Passover 2022

Intro and Tension

Introduce Night | Prayer

Passover begins

Welcome to Passover -

Tonight, a few things to know, We will have a Cedar Meal, We will have some time for Worship throughout, There are cards on your tables to be read out throughout the night - Scriptures, your participation would be great. We will have a message at the end, and then some more worship. Then we will have supper together. Empty seat - Elijah

The Last Supper that Jesus would of ate with his Disciples was the Jewish Passover Meal. Tonight, we attempt to return to Jerusalem in the 1st century Israel and observe and participate in the Passover. By the first century the Passover season was when Jewish people expected the coming the Messiah (Mashiach, Hebrew = anointed one) - A redeemer. Messianic expectancy was very much in the air around the year 27 AD when Jesus and His followers entered Jerusalem. The eating of the Passover with his Disciples was to be the climax of Jesus' ministry with his disciples before the cross. It was at the time, this meal, that he would announce something of great significance for the Jewish people - The institution of the new covenant with the house of Israel as foretold over five centuries before, by Jeremiah the prophet.

As the original Passover resulted in the cutting of a covenant between God and the people of Israel at Mount Sinai, so too the climax of this evening would witness the first part of the institution of a covenant between God and those Jewish people who would be loyal to Jesus as the promised Messiah. The following day the actual spilling of blood, associated with the institution of a covenant in ancient times would take place.

Let us join that meal. For tonight, Picture yourself as those disciples, we are ‘hillbilly’ jewish people, we are the galilean jewish people - The rags.

prayer

washed hands

Cleansing the 'house' of yeast _ we have volunteers to go find it.

Getting rid of the sin in our lives

Lighting of the candles

Presence of God with us

Readings - Ex 12:17-19, Ex 6:6-8

The story of Sanctification

Set apart to be used by God - God declares here that Israel are his chosen people, they are HIS people, they have been SET APART from the rest of the world to be used by God.

If you call on the name of Jesus, YOU have been set apart, you are In the world but not OF this world - your home has changed, your ending has changed, and your purpose has changed.

Cup 1 (Kiddush) - Prayer of Dedication

We dedication ourselve to God again | Leader would say: "Blessed are You, O Lord our God, King of the Universe, Creater of the fruit of the Vine" [take the wine] - This evening is being consecrated or set aside now for God - May God this evening deeply impress into our hearts and minds the depth and the width and the height of His covenant love for us

Karpas - Green leafy Vegetables

Symbols of new life |

Dipping of Karpas into bowl of tears

Tears represent the struggles of life | Leader would say: "Blessed are You, O Lord our God, King of the Universe, Creater of the fruit of the Vine"

Baruch atah A-donay, Elo-heinu Melech Ha’Olam borei pri hagafe

Dreaking of Matzah and hiding of the Afikomen

Matza is flat bread - No yeast as the jews had to leave in a hurry. Afikomen represents God's presence being hidden from them | Leader would say: "Blessed are You, O Lord our God, King of the Universe, who has sanctified us with your commandments and has commanded us to eat unleavened cakes.”

| Break one half, put half back in middle, hide the other half

Retelling story of deliverance

Now we tell the story of deliverance of God’s people in Exodus.

Leader: In the former days, our fathers worshipped idols, but now the Lord has brought us near to worship him. As it is written

Reading Joshua 24:2-4

Blessed be he, who carefully observed His promise to Israel. Blessed be the Holy One, who made an end to the captivity, that He might perform what he had promised to our father Abraham in the covenant between the portions. As it is said:

Reading of Genesis 14:13-14

It was God's unconditional covenant promise to Abraham which has been the support of our ancesstors and of ourselves. For not only has one risen up against us (Pharoah), but in every generation, some have risen against us to annihilate us. But the Holy One, Blessed be he, has delivered us out of their hands, as it is said.

Reading Deuteronomy 26:5-8

Reading Ex. 15:1-6

When the slaves where in Egypt, they had had enough; ENOUGH - Exodus 2:24 tells us that God heard their groaning and he remembered their covenant - God does not deny our free will, or force us to do anything, but God wants to be begged, God wants to be asked, it was in this moment, moses was raised up, it was in this moment, that God chose to deliver israel. We repent and God forgives. The people of Israel had now called for Help. God heard their cry and redemption was about to occur;

While the hebrew people where crying out for deliverance, God was preparing a man in sinai to be the deliverer - MOses. MOses returned to egypt with a comission to convince pharaog to let them go

We know pharaoh was relucant to release his slave population, and so God revealed his power for all to see.

What’s interesting here is while God was working on Moses, nothing is recorded that God spoke to them during this time, Heard them - Did not respond straight away

Action point; What have you asked for from God that you think he has not heard? What could he be doing in the background?

So God through 10 plaques ultimately forced Pharoah to allow the isrealites to leave.

What is interesting here is God poured out his Wrath on egypts idolatry in 2 ways;

First - it is poured out in the first nine plaques qhich mostly affected the egyptions while the israelites were mostly exempted. But pharoah’s magicians could replicate these plaques. However, they could not replicate the plaque of teh gnats and they stated : This is the finger of God

At hte end of 9 plagues, pharoah was not compient - God then poured out his Wrath in a tenth plaque - The angel of Death

This plaque, the wrath of God was to be pourd out upon ALL the land of egypt, including the isrealites - The isrealites would only be spared if they acted in obedience and placed the blood of the passover lamb on the doorposts and lintel of the door.

The angel of Death passed over those that obeyed - The angel of Death does not look inside the house, can not assess the deeds, can not see what’s happening inside, He just checks for the blood. God, will be the same.

Cup 2 - The cup of Freedom

Leader: Blessed are you O lord our God, King of the Universe, Creator of the fruit of the Vine.

Baruch atah A-donay, Elo-heinu Melech Ha’Olam borei pri hagafe

Reading Exodus 12:1-6

A passover Lamb

Lamb for Passover had to be unblemished. Spotless and Perfect. Jesus was the ultimate passover sacrificial lamb of God. When John turned and looked, he said “Behold, the lamb of God”

SONG - Behold the Lamb - Treva and Ps. Nick

The Egg

New Life

The maror (bitter Herbs)

Ex 1:11-14

Leader: To recall this time of bondage under the yoke of the egyptions, we now eat the very bitter herb to remember the suffering. Leader "Blessed are you, O lord our God, King of the Universe, Who has sanctified us with your commandments and has commanded us to eat bitter herbs"

The Charoset (Sweet mortor)

Reading Ps 119:103-104

Joyous times bind us together

The next part of the redemptive story occured at the miactulous parting and corss of the read sea.

God now had a redeemed people, a people of his own and they called out ‘The Lord is regning forever and ever”

The english translation doesn’t do a great job at translating this verse and explaining what is happening here - The hebrew captures it beautifully - Reigning = Morlech, and from the same root word we get MELECH = King

The rabbis of old state that this is the very first reference to God as King over Israel and in essence it is the first reference to the Kingdom of God in scripture

A people who once lived under another king - Pharoah, and in an idolatrous society, and who have now been redeemed, at a cost, are now in need of a new direction in life, a new set of standards, one could say, a new book of life - In other words, their minds now needed to be renewed.

This is where we get, THE TORAH.

God, their great king now leads them to mount sinai where the last act of their redemption takes palce - God inters into (cuts) a covenatn with israel and gives them his TORAH - = Torah - LIFE GIVING INSTRUCTIONS.

The purpose of this Torah was to show israel how to live a good and healthy life - instructions are to give LIFE, but there were real consequences if they did not follow.

The deep desire of our heavenly father’s heart is summoned up in exodus 25:8 - Relationship, he wants to be in relationship with us.

Exodus 25:8 ESV

And let them make me a sanctuary, that I may dwell in their midst.

Distribution of Matzah (after breaking)

Elijah's Story - Open door and spare seat

One of the children need to go to an open door and see of ELIJAH is COMING - If not , it's clear that neither is the messiah

Hidden Afikomen is found

God is with us again

Readings Isaiah 61:1-3, Luke 22:14-20

Afikomen broken and the third cup of redemption - Communion

Communion - The gospel of Luke records for us ' This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood'. This was the climax of the passover meal. Jesus was instituting a new coveneant. This new covenant does not replace God's previous covenant with Abraham. This covenant refers only to the covenant that God made with the Isrealites when he brought them out of egypt which is the sinai-mosaic covenant. According to scripture, the season when God brought Israel out of egypt was passover. Jesus, the true passover lamb, could only institute the new covenant at passover.

Luke 22:17–20 ESV

And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he said, “Take this, and divide it among yourselves. For I tell you that from now on I will not drink of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes.” And he took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” And likewise the cup after they had eaten, saying, “This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood.

Wash away my sin - video

We to now take communion, we take it in rememberance for what God has done for us. for what God continues to do for us.

The fruit - A taaste of thigns to come

The fruit of the Holy Spirit in the life of a Christian

The 4th Cup - Thanksgiving and Joy

Baruch atah A-donay, Elo-heinu Melech Ha’Olam borei pri hagafe

Blessed are you O lord our God, King of the Universe, Creator of the fruit of the Vine.

Message

Matthew 26:29 ESV

I tell you I will not drink again of this fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom.”

We know that after partaking of the third cup, Jesus did not take the fourth - This is because the ultimate consumation, could not occur until Jesus had felt the entire Wrath of God’s fury against the sin of the World, Jesus, like the first Passover Lamb, was to be the trade for sin, not His, OURS.

John 15:14–17 ESV

You are my friends if you do what I command you. No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you. You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you. These things I command you, so that you will love one another.

John 15:5 ESV

I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.

John 15:13 ESV

Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.

There was only one that was actually called “friend of God” - That was Faither Abraham - Who was in an unconditional covenant relationship with God. This is what Jesus is offering - He is offering an unconditional covenant relationship with God - Through his crucificition for anyone calling on his name.

John 17:20–23 ESV

“I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me. The glory that you have given me I have given to them, that they may be one even as we are one, I in them and you in me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that you sent me and loved them even as you loved me.

Journey with me then, to the cross.

After the Passover meal | Jesus went to Gethsemene, where he asked the Disciples to watch, stay away, while he prays to His Father | He said to his disciples

Matthew 26:38 ESV

Then he said to them, “My soul is very sorrowful, even to death; remain here, and watch with me.”

This was Jesus, in his humanity | Matthew 26:39

Matthew 26:39 ESV

And going a little farther he fell on his face and prayed, saying, “My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will.”

Came back, sleeping disciples | Went away again

Matthew 26:42 ESV

Again, for the second time, he went away and prayed, “My Father, if this cannot pass unless I drink it, your will be done.”

Now there is no fighting his father, he accepts His Will.

After praying a 3rd time, Jesus told the disciples to ARISE, let us be going. my betrayer is at hand.

Judas, followed by a great crowd with swords and clubs came. Peter, cut off one of the guards ears before Jesus told him to put your sword back int its place.

Matthew 26:53–54 ESV

Do you think that I cannot appeal to my Father, and he will at once send me more than twelve legions of angels? But how then should the Scriptures be fulfilled, that it must be so?”

Jesus arrested, bought before the council, being acused for crimes he did not commit, Scripture tells us

Matthew 26:67–68 ESV

Then they spit in his face and struck him. And some slapped him, saying, “Prophesy to us, you Christ! Who is it that struck you?”

We then read about the deniel of Peter, 3 times Peter was asked if he knew this man, His best Friend, spent every day for 3 years with him, his Lord, His saviour - and 3 times peter says no. MOst sad | 3rd time, scripture said Jesus looked straight at Peter!

Jesus is delivered to Pilate and under great pressure handed him over to be crucified.

Jesus, beaten, whipped and could hardly walk, was then forced to carry his cross - Massive, wooden Cross | Falling down, exhausted, finally there, Nails, where driven through his hands, and his feet as he was nailed to that cross | Through all this Pain | All this Anguish | Hardly recognisible | Surrounded by people hurling Insults | Spitting on him | Pushing Himself up by his legs | aching back

Luke 23:34 ESV

And Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” And they cast lots to divide his garments.

John 3:16 ESV

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.

Sometimes we feel our sin is too big | What we have done is “too bad” to be forgiven | Instead of confessing, we carry |

Unforgiveness | Addiction | Rebellion against God | Bitterness | Jelousy | Depression | Anger | Guilt | Unworthiness | Shame.

Carrying these is like carrying Rocks in a backpack | Each one, a different weight depending on how it’s effecting you | What ever you have, God doesn’t want you to carry it any longer | He wants you to leave it at the cross, where Jesus died for you |

We need to take what we have, and put it at the foot off the cross, and take our eyes off of us, and put them on Christ and what he did for us.

Hebrews 12:2 ESV

looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.

Jesus hated the shame, desipised it. Every fibre of righteousness, every part of heaven in the flesh, loathed, and hated, despised the shame that robs people from intamacy with God and joy of Heaven.

From the beginning of time, God despised the shame in the garden of Eden. He hated the shame of Davids idolatry, and peters deniel, and in this very same way, God despised the shame that crushes your soul and kills your joy. He despises the shame that you feel from your lies, or from your sin. He loathes the shame you feel from any sin that you are carrying right now in your back pack. He despises the shame you feel when you think the wrong thtrought, look at the wrong thing, and he despises the shame of your self-doubt and self-hatred. He despises the shame of what you thought of yourself before you tasted Christ, and what you are carrying now.

The son of God, God in the Flesh, Stripped down naked and put on hte intstrument of torture, the Cross as the creation he came to love, cursed him, mocked him and spat on him and he looked at the shame and said, I despise you. My father sent me to seek and save the lost. That is why Shame, Shame has no power, compared to the JOY set BEFORE ME, because JESUS KNEW, what HIS death Meant.

There is NO SHAME IN CHRIST - You are not what they say you are, you are not what you think you are, you are who God says you are.

As we remember the day Jesus hung on the cross, You are offered a way out. Of you shame, of your hurt, of your sin.

Passover, represents Isreals freedom from Egypt

Jesus, represents our freedom too, from Slavery, but more than that,

Jesus, represents life to a dead body. Jesus didn’t come to make bad people good, Jesus came to make dead people alive.

When jesus died on the cross, we entered into a covenent with God - For all those that call on Christ, that means, just like the angel of Death, when God looks down, he doesn’t see your shame you had, he sees teh blood of Jesus, and he sees His Child, which he loves, which he adores, which he calls his own, which he wants to pour out every ounce of love onto. If you’re far from God, this is the time to come back ,

Bring your backpack of rocks, to the cross, and let the weight go - Jesus looked to heaven and said said “IT IS FINISHED” Done.

Hebrews 8:12 ESV

For I will be merciful toward their iniquities, and I will remember their sins no more.”

There it is, Forgiven, Fogotton. Never to be remembered. Once you give Jesus control of your life, He will sustain you, He will give you life, that is truly Life. God knows the burdens you carry and the lonliness you feel, that’s why he sent Jesus, to take your burden, and to give you relationship.

**Pray**

Song - O Praise the Name

Altar Call

Song - What a beautiful Name