Occasionally, when a particular acquaintance comes to visit, our meeting will evolve into a discussion of Christianity and Judaism. This friend is Jewish and he enjoys asking me questions that provoke discussion. I admit I enjoy these discussions a great deal myself.
Not too long ago, he asked me if Jesus ate Seder at the Last Supper. (The Seder is the Passover evening meal.) I thought for a moment and told him that, although the bible doesn't precisely identify all the foods that were eaten at the Last Supper, nor was the word "Seder" used in the biblical text, Jesus did instruct his disciples prior to entering Jerusalem to go on ahead to prepare the Passover meal for them. Since the Passover was a prescribed meal and Jesus observed the feasts as the Mosaic Law required, the meal eaten that evening was probably the typical Seder of the time. There are also hints in the gospels that the food Jesus and his disciples consumed was typical Seder food.
When God sent Moses to Pharaoh for the tenth time, Moses warned Pharaoh that this last plague would slay all the first born males (men and animals) of the inhabitants of Egypt unless Pharaoh released the Jews. When Pharaoh rejected this warning, God instructed the Jews to slay a perfect male lamb and sprinkle its blood on the lintels and doorposts of every Jewish household. God's Spirit would pass over those households and the firstborn therein would be spared. God commanded the Jews to keep the day of Passover as a memorial and a feast forever.
The sacrificial lamb was to be perfect, slain on the 14th day of Nisan at twilight. After the doorframes were sprinkled with blood, they were to roast the lamb whole in bitter herbs over an open flame. They were to dine on it and bread made without yeast. They were to wear their cloaks tucked into their belts, sandles on their feet, and have staff in hand as they were also told to eat in haste (Exodus 12.).
Passover was celebrated back-to-back with the Feast of Unleavened Bread, which commemorated the day after Passover when God brought the Jews out of Egypt. This feast was to last for seven days. On the first day they were to remove every particle of leavening from their homes. On the first and last days they were to hold a sacred assembly and were to do no work whatsoever except food preparation. On each of the eight feast days (including Passover) they were to eat unleavened bread and make a burnt offering (Leviticus 23:8).
The manner in which Passover is celebrated has not changed, in the elementary sense, from the very first one. God's commands are clearly given in the bible, but these commands are fairly general (described earlier). According to Numbers 9:1, the LORD spoke to Moses in the wilderness of Sinai, reaffirming the Passover festival, and told him to keep it "according to all the rites of it, and according to all the ceremonies thereof, shall ye keep it." (KJV). The Jews believe that the LORD also gave to Moses the oral law as well as the written law. The oral law contains details of the Passover ritual. It does not diminish what is given in the Exodus description, but orders the rites and ceremonies for the festival. The oral law, sustained over centuries by word-of-mouth transmission, and the written law are equally esteemed by the Jews. It is the oral law, compiled and recorded about 200 a.d., and eventually codified by Moses ben Maimon (known better as Maimonides, a highly esteemed rabbi) in the 12th century, that defines the Passover and describes the Seder ritual (the Passover meal.)
The Passover Meal has specific elements and an order that have been universally followed by Jews around the world for centuries, although there are some differences in the elements and order that were born of necessity, circumstance or interpretation. For example, a significant change in the Passover celebration was in the location for the slaying of the Passover lamb. This task changed from being done by each household to taking place in the temple, where the priests would slay the lambs. (Ezra 6:20). Instead of sprinkling the blood on lintels and doorposts, the blood was sprinkled by the priests on the brazen alter. Also, Paschal lambs were not sacrificed once the temple was destroyed in 70 a.d. More recently, it is customary for many Jews to add a section to the order of the Seder dedicated to the remembrance of the holocaust. These are just a few of the differences in the manner in which the Passover feast has been celebrated, however, the basic elements and order of the Seder have been the same for millennia.
Every food, libation, prayer, and action in the Seder is symbolic of God's grace in redeeming the Jews from death and emancipating His people from Egypt. In turn, this is symbolic of the Messiah, who redeems believers from death and frees them from sin. The order of the Seder is quite specific. The Seder is intended to retell the Passover and the exodus from Egypt, particularly with children in mind so that they may be taught what God has done. All Jews were obligated to tell the story, and it was customary to include things in the ritual that would provoke questions, from the children and other participants, about the meaning and importance of the Seder and the exodus story.
Let's go through the Seder, describing the events as they surround the drinking of each cup of wine, as there are four cups to be drunk which correspond to four promises from God. These are also identified. Generally, the Seder is led by the father or, if not done within a family setting, the male host of the festivity.
1st cup of wine ("I will bring you out from the land of Egypt"): All participants of the Seder drink the wine, which is traditionally diluted. The first cup is poured and prior to drinking, three blessings are spoken unto God, one of which is, "Blessed art thou, God of all creation, Ruler of the Universe, who createth the fruit of the vine." Then the wine is drunk, another blessing is said, and the participants wash their hands. At this time, food may be served or is already on the table. Current foods include: a bone (to represent the Paschal lamb), an egg (the temple, destroyed in 70 a.d.), bitter herbs (bitter bondage), parsley (new life), and charoset (the mortar with which the Jews constructed Egyptian buildings). There is at least one meat entree (not lamb), other dishes and matzah. Maimonides tells us that in temple times a table, ready laid with the meal, was brought in and placed before the participants. Next, it is customary for the participants to take a vegetable and dip it into the charoset and eat it, reciting the blessing which ends, " "Blessed art thou, God of all creation, Ruler of the Universe, who createth the fruit of the earth."
2nd cup of wine ("I will deliver you from slavery"): In temple times, it was traditional to remove the table from in front of the person chosen to recite the Haggadah, or the telling of the Exodus story (usually the host). At this time the 2nd cup is poured, but not drunk. The son (presuming there is a father and son), asks a series of questions about why this night is different from all other nights: Why do we eat only matzah tonight? Why do we eat bitter herbs tonight? Why do we dip foods twice tonight? Why do we recline at table tonight? In temple times, this question also was asked, "why is the meat all roasted tonight?" but this was eliminated once the sacrifices ceased at the time of the temple's destruction. The exodus story is then told.
Afterward, the answers to the questions are given. The bitter herb is eaten because of the bitter lives of the Jews in Egypt. Food is dipped twice to remind them of the hardship worked upon the Jews building with Egyptian clay, to remember that spring has come, and to recall the tears of the Jewish slaves. The unleavened bread is eaten because there was no time for the dough to rise before God redeemed and liberated them. The Jews recline because once they were slaves and now they are free. They eat roast lamb because God passed over their fathers' houses in Egypt. More blessings are recited and Psalms 113 and 114 are read. The second cup of wine is drunk.
3rd cup of wine ("I will redeem you"): All of these events occur before the third cup. After the second cup is drunk, another blessing is said and the hands are cleansed again. Then two loaves, or wafers, of matzah are taken; the first one is broken in two, the second is not; both are blessed with an appropriate prayer. Current practice includes three wafers, breaking the middle matza and setting aside one of the halves as a dessert matzah (Afikomen), and distributing the rest for eating with the charoset. In temple times all the matzah was distributed to the participants, folded together with bitter herbs and dipped into the charoset. This was followed by eating some of the Paschal lamb. Again, blessings are recited throughout.
This is followed by the main meal, eating and drinking without ritual or order. Current practice requires the final bite of food to be matzah, the Afikomen, so that the last taste in one's mouth is the unleavened bread, a reminder of the bondage once suffered and subsequent freedom. In temple times, the last item eaten would have been more of the Paschal lamb, a reminder of the redemption. Nothing more is eaten after this. A prayer of thanksgiving is said (grace after meals), the hands are washed and the third cup of wine is drunk.
4th cup of wine ("I will take you unto Me for a people and I will be your God"): The fourth cup is poured and the remaining Hallel psalms are recited, Psalms 115 through 118. The fourth cup of wine is drunk.
Maimonides mentions that a fifth cup of wine may be drunk after reciting the Great Hallel, Psalm 136, but it is not obligatory.
Most of the above description are the basic, elementary parts and order of a typical Seder around the time of Christ. Of particular importance is that the basic parts and the order haven't changed in thousands of years, as the Jews were meticulous in their preservation of the law, both written and oral. The rabbis of the time recorded the order of events for the Seder in the second century a.d. Although this was anywhere from 70 to 170 years after the Last Supper, it was a record of centuries of oral law, citing rabbinical teachings, many prior to and during the time of Christ. (e.g., Shammai, Hillel and Gamaliel). Prayers may have been adapted to the times, additions may have been made, but these basic parts have stayed the same.
As long as the temple stood in Jerusalem, the Jews would go there to celebrate Passover (after the destruction of the temple, the feasts moved to local synagogues or community locations). Jesus went to Jerusalem to celebrate Passover. He tells Peter and John to go ahead into the city to make preparations for them to celebrate the Passover. Once Jesus and the Apostles were in the upper room, characteristics of the meal indicate that the Passover celebrated by them was, indeed, traditional Seder. What follows is a summary in order of the events of the Last Supper. Most teachings of Jesus prior, during and after the meal are omitted as we are looking at the order of the dinner as it correlates to the Seder. The course of events of the Last Supper, taken from the four gospels, are in italics., and the seder order and comments are in plain face type.
1. Jesus tells Peter and John to go into Jerusalem to make preparations for the Passover meal. These two Apostles did not ask Jesus what to prepare, but knew themselves what preparations to make. They only asked Jesus where to prepare the Passover. Logic tells us that Peter and John obtained the typical food eaten for Passover.
2. Jesus takes the cup and tells his disciples to divide the wine among them; that he won't drink it again until the kingdom. Luke 22:17. This is probably the first or second cup of wine at the Seder, simply from the process of elimination. It occurs prior to another cup being drunk where Jesus mentions his blood poured out for them (Luke 22:20), which, in turn, is preceded by the dipping of food into a bowl (Mat 26:23). The former tells us it is either the 1st, 2nd or 3rd cup; the latter tells us it is the 1st or 2nd cup, because the "dipping" of food in the order of the Seder is before the 2nd cup or before the 3rd cup. However, events later on imply this is the 1st cup. Take note that Luke mentions in his gospel that he had purposefully recorded events sequentially.
3. Jesus says one of the twelve will betray him (Mat 26:21). While all ask "is it I"?" Jesus says it would be the one who dips in the bowl with him at the same time. Judas asks if it is he, and Jesus then says "yes ,it is you." Judas obviously dipped into the bowl the same time as Jesus. Presuming this is right after the first cup in the Seder, at this time one would dip a vegetable into charoset. Recall there are two distinct descriptions of "dipping" food in the gospels: one specifically indicates that the betrayer would dip in the bowl at the same time as Jesus; the second is when Jesus answers John's query who the betrayer is, whereupon Jesus hands Judas that which was dipped. This is one of those two times, most likely the first dipping of food.
4. In temple times, again, one removed the table from in front of the leader, who then recited the Haggadah.
5. The telling of the exodus is over (imagine hearing this directly from the mouth of God!) and the participants would drink the 2nd cup of wine, then the 2nd hand washing took place.
6. Jesus took the bread, broke it, said a blessing and distributed it, saying "This is my body." At this time in the Seder during temple times, participants would make a sandwich of matza and herbs and dip it into charoset. They would also eat some of the Paschal lamb. According to the Seder order, when the matzah is broken, the benediction said at this time is one of praise and blessing unto God, not one of thanksgiving. Two of the gospels (Matthew and Mark) use the Greek word (eulogeo) which primarily means blessing or praising; Luke's gospel uses the Greek word for "giving thanks." Luke isn't truly off the mark, as "eulogeo" has a secondary meaning for giving thanks. One could conclude that the Jewish writers relating this scene used the more appropriate verb for blessing, as they knew precisely what type of prayer was said at that point in a Seder, as opposed to the gentile writer who may not have had such precise knowledge.
7. The main part of the meal would take place now. Remember that the final bit of food eaten was to be some Paschal lamb. The hands are washed a third time.
8. Jesus took the cup, gave thanks and said it was the blood of the new covenant. This was the third cup, as verified by the verb utilized (eucharisteo). It was, according to Matthew and Mark, the Greek verb for thanks (Luke uses this verb also. It was the same verb he used to describe the previous prayer). The order of the Seder indicates that the prayer of thanks be said at this time, so we know by the verb that this must be the third cup.
9. According to John 13:2, the meal "was ended." One must look into the unique qualities of John's gospel through the KJV to see the significance here. It is interesting to note that John hardly discusses the meal taking place. We know they're dining and it is the evening meal, but few details of what Jesus and the disciples did during the meal are given (i.e., food, drink, location). The details here are so sketchy that biblical scholars can not agree if this meal was the Last Supper or another meal. If this is the Last Supper, there is no firm reason why John skipped over much of the details of the meal. The KJV interprets a verb at the beginning of Chapter 13 to mean the meal had finished (while the NIV interprets this verb as "being served.") But if John mentions nothing about the food eaten, prayers said, cup of the covenant, etc., perhaps it is because he's recording the events after the meal. Recall that there is no further eating after the third cup. Since John (KJV) reports the meal is ended, we presume that we've reached that point in the Seder.
10. Jesus gets up from reclining and washes the feet of his disciples, then returns to his place. John 13:12. There is some discussion among biblical scholars about this event and when it took place. Some scholars place this earlier in the proceedings of the meal, prior to the meal, or exclude it altogether, saying it is out of place. The fact that Jesus may have washed feet at a Seder lends itself to this controversy, but this is not so illogical, either in terms of place or purpose. There are two events in the gospels that support the idea that the foot washing took place at the Last Supper toward the very end of the meal. In Luke's gospel, right after the third cup, a dispute breaks out among the disciples about which of them was greater. Luke then gives a brief record of Jesus' teaching that he who sits at the table is not greater than the servant. John also records this teaching, describing in different terms the concept of the servant not being greater than the master and vice versa, but thematically the same concept. John also indicates that this teaching takes place right after Jesus washes their feet. Thus, the chain of events based on these two gospel accounts may be 3rd cup of wine, foot washing, then the teaching. It is plausible that the foot washing prompted the dispute between the apostles, giving Jesus the the springboard to this important teaching. If so, Jesus had just finished the majority of the Seder, including three ceremonial cleansings via hand washing. The ceremonial washing away of sin was something the Jews did for themselves, but it took away no sin. Jesus, however, symbolically cleanses his disciples, but in reality forgave sin, as it is only God who can do so! Inserting the foot washing here would be excellent timing, as it was another symbol of the new covenant replacing the old. This event also elicited the questions that Seder events are designed to provoke (remember Seders were designed to include things or unusual presentations to provoke questions from the participants.) Also, per John's gospel, note that the foot washing takes place just prior to Jesus telling Peter that he would betray Him three times -- an event that clearly took place at the Last Supper.
11. Jesus again says someone will betray him, and that someone's hand is with his on the table. John asks who (neither he nor Peter must have heard the answer the first time). Jesus hands Judas a sop (a morsel dipped in something) and tells him to do what he has to do quickly. Judas leaves. John 13:21-30. Some feel that Judas had already left by this time in the meal, but Luke indicates that the betrayer was still at the table after the cup of the new covenant was distributed (3rd cup). It was considered, in that day and culture, an honor to be handed a morsal of food by the host, so in this respect Jesus honored his betrayer. However, by this time of the Seder, no additional food was to have been eaten. So, in another respect, Jesus dishonors his betrayer, because the last morsal of food in Judas' mouth was not the Paschal lamb, symbolic of the messiah. In fact, Jesus probably gave Judas matzah with either bitter herbs or charoset, both symbols of bondage.
12. When they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives (Mark 14:26) In the Seder order, the 4th cup is poured at this time, the Hallel psalms are completed, and the wine is drunk. Some commentators believe Jesus stopped prior to this cup of wine because it was preceded by the cup of redemption, the very thing that was about to take place, but the fourth promise of God to take the Jews for His people and become their God is yet to be fulfilled, because the Jews do not believe Christ is God.
The Passover celebration is symbolic of the messiah's redemption of Israel from death. It is also symbolic of Jesus' redemption of all who believe in, and are committed to, Him from sin and death. Enormous blessings lay in the numerous ways this appers in the Passover and the Seder.
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Please note that two cited scriptures in the hard copy of The Last Seder have been corrected (Jan/Feb 1998 issue #1, volume #1). These are:
Our apologies for the errors. They are fully corrected here on our web site.
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Scriptures taken from the Ryrie Study Bible, New International Version or New King James Version (Moody Press).
Burgess, Edward E. Christ, the Crown of the Torah. Zondervan Publishing House, Grand Rapids, MI., 1986.
Clarke, Adam. Adam Clarke's Commentary of the Old Testament (written 1810-1826), Sage Digital Library Commentaries, Sage Software, Albany, Oregon, 1996.
Gandz, Solomon and Klein, Hyman (trans.), The Code of Maimonides, Book Three, The book of Seasons, Judaica Research, Yale University Press, New Haven, CN., 1961.
Goldberg, Lous. Our Jewish Friends, revised, Loizeaux Brothers, Neptune, NJ, 1983.
Goldberg, Rabbi Nathan. Passover Haggadah, Ktav Publishing House, Inc., New York, 1949.
Goodman, Philip. The Passover Anthology, the Jewish Publication Society of America, Philadelphia, PA, 1961.
Greenberg, Rabbi Irving. The Jewish Way: Living the Holidays. Simon & Schuster, Inc.,NY, 1988.
Grolier Multimedia Encyclopedia, 1996, v. 8.0.3.
Henry, Matthew. Matthew Henry's Commentary on the Whole Bible, Complete and unabridged, Hendrickson Pub., Peabody, MA, 1991.
Kitov, Eliyahu. The Book of Our Heritage: The Jewish Year and Its Days of Significance. Feldheim Publishers, Ltd., Jerusalem, Israel, 1978.
Matthews, Victor H. Manners and Customs in the Bible, Hendrickson Pub., Peabody, MA, 1988.
Shank, Robert, DHL. Harmony of the Gospels, The Complete Biblical Library, Volume I, World Library Press, Inc., Springfield, MO.,1986.
The Haggadah of the Grosse Pointe Jewish Council, Grosse Pointe, MI, 1996.