Easter. There are several different ways to approach this holiday, but we will get so much more out of it if we are intentionally preparing our hearts as we walk through this week.
We started doing this a few years back with our kids and it has made the Easter week even more meaningful and real in our lives. I’ll give a quick synopsis if you would like to incorporate a bit of this into your week as well.
There are different elements to the Seder meal:
Unleavened bread (Matzoh) called “bread of affliction” because it recalls the unleavened bread prepared for the hasty flight by night from Egypt. Three large matzohs are broken and consumed during the ceremony.
Bitter herbs (Moror) is a reminder of the bitterness of slavery and suffering in Egypt.
Green herbs are dipped in salt water. Salt water represents tears of sorrow shed during the captivity of the Lord’s people.
Haroseth (or ‘haroses’) represents the mortar used by Jews in building palaces and pyramids of Egypt during their slavery. (It is a mixture of chopped apples, nuts, cinnamon and wine.)
Wine is dipped from a common bowl.
A Hakishut or a china dinner platter with the following ceremonial foods arranged on it: green herbs (parsley); bitter herb (horseradish); a boiled egg; and haroseth.
There are then four different sections that are read through by different parts of the family. Each section signifies the Four Cups:
II Haggadah – the cup of Deliverance
III The Cup of Blessing
IV The Cup of Melchizedek
These are the four different words for redemption, spoken by God to Moses.
I just love each year as we read through the sections, share the food with one another, and remember God’s plan for the Redemption of His people, that all along God’s plan was for Jesus to rescue us. And woven throughout the Bible is symbolism of that plan. It all comes into focus as we celebrate the Seder meal.
This week is rich with ways to take time with Jesus and remember the events of that final week that truly changed the trajectory of this world forever.
What a wonderful tradition for your family. There are so many Christmas traditions established within families, yet Resurrection Sunday is my favorite Christian observance.
I agree! This Seder dinner seems to become more and more meaningful each year.
For the first time, I am going to a Seder Dinner. I am so looking forward to experiencing this with some family members and also drawing closer to Jesus. Thank you for this informative post! 💗
That thrills my heart! I pray it blesses and encourages you as it does me.
We have hosted and attended a few Seder dinners over the years. Each one was a worshipful and beautiful experience.
Yes! It’s such a beautiful experience, every time. I love that you do it, too!