Messianic
Passover Haggadah
Signification
and celebration of the Feast of Pesach
פסח
The
Feast of deliverance to become holy priests!
Pesach,
פסח,
means, "To pass". This is the day G.od passed over
the houses of the sons of Israel because of the blood of the
lamb.
The blood will serve you as a sign marking the houses where
you are; when I see the blood, I will pass over, pasach,
ופסחתי
you-- when I strike the land of Egypt, the death blow will not
strike you. Exodus 12:13
Pesach
is three Feasts:
-
The sacrifice of the lamb, on the 14th of the month
of Nisan Exodus 12:1-27
-
The Feast of the matzot, on the 15th of Nisan,
lasting for 7 days Exodus 12:15
-
The offering of the Omer, the sheaf of barley and the counting
of the seven weeks until the receiving of the Torah, the Feast
of Shavuot Leviticus
23:10-16
Pesach
is the deliverance from Egypt and the start of the
process of sanctification to receive the Torah which is engraved
on the stone Tables and then engraved on the flesh Tables of
our hearts.
It
is a new beginning, a vital one which leads us to holiness and
spiritual maturity.
Context:
THE
GATHERING OF ALL THE PEOPLE TO JERUSALEM:
Pesach
was the only Feast that required the presence of all the people
to Jerusalem because everybody was to partake of the lamb.
A
NEW CALENDAR:
You are to begin your calendar with this month; it will be the
first month of the year for you.
Exodus 12:2
The
month of Nisan became the first month of the birth of a people,
the people of Israel. Israel entered History on the first of
Nisan through its deliverance. The month of Nisan is considered
as the first month of freedom!
>From
this day forward, Israel will no longer align itself with the
timing of the nations (solar cycle), but will depend on the
lunar cycle which will become its symbol:
In
its history, Israel will either be in shadow or at its apogee
as the star of the night.
As
the celebration of the renewal of the month, each month, Israel
is submitted to a constant renewal, its lunar cycle differing
from the solar one. The nations which joined the House of Israel
are also under this spiritual principle of Havdala, SEPARATION.
.
THE
FIRST OF NISSAN:
The
dedication of the Mishkan in the desert occurred on the
first of Nisan:
On the first day of the first month of the second year, the
tabernacle was set up. Exodus
40:17
That
day was also an eighth day; the eighth day followed the seven
days of consecration of Aaron and his sons and according to
Jewish tradition, that day was a Sunday.
THE
TRIBE ASSOCIATED TO THE MONTH OF NISAN:
It
is Judah, the fist of the tribe of Israel. The tribe of the
King, and also the New Year for the counting of the king's reign
and the Feasts (Mishnah Rosh HaShana
1:1).
SHABBAT
GADOL:
The
Shabbat preceding Pesach is called, Shabbat Hagadol,
great Shabbat:
It
was Preparation Day, and the Judeans did not want the bodies
to remain on the stake on Shabbat, since it was an especially
important (great) Shabbat. So they asked Pilate
to have the legs broken and the bodies removed. John
19:31
At
the time of the coming out of Egypt, the 10th of
Nisan was the day when every family had to take a lamb and tie
it to its bed until the sacrifice on the 14th of
Nisan. That year, the 10th of Nisan fell on Sunday
and since then we celebrate the Shabbat before Pesach as the
Great Shabbat.
Next
Saturday, April 23rd,
will be the Shabbat Hagadol corresponding to the 10th
of Nisan of the coming out of Egypt.
PESSACH
TORAH PORTION:
We
read the portion called Acharei mot, after the death
(of Aaron's sons), Leviticus 17-19
It
talks of YOM KIPPUR, the Day of Atonement when all the sins
of the people are forgiven.
>From
this we discern many hints concerning the Mashiach:
The
month of Nisan bears an anointing of spiritual renewing!
This
is the month of deliverance and springtime!
A
dedication of the Mishkan and of the CohenGadol.!
It
is the month of the tribe of Judah!
Yom
Kipur,
forgiveness is granted!
The
picture of the redeeming plan of the Lamb unveils before us:
He
accomplished everything 2000 years ago on the 14th
of Nisan!
His
blood was shed and set upon the doorposts of our hearts!
He
is the Cohen Gadol, Who officiated once for all and made
kappara (expiation) for our sins giving us access to
the Kodesh Hakodashim (Holy of Holies), His heart through
the veil which was torn in His flesh!
He
is the King of Judah, Who will come back as the King of kings
and Lord of lords!
One
of the elders said to me, "Don't cry. Look, the Lion of the
tribe of Y'hudah, the Root of David, has won the right
to open the scroll and its seven seals. Revelation
5:5
THE
SEDER:
The
'Seder
of Pessach' unfolds in fifteen steps, which speak of
the steps of deliverance and the process of sanctification.
We
drink four cups of wine which corresponds to the steps
of deliverance mentioned in the following verses from Exodus
6:6 and 7; Exodus 6:6: I will free you from the
forced labor of the Egyptians, rescue you from their oppression,
and Exodus 6:7: I will take you as my people, and I will be
your God.
Therefore,
say to the people of Isra'el: 'I am ADONAI
1. I will free you from the forced labor of the Egyptians,
and
2. rescue you from their oppression and
3. redeem you with an outstretched arm and with great
judgments and
4. I will take you as my people, and I will be your
God,
Then
you will know that I am ADONAI your God, who freed you from
the forced labor of the Egyptians.
The
four cups symbolize four different events:
The
four empires that will enslave Israel: Babylon, Persian Empire,
Greeks and Romans.
The
cups of anger G.od will spill on the enemies of Israel in its
time.
The
deliverance occurred in four steps:
- The
Covenant with Avraham and the physical birth of the Jewish
people and its calling.
- The
second deliverance with the coming out of Egypt.
- The
third one with giving of the Torah and also with the many deliverances
G.od gave His people in history.
- At
the end, the final deliverance and salvation, that of the Geula,
Redemption, which will be given by the Mashiach.
The
red wine symbolizes:
- The
blood of circumcision and the blood of the lamb
- The blood of all the Jewish and Gentile martyrs
THE
OMER:
Right
after the second day of Pesach, on the 16th of Nisan,
or on the next Shabbat according to the sources, the Bible commands
us to count seven weeks:
"'From the day after the day of rest-- that is, from the day
you bring the sheaf (barley) for waving-- you are to
count seven full weeks, until the day after the seventh week;
you are to count fifty days; and then you are to present a new
grain offering (wheat) to ADONAI.- Leviticus
23:15-16
The
sheaf was made of barley and the next offering (after the counting
of the seven weeks) was of wheat:
A
SYMBOL OF EVOLUTION AND SPIRITUAL MATURITY!
The
day the sheaf was waved was on the first day of the week, a
Sunday, the day of the Resurrection of the Savior of our souls!
At
the end of this counting started the Feast of Shavuot, Pentecost!
The
Feast of Pesach, the necessary deliverance. Salvation was granted
after a seven-week process of sanctification to receive the
Torah on Mount Sinai! It was this Feast that Moshe referred
to when speaking to Pharaoh:
They
said, "The God of the Hebrews has met with us. Please let us
go three days' journey into the desert, so that we can sacrifice
to ADONAI our God. Otherwise, he may strike us with a plague
or with the sword. Exodus
5:3
Pesach,
the Feast which sets us free:
TO
SERVE THE LORD!
He
is the Lamb that delivers us from the grasp of the devil and
allows us to enter into the kingdom of light by anointing us
as Cohanim for the glory of the Father:
To
him, the one who loves us, who has freed us from our sins at
the cost of his blood, who has caused us to be a kingdom, that
is, cohanim for God, his Father-to him be the glory and
the rulership forever and ever. Amen. Revelation1:5-6
BE
HIS WITNESSES!
Sh'ma, Yisra'el! ADONAI Eloheinu, ADONAI echad
{Hear,
Isra'el! ADONAI our God, ADONAI is one} Deuteronomy
6:4
שמע ישראל
יהוה אלהינו
יהוה אחד
The
two enhanced letters in the original text shape the word EDעד,
which means: witness!
With great power the emissaries continued testifying to the
resurrection of the Lord Yeshua, and they were all held
in high regard. Acts 4:33
To
be His witnesses in the earth and for the whole world to be
filled with the knowledge of G.od. His reign endures forever!
Amen!
Celebration
of the Feast :
This
year, the Feast will be celebrated on the 14th of
Nisan which is:
Saturday
evening, April 23rd
Seder :
The
Seder is quite long so plan to give some refreshments to your
guests!
The
children can dress in Egyptian and Hebrew costumes and if you
plan to celebrate the Feast with many guests, prepare some of
your tables with the names of the tribes of Israel!
Feast
of the Matzot:
We
clean the house and abstain from eating any yeast or leaven,
for seven days. Let us also clean the leaven from our hearts
to start this new spiritual year, having been called
and set apart, to sanctify the Great Name of our G.od and Savior:
Yeshua
Hamashiach!
ישוע
המשיח
You
can find many complementary articles and activities for the
children at these sites:
http://www.soucatdavid.israelinet.org/excerpts/english/TeacherManual.pdf
http://www.aish.com/holidays/passover/default.asp
We
wish you a Happy Feast of Pesach and may it be the start
of a new hope and spiritual refreshment upon all G.od's family!
Chag
Sameach!
חג שמח
Unless otherwise
noted, Scripture quotations are from the Complete Jewish Bible
Copyright © 1998-2004 by David.H.Stern. Published by Jewish
New testament Publications.inc. www.messianicjewish.net/jntp
Distributed by Messianic Jewish Resources International. All
rights reserved. Uses by permission.
