Easter 2011

This Easter, we started a new family tradition.  A Passover Seder meal.  After finding this free eBook at currclick, A Passover Celebration for Christian Families, I was more than excited to do one for our family.  The Biblical feasts have always fascinated me ever since a Beth Moore Bible study - where I had finally realized why Passover and Easter are the same weekend - Jesus had eaten the Passover meal with his disciples (The Last Supper) and then became our sacrificial lamb. 

God wanted the Israelites to celebrate the Feast of Passover as a way to remember that He led them out of slavery in Egypt. Passover wasn't the only feast, God had many feasts He wanted the Israelites to partake in as a way to remember what He had done for them.  And then in the New Testament, Jesus came and fulfilled many of the feasts.  (Dr. Richard Booker's book, Celebrating Jesus in the Biblical Feasts is an awesome read on the feasts and how Jesus fulfilled them).

Jesus fulfilled the Feast of Passover with His crucifixion.  

As we held our Passover meal, it gave us time to think about Jesus' sacrifice for us.  What I loved about this eBook, was that it was geared for families with younger children and gave some substitutions.  So while it wasn't exactly formal and exact, it was just what our family needed to enter into Easter weekend, with remembrance.

Our Seder plate. 

Oops, forgot the "matzah" in the above picture.

The unleavened bread (or flour tortilla) represents the bread the Israelites would have made in a hurry - Jesus is the bread of life.

The bitter herbs (radish) remind us of the pain and bitterness of slavery.  It also reminds us of the bitterness of sin.

Charoset is a mixture of fruit, nuts and honey that reminds us of the mortar the slaves would have used to assemble Pharoah's bricks.  It's sweet, so it reminds us of the sweetness of the hope of redemption through Jesus.

The parsley reminds us of new things growing - a new beginning.  It is dipped in salt water to remind us of the salty tears the Israelites would have shed while in bondage and the unhappy consequences of sin.

The roasted egg represents the Passover sacrifice.  As it was dipped in salt water, we thought about the miracle of the resurrection came through the tears of our Savior.

We continued with our meal and instead of serving lamb, we had steaks.  I did make potato latkes to try to have something authentic.

We both felt our children had really done a great job sitting, listening and being willing to try to some new flavors.  They were so pleasant the rest of the night and played together so well.  At one point, they asked me to get the camera because they were going to do "something silly," in their words!

On Saturday night, we made Resurrection Rolls for the first time.  Not only were they easy to make, they were very yummy! (Thanks JM)  A marshmallow is dipped in melted butter, cinnamon/sugar and then rolled up in a crescent dough triangle.  The marshmallow is Jesus, next the oil and spices they would have covered his body in and then he was wrapped in linen cloth.  After we baked them, they were empty inside!  (note: strawberry marshmallows make for interesting rolls!)

Throw in 2 Easter Egg hunts and it was a wonderful weekend!