By the time Christianity reached the shores of merry ol' England, the Church had already lost much of its Old Testament Hebraic roots. It is sadly understandable how the Church could equate the resurrection and new life with an already practiced pagan spring festival of new life and fertility. It made the message more palatable to the masses, but this compromise allowed pagan practices to continue which diluted the faith. The Church allowed the incorporation of pagan fertility symbols of brightly-colored Easter eggs and rabbits, while adding the custom of preparing yeast-raised, hot cross buns to be eaten on Good Friday ... apparently oblivious that this is the Feast of Unleavened Bread when one eats flat matza without yeast!

This process of incorporating pagan symbols into the Church while cutting away its Hebraic roots was prevalent throughout Church history. Thus, all kinds of distortions of interpretation crept into the Church's understanding of Scripture, particularly when it incorporated pagan cultures which compromised the original meaning.

Concerning the Passover - Last Supper connection, the severing of that relationship goes back to the early days of the Church. From the 2nd century AD, some of the early Church Fathers made pronouncements against the Jews and opposed Christians participating in the celebration of Passover. For instance, Ignatius, Bishop of Antioch, spoke of the Passover in this way, "If anyone celebrates the Passover along with the Jews or receives emblems of their feast, he is a partaker with those who killed the Lord and His apostles." It is this kind of teaching which perpetrated Christian anti-Semitism. It is vital that we make sure this kind of thinking is not in our subconscious, as we come to learn of the Passover.

Let us not make the same error. As we study Passion Week and the remembrance of the Last Supper, the event in time when we Christians received the institution of the Communion from Yeshua (Jesus) Himself, we need to re-examine our roots: "On the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, the disciples came to Jesus and asked, 'Where do You want us to make preparations for You to eat the Passover?' He replied, 'Go into the city to a certain man and tell him, 'The Teacher says: My appointed time is near. I am going to celebrate the Passover with My disciples at your house.' So the disciples did as Jesus had directed them and prepared the Passover" (Mt. 26:17-19).

When we consider the New Testament references, we discover something quite different from what the early Church Fathers taught regarding the keeping of the biblical feasts. We see that Yeshua and all His disciples kept the festivals. They apparently not only kept the major pilgrimage festivals, but it seems Yeshua Himself even kept the lesser non-Biblical festivals like Hanukkah, or the Feast of Dedication (Jn. 10:22). In the Scripture, we learn that Yeshua "desired" to keep the Passover with His disciples (Lk. 22:15). Later on in Christian tradition, we hear the Apostle Paul charging Gentile Christians to "keep the feast" (I Cor. 5:8). Paul himself clearly kept the Jewish festivals and on one occasion sought to arrive in Jerusalem for the Feast of Pentecost (Acts 20:16).

The purpose of these biblical feasts was to help the people of God keep the miracle stories of God alive and remembered. They can still serve as learning tools for us today. So, let us examine and compare the Feasts of Israel in relation to the Passion Week of Yeshua and Pentecost, in order to discover the deeper meaning behind these significant events in the Church, particularly the communion, as we look at them from a Hebraic perspective.

The Passover And Christians

In recent years, Christians have had an increasing interest in this ancient celebration. This may be surprising when we consider Christian history and the continual efforts to put a wedge between the Church and the Jewish people, with some "New Testament Christians," even today, disregarding the Old Testament as a message from the past that has no value to Christianity. Interestingly, Yeshua Himself spoke on this matter and said, "Do not think I have come to destroy the Law and the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them, but to fulfill them" (Mt. 5:17-18). Yeshua's appearance on earth was within a historical context, in fulfillment of God's redemptive plan, which promised the means for the salvation of the world. Often, we Christians interpret Yeshua and His message out of context, thereby losing much understanding.

The rift between Christianity and its Jewish roots began shortly after the destruction of the Temple in 70 AD and the end of Jewish sovereignty in Jerusalem. A deep rivalry and suspicion began to develop between Gentile Church leaders and the Jewish people. Moves were made in the early Church to discredit Judaism and usurp Judaism's position as a legal religion in the Roman Empire; a right not granted to Christianity. This happened in spite of the fact that from the very beginning of Christianity, Judaism and Jewish believers in Yeshua had played a crucial role in the development of the infant Church.

An example of this rivalry and suspicion can be seen in the controversy over the date of celebrating Resurrection Sunday. In the early years of the Church, this day had been rightly celebrated according to the Jewish lunar calendar in conjunction with the week of Passover. However, at the Council of Nicea in 325 A.D., the Church chose a new method of dating the celebration, cutting it away from its Hebraic roots.

Paul, in Romans and Ephesians, makes it clear that we Christians have a shared covenant with Israel. In Romans 11:16-24, Paul talks about the wild olive branches being grafted among the natural branches into the olive tree that grows out of a holy root. The root is the Messiah, the Word of God, which is holy and provides the sap that nourishes the branches (v. 18). The tree is the covenants and promises made to Israel. Israel is the natural branches, and the Church is the wild branches sanctified by the sap and grafted into the covenants and promises, being joint-heirs with Israel. We "become a partaker with them of the root and fatness of the olive tree," which God established. We are a part of something that pre-existed the Church, the Jewish people, of whom Paul tells us to honor and bless (Rom. 11:18). (See chapter 1)

In Ephesians, the apostle says that we were once "aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world" (Eph. 2:12). Now, however, "in Christ Jesus we are made near by the blood" of the Lamb (v. 13). We are no longer "strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and of the household of God." (v. 19).

As Christians, we now share in the covenants, the promises, the festivals - and yes, even the Passover. We now have the privilege of sharing all these festivals with Israel. There are books in your Christian bookstore on how Christians can celebrate and appreciate the lessons of the biblical feasts, which you can use at home. However, for a more meaningful experience, joining a Passover seder meal with a Jewish family or at a local synagogue can be very enlightening. Christians can gain much from this experience as we learn of God's faithfulness to the Children of Israel as He brought them out of Egypt. While there are many lessons for Christians to learn from celebrating Jewish holidays, it is also important to let Jewish people define their own holidays for us. Some Christians object that the Passover and other Levitical feasts have no significance for New Testament believers. However, this is clearly not the case as we see in Leviticus 23:21. The Passover as well as the other pilgrim festivals are described as "statutes forever." We see a confirmation of this in Zechariah 14:16, where it is said that the nations will someday come to Jerusalem to celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles. Even Yeshua said regarding the Passover cup, that He would someday drink of it anew with His disciples in His Father's kingdom (Mk. 14:25).

Preparations For The Passover

Let's look at the order of the Passover more closely. The week of Passover actually encompasses three Feasts of Israel mentioned in Leviticus 23: Passover (Pesach), Unleavened Bread, and First Fruits. A Passover meal is eaten on the eve of the first day of Passover. This meal is referred to as the "seder." In Hebrew, the word "seder" means "order." In modern Hebrew, we often hear the word "beseder" for OK. It literally means, "in order." The Passover meal is organized in stages to insure that all the elements of the Passover blessings, recognition of the Passover foods and symbols, and the retelling of the story of the exodus of the Children of Israel from Egypt, are included. The "seder" was established over 3,500 years ago and has not changed appreciably in the past 2,000 years, to insure that the story of what God did for His people was passed on from generation to generation, according to the injunction to do so in Exodus 13:8.

There is not only an order in eating the meal, but also in the manner of preparation for the Passover. In Matthew 26:17-19, Yeshua sent His disciples to make preparation for their last Passover meal together. What kind of preparation was necessary? Actually, the preparation for Passover is quite involved and can go on for days preceding the holiday. It involves, first of all, a thorough cleaning of the house, especially the kitchen, and all areas related to food service. During this festival week, only "matza" (unleavened bread) can be eaten and all leaven must be purged from your house. After all cleaning is finished, a symbolic search for that last remaining crumb of "chametz" (leaven) is conducted by the father and his sons on the day before Passover. He searches the house with a candle, brushes up that last remaining bit of leaven with a feather, and then destroys it.

Throughout Israel, for the whole feast period of Passover and Unleavened Bread, grocery stores will not sell leavened items of any kind. All this is in response to the command, "For seven days no yeast (leavening) is to be found in your houses. And whoever eats anything with yeast in it must be cut off from the community of Israel, whether he is a stranger or native-born...Wherever you live you must eat unleavened bread" (Ex. 12:19, 20b). When the Jewish people refrain from eating food with leavening and only eat matza for seven days, they are physically reminded of the meaning of leavening and the need to purge it. It leaves a lasting impression.

As Christians, this preparation should teach us many lessons. There is a spiritual preparation which is surely reflected here. The Apostle Paul in I Corinthians 5:7-8 challenges us to, "Purge out the old leaven, that you might be a new lump, as you are unleavened. For even Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us: Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness; but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth."

In the Bible, leaven represents evil and wickedness. The clear point is that God wants evil out of our lives. The Gospel not only brings salvation but also sanctification (purification). The latter is a process which must go on every day of our lives.It is in this vein that Paul speaks concerning the manner in which we should take communion, "A man ought to examine himself before he eats of the bread and drinks of the cup" (I Cor. 11:28).

There is another matter of spiritual preparation which we need to make for the Passover. In Leviticus 23:8 it is commanded that no servile work may be done on the Passover. In other words, no burdens may be borne on this or the other pilgrimage festivals. When we celebrate Passover, we should pray at the beginning that God may lift heavy burdens from the hearts of the celebrants. After all, Passover is the festival of our freedom - freedom from the slavery and drudgery of sin. We should especially invite the Spirit to be present, because the Bible says that "where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty" (II Cor. 3:17). Traditionally, celebrants may assume a relaxed pose and even recline on pillows, signifying that they are no longer slaves but free people.

Lighting Of The Festival Candles

On Passover eve, one of the first responsibilities is the lighting of the Festival candles. The Festival candles are lit and blessed by the woman of the house. This custom has probably been carried down in tradition as a reminder of the great Menorah which once stood in the Temple. In that sense, the candles may well represent the Holy Spirit, God's presence both in the Temple, and in the Church. As Christians, we need to reflect that it was a woman, Mary, who gave birth to Yeshua, the Light of the World.

The Passover Foods Along with the spiritual preparation is the physical preparation. Our God is a "show and tell" God. Therefore, this meal is a special meal with specific foods that remind us of the many miracles God performed when He delivered the Israelites from the land of Egypt. This helps in the retelling of the Exodus story from one generation to the next. Along with the special foods, there is also a banquet for this celebration for freedom. An elder of the family usually presides over the seder meal to keep it moving through the retelling of the Exodus story, leading the prayers, explaining the food elements, and making sure nothing is forgotten.

In the Second Temple period, the people generally ate foods locally grown in the land of Israel. While there was trade and some imported food was available, it was expensive and not affordable to most. However, on a special occasion such as this, some imported spices would certainly have been used. Local foods were served at a first century Passover meal: dried fruits: e.g. figs, raisins, dates, dried apricots; vegetables: carrots, cucumbers, celery, parsley; olives and pickles; nuts: almonds, walnuts, and carob; stuffed grape leaves; roasted eggs; honey; rice with pine nuts; lamb stew, called the sop; olive oil; unleavened bread; diluted wine.

On the seder table, there is a seder plate with various foods. Some are eaten and others are there to remind the participants to recount the entire miraculous Exodus event.

The Four Cups Of Wine

There are four cups of diluted sweet wine that are drunk during the meal as the story unfolds.

The first cup, drunk at the beginning of the meal, is called the Cup of Sanctification. The second cup is the Cup of Judgment, drunk during the reciting of the story of the Exodus at the place where the plagues are recited. (Blood - Frogs - Lice - Flies - Cattle Disease - Boils - Hail - Locust - Darkness - Death of the First-born). As each plague is mentioned, the people dip in their finger and take out a drop of wine, because a full cup represents fullness of joy, and no one should be joyful over the judgments that befell the Egyptians - The third cup is the Cup of Redemption, drunk after the meal, and - The fourth cup is called the Cup of Praise, drunk at the end of the whole meal, after a time of singing the Hallel Psalms 115-118. It is a time of celebration over God's deliverance from bondage and sin. In addition to the names and timing of these four cups, they are based on the four "I wills" of Exodus 6:6-7, and each of these four cups has a name associated with it. In order, these four cups are called: 1) The Cup of Sanctification, "I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians...," 2) The Cup of Judgment, "I will rid you out of their bondage...," The Cup of Redemption, "I will redeem you with a outstretched arm...," and, The Cup of Praise, "I will take you to Me for a people." Before drinking each of these cups, a traditional Hebrew blessing is said: Ba-ruch A-ta A-do-nai El-ohei-nu Me-lek ha-o-lam bo-ree pree ha-ga-fen. This means, "Blessed art Thou, O Lord our God, King of the universe, Who created the fruit of the vine."

In the Hebrew culture, one's eyes are open looking up to heaven to thank God who is our Creator and Provider.At every Passover meal, there was a cup set on the table for the hoped-for Elijah, who would come in fulfillment of prophecy and reveal the Messiah. This made the Passover meal the occasion of Messianic expectation.

Matzah (Unleavened Bread)

Matzah is the unleavened bread. Leavening represents sin, and during this entire Passover week, all foods containing leavening must be purged out of the house. As Christians, we can see that Yeshua's unleavened, sinless life is an example for our lives. In the seder story, what does the matzah represent? It means that the dough of our fathers did not have opportunity to become leavened before the King of Kings, the Holy One, Blessed is He, revealed Himself to them and redeemed them. As it is said, "And they baked unleavened cakes of the dough which they brought forth out of Egypt, for it was not leavened, because they were thrust out of Egypt and could not tarry, neither had they made any provision for themselves" (Ex. 12:39).

Today, matzah is striped and pierced for fast baking to ensure no leavening occurs. On the Passover table, there are three special matzot wrapped in a white cloth. These have a very special meaning, which I will discuss under the heading of the Afikomen. As is the custom with the wine, there is a traditional Hebrew blessing said for the bread: Ba-ruch A-ta A-do-nai El-o-hei-nu, Melek Ha-olam, Ha-Motzi Le-chem min Ha-aretz which means, "Blessed art Thou, O Lord our God, King of the universe, Who brings forth bread from the earth."

Interestingly, when Yeshua instituted the Communion, the blessings He said over the wine and the bread would have been exactly these two blessings.

Shankbone of a Lamb

The shankbone represents the Passover Lamb. On the afternoon of the night when the Angel of Death visited Egypt, the Israelites were told to kill a lamb without spot or blemish and sprinkle its blood on the doorposts and lintels over their door. When the Angel of Death saw the blood of the lamb, it passed by this house, and all who were inside were spared the horror of the death of the firstborn of that household. Those who did not do this suffered the loss of their firstborn. The promise was for all who obeyed the instructions given to Moses. Therefore, there may have been some God-fearing Egyptians who were spared if they too participated. Likewise, if some Hebrews disregarded these instructions, then the Angel of Death was sure to have visited their homes. Believing and implementing God's Word into our lives carries with it the promise of blessing or cursing and should be taken very seriously.

Maror (Bitter Herbs)

The bitter herbs (usually horseradish) which are eaten, remind us of the bitter life and bondage in Egypt. For Christians, it can also remind us of the bitterness of sin. The leader raises the bitter herbs and says, "This bitter herb which we eat, what does it mean? Because the Egyptians embittered the lives of our fathers in Egypt, as it is said, 'They embittered their lives with hard bondage, in mortar and brick, and with all work in the field. All their work was imposed upon them with rigor'"(Ex. 1:14).

Today, there are many in the Church who seem to feel that it is permissible to go back to "Egypt" (back into sin) occasionally. They feel they can somehow sin without reaping the bitterness. Here, during the meal, everyone has the opportunity to taste what "Egypt" is really like. Truly, you don't want to go back to Egypt.

Charoset

This is a sweet paste of chopped apples, nuts, raisins, cinnamon and sweet wine or grape juice. It is to remind us of the clay with which we once made bricks in Egypt. Its sweetness can also remind us that even while we made bricks in bondage, yet the Lord was with us. His presence brought some sweetness into a difficult situation.

Karpas (Greens)

Parsley or celery is dipped into a small bowl of saltwater and eaten. This can remind us of several things: 1) the springtime when the Passover is celebrated, 2) the hyssop which was used to splash the blood of the Passover Lamb over the doorposts and lintels on the night of Israel's deliverance, and 3) the dipping of the greens in salt water gives us a taste of what it was like to cross the Red Sea with the people of Israel, who went in as a people and came out on the other side as a nation. It was a type of mikvah, or baptism. It can also give us a taste of the tears we shed when we lived in Egypt (or in sin).

The Roasted Egg

The egg is a later addition to the seder plate. Some say it is a reminder of the destruction of the Temple, as it replaces the shankbone of the lamb which is not present, since there is no sacrifice in the Temple today. Others say the egg represents the Jewish people, who despite severe persecution in exile, have survived as a people for 4,000 years. The egg is the only food that gets harder the more you cook it, just like the Jewish people around the world who have survived as a people, even under great pressures.

The Afikomen (Dessert)

I want us to look more closely at the matzah, the unleavened bread, which is striped and pierced to insure swift baking. While there is plenty of matzah to eat during the meal, there is a ceremonial stack of three matzot which represent the following: 1) The top piece, God the Creator in Heaven, 2) The bottom piece, Humanity down on earth, and 3) The middle piece, the Mediating Priest. At the beginning of the meal when the matzah is blessed, the middle piece (representing the mediating priest) is taken from the stack, blessed, broken, wrapped in a white cloth, and hidden away until after the meal. It is called the Afikomen, a Greek word literally meaning "dessert." The children of the house search for this hidden matzah after the meal. The elder of the house redeems it with a small gift or coin from the child who finds it. It is then blessed and eaten with the third cup of wine, the Cup of Redemption.

For the Christian, the Afikomen is a beautiful and strikingly clear picture of Yeshua. The matzah represents Messiah and His unleavened or sinless life. There was absolutely nothing in Him to puff Him up. On one occasion the Lord said, "the Prince of this world comes, but he has nothing in Me" (Jn. 14:30). Sin causes us to be "puffed up" (I Cor. 5:2). This is particularly obvious in sins such as pride, vanity, and vainglory. There was none of this in Yeshua. The matzah is also striped and pierced. The Scripture says that "with His stripes we are healed" (Isa. 53:5), and we also know that Yeshua was pierced (Ps. 22:16; Isa. 53:15).

Just as the Afikomen, representing the mediating priest, is broken, wrapped in a white cloth and hidden away until after the meal, this reminds us of how our Lord, who is also the mediating priest, was also wrapped and hidden away in the tomb for three days after His death.

Passover and the communion

For Christians, it is significant that it was this portion of bread, the Afikomen, that Yeshua blessed and gave to His disciples when instituting the new covenant sacrament of Communion. I believe this is why Yeshua said, "I have eagerly desired to eat this passover with you before I suffer" (Lk. 22:15). We read in Matthew 26:26, that "While they were eating, Yeshua took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to His disciples, saying, 'Take and eat; this is My body."'

Interestingly, it is also at this place in the seder meal when the third cup of wine, the Cup of Redemption, is blessed and drunk.The third cup of the Passover is called the Cup of Redemption, for God says, "I will redeem you with an outstretched arm" (Ex. 6:6). We can now understand how this promise had a greater fulfillment when Yeshua was crucified. His arms were outstretched and nailed to the cross. His precious blood was shed for all mankind, so that through His sacrifice, we all can have forgiveness of sins and salvation. Then truly the Angel of Death will pass over our lives, because of the blood of the Lamb, Messiah Yeshua. John the Baptist said, "Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world" (Jn. 1:29).

We read in Matthew 26:27-28 that Yeshua "...took the cup, gave thanks and offered it to them, saying, 'Drink from it, all of you. This is My blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins."' The Apostle Paul says of this bread and of this cup, "For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until He comes" (I Cor. 11:26).

It should be noted with interest, that Judas left the meal to go and betray Yeshua prior to the institution of the new covenant. In accordance with the seder, the disciples and Yeshua sang a hymn and went out to the Garden of Gethsemane where Yeshua was betrayed by Judas and arrested. Yeshua was tried, crucified, buried and resurrected. We, as believers in Messiah Yeshua, can rejoice all the more, since as adopted sons of Abraham, we can commemorate not only the first Passover and celebrate this festival of freedom, but we can also commemorate a second Passover, when Yeshua, the Lamb of God, gave Himself as a sacrifice for us, was buried and rose again, having conquered death so that we might have life everlasting in the Kingdom of God.

This celebration is what we do each time we take communion. But, in taking communion, how many of us really consider the fuller implications of the first Passover and what transpired during Passover week when Yeshua instituted the communion as a new covenant for us? For me, knowing this background makes the communion so much more meaningful.

The First Century Passover Table: Where Did The Disciples Sit At The Last Supper?

You would not necessarily think it important to consider the table setting of the Last Supper or where the disciples sat. However, just the converse is true. If we understand this, it explains why certain things we read about in the Last Supper narratives were said and done.

First, we need to consider the table setting itself. The Passover meal was a celebration of the Exodus and it was required to eat this meal in a manner usually reserved for the wealthy. That is to recline around the table, enjoying one's freedom in the Land. It would be impossible to recline around a table such as we eat at today. However, we do know that they ate around a U-shaped table, called a triclinium. It is placed low on the floor to allow for the people around it to recline on their left side while eating with their right hand. Everyone is facing the same direction around the table, often making it hard to speak to those behind you.

When looking at the triclinium, the left arm is the place of the most important guests, the cross arm is the place of the fairly important guests, and on the right arm we find the less important people, with the last seat on the end being called the Servant's Seat. If there were no servants present to serve the meal, then the person in the Servant's Seat had the job of waiting on those who had need of more food or drink.

As with any table arrangement, certain seats had special functions, such as the last seat being the Servant's Seat. On the most important left arm, the second seat was that of the host. It was the custom that the first seat on the end was that of a trusted friend of the host. Why? This person helped protect the host, who might be a king or an important official. If someone tried to poison the host, the friend in seat #1, who would eat first, tested the food. Likewise, if someone charged into the room to throw a spear or dagger to kill the host, then the friend in seat #1 would be struck as his body protected the chest of the host. Seat #3 is the traditional seat of the most honored guest at the banquet. Therefore, the right and left hand of the host were considered important places. This is why John's mother made a request of Yeshua, "Grant that one of these two sons of mine may sit at Your right and the other at Your left in Your kingdom" (Mt. 20:21).

Reading the Gospel narratives and knowing what went on at the Last Supper, my friend and colleague, Dr. James Fleming of Biblical Resources, has speculated as to which disciples may have sat in which seats. It is obvious that Yeshua was seated in seat #2, as He was the host. We also know that John was in seat #1, because John 13:23 tells us that John, "the disciple whom Yeshua loved," was reclining next to Him. But, on which side? We know it was the right side because Peter motioned to John to ask Yeshua who was the one who would betray Him. The Bible tells us of John, "Leaning back against Yeshua, he asked Him, 'Lord, who is it?'" (Jn. 13:25). Around a triclinium, the only way to talk with the person behind you was to lean backwards. Since the custom was always to recline on your left side, that places John on the right of Yeshua.

So, who is seated in seat #3? It is speculated that this was the seat of Judas. When Yeshua responded to John's question as to who would be the betrayer, Yeshua said, "He who has dipped his hand in the dish with Me, will betray Me" (Mt. 26:23). Since everyone ate from common bowls, you would dip with people beside you. If John was on Yeshua's right hand, then obviously the only other candidate would be the person on Yeshua's left. But, why would Yeshua place Judas, of all people, in the seat of the most honored guest? Why not Peter, who was one of the inner circle and who had helped John prepare the room for the Passover? Perhaps it was Yeshua's way of saying to Judas, "I already know what you have done to betray Me, but I still want you to know that while I may hate your sin and betrayal, I still love you." This gesture of kindness must have deeply saddened Judas, the betrayer. His remorse at his betrayal of the One who loved him is probably why Judas went out and killed himself.

So, where is Peter? After all, he did help John prepare the triclinium room for the Passover, and he was one of the inner circle. Well, it is speculated that Peter was sitting in the last seat, the Servant's Seat. There are three good reasons to suggest this.

First, we know about Peter's impetuous personality. After he and John worked all day to prepare the room, when Yeshua and the disciples arrived, Peter surely thought he would be placed in one of the honored seats. Yeshua placed John to His right. But then, Peter was probably shocked to hear Yeshua ask Judas to sit at His left.

Impetuous Peter, feeling slighted, probably wanted to make a point. I can just hear Peter mumbling to himself, "I'll go sit in the lowliest seat, the Servant's Seat, and see what the Master will do. I remember Yeshua teaching us about humility and telling us: 'When we go to a banquet, don't sit in the high seats where you may be asked to move to a lowly seat and be dishonored. Rather, go sit in a lowly seat and wait to be asked to move up and thereby be honored!'" Stomping around the table to the last seat at the triclinium, Peter must have thought, "Surely, Yeshua will perceive my loyalty and devotion to Him and change my seat to a more honorable position nearer to Him." He then must have reclined in the last seat, looking uncomfortably at Yeshua with anticipation, hopeful that he would be moved. He was not moved.

There is a second indication that Peter was in this seat, because it would have been this person's job to carry around the basin and water to wash the hands of the guests. Whether this occurred or not is not recorded. However, Yeshua did something very unusual, with regard to washing, to make a point.

Always being the Teacher, Yeshua used this opportunity to teach His disciples about being a servant by His example. He got up and took the basin and towel and started to wash the feet of the disciples. Peter then realized his error in not washing everyone's hands in the beginning of the meal, and was grieved when he saw the Lord's selflessness when he was so selfish. We know that the last person Yeshua came to was Peter who immediately objected, because he was so humiliated by his error. The conversation in John 13:6-9 records their exchange:

Peter: "Lord, are you going to wash my feet?" Yeshua replies: "You do not yet realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand." Peter then declares, as His servant: "No, you shall never wash my feet!" Yeshua, the Servant of all, answered: "Unless I wash you, you have no part of Me." Peter responded: "Then Lord, not just my feet, but my hands and my head, as well."

How shocked and perplexed the disciples must have been to find the Teacher washing their feet! This was the Lord, and yet He was performing the most menial of tasks for them. Yeshua lived perfectly by the Law of the Torah, and was also able to challenge the traditions which had become lifeless. He breathed life upon the Commandments. Passover was yet another way given by the Lord for His followers to understand more about His character and who He really was. Yeshua said to His disciples, "Do you understand what I have done for you? . . . You call me, 'Teacher' and 'Lord,' and rightly so, for that is what I am. Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another's feet. I have given you an example that you should do as I have done for you. I tell you the truth, no servant is greater than the one who sent him. Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them" (Jn. 13:12-17).

After this time of sharing great love and brotherhood between the disciples, Yeshua made the most profound revelation, "Truly, I say to you, that one of you will betray Me" (Mt. 26:20). All the disciples became sad and began to say to Yeshua, "Is it I, Lord?" (Mt. 26: 22). John records the third reason that we believe that Peter was seated in the Servant's Seat. John 13:24 says, "Simon Peter motioned to [John] and said, 'Ask Him which one He means?" Knowing that everyone reclines on their left side, John, being in seat #1, can see no one at the triclinium except the one directly across from him. I can just see the scene. Peter, already feeling humbled by his actions so far this evening, probably wondered if he were the one who was the betrayer. Anxious to know, he probably waved at or tossed an olive at John and urged him to ask the Lord directly. This is where John leans back into Yeshua and asks the question which revealed that Judas, in seat #3, was the betrayer.

Once revealed, Yeshua says to Judas, "What you are about to do, do quickly" (Jn. 13:27). Judas had left to betray the Master before the new covenant could be established. I wish I had a video camera on Peter at this moment. Remember, seat #3 is the one he was wanting and made every effort to get. Now, he sees that that was the seat of the betrayer and he probably was happy to be as far away from him as he could get. So often in our walk with the Lord, we think what we want is best for us and get disappointed when God moves us in a different direction. Only later do we see that God's way is the best way and that our way is often selfish and self-serving. Maybe we all need to spend a little time in the "Servant's Seat" to learn that "whosoever will be great among you, let him be your servant" (Mt. 20:26b). In the Book of Acts, we see that Peter did become one of the greatest leaders of the early Church, full of the Lord and carrying His Gospel forth to the world.

Other Lessons From The Passover and The Feasts Of Israel

The Last Supper was a Passover seder meal which Yeshua ate with His disciples. From this study into the Hebraic background, we have seen that there are deeper, spiritual meanings that we may not have realized before. Likewise, there were other New Testament events surrounding the festival of Passover and Pentecost, that take on new meaning when put into their Hebrew context. For Passover, the people were required to present their lambs to the priest for inspection (on Nisan 10 on the Jewish calendar), four days before Passover. On this day, Yeshua, as the Lamb of God, presented Himself before the people and priests for inspection.

This event we know as Palm Sunday, when He rode into Jerusalem on a donkey to shouts of "Hosanna! Save us!" (Zech. 9:9). I Peter 1:18-19 says, "Forasmuch as you know that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver and gold, from your vain manner of life received by tradition from your fathers, but, with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot."

Yeshua was betrayed and arrested on the Feast of Passover, Nisan 14 (Matt. 26:14-16). He was crucified with sinners, striped and pierced, wrapped in white linen and then buried over the Feast of Matzah, (unleavened bread), Nisan 15.

Then on the day after the first Sabbath of Passover, the prescribed day to celebrate the Feast of Firstfruits, Yeshua was resurrected, "Messiah indeed has been raised from the dead, the firstfruit of those who have fallen asleep" (I Cor. 15:20).

Fifty days later, on the Feast of Weeks (known as Shavuot or Pentecost), Israel celebrates the giving of the Law. It is also called the Water Holiday, and the Jewish children pour water on each other and anyone else whom they can, in celebration. During Pentecost, the Church received life and grace when God our Father sent His Spirit, the Water of Life, to all that believed in His Son, Yeshua. "You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes to you and you will be My witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth" (Acts 1:8). In Matthew 5:17, Yeshua says, "Think not that I came to destroy the law and the prophets, I came not to destroy but to fulfill them."

It was certainly not His intention that the Church would become as disconnected from our Hebraic roots as has happened. By reading and applying all of God's Word, we can understand more of the character of God and of Yeshua, and become better disciples. As you celebrate Resurrection season, try to attend a Passover seder presentation and "experience" the first Passover. Also take the time to teach others about the background to the Passion week of Yeshua, and thereby "experience" a second Passover. Written by Clarence Wagner, Bridges for Peace, Jerusalem.