The Seder
I've gone to church most of my life. I was born again when I was eight. I've been to "high" churches and "low" churches and pretty much everything in between. But, I have never even heard the word Seder (and I'm only kinda sure that I'm spelling it correctly) ever said. Why? What is a Seder? Why didn't any of my Bible-believing churches ever mention it?
Jesus participated in the Seder every year of His life on Earth. He thought it was important enough to steal into Jerusalem when He was a wanted man to have the meal. If He is our model, and the Seder was important to Him; if the Seder is important to God (Jesus did nothing that He did not see the Father doing - isn't that right?), then why isn't it important to us?
I realize that we celebrate communion (the bread and the wine); but that doesn't really seem like a feast to me. My church doesn't even use real wine. For that matter - I have only been to one church that used actual wine (they used cheap wine and it tasted like ... well ... really horrible). I don't want to start a discussion about Jesus and wine.
I guess my question is: Is there more to the Seder than the bread and the wine? Does the entire dinner still have meaning to our gentile, Christian church? This was part of the Law that Jesus kept. If He kept it, it must be important - right? It must have some value to our life - right?
Does the Seder have any New Testament meaning? And if so, why are we cheating ourselves by not celebrating it?
More questions here than answers, I realize that. I'm looking for my answers and I encourage you to look for yours too.
Peace - out - Andy
Jesus participated in the Seder every year of His life on Earth. He thought it was important enough to steal into Jerusalem when He was a wanted man to have the meal. If He is our model, and the Seder was important to Him; if the Seder is important to God (Jesus did nothing that He did not see the Father doing - isn't that right?), then why isn't it important to us?
I realize that we celebrate communion (the bread and the wine); but that doesn't really seem like a feast to me. My church doesn't even use real wine. For that matter - I have only been to one church that used actual wine (they used cheap wine and it tasted like ... well ... really horrible). I don't want to start a discussion about Jesus and wine.
I guess my question is: Is there more to the Seder than the bread and the wine? Does the entire dinner still have meaning to our gentile, Christian church? This was part of the Law that Jesus kept. If He kept it, it must be important - right? It must have some value to our life - right?
Does the Seder have any New Testament meaning? And if so, why are we cheating ourselves by not celebrating it?
More questions here than answers, I realize that. I'm looking for my answers and I encourage you to look for yours too.
Peace - out - Andy
posted by AndyM at 4:21 PM
1 Comments:
Great post! We Christians are lacking in this area.
I'm not sure whether or not Jesus did the seder, as it refers to the rituals done by "religious" Jews for the Passover dinner, but we know He certainly observed how the Passover is instructed in the Law - therefore the Passover and the festival of unleavened bread should be still observed, even translated into our culture and time, by those following in Christ's footprints today.
We rob ourselves of great spiritual truths and rewarding bonds within the Body of Christ when we leave portions of corporate celebrations out of our lives. There is much more to the Passover Dinner than bread and wine. On the menu was also Lamb, for one thing. :) On a spiritual level - not only does it connect us to the single most important event in creation's history - Jesus' atoning sacrifice, but it also celebrates a freedom in Christ that we now live in every day because of the price He paid! If we continue the Lord's Supper each time we gather together, you'd think that there would be much more excitement and reverence for the Passover Dinner every year, and that it would be just as observed and celebrated!
This is especially true since Jesus would not approve of our worshipping the ancient goddess Ishtar (Easter) to celebrate His death, burial, and resurrection!
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