ALIVE: Chapter 183, Passover
/While Joseph and Nicodemus were burying the sacred body of Jesus, the Son of God, Light of Light, True God of True God, the crowd dispersed to commemorate the highest holy day of the year, Passover. God’s timing is perfect, linking the new covenant with the old within a twenty-four hour period. The miraculous Passover of death for Israel is forever bonded to the death of God’s own Son, Whom death did not pass over.
Pharaoh’s son died, releasing the slaves from their forced labor and political control. God’s Son died and released mankind from the power of sin and death. He parted the Red Sea, even as He opened the gates of Hades. Freedom.
When the Lord saw the lamb’s blood on the lintels and the doorposts He did not allow the destroyer to enter that house. Instead, death passed over that house. Never forget. Never ever forget. Never ever ever forget. Thousands of years will go by, in every single one of them remind yourselves of what God did for you. Don’t let one year go by. Commemorate it with your families. Teach your children; when they grow older, they will teach their children.The release of God’s chosen was triggered by the death of Pharaoh’s son. Moonlight.
The new Passover. Pascha, the death of the only born Son of God miraculously released all of humankind, not just Israel, from the bondage of death in Hades where everyone went because of Adam and Eve’s sin of distrust, distancing themselves from God. On the sixth day, Adam and Eve were created and on the sixth day humankind crucified it’s Creator. That heinous, that utterly odious sin, that wicked sin of distrust repeated in every person reaped the same effect - death, and bondage in Hades. Man separates himself from God in distrust over and over and over again. Jesus trusted His Father even unto death, taking the faith and trust of Abraham with his son, Isaac to the last step. Abraham was spared killing his precious son because he proved his overriding trust of God. God did not spare Himself of witnessing the killing of His son.
Distrust is the one sin that appears in thousands of forms. Distrust of God is the common denominator of all sins. By carrying that one sin, Jesus “carried all of our sins” as the sacrificial lamb of God. When Jesus was brought so very low that He cried out, ‘My God, My God why have You foresaken Me?’ It was the moment that He had received the one sin; it was finished, and He was able to die.
Once we died with Him, in Him, (in baptism) we can also overcome death as He did. Release from the bondage of sin IS release from the bondage of death. FREEDOM. Release from Hades. Sunlight.
Does sin still occur? Does death still occur? Did the slaves on the other side of the Red Sea suddenly obey and worship God in humility and gratitude? Then was it all for naught? What is unseen, what is not known and appreciated is infinitely more real, more powerful and more meaningful than the outer layer reveals. The heart of man is not worn on the sleeve but is nestled deep within and directs the mind and gives life to the entire body. God is all knowing, patient and wise. He knows the end from the beginning. These two deaths, of the first born Son of Pharaoh and of the Son of God changed the course of history. It was impossible for those present, either at the first Passover who were passed over by death, or those who witnessed the crucifixion, to know the magnitude of what happened on the day that each event occurred.
Passover + Pascha = Freedom restored.
…
Before nighttime rose with the falling sun, into the darkness of a new day, the day of preparation having passed, and the Passover day dawning everyone at Golgotha went to their homes full of sadness and gratitude. Sadness over witnessing the crucifixion of their loved ones gone wrong, and of the rabbi Jesus, and gratitude over the sudden freedom of their slave ancestors in Egypt.
The cost for the miracle of freedom after 430 years of slavery was perpetual commemoration. Teach your children, every year of your life; ask yourselves the four questions .
Why is it that on all other nights of the year we eat either leavened bread or matzah, but on this night we eat only matzah?
Why is it that on all other nights we eat all kinds of vegetables, but on this night we eat bitter herbs?
Why is it that on all other nights we do not dip our food even once, but on this night we dip them twice?
Why is it that on all other nights we dine either sitting upright or reclining, but on this night we all recline?
Then praise the Lord God and say, “Blessed are You, Adonai our God, Ruler of the world, Creator of the fruit of the vine.
Blessed are You, Our God, Sovereign of the universe, who has chosen us from among the peoples, exalting us by hallowing us with mitzvot. In Your love, Adonai our God, You have given us feasts of gladness, and seasons of joy; this Festival of Pesach, season of our freedom, a sacred occasion, a remembrance of the Exodus from Egypt. For You have chosen us from all peoples and consecrated us to Your service, and given us the Festivals, a time of gladness and joy. Blessed are You, Adonai, who sanctifies Israel and the Festivals.”
…
Echoes of that prayer could be heard throughout Jerusalem on this auspicious evening of the crucifixion of Jesus. Mother Mary and John walked back to her home from Golgotha. A pilgrimage in silent prayer.
They arrived to find Peter, Andrew, James, and the others ready for the Seder. The floor had been prepared with the low table as in the upper room. They had to lean very close to each other to fit everyone in.
John looked around and wondered, “Could it have just been last night when we were sharing the last supper, and tonight we are mourning His crucifixion?” He was in a daze.
The rushed exodus, only enough time to make matzoh, was followed by the rushed crucifixion that tried and killed the flagrant rabbi before the Shabbat of Passover. Running away, and running toward.
Arguing with himself John thought, “But how could we not commemorate the Passover? The Lord God required it; how could we skip it, even this year? Aren’t we still children of Abraham?”
With hearts filled with grief and fear, the disciples and ladies reclined to be asked the questions, recount the story, drink the wine, and eat the bitter herbs which tasted more bitter than ever, and eat the sacrificial lamb.
It was too much of a coincidence that the innocent Passover lambs that carried the sins of the people, the lambs whose very blood repelled death, were slain on the same day of preparation as was the innocent Lamb of God. It was a message. There was not a dry eye in the room. Was it for this day, and this coincidence that the Lord God told us to never forget that night?
Matthew said aloud to the other disciples, “Remember how He washed our feet, and passed the cup of wine, saying it was His blood, and that the bread was His body? That was so strange? Until I remember that it is the blood of the lamb carrying our sins that repelled death tonight. Jesus offered us His own blood. Does It too repel death? Here we are about to eat the lamb’s body as a reminder of the wages of sin, and for nourishment. In offering us His blood and His body was He telling us that He was carrying our sins? Being innocent, being the Son of God as He claimed, He must be the Lamb of God! Why else would He ask us to drink His blood and eat His body? What happened on Passover night is the prelude of the crucifixion that happened today!”
Thomas said, “Yes! I thought that it was strange to offer us His Blood and Body, but I didn’t question Him. Oh my, now it makes sense!”
Bartholomew said, “This comparison is too intense. How can we receive it? Brothers, Jesus is dead. As dead as the lamb. Where is our freedom? We have sacrificed many lambs in our lifetime, as a symbol. But we never drink the lamb’s blood. It is forbidden.”
Finally, Phillip spoke up saying, “It was the lamb’s blood that repelled death. Maybe, just maybe by receiving Jesus’s blood as He offered it to us….maybe He was painting the lintels and doorways of our hearts, that we may never die. It’a not a symbol. Just as on Passover night the blood was not a symbol, but it was real and powerful.”
Andrew diverted the conversation by going back to their recollection of the supper of the evening before, “Remember when He dipped the bread in the sop to indicate who was to betray Him, yes it was Judas! That scoundrel! On this Passover night that room must be stone cold empty. But didn’t Jesus tell us to prepare the Passover for us there? Why are we here tonight instead of in that room?”
Peter answered Matthew, “He told me to reserve the room to prepare for the Passover, and all we did was to prepare for the Passover? The Passover is tonight. Maybe He thought we would be celebrating together tonight in that room, after the day of Preparation.”
James lowered his wrinkled brow and said softly, “But maybe it was the Passover, maybe it was the first day of a new kind of Passover Seder that He wants us to commemorate.”
Thomas reclining next to James heard him and said, “What do you mean by a new Passover James?”
James replied louder, “There was no lamb at the supper last night and yet Jesus was the sacrificial lamb. That’s why He gave us His body and Blood. Wasn’t today the day the lambs were slaughtered for this meal? Wasn’t He too killed on the day of preparation when the lambs are slaughtered ? Maybe instead of families at this Seder, we are a new kind of family. Didn’t Jesus once say to us, if you love brother or sister, mother or father more than Me, you aren’t worthy of Me? We are a new family. Maybe death did pass over Jesus? Maybe, because we drank His blood, it will pass over us too?”
“What are you saying James?!” said Mary Magdalene. “I saw His dead body! I saw Joseph and Nicodemus lay Him in the tomb!” Then she sobbed.
James retorted heatedly, “Didn’t He tell us that after three days the temple would be rebuilt? Didn’t we see ghosts wandering around Jerusalem?! Maybe those ghosts had been freed from Hades just like we were freed in Egypt. If He raised Lazarus after being in the tomb for four days, couldn’t He open the gates of Hades? Is there anything God can’t do?”
As if in a daze too, Salome said, “This morning we were preparing this home for this Passover Seder, there is no leaven here anymore. I left my parents years ago to follow Jesus. You are my family.”
Mary Magdalene quoted a line from the psalm that her mother taught her, ‘They parted my garments among them, and cast lots for my vesture.’ “I saw them do that! What happened today was prophesied. God knew it. Jesus knew it.”
The family responded with small gasps of surprise and groans of confusion.
John looked over at his new mother Mary to see what she was thinking and how much she knew ahead of time. Mary simply looked serene and somber.
Matthew shouted, “Come, this is our Seder! Let’s get on with it.” He glanced over at Mary who nodded in agreement.
James wondered how he could deliver the Seder talk about the death passing over their homes, when today death had come to Mary’s only Son? But at least Jesus gave her John, as a son to protect and care for her. She would not be alone, He made sure of that. Joseph’s sons were married with families of their own, except for James. But James wanted to go his own way. John was young enough and loving enough to be a perfect new son for Mary. He needed her too.
Salome said, “The Seder! Jesus would want us to. He must be resting in the bosom of Abraham right now. James, please continue.”
James led the prayer. Followed by Andrew who recited the story, ““Passover, the day that the Lord God told us to never forget what He had done for us. And so these centuries later, our people, the Chosen people of God, from the toddler to the frail old man ceremoniously remember the way God miraculously freed us from slavery. Every year, we try harder to imagine how it must have been for the Angel of Death to pass over our doorways, painted with the blood of the sacrificial lamb. Death passed us by and took the first born of our neighbors. That destroyer even killed Pharaoh‘s son!”
Simon added, “Of course they had to leave; of course Pharaoh would finally want to expel them. He was overcome with grief. None of the marvels, the bloody river, the frogs, the flies, the gnats, the hail, the darkness, nothing convinced Pharaoh to let them go, even for a few days, nothing but the death of his first born son was strong enough to weaken Pharaoh’s hold. He had everything to lose when we left.”
When Andrew finished asking the questions, Matthew spoke up, “Remember the darkness? It was frightening. It was so dark.”
John said, “I wonder if that was Father God expressing His own grief. It was as if the world was going to come to an end right then and there.”
After the Seder everyone stood up, there was to be no cleaning. They went back to the divans, chairs and beds to sleep. They all looked forward to the extended Sabbath day of unleavened bread, thoughts of Egypt and the 40 years of travel and why it took so long to reach the promise land. It was the Sabbath. The day God rested from Creation Week, and commanded His people to rest too. And so they did with full hearts and busy minds.
A few of the ladies were planning to visit the tomb at sunrise to bring Him more myrrh and flowers.
All the followers of Jesus in Jerusalem that night, and there were thousands of them, were grieving, straddling two worlds. They knew it and they didn’t.
Why the last supper was not a Seder
The trial could not have occurred during Passover.
There was no mention of lamb at that meal.
The bread was called άρτος in Greek, which refers only to leavened bread, not άζυμη which refers to unleavened bread. (The Roman Catholic Church, which was one Church originally used leaven bread for the Eucharist, but changed to unleavened bread in Spain when there were so many people to offer the Eucharist to, that it was more efficient to pass out the wafers rather than the leavened bread (body) in the wine (blood). The practice continues to this day.)
The Seder is commemorated with the family; there were no families there, save for two sets of brothers.
There was no recitation of the four questions. Instead there was washing of feet and conversation .
There was no retelling of the Passover Story.