of sour wine was standing there; so they put a sponge full of the sour wine upon a branch of hyssop, and brought it up to His mouth. When Jesus therefore had received the sour wine, He said, “It is finished!” And He bowed his head, and gave up his spirit.


Did those at the foot of the cross that day think of the Passover lamb’s blood being lifted up on the hyssop branch? It would have been fresh in their minds for this was the day the lamb was to be selected and killed. The Pharisees and the Chief Priest’s officers had to be careful as they led Jesus to Pilate.

John 18:28
They led Jesus therefore from Caiaphas into the Praetorium, and it was early; and they themselves did not enter into the Praetorium in order that they might not be defiled, but might eat the Passover.
John 19:32-37
32 The soldiers therefore came, and broke the legs of the first man, and of the other man who was crucified with Him;
33 but coming to Jesus, when they saw that He was already dead, they did not bread His legs;
34 but one of the soldiers pierced His side with a spear, and immediately there came out blood and water.
35 And he who has seen has borne witness, and his witness is true; and he knows that he is telling the truth, so that you also may believe.
36 For these things came to pass, that the Scripture might be fulfilled, “Not a bone of Him shall be broken,”
37 And again another Scripture says, “They shall look on Him whom they pierced,.”
The chosen Passover lamb was to be perfect, no blemish, or spot, no broken bones. Like the Passover Lambs selected that day Jesus did not have his bones broken, but as the prophet Isaiah foresaw “he was pierced for our transgressions,”
Isaiah 53:5
He was crushed for our iniquities; the chastening for our well-being fell upon Him, and by His scourging we are healed.John recounts how Jesus was beaten, whipped, nailed to the cross, and finally run through with a sword on the Paschal Eve.
Knowing the scriptures well, our Messiah,Jesus asks for this final cup as he hung upon the cross. Jesus drank from the hyssop; this bitter herb so important is the first Passover. Jesus drank this sour wine.
Perhaps some of his blood fell upon the hyssop as it was lifted to His lips, our own and eternal Passover lamb covering protecting and saving us by his blood.




Today, no lambs are sacrificed on Passover. There is no temple in which to offer them. But as in Yeshua’s day, we celebrate with a dinner called the Seder or in English the Order. Order is an excellent name for this meal because all parts of it are very specifically ordered.




Once again the ‘Marthas’ of the family have to get busy. One of Jesus’ disciples, a former tax collector named Matthew, tells us in his book of the preparations made for the last Seder of Jesus’ human life.




Matthew 26: 17-19
17 Now on the first day of Unleavened Bread the disciples came to Jesus, saying, “Where do You want us to prepare for You to eat the Passover?”
18 And He said, “Go in to the city to a certain man, and say to him, ‘The Teacher says, “My time is at hand; I am to keep the Passover at your house with My disciples.”’”
19 And the disciples did as Jesus had directed them; and they prepared the Passover.


Jesus gives his disciples, clue after clue of what is about to take place. He even tells them directly later in the evening. But they, like us so often, seem not to hear or at least not to understand.


How to Prepare the Seder Celebration!
As I am preparing our Passover table, I like to think back to that night. I think of the disciples and join with them in the joy of preparing this feast, remembering that my ways are not His ways (Isaiah 55:8-9) and He is totally to be trusted.

Table Setting for the Passover Seder
-a pair of candleholders and candles
-Haggadah
-washing bowl
-matzah and matzah holder (matzah tash)
-afikomen wrapper
-egg
-wine/grape juice
-maror (bitter herb)
-karpas (parsley)
-salted water
-zeroah (lamb shank bone)
-charoset
-Elisha’s place setting

All these preparations may seem a bit daunting but once the elements are in your heart, they are easy to remember and prepare.
The meal begins with the blessing over the candles by the wife or mother-figure, I wonder who blessed the candles in the upper room?


Shabbat Blessing (Messianic)
Blessed art thou, O Lord our God, King of the Universe, who has sanctified us by your grace, and allowed us to kindle the Passover lights and given us Yeshua the Light of the World.


Now the husband or father-figure, takes over leading us through the Haggadah, which is a booklet created especially for the Passover Seder. Our family uses a Messianic haggadah. We have traditional ones. We have ones in Hebrew and we even have sort of a joke one that my husband downloaded from the Internet. Finding one you are comfortable with may take a few Passover Seders!


Once the candles are lit, the head of the household leads the Kiddush, the blessing over the first cup of wine, the cup of Sanctification.

‘Baruch Attah Ah-doh-nay
Elo-heynu Melech Ha –o-lam
Boray Pree Ha gaw-fen’
‘Blessed art Thou, O Lord, Our God, King of the Universe,
Creator of the Fruit of the Vine.’

This is the first of four cups, so maybe you should make it the small pour:).

Now we pass the bowl of water, for each person to ceremonially wash his or her hands in. We just dip our fingertips in, but Jesus took this part of the Seder much further.
John 13: 3-5
3 Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into His hands, and He had come forth from God, and was going back to God,
4 rose from supper, and laid aside His garments; and taking a towel, He girded Himself about.
5 Then He poured water into the basin, and began to wash the disciples feet, and to wipe them with the towel with which he was girded.

Peter would have no part of this. His master was trying to wash Peter’s feet like a servant would.
John 13:6
6 And so He came to Simon Peter. He said to Him, “ Lord, do You wash my feet?”
7 Jesus answered and said to him, “What I do you do not realize now, but you shall understand hereafter.”
8 Peter said to Him, “Never shall You wash my feet!” Jesus answered him, “If I do not wash you, you have no part with Me.”So Peter is more than happy to allow Jesus to cleanse him.
Then Jesus explains.
John 13: 12-15
12 And so when He had washed their feet, and taken His garments, and reclined at the table again, he said to them, “Do you know what I have done to You?
13 “You call Me Teacher and Lord; and you are right, for so I am.
14 “If I then, the Lord and the Teacher, washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet.
15 ‘For I gave you an example that you also should do as I did to you.
The followers of Jesus have strange and unusual goal, to be servants, to lay down their lives for others, to be meek and lowly. We do not try to achieve ‘nirvana’, or improve our ‘karma’, or become ‘gods’. ‘Success’ or ‘bettering ourselves’ is not our goal. We follow His example, we trust Him to do the work in us. We must decrease that He may increase, (John 3:30).
Isaiah 11:1
Then a shoot will spring from the stem of Jesse,
And a branch from his roots will bear fruit.
Isaiah 53: 2
For He grew up before Him like a tender shoot,
And like a root out of parched ground;
He has no stately form or majesty
That we should look upon Him,
Nor appearance that we should be attracted to Him.
Psalms 41:9
Even my close friend, in whom I trusted,
Who ate my bread,
Has lifted up his heel against me.Each person now dips the sprig of green (tender young shoot) into the salt water (I usually have a sprig floating in it so the bowl won’t be confused with the hand washing bowl.) This symbolizes that hyssop branch and in Israel we actually used hyssop or as they call it zatar. (Zatar tastes wonderful sprinkled over pizza; they also like catsup on pizza in Israel. It took us awhile to figure out why our pizza always came with some chopped green herb and catsup packets.)
All four gospels describe how Jesus reveals Judas’ true heart during the dipping of the karpas. This tender shoot holding our Savior’s blood drenched in tears.

As at a Shabbat dinner, the leader blesses the bread. But there is no challah at this table. Unleavened bread or matza is held up with praise and thanksgiving to the Lord.
Matza is that special cracker–like bread eaten by the Israelites as they left Egypt. Remember that their departure was so sudden that there was no time for the bread to rise. Matza is striped from cooking over the flames like a charbroiled burger. It is pierced full of holes like a saltine to be doubly sure no rising takes place. It reminds us of the sin we have tried to remove from our homes. The stripes, piercing, and unleaveness remind us once again of Isaiah’s prophecy.
Isaiah 53:5
But He was pierced through for our transgressions,
He was crushed for our iniquities;
The chastening for our well-being fell upon Him,
And by His scourging we are healed.

Like our Messiah striped, pierced, and sinless.
The matzah is held in a three pocketed jacket or sleeve called a matzah tash. You can make one out of four napkins stapled together.

Why three pockets? Some say Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Bet you can guess what I say, especially when I tell you that the middle matza is removed and broken. Half is then returned and half is wrapped up and hidden.

Father, Son, and Holy Spirit representing the three in One. He was broken for our transgressions. He was shrouded and buried.
This wrapped up piece called the Afikomen translated ‘the one who is to come or the resurrected one,’ is hidden until the end of the meal.

Some make this into a game for the children to keep their interest during the long meal. They must close their eyes during the hiding and then the child, who finds the Afikomen after the meal, ransoms it for a reward from the leader.
Now come the four questions, the answers, the spilling of the drops wine (to decrease our joy because of the hardships of the Egyptians). Next the song, 'Dayenu', in which we tell of all the blessings God has done for us. We add a verse singing, ‘Had He only given us Yeshua, it would have been enough!’

Then the second cup, the Cup of Judgment, another hand washing, blessing of the matzah, bitter herbs, haroseth, explaining the egg and shank bone. These will be in your Haggadah.

At long last the festival meal…
Now the search for the Afikomen!
Matthew 26:26
26 And while they were eating, Jesus took some bread, and after a blessing, He broke it and gave it to the disciples, and said, “Take, eat; this is My body.”
27 And when He had taken a cup and given thanks, He gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you;
28 for this is My blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.
Luke 22: 15-17
15 Jesus said to them, “I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer. 16 For I tell you, I will not eat it again until it finds fulfillment in the kingdom of God.”
17 After taking the cup, he gave thanks and said, “Take this and divide it among you. 18 For I tell you I will not drink again of the fruit of the vine until the Kingdom of God comes.”


Here Jesus has taken the third cup, the cup of Redemption and given it, it’s true meaning. We joyfully do the same in remembrance of Him. Then as we share the Afikomen, this leavenless, striped, pierced, and now broken bread, which has been shrouded, buried, ransomed, and resurrected. We take it and eat it in thanksgiving and praise.




Now the outside doors are opened to see if perhaps Elijah has come to join us. No, he is not there for as Yeshua tells us in
Matthew 11:13-14.
13 For all the prophets and the Law prophesied until John.
14 And if you care to accept it, he himself is Elijah, who was to come.


Yes, John, son of Zebedee did his job well, announcing the arrival of the King of Kings.




I forgot to tell you about the Charoset. Made with fruit, honey, nuts, and wine; it’s a mushy mixture. Charoset represents the mortar that the slaves used for building. You know that stuff that holds the bricks together. Some say it’s a reminder of the hard labor of slavery in Egypt. But I say it’s the gluon, or the string of String Theory. That innocuous substance theorized by the physicists which sort of ties Everything together. Paul says in
Acts 17:28
“In Him we live and move and have our being…”And John in his first chapter says,
“All things were made through Him.”He is our mortar. He is our gluon.
What better reason to lift the final cup, the Cup of Praise?


Questions for Passover
1. Mary was praised by Jesus for choosing the right course of action,no, not working hard but hardly working i.e. sitting quietly at his feet. Share a plan of action to partake in Mary’s choice.
2. Mary made a bold move when she anointed Jesus’ feet and was severely criticized for it. Read Mark 3. What do you think were her reasons and motives? Why?
4. Ever been searched by the Word or the Holy Spirit? If not, try it. Allow God to sweep away the leaven in your life.