Why is This Night Different from All Other Nights?
Passover.
The deliverance of God’s people from slavery in Egypt.
Passover is to be commemorated yearly and remembered as if one personally took the trip with the children of Israel from Egypt.
The Lord's feasts spoken about in Leviticus 23 were proclaimed to be holy convocations or appointed times, holy days that were to be set apart...
"Now this will be a memorial to you, and you shall celebrate it as a feast to the LORD; throughout your generations you are to celebrate it as a permanent ordinance."
- Exodus 12:14
God commanded the children of Israel to relive their history yearly, not just for remembrance but with the intention to teach them. If they could apply these lessons to their lives, they would learn more about who He is, His character, and the ways they were to live life on His calendar.
Can a Christian celebrate Jewish Holidays?
To be honest, I didn’t grow up in a traditional Jewish home that observed Jewish Holidays. I grew up in a home that observed Christian Holidays such as Christmas and Easter.
In Sunday school, I remember learning different stories about the people in the Bible. It was good and foundational, though I wish more focus had been given to how one applies these lessons to life.
As I grew up, I continued my own process of questioning, seeking, and understanding.
I would think, well who are these Jewish people? I wanted to know more about them as a people. I also wanted to know about my heritage, my Biblical and spiritual heritage.
So I set out on a journey.
In the office of the church I attended, I found a flyer that advertised a Jewish Gentile fellowship that met on their campus. This flyer also mentioned a Kibbutz Program in Israel.
Without hesitation, I attended the fellowship and finally found the answers I was searching for.
It was a big WOW moment for me! I learned so much, from learning how to apply those Bible lessons to my life, to learning about Messianic prophecy and a Messianic perspective.
And I also learned that, YES, a Christian CAN celebrate Passover and other Jewish Holidays!
Now, during the Passover Seder, four questions are asked as to why this night is different from all other nights...
Question 1: Why is this night different from all other nights?
This question has a double meaning for me.
From these questions in a Haggadah (A book on the order of service for the Passover Seder) to the many questions of my own that had remained unanswered, my eyes were opened in that one evening.
I learned that the Last Supper and Communion were actually born out of The Passover Seder that Yeshua shared with his disciples...
"I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer." - Luke 22:15
He truly is the Lamb that takes away the sins of the world.
During my first Passover Seder with the Jewish Gentile fellowship, I saw a picture of our Messiah, God's redemption plan, and I learned that our God is a God of order.
Those things I had sought earlier had now come to fruition in that one evening.
My eyes were opened in more ways than one.
Through the Passover story, God not only created a path to redemption, He also created a beautiful picture for us to observe and take part in.
Our God, a God of order, and a God of Love.
If you have not had an opportunity to share in a Passover Seder, I invite you to observe one on your own or watch on Youtube, as many will have a virtual Seder for you to partake in within the Messianic Community this year.
Locate a Haggadah, a book of order that will walk you through the seder, from the beginning to end and enjoy in your own home.
This is a time to experience and meditate on your own personal redemption from Egypt to Israel, your own personal redemption from the slavery of sin to redemption through the Lamb, our Messiah Yeshua...
"Get rid of the old hametz (Leaven) so you can be a new batch of dough, because in reality you are unleavened. For our Pesach (Passover) Lamb the Messiah has been sacrificed.”
- I Corinthians 5:7
"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.” - Isaiah 53:5
Be blessed as you partake in this holy convocation and again, remember the truth of our freedom and redemption through our Messiah Yeshua.
If you would like to know more, check out: Should Christians celebrate Passover? - ONE FOR ISRAEL Ministry
