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The Opportunity of Passover

By Bill Beyer | Comments (5) | Posted on April 2, 2008

For the past 10 years of my ministry I have been conducting Seder meals. Often times Passover has been in close proximity to the celebration of the resurrection of the Master as remembered by those in the Church. This has given us an opportunity to celebrate the Passover in the context of also remembering the crucifixion and Resurrection of the Messiah.

However, this year we have a very unique opportunity. With the second month of Adar added to the calendar this year, Passover is a month later and in a sense stands on its own. This will give us the chance to focus on the Passover and share the beauty of the service and remembrance without it challenging other traditions of the time. This gives us a theological 'foot in the door' for the continued addition and significance of the Passover for years to come.

Also, Passover is on a Sunday. For many of us who are Torah Pursuant who still worship in Church communities this is a good chance to ask our Pastors if they might be willing to preach on the importance and significance of the Passover for the life of the believer in Messiah. Unfortunately, many pastors are not always aware of the significance and so we may be able to use this as an opportunity to educate our clergy as well. I know I will be doing that.

Also, with Passover being on a Sunday and that being a Shabbat it is a time for us to communicate to our Church families what Shabbat is and when Shabbat is. This provides us discussion starters that might bear much fruit as we follow the command of Torah to return to our brother what they have lost. (Ex.23:4)

Without the hassles of visiting family, vacations, and with Passover being over a weekend our congregation will be doing some special things this year. One new thing we will be doing this year is making our own Matzo. I am really looking forward to this learning opportunity for my congregation. As we prepare the kitchen for making the Matzo the week before Passover we can clean the kitchen of the leaven and discuss the significance of that in the lives of believers.

Each year our Passover celebration is open to the public and we have about 80 people. Some who still worship in Church congregations might ask their community if you could lead a Seder in your congregation and invite others to join you. This is indeed a great opportunity we would hate to waste.

All in all I am very excited about the chances to teach our brothers and sisters in the Church about this festival. If I can be of any help or if you have any questions please use the space below, and we will do our best to help you.

Information on FFOZ's Passover Encounter materials can be found by clicking here.

About the Author: Bill Beyer is a friend of FFOZ and a volunteer moderator for the Online Torah Club Forums. He is also the pastor of a Lutheran church.

Visitor Comments

Hi, I guess I'm a little confused. Maybe it's semantics. But isn't Passover on Nisan 14 which would be Saturday (Shabbat) this year, and then on Sunday, (Nisan 15) would be the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread? In your article, you say that Passover is Sunday. Are you referring to the whole festival of Passover and Unleavened Bread as "Passover"? Would you have your Seder on Saturday night or Sunday? Thanks for helping me understand. Yvonne.

**Bill's response**: Yvonne, Thank you for asking this question. You are right in the dating in your question. And I am guilty of lumping Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread together into the single title "Passover." Another confusion that fosters that for me is the calendar I use from a Jewish Publishing house lists Sunday the 20th as "First Day Passover" and Monday the 21st as the "Second Day Passover."

In response to the Seder question we actually have two seders. On Satruday night we will have a seder for our family and on Sunday we will be having our congregational seder. I will also be preaching on Passover and the Feast of Unleavened bread that day in worship.

If I can clarify anything else please let me know. Thank you for asking the questions.

Posted by: Yvonne | April 4, 2008 10:54 PM

Matthew 5:14 14 "You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden.

Bill, please keep your light on that hill, you are an inspiration.

**Bill's reply**: Dennis, thank you for the encouragement. Those of us who share their light with church congregations cannot do it without the fuel we get from our brothers and sisters in the Torah. We all light the world together.

Posted by: Dennis 13 | April 7, 2008 7:38 AM

Be Blessed in your celebrations brother Bill! Shalom to you and yours!! Happy New Year!!

**Bill's response**: Thank you very much for your blessings. I will pass them on.

Posted by: D.A.Fluker II | April 8, 2008 4:03 PM

Bill, how lovely that you do what you do. It is easy for many people who have come into the Messianic Movement to become bitter towards the church-I know as I've been there. It is not right to be that way and I know this for a fact as the Lord has dealt with me on this in a strong manner, but I pray for much fruit to come from you.

Posted by: Betty Morton | April 10, 2008 7:39 PM

Our congregation, in Arkansas, will also be doing a home seder after Havadallah and then a community one on the evening of the first day of the week. As Sarah shared a little in her post it has been a crazy, busy time for us all. We can't lose sight of why we do this at this appointed time. In the past we have just done home seders with a couple of families, but this is our first community-wide one as a fellowship. We have the unique opportunity to have the intimacy of a home seder, and to share the appointed time with a larger audience, some of whom have never been to a Passover seder. May G-d bless your efforts with your community seder.

**Bill's Response**: And may God bless you in reaching out to your community as well.

Posted by: Jeff | April 14, 2008 9:42 AM

We Thank You offers a simple and innovative liturgy for disciples of Yeshua by weaving the ancient meal blessings of Judaism together with recently discovered prayers of the early believers.

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