Passover

 Passover began last Saturday, and is ending this Saturday. It is possibly the Holiest of traditions in Judaism, if any one thing can be more holy than another. It is also one of the strongest links between Christianity and Judaism. When Jesus sat with His disciples for a "Last Supper", it was a Seder meal. Both meals are commanded to be observed. The Seder annually, the Last Supper "as oft as ye shall...". Both meals are meals of remembrance. the Seder for remembrance of God's deliverance from slavery, the Last Supper in remembrance of the One who broke the bonds of sin and death to which we were enslaved. It has occurred to me (this IS Thoughts & Musings, after all) that we have other connections to this meal and Holy Week as well. Holy week being that time between Christ's Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem and His Easter Resurrection. If I'm wrong, it will not cause any great chasm in the faith, I just found them interesting.

Sunday - Christ's entry into Jerusalem. Shouts of "Hosanna in the highest!" "Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!" These rang out as Jesus rode into Jerusalem. During the Seder meal, just at sunset, the matriarch of the family will rise, light he candle and say "Blessed are you, our God, Creator of time and space, who enriches our lives with holiness, commanding us to kindle the (Shabbat and)holiday light." This or a variation of, is done before each Holy Feast. Thus thru the woman, who would carry the seed of salvation, God enters.

Monday - Cleansing of the Temple. Jesus enters and sees the money changers and charlatans and all those who would use the House of God for their own power and profit, making it unclean. He puts cords together to make a whip, and chases them out, saying "My house shall be called the house of prayer, but you have made it a den of thieves." During preparation for the Seder, a house must be cleaned of all leaven. Not a even a mouse sized scrap is to be left. Traditionally, the leaven is collected the day before the Seder, taken outside, and burned. This way, the house is cleansed, and God can enter in.

Maundy Thursday - Probably our strongest connection, but in this let me put in two parts.

The Bread - "This is my body which is broken for you." During the Seder, there are three Matzot (unleavened bread) separated from each other by cloths or napkins. On of these is broken, and hidden (called the afikomen) which the children will then spread out to find during the meal. The child that does find it brings it back to the patriarch of the family, and the negotiations to turn it over begin! Once a price is agreed on, the patriarch redeems the hostage afikomen and the broken Matzot is made whole again.

The Wine - "This cup is the new covenant in my blood." In the Seder, four cups of wine are consumed, each for a representation of God's deliverance. "I will bring out." "I will deliver." "I will redeem" "I will take" (Exodus 6:6-7) But scripture says the cup Jesus took was after the supper. A fifth cup of wine is poured and untouched during a Seder, that is the cup of Elijah. It is left untouched in honor of the prophet, who according to tradition, would arrive as an unknown guest to announce Messiah. Some believe, myself included, it was THIS cup he raised and said "This is my blood."

These are just a few, but I think you see what I'm saying. A pastor years ago told me that the Old and New Testaments are not two books, but one. Everything in the Old Testament points to and is fulfilled in Jesus, and all that Jesus was, is and is to come, shines a greater understanding of all before. God took His time sending us His son, so that the world could better understand Him, like children first learning discipline to growing into the knowledge of how to do right on their own. He is still waiting on returning to us, so that not a soul that CAN be saved will be lost.

The Seder tradition now ends with the words "Next year, in Jerusalem!" I would add "Next year, in the New Jerusalem!" Even so, come Lord Jesus!