Introduction to Passover
Seder Leader:
The LORD said to Moses, “Give the following instructions to the people of Israel. These are the L ORD ’s appointed festivals, which you are to proclaim as official days for holy assembly. (Leviticus 23:1-2)
And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, “Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them: ‘The feasts of the LORD, which you shall proclaim to be holy convocations, these are My feasts. (Leviticus 23:1-2)
Moed (festival, feast)-A fixed time or season; specifically, a festival. To fix upon, by agreement or appointment; by implication, to meet at a state time, often to engage in marriage.
Then God said, “Let there be lights in the firmament of the heavens to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs and seasons, and for days and years. (Genesis 1:14)
Now you shall keep it until the fourteenth day of the same month. Then the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill it at twilight. (Exodus 12:6)
In the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month at evening, you shall eat unleavened bread, until the twenty first day of the month at evening. (Exodus 12:18)
Preparing for Passover
Seder Leader:
The Hebrew word seder means “arrangement” or “order,” and refers to an orchestrated ceremony or
liturgy with a number of distinct phases or steps. A Passover Seder refers to a ceremonial meal that includes
symbolic foods and the reciting of the story of Passover known as the Haggadah (which means the “telling”).
Now the Feast of Unleavened Bread, which is called the Passover, was approaching. The chief priests and the scribes were seeking how they might put Him to death; for they were afraid of the people. And Satan entered into Judas who was called Iscariot, belonging to the number of the twelve. And he went away and discussed with the chief priests and officers how he might betray Him to them. They were glad and agreed to give him money. So he consented, and began seeking a good opportunity to betray Him to them apart from the crowd.
Then came the first day of Unleavened Bread on which the Passover lamb had to be sacrificed. And Jesus sent Peter and John, saying, “Go and prepare the Passover for us, so that we may eat it.” They said to Him, “Where do You want us to prepare it?” And He said to them, “When you have entered the city, a man will meet you carrying a pitcher of water; follow him into the house that he enters. And you shall say to the owner of the house, ‘The Teacher says to you, “Where is the guest room in which I may eat the Passover with My disciples?”’ And he will show you a large, furnished upper room; prepare it there.” And they left and found everything just as He had told them; and they prepared the Passover. When the hour had come, He reclined at the table, and the apostles with Him. And He said to them, “I have earnestly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer; for I say to you, I shall never again eat it until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God.” And when He had taken a cup and given thanks, He said, “Take this and share it among yourselves; for I say to you, I will not drink of the fruit of the vine from now on until the kingdom of God comes.” And when He had taken some bread and given thanks, He broke it and gave it to them, saying, “This is My body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of Me.” And in the same way He took the cup after they had eaten, saying, “This cup which is poured out for you is the new covenant in My blood. But behold, the hand of the one betraying Me is with Mine on the table. For indeed, the Son of Man is going as it has been determined; but woe to that man by whom He is betrayed!” And they began to discuss among themselves which one of them it might be who was going to do this thing. And there arose also a dispute among them as to which one of them was regarded to be greatest. And He said to them, “The kings of the Gentiles lord it over them; and those who have authority over them are called ‘Benefactors.’ But it is not this way with you, but the one who is the greatest among you must become like the youngest, and the leader like the servant. For who is greater, the one who reclines at the table or the one who serves? Is it not the one who reclines at the table? But I am among you as the one who serves. “You are those who have stood by Me in My trials; and just as My Father has granted Me a kingdom, I grant you 30 that you may eat and drink at My table in My kingdom, and you will sit on thrones judging the twelve tribesof Israel. (Luke 22:1-28)
Welcome to the Seder!
Reader 1: ‘Now this day will be a memorial to you, and you shall celebrate it as a feast to the L ORD ; throughout
your generations you are to celebrate it as a permanent ordinance. (Exodus 12:14)
Reader 2: And you shall observe this event as an ordinance for you and your children forever. When you enter the
land which the LORD will give you, as He has promised, you shall observe this rite. And when your children say to
you, ‘What does this rite mean to you?’ you shall say, ‘It is a Passover sacrifice to the LORD who passed over the
houses of the sons of Israel in Egypt when He smote the Egyptians but spared our homes.’” And the people bowed
low and worshiped. (Exodus 12:24-27)
Reader 3: Moses said to the people, “Remember this day in which you went out from Egypt, from the house
of slavery; for by a powerful hand the L ORD brought you out from this place. And nothing leavened shall be eaten.
(Exodus 13:3)
Reader 4: Now these things happened to them as an example, but they were written down for our instruction, on
whom the end of the ages has come. (1 Corinthians 10:11)
Haggadah of the Passover Seder
Four Cups of Wine
Seder Leader: The Jewish commentaries relate the four cups to the “Four Expressions of Redemption” in God’s
promise to Moses in Exodus 6:2-8 “I will take you out,” “I will deliver you,” “I will redeem you,” and “I will acquire
you.” These are not merely four synonyms, for each represents a distinct stage and level of redemption. “I will take
you out” refers to physical exit from the land of Egypt. “I will deliver you from their bondage” means delivery from
servitude and “I will redeem you” is the Divine guarantee that we remain a free people. “I will acquire you as My
nation” is the promise of being God’s chosen people, enacted at Mount Sinai. That we would be His people and that
He would be our God, which is at the heart for the entire Exodus story and events.Steps of the Passover Seder
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
Nerot-Lighting of the candles
Kadesh-Sanctifying the wine (1 st cup)
Urchatz-Washing the hands
Karpas-Dipping the vegetables
Yachatz-Breaking the matzah
Maggid-Telling the Exodus Story (2 nd cup)
Rachtzah-Netilat Yadayim-Ritual washing
Motzi Matzah-Eating the matzah
Maror/Charazet-Eating bitter herbs
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
Korekh-Eating the hillel sandwich
Shulchan orekh-Eating the meal
Tzafun-Searching for the Afikoman
Barekh-Blessing after the meal (3 rd cup)
Hallel-Songs of praise (4 th cup)
Nirtzah-Conclusion of the Seder
Lighting the Candles
“And I will put enmity between you and the woman,
And between your seed and her seed;
He shall bruise you on the head,
And you shall bruise him on the heel.” (Genesis 3:15)
Therefore the LORD Himself will give you a sign: Behold, a virgin will be with child and bear a son, and she will call
His name Immanuel. (Isaiah 7:14)
The woman of the house lights the candles and prays the traditional blessing-
“Blessed are You, Lord our God, King of the universe, who has set us apart by your Word and in whose Name we
light the Festival Lights.”
Blessing the children
Seder Leader: Fathers gather your children, cover them in a prayer shawl or other
covering, and pray over them the following blessing.
Fathers say blessing for sons:
“May God make you like Ephraim and Manasseh, who received the blessing from
their grandfather Jacob and who led lives honoring to God. And may He also make
you like Andrew and Peter, the first brothers to leave all behind and follow Jesus as
the promised Messiah. May you trust in God all the days of your life and be ready for Him to use you in great ways
even now.”
Fathers say blessing for daughters:
“May God make you like Sarah, Rebecca, Rachel, and Leah, who were women of faith who endured hardship,
showed courage, loved their husbands and were loyal to God. Any may He also make you like Priscilla, an able
teacher of the word of God and like Mary and Johanna who ministered to Jesus. May you trust in God all the days of
your life and be ready for Him to use you in great ways even now.”Seder Leader: Aaronic benediction
‘May Yahweh bless you and keep you!
May Yahweh make His face to shine on you and be gracious to you!
May Yahweh turn His face toward you and grant you shalom!’
Kadesh-The First Cup (Cup of Sanctification)
Seder Leader: “Kadesh”
The first cup is filled and raised (please do NOT drink yet).
Seder Leader: God saw all that He had made, and behold, it was very good. And there was evening and there was
morning, the sixth day. Thus the heavens and the earth were completed, and all their hosts. By the seventh day
God completed His work which He had done, and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had
done. Then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because in it He rested from all His work which God had
created and made. (Genesis 1:31-2:3)
Reader 1: Say, therefore, to the sons of Israel, ‘I am the L ORD , and I will bring you out from under the burdens of
the Egyptians, and I will deliver you from their bondage. I will also redeem you with an outstretched arm and with
great judgments. Then I will take you for My people, and I will be your God; and you shall know that I am
the L ORD your God, who brought you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians. (Exodus 6:6-7)
All: “Blessed are You, LORD our God, King of the universe, Creator of the fruit of the vine.”
Seder Leader: “Blessed are You, LORD our God, King of the universe, who made us holy with His commandments
and favored us, and gave us His holy Sabbath, in love and favor, to be our heritage, as a memorial of the Creation. It
is the foremost day of the holy festivals marking the Exodus from Egypt. For out of all nations You chose us and
made us holy, and You gave us Your holy Sabbath, in love and favor, as our heritage. Blessed are you LORD, Who
sanctifies the Sabbath.”
All: Amen
Seder Leader: “Blessed are You, LORD our God, King of the universe, who chose us from all peoples and exalted us
from all tongues, and sanctified us with His commandments. And you gave to us, Lord our God, with love, appointed
times for gladness, festivals and times for joy. The day of this festival of Matzah, the time of our freedom, is a holy
convocation, a memorial of the Exodus of Egypt. For your chose us and sanctified us from all the nations and the
festivals of your holiness in gladness and in joy you gave us a heritage. Blessed are You LORD, who sanctifies Israel
and the seasons.”
All: “Blessed are You, LORD our God, Master of the universe, who has kept us alive and sustained us
and has brought us to this special time.”
Drink the first cup of wine (cup of sanctification)Urchatz-Ceremonial Hand Washing
Seder leader: “Urchatz”
Who may ascend into the hill of the L ORD ? And who may stand in His
holy place? He who has clean hands and
a pure heart, Who has not lifted up his soul to falsehood
And has not sworn deceitfully. (Psalm 24:3-4)
The Seder leader begins washing & drying the hands of the person to
his left and each person does likewise, passing the water pitcher,
basin, & towel to the left.
Reader 1: Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into His hands, and that He had come forth from
God and was going back to God, got up from supper, and laid aside His garments; and taking a towel, He girded
Himself.
Then He poured water into the basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet and to wipe them with the towel with
which He was girded.
Reader 2: So He came to Simon Peter. He said to Him, “Lord, do You wash my feet?” Jesus answered and said to
him, “What I do you do not realize now, but you will understand hereafter.” Peter said to Him, “Never shall You
wash my feet!” Jesus answered him, “If I do not wash you, you have no part with Me.” Simon Peter said to Him,
“Lord, then wash not only my feet, but also my hands and my head.” Jesus said to him, “He who has bathed needs
only to wash his feet, but is completely clean; and you are clean, but not all of you.” For He knew the one who was
betraying Him; for this reason He said, “Not all of you are clean.”
So when He had washed their feet, and taken His garments and reclined at the table again, He said to them, “Do
you know what I have done to you? (John 13:3-12)
The Passover Seder Plate
Seder Leader: The Seder Plate is the central object of the Passover table. The seder plate has six dishes around a
bowl of salt water where each dish contains a food that is used while telling the story of Passover during the reading
of the Haggadah.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Karpass-Vegetable
Charoset-Sweet mixture of fruit and nuts
Maror-Inedible bitter herb
Chazeret-Bitter herb
Zeroa-Lamb’s shank bone
Beitzah-Hard-boiled egg
Saltwater bowl (on plate or placed in the
middle of the table for everyone to
access)Karpas-Dipping the Vegetables
Seder leader: “Karpas”
All: Let us be grateful that we are redeemed by Jesus and that while tears will
surely come in this life, we have a promise of an eternity free of tears and sorrow.
“Blessed are You, LORD our God, Master of the universe, Creator of the fruit of
the earth.”
Seder leader: Let us keep in mind those who are still currently suffering in this
world. Let us visualize them and then lift up their lives in silent prayer before our
God; the God who hears us and cares for them.
Silently pray for people you know who are currently suffering. Dip the karpas into salt water and eat it.
Yachatz-Breaking the Matzah
Seder Leader: Holds up Matzah Tosh and removes the middle piece of matzah.
So the people took their dough before it was leavened, with their kneading bowls bound up in the clothes on their
shoulders. (Exodus 12:34)
All: For believers in Jesus, this unity speaks of the mystery of the tri-
unity of God in Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
Seder Leader: “Yachatz” and breaks the matzah.
Children must close their eyes or move to another room.
Hide the Afikomen.
All: This is the bread of brokenness which our fathers ate in the land of
Egypt. All who are hungry-let them come and eat. All who are needy let
them come and celebrate the Passover with us.
At this time, please fill your glasses for the second cup of our Seder (cup of deliverance)
Reader 1: “For I will go through the land of Egypt on that night and will strike down all the
firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute
judgments—I am the L ORD .” (Exodus 12:12)
The Four Questions
Traditionally, the youngest child in the family asks or sings the opening question regarding the purpose of the
Passover Seder and then continues with the four questions addressed to the head of the house (or Seder leader).
More than one child can be chosen to share the honor if desired.Youngest Child: Why is this night different from all other nights?
1. Why is it that on all other nights we can eat leavened bread, while on this night we eat only matzah?
Seder Leader: 1. Matzah reminds us that when the Jews left Egypt, they had no time to bake their bread, but
took raw dough and baked it (in the desert sun) into crackers.
Youngest Child:
2. Why is it that on all other nights we eat all kinds of vegetables and herbs, but on this night we have to eat
bitter herbs?
Seder Leader: 2. Maror reminds us of the bitter and cruel way the Pharaoh treated the Jewish people as
slaves in Egypt.
Youngest Child:
3. Why is it that all other nights we don’t dip our vegetables in salt water, but on this night we dip them twice-
karpas into salt water and maror into charoset?
Seder Leader: 3. We dip bitter herbs into Charoset to remind us of the bitterness of our slavery. The chopped
apples and nuts look like clay used to make bricks for Pharaoh’s buildings. We dip parsley in salt water to
remember the tears of our captivity.
Youngest Child:
4. Why is it that on all other nights we eat while sitting upright, but on this night we eat reclining?
Seder Leader: 4. We lean on our pillows to remind us that we are now free and no longer live as slaves.
Maggid-Telling the Passover Story
Reader 1: We were slaves under Pharaoh in Egypt and God set us free with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm.
If the Lord our God has not delivered us from Egypt, we and our children, and our children’s children, might still be
slaves in Egypt to this very day. However, tonight we recount how our God rescued us.
Reader 2: Scripture records that there was a great famine in Canaan where Jacob and his family lived, so the sons of
Jacob traveled to Egypt to purchase food. Joseph, the favored son of Jacob, who had been hated by his brothers
years earlier and sold into slavery, was not abandoned by God. He not only forgave his brothers for their treachery,
but because of the favor and influence he had with Egypt’s Pharaoh, his whole family was welcomed to live in the
land of Egypt and was provided for during the times of famine.
Reader 1: And so our ancestors settled in Goshen and they watched their children grow tall, and their numbers grew
strong. Life was pleasant and secure for many years. But a time came when a Pharaoh rose up who did not know
Joseph, and he grew concerned that there were now more Hebrews than Egyptians living in the Land. Fearing our
strength, he turned against us and made us his slaves.Reader 2: He put taskmasters over our people, forcing us to build his storage cities. Despite the hard work and
exhaustion, our people still grew in numbers. This enraged the Pharaoh even more. So he gave orders that every
Jewish baby boy was to be drowned in the Nile River and thus eventually the entire nation would die!
Reader 1: Our people cried out to the Lord in their distress and He heard our cry. God looked on our pain and heard
our groaning and He remembered His covenant with Abraham, and with Isaac and with Jacob. God looked on His
people and He had great compassion. He raised up Moses, from the tribe of Levi, to lead us out of Egypt and into
the Promised Land.
Reader 2: God appeared to Moses in the burning bush and sent him to Pharaoh to set his people free. Pharaoh
rejected Moses and the God who sent him, not once, but ten times! Pharaoh’s “no’s” were met by ten plagues on
the Egyptians and the gods that they worshipped.
Reader 1: Though protected from the first nine plagues, the Israelites needed God’s special provision to be spared
from the tenth plague, the slaying of the firstborn sons! God told Moses to have each Israelite household sacrifice a
perfect lamb-without spot or blemish-a yearling lamb from among the males. The bones of this lamb were not to be
broken. Eat the meal with urgency, for this is the L ORD ’s Passover. (Exodus 12:11)
Reader 2: With hyssop, the blood of this sacrificial lamb was to be placed on the doorposts of the home where it
was eaten. And God said:
On that night I will pass through the land of Egypt and strike down every firstborn son and firstborn male animal
in the land of Egypt. I will execute judgment against all the gods of Egypt, for I am the L ORD ! (Exodus 12:12)
The children of Israel escaped death in Egypt by applying the shed blood of the paschal lamb to the doorposts of
their homes. The firstborn sons living in the homes that were covered with the blood of the lamb were spared, for
God passed over those who were obedient to His word. This is where we get the name of the holiday: Passover.
Seder Leader:
Spill a drop of wine on your plate as we say each of the 10 plagues.
All:
Water into blood
Frogs
Lice
Flies
Diseased livestock
Boils
Hail
Locusts
Darkness
Slaying of the firstbornThe 3 Symbols of Passover
Seder Leader: Before we share the Cup of Deliverance, we must first explain the meaning of the three main
elements of the Seder: the Passover lamb, the matzah, and the maror.
Reader 3: The Passover Lamb was divine provision for God’s chosen people in ancient Egypt. The sprinkling of the
blood of the lamb on the sides and the top of the doorway into the house was a sign. It symbolized, to the passing
death angel, that God’s redemptive protection applied to the household. And it symbolized, to the occupants, that
they and their firstborn sons must be “passed over” because of the blood. The door represented the house. The
smearing of the blood on the doorposts and lintel with hyssop was an act of cleansing. This act, in effect,
consecrated the houses of the Israelites as altars. The entire ritual signified to the Jews that the shed blood of a
sinless, divinely appointed substitute cleansed their sins and resulted in their being set apart to God. The application
of the blood, as directed, was a demonstration of the Israelites’ faith in God’s promise that He would pass over
them.
Reader 4: The method of preparing and eating the lamb was also significant. God directed that they roast it in the
manner common to nomads, rather than eating it raw, as many of their contemporary pagans ate their sacrificial
meat. They were not to boil the lamb either as instructed in the Torah. Roasting enabled the host to place the lamb
on the table undivided and unchanged in its essential structure and appearance. This method of cooking would have
strengthened the impression of the substitute nature of the lamb: It looked like, and was intended to signify, an
entire animal, rather than just meat.
Reader 3: John called Jesus the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. Jesus was God’s perfect lamb
sacrificed for us. As the people of God applied the blood of the Passover lamb to the doorposts of their homes,
sparing the firstborn sons from death, today we apply the blood of Jesus, God’s lamb, to the doorposts of our hearts
through faith. When we do this, we are forgiven of our sin and are set free to serve the living God.
Reader 4: We eat the matzah, the unleavened bread, as the Israelites did when God took them out of Egypt in haste
and there was no time to wait for their bread to rise. Tonight, we eat matza as a memorial of the events of the night
when they first ate it—the night when God provided deliverance for His people.
Reader 3: The matzah is like our Messiah Jesus, who was without leaven, without sin. The piercing and stripes on
the matzah bring to mind the words of the prophet Isaiah who said of Jesus:
“But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us
peace was upon him, and by his stripes we are healed” (Isaiah 53:5)
Reader 4: This bitter herb or chazeret, reminds us of the embittered life that the Hebrews endured as slaves in
Egypt. The bitter root, maror, reminds us that bitterness goes down to the root of our very being and cannot merely
be topped off. The bitter herbs helps us to recall our former life of slavery and how bitter our lives were before the
Merciful Father delivered us from bondage. We were all slaves to sin and bitterness and we will never know the
sweetness of freedom until we let the Messiah Yeshua uproot the sin in our lives and set us free.Seder Leader: Raise the second cup and recite the following-
All: We bless You, O Lord, our King and our Redeemer. We praise you, O Lord, for not only redeeming our ancestors
from the slavery of Egypt but for sending the ultimate Deliverer in Jesus, who frees us from sin and death. For it is
written, “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him will not
perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16)
All: Blessed are You, O Lord our God, King of the universe, who creates the fruit of the vine.
Drink the 2 nd glass of wine-The Cup of Deliverance
Rachtzah-Netilat Yarayim
Seder Leader: “Rachtzah”
We now wash our hands with a blessing, and it is traditional not to speak until the blessing
over the matzah is said, so as not to interrupt the connection between the two actions,
washing your hands and eating.
Praised are you, Adonai, Lord our God, Ruler of the universe, who has taught us the way of
holiness through commandments, telling us to wash our hands.
The ritual hand-washing elements should be gathered and have three children each carry one (water pitcher, basin,
& towel). The three children will work together to wash and dry each person’ hands as they move around the table
during this ritual in silent reference.
Motzi Matzah-Eating the Matzah
Seder Leader: “Motzi Matza” Pass around pieces of matzah for all to take. Do not eat them yet.
All: Blessed are You, LORD our God, King of the universe, Who sanctified us with His
commandments, and Who brings forth bread from the earth
Please now eat the portion of matzah given to us. Everyone is now free to speak again.
Seder Leader: Matzah is called the “bread of affliction” but it is also called the “bread of
healing” and the “bread of faith”.Maror-Eating the Bitter Herbs
Seder Leader: “Maror” “Chazeret”
They made their lives bitter with harsh labor in brick and mortar and with all
kinds of work in the fields; in all their harsh labor the Egyptians worked them
ruthlessly. (Exodus 1:14)
Place an olive-sized portion of maror on a piece of chazeret or matzah.
All: Blessed are You, LORD our God, King of the universe, Who sanctified us
with His commandments, and commanded us to eat maror and chazeret, the bitter herbs.
Eat after reciting the blessing.
Charoset-Eating the sweet fruit mixture
Seder Leader: “Charoset”
How sweet are your words to my taste,
sweeter than honey to my mouth! (Psalm 119:103)
Eat some of the charoset.
Korekh-Eating the Hillel Sandwich
Seder Leader: “Korekh”
One who is full loathes honeycomb, but to one who is hungry every bitter thing is sweet.
(Proverbs 27:7)
“They are to eat the meat that night, roasted over a fire. With matzot and maror they
are to eat it. (Exodus 12:8).
Combine the bitter herbs (maror) with the sweet charoset and lamb (zero’a) in between two matzah crackers. Eat the
Hillel sandwich.
Shulchan Orekh-Eating the Passover
All: Blessed are You, LORD our God, King of the universe, Who sanctified us with His commandments, and
commanded us to eat the Pesach.
Seder Leader: The holiday meal is now served. It is time to eat. We begin the meal with a hard-boiled egg dipped
into saltwater. So put down your haggadah, lean back, and enjoy delicious food for the
holiday. There is a custom to eat a hard-boiled egg dipped in salt water at the start of
the Passover meal. According to traditions, the egg has a variety of symbolism: to
remind us of the crossing of the Red Sea, the mourning experienced with the
destruction of the Temple in 70 A.D., and as life expected, yet not emerged, the
promise of the coming of Messiah.Beitzah-Eating the Roasted egg
Eat the egg after dipping in salt water.
Partake of the Passover Meal together.
Searching for the Afikoman
Seder Leader: “Tzafun”
After the meal, all the children search for the hidden Afikoman. When the Afikoman is
recovered, the leader gives an appropriate reward to the child who discovered its
hiding place.
Reader 1: While they were eating, Jesus took some bread, and after a blessing, He
broke it and gave it to the disciples, and said, “Take, eat; this is My body.” (Matthew
26:26)
All: Blessed are You, LORD our God, master of the universe. Who brings forth bread from the earth.
The Seder leader unwraps the Afikoman and breaks it into small portions so that everyone present may partake of
it. Eat the Afikoman together.
The Cup of Redemption
The third cup of wine is filled at this time (cup of redemption)
Seder Leader: We now make ourselves ready to partake of the third cup, the Cup of Redemption.
Before drinking, we recite-
All: Blessed are You, LORD our God, King of the universe, Creator of the fruit of the vine.
Seder Leader: Throughout the Hebrew Scriptures the cup is often used as a symbol of God’s judgment. For example,
the cup of fury, the cup of judgment, the cup of trembling and the cup of horror and desolation appear throughout
the Hebrew Bible. Yet we also find the Psalmist crying out, “I will take up the cup of salvation, and call upon the
name of the Lord” (Psalm 116:13). So, the symbol of the cup carries with it pictures of both wrath and redemption,
of judgment and blessing. God poured out His judgment on the Egyptians but spared the Israelites who obeyed Him
by placing the blood of a lamb on the doorposts of their homes.
Reader 1: “The day is coming,” says the LORD “when I will make a new covenant with the people of Israel and
Judah. This covenant will not be like the one I made with their ancestors when I took them by the hand and
brought them out of the land of Egypt. They broke that covenant, though I loved them as a husband loves his
wife,” says the LORD. “But this is the new covenant I will make with the people of Israel after those days,” says
the LORD. “I will put my instructions deep within them, and I will write them on their hearts. I will be their God,
and they will be my people. And they will not need to teach their neighbors, nor will they need to teach their
relatives, saying, ‘You should know the Lord.’ For everyone, from the least to the greatest, will know me already,”
says the LORD. “And I will forgive their wickedness, and I will never again remember their sins.” (Jeremiah 31:31-
34)Reader 2: Yet it was the will of the LORD to crush him; he has put him to grief; when his soul makes an offering for
guilt, he shall see his offspring; he shall prolong his days; the will of the Lord shall prosper in his hand. Out of the
anguish of his soul he shall see and be satisfied; by his knowledge shall the righteous one, my servant, make many
to be accounted righteous, and he shall bear their iniquities. (Isaiah 53:10-11)
Reader 3: He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world. (1 John
2:2)
Reader 4: And when He had taken a cup and given thanks, He gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of
you; for this is My blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for forgiveness of sins. (Matthew 26:27-28)
All: “Blessed are You, LORD, King of the universe, Who nourishes the whole world in
goodness, with grace, kindness, and compassion. You give bread to all flesh, for Your mercy
endures forever. And through Your great goodness we have never lacked, nor will we lack
food forever, for the sake of Your great Name. For You are the God who nourishes and
sustains all, and does good to all, and prepares food for all Your creatures which You created.
Blessed are You, Adonai, Who nourishes all.” Amen.
Close your eyes and hold this cup in your hands. Open your eyes and drink the third cup of wine (cup of redemption)
Hallel-Offering Praise
All: I will not die but live,
and will proclaim what the Lord has done.
The Lord has chastened me severely,
but he has not given me over to death.
Open for me the gates of the righteous;
I will enter and give thanks to the Lord.
This is the gate of the Lord
through which the righteous may enter.
I thank you for answering my prayer
and giving me victory!
The stone the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone;
the Lord has done this,
and it is marvelous in our eyes.
The Lord has done it this very day;
let us rejoice today and be glad.
Lord, save us!
Lord, grant us success!
Bless the one who comes in the name of the Lord.
We bless you from the house of the Lord.
The Lord is God, shining upon us.
Take the sacrifice and bind it with cords on the altar.
You are my God, and I will praise you!
You are my God, and I will exalt you!
Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good!
His faithful love endures forever. (Psalm 118:17-29)Sing another worship song of your choosing.
The Fourth Cup. The Cup of Praise (Cup of Restoration)
Fill the fourth cup of wine (cup of restoration)
Reader 1: Behold, I am going to send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and
terrible day of the L ORD . (Malachi 4:5)
Reader 2: Everyone will sit under their own vine and under their own fig tree, and no one will
make them afraid, for the LORD Almighty has spoken. (Micah 4:4)
Seder Leader: Messiah knew the world was not ready for Him to establish the kingdom of God at the time of His last
observance of the Passover Supper. He knew then that He would return a second time. Therefore, He promised His
disciples that He would drink the Cup of Restoration with them in the future when He would return in triumph
accompanied by his holy ones.
Some children can gather at the front door while the others gather at the back door. The children open each door to
see if Jesus will return. The first group begins by shouting the following-
Children Group 1: “MARANATHA!”
Children Group 2: “COME LORD JESUS!”
Children Group 1: “MARANATHA!”
Children Group 2: “COME LORD JESUS!”
Children Group 1: “MARANATHA!”
Children Group 2: “COME LORD JESUS!”
Seder Leader: I shall lift up the cup of salvation
And call upon the name of the L ORD . (Psalm 116:13)
All: And I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse, and He who sat on
it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and wages war. His eyes are a
flame of fire, and on His head are many diadems; and He has a name written on Him which no one knows except
Himself. He is clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God. And the armies which
are in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, were following Him on white horses. From His mouth comes
a sharp sword, so that with it He may strike down the nations, and He will rule them with a rod of iron; and He
treads the wine press of the fierce wrath of God, the Almighty. And on His robe and on His thigh He has a name
written, “KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.” (Revelation 19:11-16)
All: Blessed are You, LORD our God, King of the universe, Creator of the fruit of the vine.Reader 1: For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with
the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up
together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord. (1
Thessalonians 4:16-17)
Reader 2: I want you to know, I will not drink this wine again until that day when we are together in my Father’s
kingdom and the wine is new. Then I will drink it again with you.” (Matthew 26:29)
Leave the fourth cup full without drinking it. It can then be poured out in belief and comradery of the return of Jesus
and the coming wedding banquet of the Lamb.
Nirtzah-Conclusion of the Seder
Seder Leader: Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth passed away, and
there is no longer any sea. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, made
ready as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne, saying, “Behold, the
tabernacle of God is among men, and He will dwell among them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself
will be among them, and He will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there will no longer
be any death; there will no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain; the first things have passed away.”
(Revelation 21:1-4)
Closing blessing and song
Sing the worship song of your choice.