In John 1:29 we read that “The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” Gathering around the table for food fellowship is a tradition going back to the earliest of records.
Several weeks ago, Jay Walsh, Director of our Men’s Residence, hosted a meal celebration drawing the relationship between the Passover and the New Testament truths. The Hebrew word Seder means “order”. The Passover meal shared here has specific order in which food is eaten, prayers are recited, and songs are sung.
Each item on the Passover plate has a specific historical meaning related to the Exodus of the Jews from Egypt and their freedom from slavery. But the New Testament identifies Jesus Christ as our Passover; thus, the Seder carries a New Testament meaning related to our Lord and Savior.
In the Seder there are several symbols of Christ. One symbol is the shank bone of the Lamb which reminds us of the salvation of God during the tenth plague. God instructed the Israelites to paint their doorposts with the blood of a spotless lamb, and the Lord would pass over their homes and preserve their lives. And even though it is a symbol of salvation in Egypt, it is also a picture of Jesus who was and is the Lamb of God.
There is also the Matza or unleavened bread. As the Jews left Egypt they were in a great rush and had no time to allow the bread to rise. But this Matza also provides many pictures of Christ as well. The ritual of the Matza in the Seder is a picture of the Holy Trinity. And the unleavened bread also is a symbol of Jesus being sinless. Element after element, prayer after prayer the Seder dinner is a clear reminder to us of our need of salvation that came through the promised Messiah.
Around the table at the Men’s Residence Seder dinner were current clients, past graduates, staff, and partners of the ministry. As Jay lead the dinner, echoes of Christ’s sacrifice pierced the hearts of each participant. It is very important to understand the Jewish traditions if we want to fully understand the truths of our faith.
Jewish tradition often had them gathering to remember all that God has done for them; it should be no different today for Christians. To see how each Jewish element on the table points to Jesus it reminds us of His grace and mercy in the Salvation founded on the cross. As we all left the dinner our hearts were overwhelmed with a true sense of worship and gratitude of all the Lord has done.
Every day here at the Men’s Center chains of addiction are being broken, souls are being saved, and lives are forever being changed by the Lamb of God. Just as the Jews set up tradition to gather to remember, we too need to have times set apart for gathering to witness to all we have been redeemed from. The teaching of this Seder by Jay was a true blessing to all who attended.
If you would like to find a way to be a part of this ministry, please contact Jamie Scher, Assistant Director at our Men’s Residence, at Jamie@christiancarecenter.org
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