{"id":11099,"date":"2025-02-03T11:23:17","date_gmt":"2025-02-03T18:23:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wonderink.org\/?p=11099"},"modified":"2025-02-03T11:23:18","modified_gmt":"2025-02-03T18:23:18","slug":"passover-seder-what-it-is-and-why-its-important","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wonderink.org\/passover-seder-what-it-is-and-why-its-important\/","title":{"rendered":"Passover Seder: What It Is and Why It’s Important"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Passover is a beautiful example of how God established and invited His people to a table to not only remember His deliverance, but to also look ahead to the advent of a Deliverer (the Messiah). <\/p><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

If you were to come to my house, you would walk through the front door and see a long table in the dining room to your right. It\u2019s a walnut, mid-century modern wonder that my Jewish grandparents brought back to the states from a visit to Sweden. My earliest memories as a child include this table, and it’s a privilege to now have it in my home.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The thing I find truly remarkable about this table is not how beautiful it is \u2026 It\u2019s the reality that it has hosted hundreds of Shabbat dinners and what we believe to be about 50+ Passover seders. My grasp not only of my ethnic heritage but also of my spiritual inheritance was formed by my experiences at that table over time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The table is actually a critical environment in the big story of Scripture<\/a>, and it often served as the setting for where God\u2019s people would remember and celebrate the provision, promises, and presence of God. This is because, not only was the table central to the culture of ancient Israel, but also God established His appointed times in such a way that feasting and fellowship were part of HOW they would remember Him and His story.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Passover is a beautiful example of how God established and invited His people to a table to not only remember His deliverance, but to also look ahead to the advent of a Deliverer (the Messiah). The Seder table, as I tell my kids every year, is like a time machine. It takes us back to our deliverance from Egypt and forward to the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world all in one evening. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

God intentionally designed this feast as a time for His people to revive their memory, to ignite their curiosity, to deepen their relationship to Him and each other, and to draw their children into the truth about God\u2019s plan for redemption in a way that they can literally taste it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You may be wondering, wait, what is a seder<\/em>? And am I invited to this table? Does this have significance for me as a Christian? The answer to these questions, I believe, can transform your discipleship journey into a very real and thrilling faith adventure.<\/p>\n\n\n\t\t

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Wonder Ink\u2019s 3-year, 52-week children\u2019s ministry curriculum offers kids space to fully find their place in God\u2019s Big Story. Children discover they are Known by God, Loved by Jesus, and Led by the Holy Spirit.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n\n\n\n

What is Seder?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The word Seder (say-der) is literally translated from Hebrew to English as \u201corder.\u201d Essentially, a Seder meal is the liturgy of the biblical feast of Passover. Passover recalls the true story of how God delivered His people, Israel, from slavery in Egypt some 3,500 years ago. This feast not only provides a clear picture of the salvation of Israel from Egypt, but also foreshadows the deliverance Messiah Jesus would accomplish for the entire world in His sacrifice and resurrection. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

God established Passover in Exodus as one of His appointed times forever by saying, \u201cThis is a day you are to commemorate; for the generations to come you shall celebrate it as a festival to the LORD\u2014a lasting ordinance.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To keep this lasting ordinance across time, through exiles, with Temples built, and Temples destroyed, the Jewish people have centered the remembrance of Passover around the table, Scripture-rich liturgy, and sensory elements that ignite memory of what God did. It is communal<\/em> because that is how God designed it and it is the ancient Eastern way of seeing how God is at work\u2014in us and for us, not just in me and for me. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is experiential<\/em> because it\u2019s real and can be known \u2026 not just in our minds and hearts, but in our bodies, too. It is intergenerational<\/em> because faith is to be passed from one generation to the next and we all have a part in that. It is futuristic<\/em> because it reveals not only what God did in the past, but also what He is doing to redeem creation now and in the future. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sounds like a pretty incredible meal, right? It is. Life changing even.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You might be wondering\u2014are you, a Christian who is likely not Jewish \u2026 invited to participate in Passover?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is experiential<\/em> because it\u2019s real and can be known \u2026 not just in our minds and hearts, but in our bodies, too. It is intergenerational<\/em> because faith is to be passed from one generation to the next and we all have a part in that. It is futuristic<\/em> because it reveals not only what God did in the past, but also what He is doing to redeem creation now and in the future. <\/p><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

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Photo by Nils Stahl on Unsplash<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Are Christians invited to the table?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

YES.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You are not obligated, but you are certainly invited<\/a>. It is your own personal decision to decide if you want to pull your chair up. It is meaningful to participate in a seder led by Jewish families – especially Messianic Jewish families (Messianic Jewish means they are a Jewish person who has put their faith in Jesus Christ as the promised Messiah). Many churches will host Passover Seder events, as well, that help Christians connect the Seder experience to the redemptive work of God then and now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As someone passionate about the discipleship of kids and families, the Passover table\u2019s Seder experience is the perfect environment to pass on faith and the truth of who God is to our children. Seders are designed to invite the questions of children\u2014literally, the liturgy actually includes portions where kids are supposed to ask questions. In addition to the sensory aspects of the Passover storytelling making it come alive for kids, it really is the intergenerational inclusion that makes this the most fruitful environment for helping kids understand redemption in a very real way.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This feast was designed by God and it holds wisdom and clues that help us grasp His character and His plans, and it reveals the Messiah. As disciples of Messiah Jesus, we are to be followers of His way and pattern our life after how He walked and what He said. He celebrated the Passover year after year during His life here, and it was on the Passover prior to his crucifixion that He revealed deeper meaning to the Passover elements (you might recognize this as the practice of communion). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to what we see in the Gospels, Jesus observed Passover with His disciples in a way consistent with what the sages had determined for that time. The primary elements of the Seder were established prior to Yeshua\u2019s time on earth, and it would have been the pattern He followed during His life and at the Last Supper with His disciples.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Believers are not bound to any kind of ritual or practice for their salvation, but are free to imitate Jesus\u2019 life and practices. Celebrating Passover is a meaningful way to follow in His footsteps and understand the depth of God\u2019s redemptive heart in a transformative way. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

From the preparation of the meal, to the storytelling centered on the Scriptures, to the elements that help us taste the story, and to the way everyone at the table is included in the journey\u2026 no one walks away from the Seder without the opportunity to taste and see that the Lord is better than they ever knew.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I\u2019ve been hosting Seders at our table now for almost 15 years on my own. It continues to change me, my family, and the people we share it with. I\u2019ve seen people come to faith at that table, and we\u2019ve seen whole families go on to get baptized and walk in the way of Jesus because they tasted redemption there. I pray you will accept the invitation that has always been here for you to join yourself to the table Jesus eagerly came to Himself. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

May you and those at your table grow in wonder, trust, and love of the God who delivers His people and brings us home!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Discover Wonder Ink’s Around the Table: A Taste of Passover Event<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Connected Easter is a digital and fully-customizable Easter Sunday school lesson series that includes the\u00a0Connected Easter<\/em>\u00a0Lessons and the\u00a0Around the Table: A Taste of Passover<\/em>\u00a0Event. This series takes kids and families on a journey through the Easter season and allows them to experience a \u201ctaste\u201d of a traditional Jewish\u00a0Passover meal that points throughout to Jesus. Learn more here!<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

You may be wondering, wait, what is a seder? And am I invited to this table? Does this have significance for me as a Christian? <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":11804,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"none","_seopress_titles_title":"Passover Seder: What It Is & Why It's Important - Wonder Ink","_seopress_titles_desc":"You may be wondering, wait, what is a seder? And am I invited to this table? Does this have significance for me as a Christian?","_seopress_robots_index":"","footnotes":""},"blog_topic":[30,27],"blog_type":[13],"ppma_author":[58],"class_list":["post-11099","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","blog_topic-childrens-curriculum","blog_topic-faith-formation","blog_type-blog"],"authors":[{"term_id":58,"user_id":0,"is_guest":1,"slug":"michayla-white","display_name":"Michayla White","avatar_url":{"url":"https:\/\/mlzai04amy7e.i.optimole.com\/w:auto\/h:auto\/q:80\/f:best\/https:\/\/wonderink.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/MichaylaWhite.webp","url2x":"https:\/\/mlzai04amy7e.i.optimole.com\/w:auto\/h:auto\/q:80\/f:best\/https:\/\/wonderink.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/MichaylaWhite.webp"},"author_category":"","user_url":"","last_name":"White","first_name":"Michayla","job_title":"","description":"Michayla White has a heart for ministry. She has had the privilege of serving church leaders globally for over 15 years through non-profit and parachurch organizations focused on children's and family ministry. Most recently, she served as the CEO of an international ministry network. Today, you'll find her cherishing time with her family (husband and three boys), serving the community, volunteering and serving as an Elder at the Messianic Jewish congregation she attends, coaching pastors around the country, and preaching in churches. She is also the founder of The Sabbath Table. And in addition to snacks, she carries an emergency confetti popper in her bag just in case there's something to celebrate. "}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/wonderink.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11099","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/wonderink.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/wonderink.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wonderink.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/7"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wonderink.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=11099"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/wonderink.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11099\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wonderink.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/11804"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/wonderink.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=11099"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"blog_topic","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wonderink.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/blog_topic?post=11099"},{"taxonomy":"blog_type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wonderink.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/blog_type?post=11099"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wonderink.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/ppma_author?post=11099"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}