The Lamb

I knew I wanted to do a Passover dinner this year, but was really overwhelmed until a friend sent me this link from Ann Voskamp's blog.  She is a beautiful writer, and I am so thankful for the Christian Passover meal she shares in her writing.

The kids were a little restless at this young age, but Hunter loved getting to participate by asking the 4 questions.

Why are we eating matzah tonight?

And as I began to break it, he pleaded "Don't break it, mommy!  It's like breaking Jesus' heart!"  But I did break it as I told him, tonight we eat matzah to remember Jesus.  To remember that "by his stripes we are healed."  I remind him that Jesus' body was broken for us, so we break the matzah in rememberance of Him.

So we move on and he asks, Why are we eating bitter herbs?

To remember that long ago the Israelites were in bondage, slaves of Pharoah.  But today someone has paid the price for us so that we no longer live in bondage to our sin.  We remember that Jesus was our sacrificial Lamb, absorbing all of our sin on the cross.

Why do we dip our herbs twice?

The Israelites dipped branches in lamb's blood to mark their doors in order to be passed over by the angel of death, coming to destroy Pharoah's people. And as they did so, they wept over their life of slavery in Egypt. But we have hope. Our Lamb's blood marks new life and hope for us...freedom from sin and death.

Why are we eating this meal reclining?

 "Because the Passover Lamb has brought our freedom." We recline as Jesus did with his disciples the night before his death. We remember his body and his blood, just as he told us to.

Thank you, Jesus, that you are our Passover Lamb.  We are filled with hope for the future because you became the sacrifice for us.  Your blood has set us free.