The Haggadah (Krempl Version)
This is really long. Sorry about that. But I kind of looked for a Haggadah to link you with and I just loved the one we put together (from many sources) that I wanted you to have it. Feel free to change the names and use it...or parts of it. This is not an official Haggadah by any means.
Greg was the leader
Mike was the 2nd leader
Sherri and Angela were the women.
2 children and a youth also had parts.
We had a Haggadah book for each person at the table.
We used the Arch book The Princess and the Baby for the story of Moses. Our oldest girl just recited it (having heard it so many times...), and also did the 4 questions...
I was so taken by those gods and goddesses (as I said in a previous post). This segment and the similarities between the Passover Lamb and Jesus were really focal to me.
After the presentation of the gods and goddesses, we had pictures that we had colored of all of them. We took them outside and burned them. Not kosher, but an interesting effect.
For the "wine" we used those sparkling grape juice bottles.
Scriptures taken from The Message.
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GREG: Welcome. We are gathered this evening to observe and remember Passover, God's deliverance of His people. God delivered Israel from the bondage of slavery and He commanded us to observe this holiday. We are not to celebrate in vain, but to give thanks to Him and to recognize an even greater Passover and deliverance. Through the death of the foretold Messiah-Jesus, we too will be passed over from death and released from the bondage of sin.
MIKE: "Celebrate the Feast of Unleavened Bread, because it was on this very day that I brought your divisions out of Egypt. Celebrate this day as a lasting ordinance for the generations to come." (Exodus 12:17)
Child 1: “And He took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, "This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me."” (Luke 22:19)
GREG: Light is a symbol of God's presence. Lighting candles reminds us that God is our light.
It is written in Genesis that the offspring of a woman would crush the serpent's head. "And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel." (Genesis 3:15)
It is through a woman that our salvation would come, our hope, our light. It is by the seed of a woman that Jesus was born. Let the women kindle the festival lights.
WOMEN: Blessed are You, oh Lord our God, King of the universe, Who sanctifies us by Your commandments and has ordained that we kindle the Passover lights. Bring light into our hearts and minds as we honor and remember Your Son, the Light of the world, Jesus.
GREG: The Seder plate has many items that we will use to experience the Passover using our senses. We will now begin reading the Hagga’dah, which means "the telling". We are called to celebrate Passover -- Jews and Gentiles. For Jesus said:
MIKE: "Don't suppose for a minute that I have come to demolish the Scriptures--either God's Law or the Prophets. I'm not here to demolish but to complete. I am going to put it all together, pull it all together in a vast panorama. 18God's Law is more real and lasting than the stars in the sky and the ground at your feet. Long after stars burn out and earth wears out, God's Law will be alive and working.
19"Trivialize even the smallest item in God's Law and you will only have trivialized yourself. But take it seriously, show the way for others, and you will find honor in the kingdom.” (Matthew 5:17-19).
Child 1: “Then the LORD said to Moses, "Now you will see what I will do to Pharaoh: Because of My mighty Hand he will let them go; because of My mighty Hand he will drive them out of his country."” (Exodus 6:1)
ALL: "I am the LORD, and I will bring you out from under the yoke of the Egyptians. I will free you from being slaves to them, and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with mighty acts of judgment. 7 I will take you as my own people, and I will be your God. Then you will know that I am the LORD your God, who brought you out from under the yoke of the Egyptians." (Exodus 6:6-7)
GREG: During the Passover Seder there will be four glasses of wine:
The Cup of Sanctification
The Cup of Judgment
The Cup of Redemption and
The Cup of the Kingdom.
We will say the traditional Jewish prayer before drinking each cup.
SHERRI: “If we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left, but only a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire that will consume the enemies of God.
Anyone who rejected the law of Moses died without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. How much more severely do you think a man deserves to be punished who has trampled the Son of God under foot, who has treated as an unholy thing the blood of the covenant that sanctified him, and who has insulted the Spirit of grace?” (Hebrews 10:26-29)
GREG: (fill the cups) Sanctification is the first step to our salvation. God is holy and we can not enter His presence with sin. He established the sacrificial system to cleanse His of their sin. Let us lift our cups, the Cup of Sanctification, and bless the Lord for His abundant giving.
ALL: Blessed are You, O Lord our God, Ruler of the Universe, who creates the fruit of the vine.
(Everyone drink the first cup)
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Youth: (Psalm 24:1-6)
[1] The earth is the LORD's, and everything in it,
the world, and all who live in it;
[2] for he founded it upon the seas
and established it upon the waters.
[3] Who may ascend the hill of the LORD?
Who may stand in his holy place?
[4] He who has clean hands and a pure heart,
who does not lift up his soul to an idol
or swear by what is false.
[5] He will receive blessing from the LORD
and vindication from God his Savior.
[6] Such is the generation of those who seek him,
who seek your face, O God of Jacob.
GREG: Let us wash our hands. As we wash, let us renew our commitment to God to have "clean hands and a clean heart".
ALL: Blessed are You, O Lord our God, King of the Universe, who has sanctified us by Your commandments, and has commanded us to wash our hands.
(Dip hands into water and then dry.)
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MIKE: “The Israelites groaned in their slavery and cried out, and their cry for help because of their slavery went up to God. God heard their groaning and he remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac and with Jacob. So God looked on the Israelites and was concerned about them.” (Exodus 2:23b-25)
GREG: We will take the parsley (or celery), called kar-pas and we will dip it into the salt water. We do this to symbolize the tears and pain of the Israelites. After the following prayer, take the vegetable and dip it into the salt water and remember that even though we have painful circumstances in our lives, we will always have the hope of God to free us from our tribulations.
ALL Blessed are You, O Lord our God, Ruler of the Universe, who creates the fruit of the earth.
(Dip the parsley in the salt water twice, then eat it.)
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SHERRI: “Don't you know that a little yeast works through the whole batch of dough? Get rid of the old yeast that you may be a new batch without yeast--as you really are. For Christ, our Passover Lamb, has been sacrificed. Therefore let us keep the Festival, not with the old yeast, the yeast of malice and wickedness, but with bread without yeast, the bread of sincerity and truth.” (1 Corinthians 5:6b-8)
Youth: “So the people took their dough before the yeast was added, and carried it on their shoulders in kneading troughs wrapped in clothing.” (Exodus 12:34)
GREG: (Lifting the plate of three matzah) We traditionally put three Matzahs on our Seder plate. There are many explanations for why we use three. One is that it represents Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, or perhaps because He is referred to as God our Father, Jesus, and Holy Spirit. (Removing and breaking the middle matzah) We now break the middle piece, the bread of affliction. We will eat one half and the other half is called the a-fi-ko-men, [ah-fee-KOH-men] the dessert. (Wrap the afikomen in a cloth.) I will hide the afikomen and later the children can try to find it to return it for a reward.
(Hide the wrapped afikomen.)
ALL: In haste we went out of Egypt.
Youth: “Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.” (Deuteronomy 6:4-7)
MIKE: “In the future, when your son asks you, "What is the meaning of the stipulations, decrees and laws the LORD our God has commanded you?" tell him: "We were slaves of Pharaoh in Egypt, but the LORD brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand. Before our eyes the LORD sent miraculous signs and wonders--great and terrible--upon Egypt and Pharaoh and his whole household. But he brought us out from there to bring us in and give us the land that he promised on oath to our forefathers. The LORD commanded us to obey all these decrees and to fear the LORD our God, so that we might always prosper and be kept alive, as is the case today. And if we are careful to obey all this law before the LORD our God, as he has commanded us, that will be our righteousness."” (Deuteronomy 6:20-25)
Child 1: “And when your children ask you, "What does this ceremony mean to you?" then tell them, "It is the Passover sacrifice to the LORD, who passed over the houses of the Israelites in Egypt and spared our homes when he struck down the Egyptians."” (Exodus 12:26-27)
Child 2: (Rising to ask the four questions)
How different this night is from all other nights!
• On all other nights we eat regular bread. On this night why do we eat flat bread?
• On all other nights we eat only good tasting foods. On this night why do we eat bitter herbs?
• On all other nights we do not dip our vegetables even once. On this night why do we dip them twice?
(This refers to dipping the parsley twice in salt water before eating it.)
• On all other nights we eat our meals sitting. On this night why do we eat only reclining or sitting however we want?
GREG: Tonight is different from all other nights because tonight we will remember what God has done for His people.
ALL: Blessed is the Almighty God who has given His Word to His people.
GREG: We will now tell the story of Passover.
The Israelites were already in the land of Egypt. They had lots of children…so many that the land was filled with them. A new Pharaoh became ruler over Egypt. . . .and made the Israelites into slaves But the meaner the Pharaoh was to the Israelites, the more they children they had. The king then ordered that all newborn baby boys be killed. The Pharaoh charged all his people, saying "every boy that is born you shall throw into the Nile, but let every girl live."
Child 2: The wicked king of Egypt was as worried as could be. “Israelites” he fumed and fussed, “That’s all I ever see. They work our land, they breathe our air. Those Israelites are everywhere. If I’m not careful, some fine day, they’ll up and take my land away…I’ll make them suffer. Then they’ll leave and Egypt will be mine. Those Israelites will know this king is not without a spine.”
He made them carry stones and sticks and great big heavy loads of bricks. And worst of all, he planned to kill the baby boys of Israel! (and on it goes...you can also just tell the story of baby Moses if you want to)
Youth: Moses grew and had learned of his heritage. After witnessing an Egyptian beating an Israelite, he struck down the Egyptian and hid him in the sand. When Pharaoh learned of the matter, he sought to kill Moses, but Moses fled from Pharaoh to the land of Midian.
SHERRI: A long time had gone by and the king of Egypt died. The Israelites were groaning under bondage and cried out to God. God heard their cries. God appeared to Moses in a burning bush telling him to lead His people out of Egypt into a land "flowing with milk and honey." So Moses returned to Egypt and Moses.
Child 1: Moses and his brother Aaron went to the Pharaoh to ask for the release of their people. But the Pharaoh's heart was hardened against the Israelites and would not release them from the bondage of slavery. Each time the Pharaoh refused to let the Israelites go, the land of Egypt came under a great plague, but the Israelites were spared from the 4th plague on. With the tenth and most awful plague, the heart of Pharaoh would be pierced.
GREG: Let us fill our cups a second time, And now we bless our second cup of wine, the Cup of Judgment.
ALL: Blessed are You, O Lord our God, Ruler of the Universe, who created the fruit of the vine.
GREG: As we view the plagues, let us consider that some scholars believe that each plague represented a god or goddess in Egypt. As God brought these plagues, He was also showing that is God above all gods.
To show God’s judgment, we will name the plague, the god, and pour God’s wrath on each individually.
ALL: Blood!
Youth: The god Osiris – the god of the underworld had the Nile as his bloodstream. In turning the Nile to blood, God brings death from the very source of life.
ALL: Frogs!
Youth: The goddess Heket served as the divine midwife. She is portrayed as a woman with the head of a frog. A source of life and happiness brings misery to the people.
ALL: Lice!
Youth: This plague targets Geb, god of the earth and health, by bringing insects rising from the earth to torment the people.
ALL: Flies!
Youth: These could be gadflies, which suck the blood, or scarab beetles, which gnaw clothes, furniture, plants, man and beasts. Beelzebub, the prince of the power of the air was glorified as the god of flies.
ALL: Disease to Livestock!
Youth: This plague was targeted at the sacred Apis bull. It is thought to show, with the previous 3 plagues (frogs, lice, flies) the absurdity of worshipping living things when God can control them with ease.
ALL: Boils!
Youth: This plague showed the goddess, Sekhmet, (who had the power to create and end epidemics) powerless, as the plague raged on, affecting even her priests, called the Sunu, with boils.
ALL: Hail!
Youth: God showed Himself to be more powerful than the goddess, Nut, who had the power to bring blessings and sun to the crops of Egypt.
ALL: Locusts!
Youth: God had now brought almost complete devastation on Egypt. The land was buried beneath a putrid mass of decaying fish and frogs, the livestock have been felled with disease, the crops destroyed by hail, disease and infection have ravaged with people and now Egypt is faced with an onslaught of locusts. “Nothing green remained on a tree or a plant in Egypt.” Exodus 10:15
ALL: Darkness!
Youth: The sun god, Ra, was considered to be the greatest of the Egyptian gods. He brought light and warmth to the land, regulated days and seasons. His faithfulness was never ending until this time.
ALL: Death of the firstborn!
Youth: This plague was brought against Pharaoh himself, who was considered to be a god by the Egyptians.
ALL: "On that same night I will pass through Egypt and strike down every firstborn--both men and animals--and I will bring judgment on all the gods of Egypt. I am the Lord.” (Exodus 12:12)
Child 1: “And the blood on the houses where you are staying shall be a sign for you: when I see the blood, I will pass over you, so that no plague will destroy you when I strike the land of Egypt.” (Exodus 12:13)
SHERRI: This day shall be to you one of remembrance: you shall celebrate it as a festival to the Lord throughout the ages; you shall celebrate it as an institution for all time.
You shall observe the Feast of Unleavened Bread, for on this very day I brought your ranks out of the land of Egypt; you shall observe this day throughout the ages as an institution for all time.” (Exodus 12:14,17)
GREG: PASSOVER: It is God that we honor in remembering that He passed over the houses of the children of Israel in Egypt when He struck the Egyptians. (Lifting the shank bone of a lamb) The shank bone reminds us of the lamb whose blood marked the doors of the Israelites. We read in Exodus that the lamb was to be without defect, brought into the household and cared for. It was then at twilight, the fourteenth day of the month, that the Israelites were to slaughter the lamb and put the blood on the sides and tops of the doorframes. God gave His people instructions that only through obedience would they be spared from death.
MIKE: The Israelites were saved by God and not an angel or seraph or any other messenger. For it is written: "On that same night I will pass through Egypt and strike down every firstborn--both men and animals--and I will bring judgment on all the gods of Egypt. I am the Lord!" (Exodus 12:12)
GREG: I shall pass through the land of Egypt
ALL: "I" -- not "an angel"
GREG: I shall strike down every first-born.
ALL: "I" -- not "a seraph"
GREG: I shall destroy all the Egyptian gods.
ALL: "I" -- not "a messenger"
I am the Lord, I am the One God, and there is none besides Me.
(Set aflame outside)
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ALL: Blessed are you, O Lord our God, King of the Universe, who has sanctified us with His commandments, and has commanded us to wash our hands.
(wash hands)
GREG: MATZAH (Lifting the half of the middle matzah): Why do we eat this unleavened bread? The dough did not have time to rise before God revealed Himself and redeemed them.
MIKE: As it is written: “With the dough they had brought from Egypt, they baked cakes of unleavened bread. The dough was without yeast because they had been driven out of Egypt and did not have time to prepare food for themselves.” (Exodus 12:39)
GREG: We will now bless the matzah as a food.
ALL: (Leader holding all the matzah on the seder plate) Blessed are You, O Lord our God, King of the Universe, who brings forth bread from the earth.
(This is the bread blessing Jesus pronounced at the Last Supper.)
GREG: (Leader holding the top and middle-half pieces of matzah) The matzah of Passover is not just food, but a fulfillment of a commandment -- let us bless the matzah.
ALL: “They are to celebrate it on the fourteenth day of the second month at twilight. They are to eat the lamb, together with unleavened bread and bitter herbs.” (Numbers 9:11) Blessed are You, O Lord our God, King of the Universe, Who has sanctified us with His commandments, and has commanded us concerning the eating of the matzah.
(Do not eat the Matzah at this time.)
GREG: MAROR (Lifting the Bitter Herb): Why do we eat bitter herb which we call Maror? We eat bitter herbs because of the hardship that the Israelites had to bear.
SHERRI: As it is written: “They made their lives bitter with hard labor in brick and mortar and with all kinds of work in the fields; in all their hard labor the Egyptians used them ruthlessly.” (Exodus 1:14)
ALL: “They are to celebrate it on the fourteenth day of the second month at twilight. They are to eat the lamb, together with unleavened bread and bitter herbs.” (Numbers 9:11) Blessed are you, O Lord our God, King of the Universe, Who has sanctified us with His commandments, and has commanded us concerning the eating of the Maror.
(Everyone eat the top and bottom Matzah with Maror.)
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GREG: Let us now eat and remember the grace, mercy and love that God has for each of us, for He sent Jesus, our Messiah, to be our Passover Lamb. We too, like the Israelites released from the bondage of slavery, are saved from the bondage of sin.
(Eat the broken half-Matzah with Maror and Charoset.)
GREG: How great is God's goodness to us!
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• Leader says a prayer.
• Break to eat the Passover Supper.
• Everyone returns to finish reading the Haggadah.
• The afikomen must be found (by the children) and returned to the Leader for a reward. The reward is a symbol of the fact that Jesus purchased our Redemption at the price of His own life.
• Save room for the dessert -- the afikomen.
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GREG: (Lifting the afikomen) We will now eat the afikomen, the dessert. The taste of the afikomen should linger in our mouths. It is about the afikomen that Jesus said "This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me." (Luke 22:19) The Passover can not be completed without the afikomen, nor can our redemption be complete without Jesus, the Bread of Life, our Messiah!
ALL: Blessed are You, O Lord our God, King of the Universe, who brings forth bread from the earth.
(All eat the Afikoman)
GREG: Many ask, "How does the Messiah, Jesus, fit into the Passover Story?" God gave us many signs and prophecies about our coming Messiah. Jesus fulfilled all the prophecies foretold of the first coming of the Messiah, in the Torah, the prophets and the writings. Just as the lamb's blood protected the Israelites from death, Jesus’ blood will protect us from death.
Passover is the first of feasts and Nisan, the beginning of months.
ANGELA: Receiving Jesus is the beginning of the New Covenant in our lives. Repenting of our sins and allowing His blood to protect us is the first step of our walk with God.
MIKE: The lamb was set aside from Nisan 10 to 14.
SHERRI: Jesus entered Jerusalem and went into the temple and was on display from Nisan 10 to 14.
GREG: The lamb was to be without blemish.
ANGELA: Jesus was examined by many in the crucifixion week, including the chief priests, Pilate, Herod, Annais, and Caiaphas. He was shown to be without spot or blemish.
MIKE: The lamb was the firstborn.
Youth: Jesus was the firstborn of Mary and is said to be God’s Son, and the firstborn.
Child 1: The lamb is male,
ANGELA: as Jesus is male.
MIKE: The lamb was to be killed between evenings (3pm…the ninth hour.)
SHERRI: Jesus died at the ninth hour.
GREG: The whole assembly shall kill it.
ANGELA: All the congregation clamored for the crucifixion of Jesus.
MIKE: The Passover lamb was to be killed outside the city gates.
Youth: Jesus was crucified outside the walls of Jerusalem.
Child 1: The blood must be applied to the door.
ANGELA: “Those who believe in the Messiah are of the House of God. The only way into the House of God is through the shed blood of Jesus, who is the Door (John 10:7-9)
GREG: The body of the lamb must be eaten that same night with bitter herbs and unleavened bread.
ANGELA: When we partake of Jesus, we must repent of the bitterness of our sin (bitter herbs). We are instructed to live a holy life from this point on (unleavened)
MIKE: The lamb must be eaten in haste.
SHERRI: We must be willing to leave the influences of the world (Egypt) and run toward the life that is in the Messiah.
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GREG: (Pour the third cup. Make an extra cup for Elijah.) (Lifting the extra cup for Elijah) The theme of the Haggadah before the meal was the redemption of the Israelites from Egypt. In keeping with tradition, we now move to the Messianic redemption. We open the door, indicating our readiness to receive the Prophet Elijah, herald of the Messiah. We must also now open our hearts to the truth.
(Have a child open the door.)
ALL: "See, I will send you the prophet Elijah before that great and dreadful day of the LORD comes." (Malachi 4:5)
GREG: Elijah was taken up by a great whirlwind in a chariot of fire. The Jewish people wait for him to announce the second coming of our Messiah, Son of David.
MIKE: “Before the birth of John the Baptizer, an angel of the Lord said, "And he will go on before the Lord, in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous--to make ready a people prepared for the Lord."” (Luke 1:17)
SHERRI: “Later, Jesus spoke of John, "And if you are willing to accept it, he is the Elijah who was to come."” (Matthew 11:14)
Child 1: “It was this same John who saw Jesus and declared, "Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!"” (John 1:29)
ALL: How can I repay the LORD for all his goodness to me? I will lift up the cup of salvation and call on the name of the LORD. (Psalm 116:12-13)
GREG: (Lifting the cup) This is the Cup of Redemption, symbolizing the blood of the Passover Lamb. It was the cup "after supper", which Jesus identified himself -- "This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you." (Luke 22:20)
ALL: Blessed are you, O Lord our God, Ruler of the Universe, who created the fruit of the vine.
(drink the third cup)
GREG: (Pour the fourth cup.)
Child 1: Jesus said, “I tell you, I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it anew with you in my Father's kingdom.” Matthew 26:29
GREG: (Text is from Psalm 136) Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good.
ALL: His love endures forever.
GREG: Give thanks to the God of gods.
ALL: His love endures forever.
Youth: “When they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.” (Matthew 26:30)
GREG: The fourth cup was never drunk. Not by Jesus, and perhaps not the disciples. From the upper room, Jesus went outside of the city where He spent time in prayer at the Garden of Gethsemane.
The fourth cup, the Cup of the Kingdom, reminds us that Jesus did not drink the cup of the Kingdom at Passover or the wine offered to Him as He was dying. Let us not drink of the fourth cup. Let us wait to have this special cup with our Savior. After Christ’s return, we shall partake with Him—in His physical presence—in the Kingdom.
ALL: Blessed are You, O Lord our God, Ruler of the Universe, who created the fruit of the vine.
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MIKE: "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty; the whole earth is full of His glory." (Isaiah 6:3)
ALL: "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was, and is, and is to come." (Revelation 4:8b)
GREG: We have now finished our Passover Seder.
May the Lord bless you and protect you.
May the Lord deal kindly and graciously with you.
May the Lord bestow His favor upon you
and grant you peace.
Numbers 6:24-26
Greg was the leader
Mike was the 2nd leader
Sherri and Angela were the women.
2 children and a youth also had parts.
We had a Haggadah book for each person at the table.
We used the Arch book The Princess and the Baby for the story of Moses. Our oldest girl just recited it (having heard it so many times...), and also did the 4 questions...
I was so taken by those gods and goddesses (as I said in a previous post). This segment and the similarities between the Passover Lamb and Jesus were really focal to me.
After the presentation of the gods and goddesses, we had pictures that we had colored of all of them. We took them outside and burned them. Not kosher, but an interesting effect.
For the "wine" we used those sparkling grape juice bottles.
Scriptures taken from The Message.
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GREG: Welcome. We are gathered this evening to observe and remember Passover, God's deliverance of His people. God delivered Israel from the bondage of slavery and He commanded us to observe this holiday. We are not to celebrate in vain, but to give thanks to Him and to recognize an even greater Passover and deliverance. Through the death of the foretold Messiah-Jesus, we too will be passed over from death and released from the bondage of sin.
MIKE: "Celebrate the Feast of Unleavened Bread, because it was on this very day that I brought your divisions out of Egypt. Celebrate this day as a lasting ordinance for the generations to come." (Exodus 12:17)
Child 1: “And He took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, "This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me."” (Luke 22:19)
GREG: Light is a symbol of God's presence. Lighting candles reminds us that God is our light.
It is written in Genesis that the offspring of a woman would crush the serpent's head. "And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel." (Genesis 3:15)
It is through a woman that our salvation would come, our hope, our light. It is by the seed of a woman that Jesus was born. Let the women kindle the festival lights.
WOMEN: Blessed are You, oh Lord our God, King of the universe, Who sanctifies us by Your commandments and has ordained that we kindle the Passover lights. Bring light into our hearts and minds as we honor and remember Your Son, the Light of the world, Jesus.
GREG: The Seder plate has many items that we will use to experience the Passover using our senses. We will now begin reading the Hagga’dah, which means "the telling". We are called to celebrate Passover -- Jews and Gentiles. For Jesus said:
MIKE: "Don't suppose for a minute that I have come to demolish the Scriptures--either God's Law or the Prophets. I'm not here to demolish but to complete. I am going to put it all together, pull it all together in a vast panorama. 18God's Law is more real and lasting than the stars in the sky and the ground at your feet. Long after stars burn out and earth wears out, God's Law will be alive and working.
19"Trivialize even the smallest item in God's Law and you will only have trivialized yourself. But take it seriously, show the way for others, and you will find honor in the kingdom.” (Matthew 5:17-19).
Child 1: “Then the LORD said to Moses, "Now you will see what I will do to Pharaoh: Because of My mighty Hand he will let them go; because of My mighty Hand he will drive them out of his country."” (Exodus 6:1)
ALL: "I am the LORD, and I will bring you out from under the yoke of the Egyptians. I will free you from being slaves to them, and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with mighty acts of judgment. 7 I will take you as my own people, and I will be your God. Then you will know that I am the LORD your God, who brought you out from under the yoke of the Egyptians." (Exodus 6:6-7)
GREG: During the Passover Seder there will be four glasses of wine:
The Cup of Sanctification
The Cup of Judgment
The Cup of Redemption and
The Cup of the Kingdom.
We will say the traditional Jewish prayer before drinking each cup.
SHERRI: “If we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left, but only a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire that will consume the enemies of God.
Anyone who rejected the law of Moses died without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. How much more severely do you think a man deserves to be punished who has trampled the Son of God under foot, who has treated as an unholy thing the blood of the covenant that sanctified him, and who has insulted the Spirit of grace?” (Hebrews 10:26-29)
GREG: (fill the cups) Sanctification is the first step to our salvation. God is holy and we can not enter His presence with sin. He established the sacrificial system to cleanse His of their sin. Let us lift our cups, the Cup of Sanctification, and bless the Lord for His abundant giving.
ALL: Blessed are You, O Lord our God, Ruler of the Universe, who creates the fruit of the vine.
(Everyone drink the first cup)
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Youth: (Psalm 24:1-6)
[1] The earth is the LORD's, and everything in it,
the world, and all who live in it;
[2] for he founded it upon the seas
and established it upon the waters.
[3] Who may ascend the hill of the LORD?
Who may stand in his holy place?
[4] He who has clean hands and a pure heart,
who does not lift up his soul to an idol
or swear by what is false.
[5] He will receive blessing from the LORD
and vindication from God his Savior.
[6] Such is the generation of those who seek him,
who seek your face, O God of Jacob.
GREG: Let us wash our hands. As we wash, let us renew our commitment to God to have "clean hands and a clean heart".
ALL: Blessed are You, O Lord our God, King of the Universe, who has sanctified us by Your commandments, and has commanded us to wash our hands.
(Dip hands into water and then dry.)
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MIKE: “The Israelites groaned in their slavery and cried out, and their cry for help because of their slavery went up to God. God heard their groaning and he remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac and with Jacob. So God looked on the Israelites and was concerned about them.” (Exodus 2:23b-25)
GREG: We will take the parsley (or celery), called kar-pas and we will dip it into the salt water. We do this to symbolize the tears and pain of the Israelites. After the following prayer, take the vegetable and dip it into the salt water and remember that even though we have painful circumstances in our lives, we will always have the hope of God to free us from our tribulations.
ALL Blessed are You, O Lord our God, Ruler of the Universe, who creates the fruit of the earth.
(Dip the parsley in the salt water twice, then eat it.)
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SHERRI: “Don't you know that a little yeast works through the whole batch of dough? Get rid of the old yeast that you may be a new batch without yeast--as you really are. For Christ, our Passover Lamb, has been sacrificed. Therefore let us keep the Festival, not with the old yeast, the yeast of malice and wickedness, but with bread without yeast, the bread of sincerity and truth.” (1 Corinthians 5:6b-8)
Youth: “So the people took their dough before the yeast was added, and carried it on their shoulders in kneading troughs wrapped in clothing.” (Exodus 12:34)
GREG: (Lifting the plate of three matzah) We traditionally put three Matzahs on our Seder plate. There are many explanations for why we use three. One is that it represents Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, or perhaps because He is referred to as God our Father, Jesus, and Holy Spirit. (Removing and breaking the middle matzah) We now break the middle piece, the bread of affliction. We will eat one half and the other half is called the a-fi-ko-men, [ah-fee-KOH-men] the dessert. (Wrap the afikomen in a cloth.) I will hide the afikomen and later the children can try to find it to return it for a reward.
(Hide the wrapped afikomen.)
ALL: In haste we went out of Egypt.
Youth: “Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.” (Deuteronomy 6:4-7)
MIKE: “In the future, when your son asks you, "What is the meaning of the stipulations, decrees and laws the LORD our God has commanded you?" tell him: "We were slaves of Pharaoh in Egypt, but the LORD brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand. Before our eyes the LORD sent miraculous signs and wonders--great and terrible--upon Egypt and Pharaoh and his whole household. But he brought us out from there to bring us in and give us the land that he promised on oath to our forefathers. The LORD commanded us to obey all these decrees and to fear the LORD our God, so that we might always prosper and be kept alive, as is the case today. And if we are careful to obey all this law before the LORD our God, as he has commanded us, that will be our righteousness."” (Deuteronomy 6:20-25)
Child 1: “And when your children ask you, "What does this ceremony mean to you?" then tell them, "It is the Passover sacrifice to the LORD, who passed over the houses of the Israelites in Egypt and spared our homes when he struck down the Egyptians."” (Exodus 12:26-27)
Child 2: (Rising to ask the four questions)
How different this night is from all other nights!
• On all other nights we eat regular bread. On this night why do we eat flat bread?
• On all other nights we eat only good tasting foods. On this night why do we eat bitter herbs?
• On all other nights we do not dip our vegetables even once. On this night why do we dip them twice?
(This refers to dipping the parsley twice in salt water before eating it.)
• On all other nights we eat our meals sitting. On this night why do we eat only reclining or sitting however we want?
GREG: Tonight is different from all other nights because tonight we will remember what God has done for His people.
ALL: Blessed is the Almighty God who has given His Word to His people.
GREG: We will now tell the story of Passover.
The Israelites were already in the land of Egypt. They had lots of children…so many that the land was filled with them. A new Pharaoh became ruler over Egypt. . . .and made the Israelites into slaves But the meaner the Pharaoh was to the Israelites, the more they children they had. The king then ordered that all newborn baby boys be killed. The Pharaoh charged all his people, saying "every boy that is born you shall throw into the Nile, but let every girl live."
Child 2: The wicked king of Egypt was as worried as could be. “Israelites” he fumed and fussed, “That’s all I ever see. They work our land, they breathe our air. Those Israelites are everywhere. If I’m not careful, some fine day, they’ll up and take my land away…I’ll make them suffer. Then they’ll leave and Egypt will be mine. Those Israelites will know this king is not without a spine.”
He made them carry stones and sticks and great big heavy loads of bricks. And worst of all, he planned to kill the baby boys of Israel! (and on it goes...you can also just tell the story of baby Moses if you want to)
Youth: Moses grew and had learned of his heritage. After witnessing an Egyptian beating an Israelite, he struck down the Egyptian and hid him in the sand. When Pharaoh learned of the matter, he sought to kill Moses, but Moses fled from Pharaoh to the land of Midian.
SHERRI: A long time had gone by and the king of Egypt died. The Israelites were groaning under bondage and cried out to God. God heard their cries. God appeared to Moses in a burning bush telling him to lead His people out of Egypt into a land "flowing with milk and honey." So Moses returned to Egypt and Moses.
Child 1: Moses and his brother Aaron went to the Pharaoh to ask for the release of their people. But the Pharaoh's heart was hardened against the Israelites and would not release them from the bondage of slavery. Each time the Pharaoh refused to let the Israelites go, the land of Egypt came under a great plague, but the Israelites were spared from the 4th plague on. With the tenth and most awful plague, the heart of Pharaoh would be pierced.
GREG: Let us fill our cups a second time, And now we bless our second cup of wine, the Cup of Judgment.
ALL: Blessed are You, O Lord our God, Ruler of the Universe, who created the fruit of the vine.
GREG: As we view the plagues, let us consider that some scholars believe that each plague represented a god or goddess in Egypt. As God brought these plagues, He was also showing that is God above all gods.
To show God’s judgment, we will name the plague, the god, and pour God’s wrath on each individually.
ALL: Blood!
Youth: The god Osiris – the god of the underworld had the Nile as his bloodstream. In turning the Nile to blood, God brings death from the very source of life.
ALL: Frogs!
Youth: The goddess Heket served as the divine midwife. She is portrayed as a woman with the head of a frog. A source of life and happiness brings misery to the people.
ALL: Lice!
Youth: This plague targets Geb, god of the earth and health, by bringing insects rising from the earth to torment the people.
ALL: Flies!
Youth: These could be gadflies, which suck the blood, or scarab beetles, which gnaw clothes, furniture, plants, man and beasts. Beelzebub, the prince of the power of the air was glorified as the god of flies.
ALL: Disease to Livestock!
Youth: This plague was targeted at the sacred Apis bull. It is thought to show, with the previous 3 plagues (frogs, lice, flies) the absurdity of worshipping living things when God can control them with ease.
ALL: Boils!
Youth: This plague showed the goddess, Sekhmet, (who had the power to create and end epidemics) powerless, as the plague raged on, affecting even her priests, called the Sunu, with boils.
ALL: Hail!
Youth: God showed Himself to be more powerful than the goddess, Nut, who had the power to bring blessings and sun to the crops of Egypt.
ALL: Locusts!
Youth: God had now brought almost complete devastation on Egypt. The land was buried beneath a putrid mass of decaying fish and frogs, the livestock have been felled with disease, the crops destroyed by hail, disease and infection have ravaged with people and now Egypt is faced with an onslaught of locusts. “Nothing green remained on a tree or a plant in Egypt.” Exodus 10:15
ALL: Darkness!
Youth: The sun god, Ra, was considered to be the greatest of the Egyptian gods. He brought light and warmth to the land, regulated days and seasons. His faithfulness was never ending until this time.
ALL: Death of the firstborn!
Youth: This plague was brought against Pharaoh himself, who was considered to be a god by the Egyptians.
ALL: "On that same night I will pass through Egypt and strike down every firstborn--both men and animals--and I will bring judgment on all the gods of Egypt. I am the Lord.” (Exodus 12:12)
Child 1: “And the blood on the houses where you are staying shall be a sign for you: when I see the blood, I will pass over you, so that no plague will destroy you when I strike the land of Egypt.” (Exodus 12:13)
SHERRI: This day shall be to you one of remembrance: you shall celebrate it as a festival to the Lord throughout the ages; you shall celebrate it as an institution for all time.
You shall observe the Feast of Unleavened Bread, for on this very day I brought your ranks out of the land of Egypt; you shall observe this day throughout the ages as an institution for all time.” (Exodus 12:14,17)
GREG: PASSOVER: It is God that we honor in remembering that He passed over the houses of the children of Israel in Egypt when He struck the Egyptians. (Lifting the shank bone of a lamb) The shank bone reminds us of the lamb whose blood marked the doors of the Israelites. We read in Exodus that the lamb was to be without defect, brought into the household and cared for. It was then at twilight, the fourteenth day of the month, that the Israelites were to slaughter the lamb and put the blood on the sides and tops of the doorframes. God gave His people instructions that only through obedience would they be spared from death.
MIKE: The Israelites were saved by God and not an angel or seraph or any other messenger. For it is written: "On that same night I will pass through Egypt and strike down every firstborn--both men and animals--and I will bring judgment on all the gods of Egypt. I am the Lord!" (Exodus 12:12)
GREG: I shall pass through the land of Egypt
ALL: "I" -- not "an angel"
GREG: I shall strike down every first-born.
ALL: "I" -- not "a seraph"
GREG: I shall destroy all the Egyptian gods.
ALL: "I" -- not "a messenger"
I am the Lord, I am the One God, and there is none besides Me.
(Set aflame outside)
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ALL: Blessed are you, O Lord our God, King of the Universe, who has sanctified us with His commandments, and has commanded us to wash our hands.
(wash hands)
GREG: MATZAH (Lifting the half of the middle matzah): Why do we eat this unleavened bread? The dough did not have time to rise before God revealed Himself and redeemed them.
MIKE: As it is written: “With the dough they had brought from Egypt, they baked cakes of unleavened bread. The dough was without yeast because they had been driven out of Egypt and did not have time to prepare food for themselves.” (Exodus 12:39)
GREG: We will now bless the matzah as a food.
ALL: (Leader holding all the matzah on the seder plate) Blessed are You, O Lord our God, King of the Universe, who brings forth bread from the earth.
(This is the bread blessing Jesus pronounced at the Last Supper.)
GREG: (Leader holding the top and middle-half pieces of matzah) The matzah of Passover is not just food, but a fulfillment of a commandment -- let us bless the matzah.
ALL: “They are to celebrate it on the fourteenth day of the second month at twilight. They are to eat the lamb, together with unleavened bread and bitter herbs.” (Numbers 9:11) Blessed are You, O Lord our God, King of the Universe, Who has sanctified us with His commandments, and has commanded us concerning the eating of the matzah.
(Do not eat the Matzah at this time.)
GREG: MAROR (Lifting the Bitter Herb): Why do we eat bitter herb which we call Maror? We eat bitter herbs because of the hardship that the Israelites had to bear.
SHERRI: As it is written: “They made their lives bitter with hard labor in brick and mortar and with all kinds of work in the fields; in all their hard labor the Egyptians used them ruthlessly.” (Exodus 1:14)
ALL: “They are to celebrate it on the fourteenth day of the second month at twilight. They are to eat the lamb, together with unleavened bread and bitter herbs.” (Numbers 9:11) Blessed are you, O Lord our God, King of the Universe, Who has sanctified us with His commandments, and has commanded us concerning the eating of the Maror.
(Everyone eat the top and bottom Matzah with Maror.)
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GREG: Let us now eat and remember the grace, mercy and love that God has for each of us, for He sent Jesus, our Messiah, to be our Passover Lamb. We too, like the Israelites released from the bondage of slavery, are saved from the bondage of sin.
(Eat the broken half-Matzah with Maror and Charoset.)
GREG: How great is God's goodness to us!
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• Leader says a prayer.
• Break to eat the Passover Supper.
• Everyone returns to finish reading the Haggadah.
• The afikomen must be found (by the children) and returned to the Leader for a reward. The reward is a symbol of the fact that Jesus purchased our Redemption at the price of His own life.
• Save room for the dessert -- the afikomen.
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GREG: (Lifting the afikomen) We will now eat the afikomen, the dessert. The taste of the afikomen should linger in our mouths. It is about the afikomen that Jesus said "This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me." (Luke 22:19) The Passover can not be completed without the afikomen, nor can our redemption be complete without Jesus, the Bread of Life, our Messiah!
ALL: Blessed are You, O Lord our God, King of the Universe, who brings forth bread from the earth.
(All eat the Afikoman)
GREG: Many ask, "How does the Messiah, Jesus, fit into the Passover Story?" God gave us many signs and prophecies about our coming Messiah. Jesus fulfilled all the prophecies foretold of the first coming of the Messiah, in the Torah, the prophets and the writings. Just as the lamb's blood protected the Israelites from death, Jesus’ blood will protect us from death.
Passover is the first of feasts and Nisan, the beginning of months.
ANGELA: Receiving Jesus is the beginning of the New Covenant in our lives. Repenting of our sins and allowing His blood to protect us is the first step of our walk with God.
MIKE: The lamb was set aside from Nisan 10 to 14.
SHERRI: Jesus entered Jerusalem and went into the temple and was on display from Nisan 10 to 14.
GREG: The lamb was to be without blemish.
ANGELA: Jesus was examined by many in the crucifixion week, including the chief priests, Pilate, Herod, Annais, and Caiaphas. He was shown to be without spot or blemish.
MIKE: The lamb was the firstborn.
Youth: Jesus was the firstborn of Mary and is said to be God’s Son, and the firstborn.
Child 1: The lamb is male,
ANGELA: as Jesus is male.
MIKE: The lamb was to be killed between evenings (3pm…the ninth hour.)
SHERRI: Jesus died at the ninth hour.
GREG: The whole assembly shall kill it.
ANGELA: All the congregation clamored for the crucifixion of Jesus.
MIKE: The Passover lamb was to be killed outside the city gates.
Youth: Jesus was crucified outside the walls of Jerusalem.
Child 1: The blood must be applied to the door.
ANGELA: “Those who believe in the Messiah are of the House of God. The only way into the House of God is through the shed blood of Jesus, who is the Door (John 10:7-9)
GREG: The body of the lamb must be eaten that same night with bitter herbs and unleavened bread.
ANGELA: When we partake of Jesus, we must repent of the bitterness of our sin (bitter herbs). We are instructed to live a holy life from this point on (unleavened)
MIKE: The lamb must be eaten in haste.
SHERRI: We must be willing to leave the influences of the world (Egypt) and run toward the life that is in the Messiah.
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GREG: (Pour the third cup. Make an extra cup for Elijah.) (Lifting the extra cup for Elijah) The theme of the Haggadah before the meal was the redemption of the Israelites from Egypt. In keeping with tradition, we now move to the Messianic redemption. We open the door, indicating our readiness to receive the Prophet Elijah, herald of the Messiah. We must also now open our hearts to the truth.
(Have a child open the door.)
ALL: "See, I will send you the prophet Elijah before that great and dreadful day of the LORD comes." (Malachi 4:5)
GREG: Elijah was taken up by a great whirlwind in a chariot of fire. The Jewish people wait for him to announce the second coming of our Messiah, Son of David.
MIKE: “Before the birth of John the Baptizer, an angel of the Lord said, "And he will go on before the Lord, in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous--to make ready a people prepared for the Lord."” (Luke 1:17)
SHERRI: “Later, Jesus spoke of John, "And if you are willing to accept it, he is the Elijah who was to come."” (Matthew 11:14)
Child 1: “It was this same John who saw Jesus and declared, "Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!"” (John 1:29)
ALL: How can I repay the LORD for all his goodness to me? I will lift up the cup of salvation and call on the name of the LORD. (Psalm 116:12-13)
GREG: (Lifting the cup) This is the Cup of Redemption, symbolizing the blood of the Passover Lamb. It was the cup "after supper", which Jesus identified himself -- "This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you." (Luke 22:20)
ALL: Blessed are you, O Lord our God, Ruler of the Universe, who created the fruit of the vine.
(drink the third cup)
GREG: (Pour the fourth cup.)
Child 1: Jesus said, “I tell you, I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it anew with you in my Father's kingdom.” Matthew 26:29
GREG: (Text is from Psalm 136) Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good.
ALL: His love endures forever.
GREG: Give thanks to the God of gods.
ALL: His love endures forever.
Youth: “When they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.” (Matthew 26:30)
GREG: The fourth cup was never drunk. Not by Jesus, and perhaps not the disciples. From the upper room, Jesus went outside of the city where He spent time in prayer at the Garden of Gethsemane.
The fourth cup, the Cup of the Kingdom, reminds us that Jesus did not drink the cup of the Kingdom at Passover or the wine offered to Him as He was dying. Let us not drink of the fourth cup. Let us wait to have this special cup with our Savior. After Christ’s return, we shall partake with Him—in His physical presence—in the Kingdom.
ALL: Blessed are You, O Lord our God, Ruler of the Universe, who created the fruit of the vine.
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MIKE: "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty; the whole earth is full of His glory." (Isaiah 6:3)
ALL: "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was, and is, and is to come." (Revelation 4:8b)
GREG: We have now finished our Passover Seder.
May the Lord bless you and protect you.
May the Lord deal kindly and graciously with you.
May the Lord bestow His favor upon you
and grant you peace.
Numbers 6:24-26
posted by angela at 1:59 PM
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