Passover

So, we're not Jewish,  But we celebrated the Passover Thursday night anyway.  It was interesting and fun and of course, we learned some things.

We held the meal in our Upper Room, just as Jesus did with his 12 close buddies.  Well, kind of like Jesus did.  We emptied everything out of Peter's upstairs bedroom and laid down quilts and pillows so we could properly recline, as the custom was.

A unique fellow named Bryce fixed the entire meal of:
zeroah (roasted lamb),
karpas (veggies),
charoses (an apple dish),
beitzah (hard boiled eggs),
matzoh (flat bread),
grape juice for the wine,
salt water for dipping the veggies,
and maror (A horseradish dip that he made from his own homegrown horseradish and plain yogurt.  I had no idea what horseradish was, but I now know it's a white root veggie.).

It was tasty and fun to eat.  Everything had meaning.

Paul used the book below, called 30 Minute Seder,

to lead us through and explain the rituals and symbolism.

Unwrapping some matzoh and taking out the middle piece to rip it in half.

One of the traditions is to hide some matzoh wrapped in a napkin and the kids have to find it.

Peter may have had a home field advantage since he found it.

Then the leader has to barter with the kid to get the matzoh back.

It took 9 mini Hershey bars to convince Peter.

We realized that this was a meal similar to what Jesus had the night before he was killed.  While eating the Passover meal with his 12 apostles (like we were reinacting), he gave the matzoh (flat bread) and wine new significance.

Jesus took the bread and said, 

"This represents my body, given for you;

eat this in remembrance of me."

Then he took the cup of wine and said, 

"This represents my blood, God's new covenant,

which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins."

This is Communion.  This is where it started.  Every Sunday in church we take a piece of matzoh and a cup of grape juice and we eat it and drink it and remember Jesus dying on the cross for us.  Before I was born and able to perform my first sin, he died to forgive it.  He was innocent and they killed him.  Today we mourn that he died.

But tomorrow...  Tomorrow he will prove that he is who he said he was.  God's son.  He came back to life.

And we can say...

                     He is Risen.

                     He is Risen, indeed!

Thank you, Jesus.  For forgiving me when I don't deserve it.