It becomes rather moot, then, whether it is proper to describe Jesus’ Passover meal as a seder. It was a proto-seder, a pre-70 seder, a seder-in-formation; it was seder-like, it was seder-ish, it was kind-of-like-a-seder, it had elements of a seder—any way you put it, seder is the most relevant way to speak of it.

“Why on this night do we only eat matzah?” It really is the million-dollar question. Why do we have to eat this dry, crumbly bread for eight nights?

I was excited to be heading to the West Coast to visit my older brother Steve. My dad had returned to New York with the good news that Steve had found a place with a nice Jewish landlady who would “keep an eye on him.”

These ten days of devotions give insight into parts of the Passover story that you might be overlooking.

If you could choose just one word to describe what you want people to know about you, what would it be? Were you surprised by the first thought that came to your mind? Usually what we want others to know about us reflects what we most value in ourselves. All of us are...

At every Passover seder, one of the more dramatic moments is when the family recites the Ten Plagues that God sent against Egypt. Together everybody names each plague and pours out a drop from the aptly-named Cup of Plagues, the second cup of the evening. The idea is...

by Matt Sieger The story has often been told… A little boy came back from Hebrew school one morning and his father asked him, “Well, what did you learn?” The boy replied, “How the people of Israel were kept in Egypt and used as slaves by this...

The following excerpt is from the Messianic Family Haggadah.* This haggadah retains the essential elements of the traditional seder service, but weaves in some New Testament understandings that explain the Passover/Jesus connection. The Three Symbols of Passover...

Learn how Jesus spent his last week leading up to Passover, culminating in his death and resurrection.

Passover is a beautiful, often mysterious, celebration. More than any other festival it has been at the heart of the universal Jewish experience, helping to form the core of spiritual identity and pointing inexorably toward the hope of Israel’s salvation. Two...

The clock is ticking a significant countdown for Israel right now. In fact, this countdown has been an annual event for more than 3,000 years. It is a biblical mandate to mark the time between two important Jewish festivals, Passover, which began at sundown, March 29,...

Every year Macabbi Tel Aviv faces off against its rival, Hapoel Tel Aviv, in a soccer match. The game is filled with tension and excitement as a packed house stands and cheers non-stop for ninety minutes. Accolades and bragging rights will fall to the winner. Yet the...

Passover heads the list of yearly feasts that God commanded the Israelites to celebrate. It commemorates how God redeemed the Jewish people from slavery in Egypt, while at the same time paving the way to understand an even greater redemption that Jesus offers to...

The number four plays a significant role in Judaism. There are the four species of plants for Sukkot; four kingdoms in the book of Daniel; four Torah portions in the tefillin; four Matriarchs in the book of Genesis. At Passover, we find this number in abundance. In the course of the seder we have four sons, four cups of wine, four expressions of redemption (Exodus 6:6-7) and perhaps the most famous “four” of all—the Ma Nishtana, known in English as the Four Questions…

I was excited to be on the West Coast and to see my older brother Steve. Dad had been there earlier when Steve found an apartment, and had returned to New York with the good news that my brother had found a place with a nice Jewish landlady who would “keep an eye on...

This year Passover begins at sundown on April 2nd. The holiday lasts for a week during which time it is appropriate to send Jewish friends and neighbors Passover greeting cards. Many scholars think that Rameses II, whose likeness is found in many of the great ruins...

Pharaoh refused God’s command...

I frequently tell people that Jews for Jesus is a one-issue organization, and that issue is evangelism. That is what I like to say, but it isn’t what some people like to hear. Missions and direct evangelism are often seen as antiquated and out of step with current...

Passover Symbols IN O.T. ACCOUNTS AT LAST SUPPER AND/OR IN EARLY CHURCH IN RABBINIC TRADITION IN CONTEMPORARY JUDAISM AS APPLIED IN THE CHURCH TODAY BONDAGE AND EXODUS God's dealings with Israel — yearly celebration and remembrance (Ex. 12:24-27) Freedom in Christ...

Passover begins at sundown on April 23. Jewish people often refer to Passover by its Hebrew pronunciation, Pesach (pay-sockh), and it is also known as the Feast of Redemption. Passover commemorates the Exodus from slavery in Egypt, and is named after the paschal lamb....

4-6 matzohs 4 eggs 1 cup milk 1 pound cottage cheese 1/2 teaspoon salt 2 teaspoons brown sugar 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon 2 tablespoons margarine or butter Break matzot into 2″ pieces. Mix eggs with milk and reserve 1/2 cup of mixture. Mix remaining egg/milk mixture...

Overheard at a New York City cabstand between two drivers: Resurrection Sunday, big deal! Even if I believed that he rose from the dead what difference would that make to me?” Ever hear a conversation like that? How would you answer? Here is what I would say:...

What does the Jewish Bible say about the Passover cup’s symbolism and meaning? What blessing can be found in remembering the story of redemption? Read here.

A Passover riddle to ponder: when does a haven of safety become a house of slavery? Along with that riddle, I’ll pose one of the most difficult commands for believers in Jesus to get straight: how to be in the world but not of it. It is a challenging paradox....

Explore the literal, spritual and prophetic aspects of “first fruits” in the Bible, as well as how this concept can apply to your faith today.

A young Jew finds a personal exodus from his depression.

QUESTION: At an ecumenical luncheon I heard the rabbi of a local synagogue condemn your group for misusing Jewish religious symbols and giving them a Christological meaning. He claimed that Jews for Jesus uses Jewish holidays and symbols to convey the illusion that...

Facts about Passover This year (1993) Passover will be celebrated April 5-13. Don’t forget to wish your Jewish friends a Happy Passover! If you are fortunate enough to be invited to a Passover celebration, you may want to brush up on some of the basic...

We have just celebrated Pesach. Melodies such as “Chad gadya, chad gadya” and the smells of bubbe’s matzo ball soup reminded us that once again the calendar pages had arrived at the 14th of Nisan: a time to remember our deliverance—a time to recall...

My hobby is photography. One of the photos I value highly is no prize-winning snapshot; I couldn’t exhibit it or sell it for publication. But I cherish it because it has special meaning for me. It was taken in the Egyptian room of the Museum of Natural History...

We prayed with our feet,” Gramma said every year at Passover, remembering her flight from Russia. (Snow. Cold. Running in woods, Romanian border. Run. Run. Run.) Young spring has given the first violet hyacinths. White lace drapes the table. Our ancestors live...

Late in January, Jews for Jesus received the following letter from a lady in Colorado: Dear Moishe Rosen, This letter is a bit slow in being formulated since it’s in response to something you wrote in the Volume 1:5749 issue of the Jews for Jesus Newsletter. I...

In September 1985, Jews for Jesus brought me to San Francisco to become the voice of Messiah Line.” Our Messiah Line is a nationwide ministry of encouragement and discipleship of Jewish believers by telephone. There are literally thousands of Jewish people...

I believe you are the promised Messiah, God and Savior. I give you my life, and I will obey you. Show me your way and confirm your will in my life…in Jesus.” Dorothy kept her head bowed, and I saw a tear fall to her lap. I waited and prayed silently. How could...

The furor of spring 1985 has died down, but the injuries have not healed. President Reagan laid hold of a veritable hornet’s nest last year when he announced his impending visit to a German military cemetery to honor those killed in World War II. Shrill sounds...

Can you help me understand why the Jews need to be evangelized if they are God’s chosen people and believe in Yahweh?” The question was rather strange coming from a pastor admittedly committed to the theological position that there is no salvation outside...

The central theme of the message which brought Jewish people together and bound us to one another is Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God is one God.” In this affirmation, there are many inferences to be understood. Some would look no further than the interpretation...

Just as the Israelites were redeemed from Egyptian slavery by an unblemished lamb, now men could be freed from slavery to sin by the Messiah, the Lamb of God.

The central theme of the message which brought Jewish people together and bound us to one another is Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God is one God.” In this affirmation, there are many inferences to be understood. Some would look no further than the interpretation...

Parsha: Bo (Exodus 10:1 – 13:16)   A Flawless Lamb Bo בֹּא (“Go!”) Exodus 10:1 – 13:16 The parasha for this Shabbat is entitled Bo, meaning “Go!” and takes us from Exodus chapters 10 through most of 13. Despite God’s repeated...

Parsha: Beshalach (Exodus 13:17 – 17:16) An Event to Remember Forever! Beshalach בְּשַׁלַּח (“In his sending”) Exodus 13:17 – 17:16 This Shabbat’s parasha is Beshalach which means “in his sending“, referring to Pharaoh finally...