Should Christians Attend a Seder?
by
Vance Ferrell
Should Christians Attend a
Seder?
I received the following letter
yesterday:
“You wrote several years ago about the Seder which the Orthodox
Jews celebrate. We are faced here in the ___ church with members who want a
rabbi to bring this ‘service’ to our church on April 18. Even our young pastor
knew zero about this and pulled a ‘blank,’ when asked about it.
“Some are saying ‘We need to respect others’ beliefs’ and
countered with, ‘Yes, we do but we don’t have to worship with them. You don’t
want to risk denying Jesus, do you?’ But she continued to make light of the
situation; and I then showed her a Waymarks publication
(By Vance Ferrell), where you had written on the Seder. Anyway, I’d like to
request more information on it, so I will have more facts; since our people (SDA’s!) here do not realize the seriousness of
what they’re doing. Jesus truly warned, ‘My people are destroyed for lack of
knowledge’ (Hosea 4:6). We should all be aware of what is going on around us.
Thank you.”—Western States. (Emphasis mine—rwb)
In February 2007, I published “The Seder
- a Denial of Christ.” In this present paper, additional information is
provided.
It is becoming relatively common for many Christian
churches—Baptist, Methodist, Lutheran, Episcopal, as well as our own—to observe
a Seder meal on Maundy Thursday, followed by (or in place of) the Lord’s
Supper.
Since the Gospels describe Jesus’ last meal as held during the
Passover season, these churches feel that they are honoring Him by returning
each spring to the Seder. Jewish rabbis highly formalized this ritual of the
Passover service for the Jews; and it was gradually developed over the
centuries.
It is said that they are also honoring Jesus’ Jewish roots, by
seeking out Jewish texts and rabbis for help in replacing the simple Lord’s
Supper with a service which is richly endowed with the centuries-old formalism
and ceremonies of a Jewish Passover service. Those who do this do not seem to
be satisfied with the simple instruction and pattern which Christ gave about
the Lord’s Supper. They want something more exotic.
Here are number of reasons why we should
not take part in a Seder service:
• From the New Testament, we have no
indication that, after Jesus instituted the Lord’s Supper, the Christian church
continued to observe the Passover. In Christ, everything the Passover pointed
toward has been fulfilled.
• The Seder was invented by Orthodox
Jews, not by Christians. It was devised by people who consistently reject Jesus
Christ as their Saviour. It is practiced to comfort them while they await the
coming of a Messiah.
• The Seder is done in the spring, by
Jews, as a substitute for the complete Passover because the Temple at Jerusalem
has not yet been rebuilt. Until that is done, while they can eat the roasted
lamb in their homes, they cannot offer it on the altar inJerusalem.
But the Passover service ended at Calvary. For Christians to keep it after
Christ was crucified is to deny His sacrifice for us.
• The Seder is used, by Orthodox Jews,
to encourage them to keep looking for the first coming of the Messiah. We, as
Christians (if we are genuine Christians), have the Messiah and worship Him. We
are not looking for His first coming, but for His second. The Seder is not held
in honor of Christ’s second coming.
• The Seder is an attempt to rejoice at
the “deliverance from Egyptian bondage”; it is also trying to cover over the
fact that the service is actually a mournful acknowledgement that the Messiah,
promised all through the Old Testament, has not yet come to save His people.
• The Passover Seder had not reached its
current form at the time of Jesus. It was substantially shaped in later
centuries under the direction of rabbinic thought.
Some think that part of it was devised
by Rav Nachman (mentioned
in Pesachim 116a). But there is a dispute as to which
Rav Nachman the Talmud was
referring to. According to some commentators, this was Rav
Nachman bar Yaakov (around A.D. 280); others maintain
this was Rav Nachman bar
Yitzchak (A.D. 360).
However, there is no manuscript of a Seder Haggadah (an elaborate set of commentaries or explanations
regarding how to perform a Passover service) which is earlier than the tenth
century A.D. (Siddur Rav Saadya Gaon). Nearly a thousand
years exists between the time of Jesus and the earliest extant text. The
Passover Haggadah has never been standardized, but
has always been shaped and reshaped by circumstances and time. The ritual has
been extraordinarily versatile, especially since the tenth century A.D.;
therefore, the claim, that any Seder ritual now in existence is the same as the
Lord’s Supper meal, as presented by Jesus, is both anachronistic and
historically inaccurate.
• The Lord’s Supper was not a Passover
meal! It occurred prior to the Passover that year.
• Jesus may have eaten a meal before
Passover, but it did not look or sound just like today’s Seder. Using modern haggadahs (the texts for Passover) in order to help
us understand the Lord’s Supper is contrary to all that Christ taught us!
• Jesus instituted the Lord’s Supper to
be observed thereafter as a memorial of His death on Calvary. (“Take eat, this
is My body; this is My blood”). In stark contrast, the
Seder totally ignores the death of Christ and the Lord’s Supper; and, in its
place, it presents a memorial of the departure from ancient Egypt in the time
of Moses.
• Jesus also instituted the foot-washing
service as a special ordinance of humility, which He three times commanded us
to observe. This service is also entirely omitted by the Jewish service. In its
place, they ceremonially wash their hands partway through their Seder.
• Should we follow the instructions of
Christ for this memorial service or should we follow the traditions of the
Jews?
• Modern day celebrations of the Seder
and Passover are a combination of rabbinic traditions keyed to the Exodus story
and based on the belief that the Messiah has not come to earth. To this day,
more traditional innovations are regularly added to the Haggadah
(the book used for the Seder).
• The Lord’s Supper was instituted by
Jesus with the words, “the blood of the new covenant.” He commanded, “Do this in remembrance of Me.” What is it that we are to remember? Not a Jewish
traditional ritual devised centuries after the death of Christ. We are to
remember the shedding of Christ’s blood on Calvary, to save our souls, so we
can live with Him forever in heaven. The service Christ gave us is not a
continuation of the Passover; it is the replacement of the Passover.
• We are told that we should celebrate
the Seder once each year, in order to make friends with the Jews. Should we
celebrate the mass every so often—or even once—in order to make friends with
Roman Catholics? To do so would be a denial of our faith. Why? Because the
basic teachings involved in the mass includes bringing Christ down from heaven
into the bread, so the priest can eat Him. Why would we participate in the
Seder, which is done because the Messiah has not yet come to earth the first
time?
• On the night in which Christ was
betrayed, our Saviour gave His disciples a new service that found its
fulfillment in Him. We are not to return to Judaism. If you participate in a
Seder, you will, indeed, be accepting something new: the teaching that Christ
was never born, lived, and died for you.
• It makes no more sense for Christians
to gather around a Passover Seder than it does to gather around another
sacrificial lamb. (A roasted lamb is eaten at some Seders, but not at others.)
The Lamb of God, His own Son, has been slain, once and for all. We are not to
offer another sacrifice. The final
Sacrifice was offered on Calvary. We now celebrate only that Lamb’s own feast
as instituted and commanded by Him.
• It has been said that, by keeping a
Seder, we understand the Lord’s Supper better. That is not true; for the Seder
has nothing to do with the Lord’s Supper.
• It has been said that, by keeping a
Seder, we will understand and love Jesus more. That is not true either; for we
are, instead, filling our minds with false ideas about Jesus and His plan and
work to save us.
• It has been said that, by keeping a
Seder, we reach out and build bridges with the Jewish community. But a
“Christian” Seder would be offensive to a faithful Jew. Many Jews find
Christian use of the Seder, during Holy Week, offensive. It is just one more
example of taking a distinctively Jewish observance and superimposing a
Christian meaning on it.
• We do not strengthen our faith by
indulging in worldly activities or by practicing rituals of non-Christians.
Should we participate in an African witch doctor ritual, in order to draw
closer to its adherents? Do we bow to the ground in a Muslim mosque and pray to
Allah, in order to become better acquainted with the followers of Mohammud? Communication with any group of people is rarely
improved by misappropriating their beloved traditions. Those Christians who
take part in a Seder may do so with commendable intentions. But the inherent
problems of the practice result in more harm than good.
• The Lord’s Supper took the place of
the Passover. For example, the Lord’s Supper had no bitter herbs and lamb.
• Should a Christian drink wine? Should
he eat a portion of a lamb?
• Is he not denying his Biblical faith
when he drinks wine (Prov. 20:1; Isa. 28:7; Hab. 2:15; Prov. 23:20-21, 29-30,
31-32)?
• Is he not denying His Lord when he
returns to pre-Calvary living and partakes of the sacrificial lamb?
• The entire Seder is concerned with the
Passover at the time of the departure from Egypt; the looking forward for
Elijah the prophet who will announce the Messiah, when he comes to earth to
redeem his people; and the drinking of wine at various times throughout the
meal.
Let
us now briefly survey key portions of the Seder service. You will find that
there is nothing here that should attract you to want to attend one!
(A more complete presentation of terms
and activities will be found in the companion tract, “The Seder – a Denial of
Christ.”)
Please know that there are variations of
this service. In some Seders, only part of a cup is drunk each time. In others,
Christian concepts are partially interwoven.
• Traditionally, a place at the Seder
table is left empty, with an untouched cup of wine; this symbolizes the
expectation of the coming of Elijah the prophet as the forerunner of the
Messiah (Mal. 4:5). A rabbinical requirement is that “there should be a full
place setting at the head of the table or a separate small table in a prominent
place, with a full place setting for Elijah the Prophet.”
• Participation in the Seder requires
drinking four cups of wine. Is this something you should be doing? The kosher
way of doing this requires that this be fermented wine. It must not be grape
juice.
• The Seder begins with the lighting of
the candles, to express our faith that the Messiah (Jews have waited for since
the time of the Exodus Passover) will someday come to redeem Israel.
Here is the traditional Hebrew blessing
for the lighting of the candles: Barúch atáh Ádonai Elohéinu,
Mélech ha-olám, ashér kidshánu be’mitzvo-táv, ve’tziváanu le’hadlíq ner shél
yom tóv.
“Blessed are you O Lord our God, ruler
of the universe, who hallows our lives with traditions and bids us kindle the
festival light.”
• The “First Cup” of wine (“the Cup of
Sanctification and Freedom from the Egyptians”) is drunk.
• This is followed by the ceremonial
hand washing, showing that we have forsaken all other beliefs except the
worship of the pre-Christian God.
• The Karpas, which are green vegetables (usually parsley) is eaten. The leader says: “This
vegetable, called Karpas, represents life, created
and sustained by the Lord our God.” (It is parsley that is our life, not
Christ.)
• Next comes
the Breaking of Bread: The Matzah. “On the leader’s
table there should be three matzot on a plate covered
with a napkin. If available, a special Matzah bag (matzah tosh) may be used. For a public service, each person
participating may also have the three Matzot on a
plate covered, or the designated leader at each table may have the Matzot.” At various times in the Seder, another
Matzot will be broken. The breaking of the Matzot symbolizes our hope that the Messiah will someday
come, break from us the yoke of the wicked, and set up His kingdom on earth.
• The Passover story is then told. This
includes a recounting of each of the ten plagues, the Passover, and the
crossing of the Red Sea.
• This is followed by the “Telling of
the Story: Dayeinu (It Would Have Been Enough).”
“This is a traditional responsive reading that follows the telling of the
Exodus story. Dayeinu is pronounced Die-YEAHnu, and means ‘It would have been enough.’ ” None of
the following represents our Christian faith or beliefs! We want more than
merely to get out of Egypt!
Leader: “God has shown us so many acts
of kindness and grace. For each one, we say Dayeinu!
If only the Lord God had taken us out of Egypt—.”
People: “Dayeinu!”
Leader: “If only the Lord God had taken
us out of Egypt and not passed judgment on the Egyptians—.”
People: “Dayeinu!”
Leader: “If only the Lord God had passed
judgment on the Egyptians and not parted the sea for us—.”
People: “Dayeinu!”
Leader: “If only the Lord God had parted
the sea for us and not taken care of us and fed us manna in the desert for 40
years—.”
People: “Dayeinu!”
Leader: “If only the Lord God had taken
care of us and fed us manna in the desert for 40 years and notgiven us the Sabbath rest—.”
People: “Dayeinu!”
Leader: “If only the Lord God had given
us the Sabbath rest and not brought us to Mount Sinai and given us the Torah—.”
People: “Dayeinu!”
Leader: “If only the Lord God had
brought us to Mount Sinai and given us the Torah and not brought us into the
land of Israel—.”
People: “Dayeinu!”
Leader: “For these, alone and together,
we say—.”
People: “Dayeinu!”
• Next comes the drinking of the second
cup of wine: The “Second Cup”: “the Cup of Deliverance.”
Leader: “He has brought us forth from
bondage to freedom.”
• Next comes
“The Meal.” Here begins the actual meal. It is traditionally preceded first by another ceremonial
hand washing, followed by the symbolic eating of herbs.
• The Maror,
or bitter herb, is traditionally horseradish root. Use the type that is made
with grated roots. To be effective as a symbol, however, it needs to have a
little “edge” to it, even to the point of bringing tears. Perhaps warn people
that this herb is very “hot.” Sometimes a second bitter herb is used in making
the Hillel sandwich, usually romaine lettuce. In anticipation of someone
getting too much Maror, it is wise to have a small
glass of water, at each place setting, or a few extra glasses and a pitcher of
water at the table.
Leader: “As we are reminded of the
bitterness of our slavery, so too are we reminded of the hope that we have in
our Lord. We will now begin to make the Hillel sandwich by placing a small
amount of Maror on a piece of Matzah.”
Leader: “The Charoset
is a sweet mixture of apples, honey, and nuts. It symbolizes the mixture of
clay and straw that the Israelites used to make bricks for the cities of
Pharaoh.”
• The leader takes the Matzah and Maror and dips it into
the Charoset. If this is a public service, the leader
at each table or group should also lead this action. If the Charoset
is very thick, it may have to be spooned onto the Matzah
after a symbolic dip. The remaining piece of Matzah
is used to make a “sandwich” of the Maror and Charoset.
Leader: “In the days of the Jerusalem
temple, Rabbi Hillel ate a sandwich of the Pesach, the Passover lamb, with
bitter herbs and Matzah.”
Leader: “We eat the Hillel sandwich.”
• The “Third Cup”: the “Cup of
Redemption” is drunk.
• The leader fills his third cup of wine
and replaces it on the table.
Leader: “This cup is for Elijah the
Prophet. Elijah did not see death but was taken to heaven in a chariot of fire.
It has been the hope of God’s people that Elijah would come at Passover, to
announce the coming of the Messiah, the son of David.”
• The leader
places an empty chair at a table setting, usually to the right of the Leader,
to symbolize the hope of Elijah; he then places the filled third cup of wine at
Elijah’s place.
Leader: “We will now open the door to
welcome Elijah to the Passover.”
• A child opens a door. (No one, of
course, enters.)
Leader: “It is now time to reveal that which
has been hidden. We will find the Afikomen, so that
we may conclude our meal. The Afikomen has
traditionally symbolized hope for the future, a symbol of redemption, as God
again acts in history to proclaim good news to the poor, release to the
captives, recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, to
proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor” (Isa. 61:1-2, quoted). People: “I am the
Lord; I will redeem you with an outstretched arm” (Ex. 6:6).
• If the leader has hidden the Afikomen, the children now search and find it and return it
to the leader for a prize. If the children have hidden it, the leader gives
them a gift for its return. If time is short, or if very small children are
participating, the leader or others, even the older children, can give clues to
the younger children about where to find the Afikomen, especially if more
than one piece has been hidden. This serves, in its own way, to symbolize the
role of parents and the community in leading children to an understanding of
the hope and future that they will find in being God’s people. After the
children have received their prizes, the leader holds a piece of the Afikomen in front of him in his left hand.
Leader: “We will now fill the third
cup.”
• The people refill their cups with
wine. (By now, some may be getting a little addled; all are feeling very
cheery.)
Leader: “Let us all take a piece of the
unleavened bread.”
• Everyone takes a piece of the broken Matzah.
• All eat the bread. When finished, the
people all hold the third cup in their hand. The leader holds up the third cup
for all to see.
• All drink the cup. This is followed by
a song of praise because the Messiah will someday come.
• The “Fourth Cup”: the “Cup of
Thanksgiving and Hope.”
Leader: “Our Seder is now complete.”
People: “I am the Lord; I will take you
as my people and I will be your God” (Ex. 6:7).
• The leader fills
the fourth cup and signals the participants to refill their cups. Do not drink
yet. The leader raises his glass in
front of the people, and all the people also raise their glasses.
Leader: “We raise our glasses a fourth
time in Thanksgiving that Messiah will come.”
• All lower their glasses for the
prayer.
Leader: “We drink the fourth cup and
give thanks!”
• All raise their glasses again and then
drink the fourth cup of fermented wine.
Leader: “The
traditional conclusion of the Seder is a hope for the future, expressed by Jews
throughout history: “ ‘Next year in Jerusalem.’ ”
People: “Next year in Jerusalem!”
• The leader extinguishes the Passover
candles. If this is a public service, the leader at each table or group should
extinguish the candles on their table.
—————————
Conclusion:
There seems to be a tendency, in our time, to crave something
new and different; this is indeed bordering on the exotic which can be
experimented with or indulged.
Along with this, there is a concern to draw closer to the other
religions and show them our friendliness, by adopting more of their traditional
customs.
My friend, we should be satisfied with the vast abundance of
light which we have in the Bible and Spirit of Prophecy! Those who forsake the Bible
for other theories, inventions, and traditions, only weaken their faith. In
their search for additional novelties, they are more likely to later leave
God’s Word entirely and be lost.
—————————
Checking on this, I discovered a complete New York Times
article, with color pictures of President Obama and his party drinking wine.
They were also eating gefilte fish and kosher meat balls, “substitute schmaltz
for vegetable oil,” and “rendering chicken fat—better known as schmaltz”—for
just the right matzo ball flavor” at the Seder. Starting in 2010, it is now a
yearly event at the White House. In order to see the article and pictures, go
to nytimes.com, and search for the Seder article, dated March 27, 2010.
— Vance Ferrell