Hey Everyone!!!
I hope those of you who observe Resurrection day are prepared for the holiday!! Today's post is about the Seder Meal or the last supper. At my church "The Word Church" of God in Christ we have a passover meal every year. If you've never been to one you have to go, it's an awesome experience.
So what is the Seder Meal??
The Seder Meal is a Jewish ritual/feast that is celebrated by Jews and many Christians around the world on the first night of Passover. Family and friends gather around the table to hear the story about how the Israelites were delivered from Pharaoh. During the meal you eat from the Seder Plate and on the plate are different symbolic foods that represent different things about the Exodus.
Maror: Radish, a bitter herb that serves as a reminder of the bitterness and hardship of slavery.
Haroset: A mixture of chopped apples, nuts, cinnamon and wine. The Haroset represents the mortar used by the Hebrew salves in Egypt. This is the good stuff because it's sweet everyone always eats this part up.
Karpas: Is the bitter herb, it represents a sign of gratitude to God for the goodness of earth, for bread and food. The bitter herb is a mixture of Salt Water & parsley, sometimes other veggies are used like celery. This is also symbolic of the bitterness Israel endured in its experience of slavery.
Unleaven bread: Unleavened bread is the bread the Israelites ate in Egypt. The bread was simple for poor Israelites to make because its easy to prepare and has no yeast.
Grape juice: Instead of wine grape juice is used because in Exodus there are four stages by which Israel was delivered from slavery. Grape juice is symbolic of the blood the Hebrews sprinkled on their doorposts so that first-born sons would be passed over. Participants in the meal also recalled the ten plagues on Egypt by sprinkling ten drops of juice on their plates.
Lamb and egg: The Lamb at a seder meal because is a reminder of the lamb and egg that were offered at the Temple of Jerusalem during the Passover festival.
Elijah's cup: A single large cup and an empty chair are left for the arrival of the prophet Elijah, who is seen as a precursor of the Messiah. It serves as a reminder of those who perished at the Pharaoh's hand in Egypt. Christians believe that John the Baptist has already played the role of Elijah, and in the Christian Seder meal, a seat is left open for Jesus to return. In both cases, the empty chair and extra cup symbolize hope in the coming of the kingdom of God.
