THE Passover Celebration Meal

THE PASSOVER CELEBRATION MEAL

Passover or Easter in most Christian religions today, (though Easter was not celebrated in Jesus time nor by the early church, His followers until sometime after 300 AD) is a time of celebration and remembrance and like most celebrations it is celebrated with food and thanksgiving. 

When we think if Easter in particular, we think of Maundy Thursday and the Last Supper, Good Friday, the day Jesus died, Saturday, the day of rest and Sunday the day of Resurrection, when Jesus rose from the grave.  Today we celebrate this Holy season in many different ways according to our own beliefs and traditions and most of us celebrate with a special meal.

Jesus celebrated too but He was celebrating Passover in the Jewish tradition knowing full well what was about to happen and He used a traditional part of that Passover meal to explain it to His disciples. This is the meal that Jesus may have eaten at the Last Supper, that Passover before His crucifixion, food traditionally served during the Jewish Passover in Jesus time and today.

It was not just bread and wine.  He and the Disciples shared an actual meal together before Jesus broke the bread and took the cup.  This is probably what was served around the table that night, each of these foods are symbolic of the temple rituals and the Jewish people and God’s blessings on them.

The menu would have probably looked something like this:

Lamb; probably roasted and it probably would have been the shank bone

or leg of lamb called Zeroa

Charoset; a fruit sauce mashed or pulverized to about the texture of mortar or cement made of finely chopped apple, nuts, fig or raisins and just enough wine to make the mixture into a paste served on small rounds of unleavened bread.

Gefilte Fish; a boiled or baked white fish served with sliced onion and red beets

Karpas; Cold, boiled small potatoes dipped in salt water and rolled in chopped parsley

Baytzah; Hardboiled egg served with Maror (prepared horseradish)

Chazeret; bitter herbs, usually a small salad made of chopped lettuce, celery and spinach drizzled with lemon juice or vinegar

And there would have been red wine and unleavened bread.  And then Jesus broke the bread and took the cup and He was betrayed and crucified and died and was buried and on the third day He rose from the grave having paid the sacrifice for the remission of sin, conquered death for our sake that we may have forgiveness unto eternal life; the gift of salvation through Jesus, the Christ, the Messiah, our Lord and King.   “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.”  John 3:16-17 He is the Lamb of God, sacrificed for the remission of sin; He died and on the third day He rose and is fully alive that we may have life.  Jesus truly is the way, the truth and the life and the light in this dark world we live in.

So this Passover or Easter if that is what you celebrate you might want to prepare the same kind of meal Jesus had at the Last Supper and while you are enjoying this meal share the story of what this meal is really all about.  Share the good news with your family and friends.  Tell them about Jesus and what He has done and continues to do for our sake and tell them His kingdom is soon to come.