As I prepare for our first Seder Dinner, I have been overwhelmed by all the options and preparations. As I researched, I realized that what I really want to do is to remember. I want to remember the Passover and how Jesus became our final sacrifice. That sacrifice came the next day, Good Friday.
SO, this is what I have come up with for our family’s first Seder dinner. It is not yet tried and true for us, but I am excited.
- We will set a beautiful table with linen napkins and real plates.
- I ordered these non-toxic candles from amazon to remind us of Jesus’ light.
- A script for each place setting is printed so we can all visually read and follow along.
- We will pass our food in order and discuss each of the elements with scripture to remind us why this history is a part of our heritage.
Preparing the family in advance:
- Each person will have a responsibility in food preparations.
- I will tell everyone in advance that dinner is going to be prompt and more formal than usual.
- I will be sure they know that we will not be talking about our day as usual; that at least the beginning of dinner is going to be a time of remembrance and discussion.
- If I had little kids, I’d print off a color sheet.
Seder Dinner Script
Each section is to be read by a different person.
Section 1
It is good for us to remember the Passover as we remember God’s promises are always faithful and always true. Jesus is the promise that was fulfilled of God’s promise of a Savior!
“So this day shall be to you a memorial; and you shall keep it as a feast to the Lord throughout your generations.” Exodus 24:14
We celebrate this feast to help us remember that God rescued the Israelites from bondage in Egypt. On the night before He delivered them, God told them to kill a lamb and to cover the top of their doorway with its blood. Every Israelite family who did what God said was protected from the plague of death in their home.
Many years later, Jesus (God’s son) came to earth and died on the cross- as a fulfillment of the Old Testament sacrifice. According to ancient Jewish tradition, each year a lamb was sacrificed for the forgiveness of sins. Jesus became the ultimate sacrificial lamb. Jesus’ blood was shed so that all who receive Him as their savior are saved from sin and eternal death. This sacrifice was all-sufficient, once for all.
Section 2
3 He was despised and rejected by mankind,
a man of suffering, and familiar with pain.
Like one from whom people hide their faces
he was despised, and we held him in low esteem.
4 Surely he took up our pain
and bore our suffering,
yet we considered him punished by God,
stricken by him, and afflicted.
5 But he was pierced for our transgressions,
he was crushed for our iniquities;
the punishment that brought us peace was on him,
and by his wounds we are healed.
6 We all, like sheep, have gone astray,
each of us has turned to our own way;
and the Lord has laid on him
the iniquity of us all.
7 He was oppressed and afflicted,
yet he did not open his mouth;
he was led like a lamb to the slaughter,
and as a sheep before its shearers is silent,
so he did not open his mouth.
8 By oppression and judgment he was taken away.
Yet who of his generation protested?
For he was cut off from the land of the living;
for the transgression of my people he was punished.
9 He was assigned a grave with the wicked,
and with the rich in his death,
though he had done no violence,
nor was any deceit in his mouth.
10 Yet it was the Lord’s will to crush him and cause him to suffer,
and though the Lord makes his life an offering for sin,
he will see his offspring and prolong his days,
and the will of the Lord will prosper in his hand.
11 After he has suffered,
he will see the light of life and be satisfied;
by his knowledge[f] my righteous servant will justify many,
and he will bear their iniquities.
12 Therefore I will give him a portion among the great,
and he will divide the spoils with the strong,
because he poured out his life unto death,
and was numbered with the transgressors.
For he bore the sin of many,
and made intercession for the transgressors. Isaiah 53:3-12
The day we say yes to Jesus is the day our sins are forgiven once and for all. This was Isaiah, a prophet who knew the day was coming that Jesus would be the one to bridge the gap between God’s holiness and our unholiness! Not one of us is perfect.
Section 3:
Jesus was excited to eat the Passover dinner with his friends.
He said, “I have longed with passion and desire to eat this Passover lamb with you before I endure my sufferings. I promise you that the next time we eat this, we will be together in the banquet of God’s kingdom realm.” Luke 22:15-16
There is a tradition in the Seder meal to set a seat at the table and open the door to the home see if Elijah had come to join in the meal. This tradition is a reminder to make room and open the door to invite him in. Jesus was our promised Saviour. He did come. And we can open our door to Him all day, every day. He is there for us.
Jesus said that we are to take part in the Lord’s supper as a reminder of His death and resurrection until He comes again.
The Passover was the last one Jesus had with his friends. He was arrested later that night and the next day at noon, he breathed his last breath before his Resurrection.
“For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, that whosoever believes in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life.” John 3:16
Section 4:
Pray a prayer of thanksgiving. Remember what Jesus has done for us and thank Him for the example He has given us. Thank Him that through His example we can be the example to others.
Section 5:
At this time, the head of table passes each food item (one by one) and explains what they represent…
Platter of roasted Lamb: We eat this in memory of the lamb that the Israelites sacrificed the night before they escaped out of Egypt. Jesus was our final perfect Lamb who was sacrificed for us all.
Unleavened bread: We eat this to remind us that the Israelites didn’t have time to wait for yeast bread to rise- rather they had to be ready to go when God said “GO.” At the Last Supper Jesus told us that the bread would represent His body that was broken for us. We eat it in remembrance of His body that was slain for us.
Boiled Egg: The egg stands for renewal. The Israelites were going to start a new life and we have new life in Christ because of what He did on the cross for us.
Bitter herbs: Jesus suffered greatly for us that we may be saved. On the cross He was given the bitter vinegar on the sponge to drink.
Charoseth: This is to remember the bondage that we were once under. We were slaves to our sin. Through Jesus, we are free. For the Israelites, this represented the mortar and bricks the Israelites used in making the bricks for the king of Egypt.
Karpas: These plants stay green all year and represent everlasting life because of Christ’s resurrection.
Small bowl of salt water: Tears of the Israelites in bondage. Today can represent our tears for those who haven’t accepted Christ as their personal savior. Dip the parsley into the salt water bowl and eat it.
Grape juice or wine poured in glasses: At the Last Supper Jesus said that the wine represented His own blood, poured out for us all. Drink in remembrance of Him until He comes again.
Section 6:
Jesus is the Messiah who died on the cross and rose again on the third day! He is alive today and all who accept Him become joint Heirs with Him. Our inheritance is great. We have been given not only life eternal but everlasting peace, authority in Jesus’ name, and the last will and testament that Jesus gave us- an inheritance that is vastly immeasurable!
20 “My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, 21 that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. 22 I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one— 23 I in them and you in me—so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.
24 “Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, and to see my glory, the glory you have given me because you loved me before the creation of the world.
25 “Righteous Father, though the world does not know you, I know you, and they know that you have sent me. 26 I have made you known to them, and will continue to make you known in order that the love you have for me may be in them and that I myself may be in them.” John 17:20-26
Seder Dinner Menu
Roast Lamb
Boiled Eggs
Charoseth
Matzo
Parsley (Karpas)
Salt Water
Red Wine
Martinelli’s Sparkling Grape Juice
Recipes we will use for the menu:
Roast Lamb
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tablespoon chopped rosemary
2 tbsp minced garlic
Salt and black pepper, to taste
1 (2-pound) boneless leg of lamb, rolled and tied
Place oil, rosemary, and 1 clove of the garlic into a blender and puree until almost smooth. Add salt and pepper. Pour garlic mixture over the lamb, rubbing it into the surface of the meat. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours (or overnight). Preheat oven to 350°F.
Roast lamb for 45 minutes, covered, and an additional 45 minutes, uncovered, or until lamb is done to your liking. Transfer lamb to a cutting board and let it sit for 20 minutes
Charoseth
- 6 Chopped Apples
- 2 Sliced Bananas
- 1 1/3 C Plain Yogurt (we use coconut because of dairy/soy/nut allergies)
- 1/2 C chopped Walnuts (for us served on the side due to allergies)
- 1/4 tsp Cinnamon
- 2 Tbsp Raw Honey
- 2 tsp Vanilla
Mix in a bowl
Kindred Lives 