Days before we start Passover celebrations, we want to dive deeper into the different elements that characterize the Passover Seder.
One of the most important elements of the Seder is called: Ur’chatz — ceremonial and symbolic washing and cleaning of hands. It’s a ceremonial act carried out before every Passover Seder.
In John 13, when Jesus came to Jerusalem to celebrate Passover with His disciples, He sat down, took a big bowl of water and instead of everyone washing their hands, He started washing everyone’s feet. It was a way to take the ancient ceremonial tradition and give it an even deeper significance, delivering a powerful message of servanthood.
One aspect of this message was humility. Jesus wanted to remind us we were called first and foremost to serve, not to be served; to be servants, not rulers. He led by example: our Messiah, King of kings, humbly kneeled and washed the feet of His disciples.
Taking the washing of hands, Yeshua turned it into washing of feet, because those are constantly touching this world, and if He cleansed our feet, we are truly clean.
There are several symbolic elements on the traditional Seder plate, one of which is Karpas (bitter herbs).
Karpas is dipped in salted water during the Seder to remind us of the tears and bitter suffering of the people of Israel in slavery.
Jesus replied, “The one who has dipped his hand into the bowl with me will betray me.
Matthew 26:23
This is an additional Passover element that can be found in the New Testament during Jesus’ last supper (Seder meal).
A modern element of Israeli Passover can be found in John 13:26 — “Jesus answered, “It is the one to whom I will give this piece of bread when I have dipped it in the dish.”
A traditional Seder meal usually lasts about 6 hours, with different ceremonial elements, one of them being the breaking of the unleavened bread (matzah) and dipping it into a savoury bitter mixture, reminding us of the mixture people of Israel would make for the bricks. It is an excruciating labour of our people in Egypt.
Then, dipping the piece of bread, he gave it to Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot.
John 13:26
Yeshua used the unleavened bread, the symbol of His body broken for us, He dipped it and gave it to Judas Iscariot to have him taste the bitterness of his betrayal.
Songs of praise and worship are an inseparable part of any Passover Seder, it was what Yeshua and His disciples also did at the last supper while celebrating Passover. Traditionally, Psalms 112 to 116 are the psalms we sing during the Seder.
When Jesus left the upper room where they held the Seder and the last supper, He went out to Gethsemane while the disciples continued to sign those psalms.
And he said to them, “I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer. For I tell you, I will not eat it again until it finds fulfillment in the kingdom of God.
Luke 22:15-16
Jesus said it was His last Passover, and He eagerly desired to celebrate it with His faithful disciples because He will not eat it again until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God.
He was speaking about Himself. Jesus was the fulfillment of Passover!
When Yeshua was nailed to the cross and suffered for us, right before He died and breathed His last breath on earth, He said: “It is fulfilled.”
Saying that He longed to eat His last Passover with His disciples, because He would not eat of it until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God, and then we see Him on the cross saying: “It is fulfilled!”
The Passover lamb that was slain and sacrificed every single year since the time of the exodus from Egypt, Jesus substituted and became our Passover lamb, giving His life for us, fulfilling Passover and completing our deliverance from slavery.
