The Seder Supper
THURSDAY, MARCH 28
6:30pm
RSVP Required (due to limited space)
6:30pm
RSVP Required (due to limited space)
Register to immerse yourself into an ancient meal that remembers the salvation of God by delivering His people in Exodus. Join us as we walk through Jesus' teaching on that night he was betrayed. Ultimately, we celebrate the fulfillment of the Passover in His saving work on the cross and through His resurrection.
Some Questions You Might Have
If you have never been to a Seder Supper, you are in for a great experience of ancient traditions, food, and symbols that all point to the saving work of God toward His people. If you have any questions, please let us know.
What is a Seder Meal?
The Seder Supper is a meal celebrated every year by people of the Jewish faith which symbolically, through food, prayers and actions, retells the night of liberation of the Jews from Pharaoh in Egypt. This meal retells the night the Angel of Death "passed-over" the houses marked with the blood of the lamb. It was this meal that Jesus and his disciples were eating the night Jesus was arrested, the day referred to by Christians as Maundy Thursday.
Why is there a Seder ever year?
This meal is repeated every year, in the same way, because God told the people to repeat it every year. The custom of retelling the deliverance from Egypt through a meal comes straight from Scripture: "Tell your children of that day, saying 'It is because of what the Lord did that I came forth from Egypt." (Exodus 13:8) But in retelling their story of liberation, the Jewish people were to do more than just enjoy a good meal and hear an old story. Through participating in this very special ritual of eating and praying together, each person at the meal was to "look on it as though he or she themselves had come forth from Egypt."(The Passover Haggadah, by N.Glatzer) This meal, very literally, was to extend that liberation from Egypt to each person who ate, each year, even if they lived generations later.
What food is served at a Seder Supper?
Each dish at the Seder Supper carries a deeper meaning in connection with the Passover event. Here are the traditional foods and what they point to:
Zeroah: a lamb’s shankbone symbolizing the ancient Passover sacrifice. Some modern Jews substitute in a chicken’s bone.
Haroset: a sweet dish made from apples, spices and nuts. When the Jewish people taste Haroset, they remember the Israelites used mortar to make bricks in Egypt.
Unleavened bread: When Jews taste the unleavened bread, they are reminded that God’s people left Egypt so quickly that they could not wait for the bread to rise.
Karpas (parsley) dipped in salt water: Dipping a sprig of Karpas in salt water reminds Jews of the tears cried by God’s people when they were in captivity as slaves. The sprig of a green vegetable (typically Parsley) represents spring.
Mar’or: a bitter herb, like horseradish, that reminds the Jewish people of the bitterness of life as a slave.
Beitzah (roasted egg): Tasting a roasted egg reminds the Jews of the sacrifices they offered to God for their sins.
Wine / Grape juice: Represents the redemption of the Israelites that made their freedom from slavery possible.
Zeroah: a lamb’s shankbone symbolizing the ancient Passover sacrifice. Some modern Jews substitute in a chicken’s bone.
Haroset: a sweet dish made from apples, spices and nuts. When the Jewish people taste Haroset, they remember the Israelites used mortar to make bricks in Egypt.
Unleavened bread: When Jews taste the unleavened bread, they are reminded that God’s people left Egypt so quickly that they could not wait for the bread to rise.
Karpas (parsley) dipped in salt water: Dipping a sprig of Karpas in salt water reminds Jews of the tears cried by God’s people when they were in captivity as slaves. The sprig of a green vegetable (typically Parsley) represents spring.
Mar’or: a bitter herb, like horseradish, that reminds the Jewish people of the bitterness of life as a slave.
Beitzah (roasted egg): Tasting a roasted egg reminds the Jews of the sacrifices they offered to God for their sins.
Wine / Grape juice: Represents the redemption of the Israelites that made their freedom from slavery possible.
What about my kids?
The Seder Supper is designed for kids to take part. In fact, there are even places where children fulfill parts of the teaching and learning actively. At the same time, we invite kiddos 4 & under to take part in a special environment we create for them to learn in age-appropriate groups.