Passover

One of my favorite things about Holy Week is Maundy Thursday. I love the mystery of this day. Can you imagine being in the upper room with Jesus as he began officiate a traditional Passover meal and reinvent it in a new contextual medium. I love how this meal became a tangible way for Jesus’ disciples to respond to God’s invitation and to experience God’s love in such a sacrificial manner. I love how we are able to experience something in this moment that connects us with one another in a deep and personal way which we fully can’t even articulate. Yet we are fully aware of how this meal bonds and unites us together not just with one another in our church but with all people throughout the world in the past, present and future.

Last night, I had the privilege of leading our children and families in a Messianic Passover. It was a joy to watch children as young as Grace Springer and Paul Snodgrass interact with other children and adults as each person responded and retold the Passover narrative. It was a beautiful sight to watch us all prepare and participate in the rituals-tasting and holding different elements, reflecting and remembering how God has redeemed and delivered us. And it was awe-inspiring to hear us all recite various prayers and blessings together as we shouted out our dependence and praises to Adonai our God.

While we often assume that a Passover meal is only a Jewish tradition, I am reminded how even more significant and powerful this meal can be in the context of Jesus’ saving, self-giving sacrificial death and resurrection. It was a powerful reminder of how I can tangibly experience and re-live a part of the Jesus’ journey toward the cross. And this imagery will last with me long after the close of this Easter week because through this meal I was able to not only experience but participate with and live out Jesus’ missional vision of redeeming all humanity.