Messianic Passover Seder

Last night RUF teamed up with IV and CRU to help a new ministry here at Maryland host what will hopefully be an annual event: Metro Moses' Messianic Passover Seder!

   
One thing you may not know about the University of Maryland is that it has quite a large population of Jewish students. In fact, it is one of the top public schools in terms of Jewish student population (about 20%). I have met with several students who have come from a Jewish background, many of them often feel the strain of Jewish family members who feel as if they have betrayed their heritage and struggle to connect their Jewish roots with their faith in Jesus. Metro Moses is an organization of Messianic Jews seeking to minister to college students in this situation and convince others that Jesus is indeed the Messiah. Ryan Karp, who heads up the UMD chapter and has been a great resource to point our students to, led us through the Messianic Seder. 

Instead of having our normal Large Group, RUF invited Ryan to use our space to host a Messianic Passover Seder to teach students about the observance of Passover and how it connects to Jesus. For Christian students this was an opportunity to learn more about Jesus' heritage and add richness to what Jesus did at the Last Supper. It was also a great way for students to invite their Jewish friends to observe passover while still at school and learn how the Old Testament (specifically the Exodus) illuminates the Christian understanding of Communion.

 

  
 And what an amazing experience this was! I learned so much about Passover and even more about how Jesus fulfills the Old Testament as Messiah. I'd love to take a minute to share some of what I learned with you:

Photo Credit: Jon Shumway

   Thanks to The Prince of Egypt, we all probably know much of the story of Passover. The story of how the Jews came to be enslaved in Egypt actually begins with Joseph, who was sold into slavery by his brothers but eventually came to be in a place of power in Egypt because God blessed him with the ability to interpret Pharaoh's dreams and predict a coming famine. The Jews in Egypt prospered until a time came when a Pharaoh rose up that did not know of Joseph. Being afraid of the Jews, he enslaved them and ordered all the Jewish baby boys to be killed. From here we are familiar with the story of Moses, God calling him to lead the people out of Egypt, and Pharaoh's stubbornness which leads to the plagues.

Photo Credit: Jon Shumway

    


 Passover particularly remembers and celebrates God's deliverance for His people from the tenth plague - the one that ultimately changed Pharaoh's mind as God delivered them out of Egypt. Interestingly, the first 9 plagues only affected the Egyptians, yet the last plague - the death of the first born son- affected all. God's judgement that resulted in death was deserving of all people, yet God provided mercy to His people through the sacrifice of a lamb whose blood was to be placed on the door post. This sign showed a household trusting in God's provision for them, and death passed over that household. This is what is celebrated and remembered - God's faithfulness, mercy, and provision for His people in delivering them out of Egypt. 

   Each element of the Passover is symbolic and deliberately placed to remind us of this fact and the details of God's mighty work:

Photo Credit: Jon Shumway

The Passover begins with the Brechat Haner where the lady of the house lights the candles and blesses the table. The candles give light to the Passover table. We as Christians look to Christ as the light of the world. A woman does this because it is from the seed of a woman that the Messiah came to preform His redemptive ministry and bring light into the world.


Four cups of wine are drunk throughout Passover each representing the four "I wills" recorded in Exodus 6 the Cup of Sanctification and the Cup of Judgment before the meal, and the Cup of Redemption and the Cup of Praise after the meal.

Children read the four questions to explain the meaning and reason for dipping parsley in salt water, eating bitter herbs, and eating bitter herbs with sweet charoseth, and why we recline. Each of these serve to help generations remember the bondage of slavery, as well as God's deliverance and provision.

 
I was familiar with many of these elements of the Passover, yet one that I had never known about was the Yachutz (breaking of the middle matzah). On the Passover table there is a special covering termed Matzatosh (meaning the Bag for Matzah) that contains three pouches with three pieces of unleavened bread. It is sometimes called an "Echad" which means "one or "unity". The leader of the household takes the middle peice out, breaks it then places once part back in the pouch and the other is wrapped and hidden. This hidden part is called the afikomen (meaning "that which comes last" or possibly, "he will come again") and is the substitute for the Paschal Lamb that was the final food of the Seder feast, sacrificed for forgiveness and protection from God's judgement. After the meal, the children will all search for the afikomen. 

Photo Credit: Jon Shumway

Now here is where Ryan began to blow our minds. The Birka Hamazon is the blessing after the meal where the leader takes the afikomen (matzah that was hidden and the children found) and breaks it for all to eat. We then take the third cup, the Ha-Geulah or cup of redemption.

This is where things start to get real familiar for Christians. You might have noticed the language already that makes you think of something- communion! Ryan read from Luke 22 to remind us of the Lord's supper and that it was not just any dinner, but passover that Jesus and his disciples were eating. It isn't just wine and bread that Jesus takes but this cup of redemption and the afikomen. Why is this so amazing?

The old testament sacrificial system was the way that Jews atoned for their sins, yet it was broken because you were clean and forgiven only until you sinned again. It had to be repeated. Yet in Jeremiah 31:31-34 the Jews are told to look ahead to a day when a sacrifice is made that will atone for sin once and for all. Jesus tells his disciples that the afikomen- the paschal lamb - is his body and the cup of redemption is his blood! 

And the elements of passover themselves illustrate this:

• Matzah is flat because it contains no yeast. Both the Old and New testaments talk of yeast as a symbol of sin. Jews rid their houses of yeast and don't eat it in the days leading up to Passover as a way of cleansing themselves and their homes. Jesus refers to Himself as the "Bread of Life" in John 6:22-59, and He was, of course, also without sin (1 Jn 3:5, 2 Cor 5:21, Heb 4:15).
• The afikomen is taken from a single pouch, termed Unity, yet it has three sections. It is specifically taken from the middle section, broken, hidden, then brought back. Jews reason the three pouches inside one represent Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob or possibly the three layers of Jewish society in ancient Israel (the Aaronic Priesthood, the Levitical Priesthood, and the rest of Israel). But why then is either "Issac" or the "Priesthood" broken? And why hide the middle piece of matzah?
   
  
  To Christians the answer seems easy: it represents the trinity (father, son & spirit) and the middle piece, the son, is broken for our sins, buried (hidden), and raised (brought back). The part of the middle matzah that is returned to the middle pouch is called the "Bread of Poverty" showing how Jesus "emptied" himself for our sake and became incarnate. We break his "body" and partake in communion in remembrance of his death on our behalf often, perhaps every week, just as the passover does once a year!
  
  
• Matzah itself bakes with holes formed, and dark spots that look like bruses or stripes. Isaiah 53:4-6 predicts the Messiah would be pierced for our transgressions, and by his wounds (sometimes translated stripes) we are healed. The unleveaned bread itself seems to bear the nail piercing and stripes of Jesus!

Photo Credit: Jon Shumway

These elements of Passover have been observed and celebrated by Jewish families for generations upon generations, having been commanded by God as recorded in the Torah. Yet for Christians, as Luke 24:27 tells us, the whole of the Bible points to Jesus. This then would be why the Lord commanded that matzah be the bread of Passover - so that Jesus could call it his body 1450 years after the Exodus out of Egyptian slavery. Jesus is the matzah that has come down from heaven that gives us true life and true freedom. I'll never look at communion, or passover, the same way again.
 

Photo Credit: Jon Shumway

 I'm sorry for the length of this post, but all of this was just too good to not share! It was a wonderful night full of good food, good friends, tradition, learning, and grace. 

Pray that what we learned would not be forgotten. For Jewish students to wrestle with Jesus as a true messiah, and for all students to place their faith in Jesus for their provision and salvation - whether for the first time or more fully because of what the Passover shows us. 




Wishing you blessings and a greater understanding of Jesus' suffering, love, and power of resurrection for you this Holy Week and Easter season.

Grace & Peace,

Thirft Store Ball

If there is one thing that Maryland RUFfians love to do, it is dance! Maryland's RUF has several outreach events throughout the year centered around dancing. This weekend we hosted the second annual Thrift Store Ball. It was a great time to reach out to other campus ministries and have students invite friends who don't normally come to RUF for a night of dancing and fun.

Everyone wore an outfit they bought at a thrift store and brought donations for a local women's shelter. We had a live DJ, photo booth and prizes for the best outfits.

Another great thing about this event is that it is put on entirely by the students. Often as a part of our job Logan and I are involved in the planning and preparations for our events, but our ultimate goal is to empower students to minister to each other and learn to lead. This event was a student's idea, and they put that idea into motion! So, it was great to be able to essentially show up, have a good time with the students, and see their hard work pay off!

I spent most of the night behind the camera instead of on the dance floor in order to capture every fun minute:

You probably can't tell from this picture, but my husband is rocking a 5 button purple suit!

Students voted for the Most Throwback, Most Colorful, Most Elegant, and Most shocking outfits of the night:

Our lovely prize winners!

So proud of our students for hosting a great event, and special thanks to Amy for heading it up as well as Ali, Kerianna, Stephen, and Imani for helping to set up!

Grace & Peace,

In the Words of a Student

March is officially here, which means we are steadily making our way into the middle of the semester here at UMD. It has been a great semester so far of getting to know even more new students, and going deeper with others.

It is always encouraging to here what the ministry of RUF means to our students, and I'm particularly thankful for one sweet freshman girl who has been keeping a blog of her experience at college. Last night she posted about what RUF has meant to her, and I wanted to share it with all of you, our prayer team and supporters.

So, here is what RUF has meant to her:

"I’m going out of my mind!” -That’s what I told my Mom when I talked to her on the phone. And it’s true! Not only am I taking 17 credits this semester, I have also gotten even more involved in RUF, played an intramural sport, am doing more with my scholars program, and took an anthropology course (which I love) that involves spending exorbitant amounts of work observing and doing interviews with a group on campus, and somewhere in between all that, I am trying to find time for a social life. I am absolutely crazy busy this semester… And it’s wonderful!!! 
  

I remember my first day at College Park, sitting on my bed in my dorm room. “I don’t know what I’m going to do. I have nowhere to go” those were the only words that I managed to sob out when my parents got ready to say goodbye to me. And I didn’t. I knew no one, and I had no idea what to do or where to go.

But I did go somewhere- out to get dinner, and I suppose that it’s appropriate that sitting right smack in my way to the Diner was an RUF welcome table. I went from being utterly alone and scared to huddling under that tent talking, laughing, and hiding from the rain for almost an hour. Little did I know then that the people that I met that day would become a huge part of my life and some of my best friends at UMD. When I walked away from there, the knot of fear in my chest had been loosened. It was if God put that tent right there- in my way- to remind me that everything was going to be okay.
And He was right. Like always.

Sitting typing this blog at midnight, I can hardly believe the I’m sitting in the same spot where I crumpled when my parents left me my first day of college. Everything looks so much different now! Instead of bleak white walls, there are posters, pictures, and even Christmas light hung around the room. I have a roommate who has ended up being such a blessing, and who has taught me so much. I am happy and busy!

It’s funny that it was an RUF table that made me feel so much better my first day at college because my life is kinda centered around RUF. I spend most of my time either at RUF or with friends that I made there. Beyond a few (totally awesome) exceptions, the majority of the people that I hang with I met at RUF or through some event that RUF was involved with.

I have spent four evenings this week with my ruffians, and every time I come back to my dorm, the same thought occurs to me- I love this group! I love RUF!!! They can be insane, crazy, awkward, and a million other things, but they’re awesome!! And they truly love Christ!! From taking a knee to pray for a player who injured himself during an intramural game to getting together just to play music and sing on a Friday night, my RUFfians never stop surprising me with how much they care about each other and about this campus. I can’t imagine what my college life would be like without RUF. They have been such an amazing blessing on my life, and I just wanted to stop for a minute, and say how amazingly thankful I am that God has blessed me with such a wonderful group of friends and mentors."
-Kerianna (Freshman, Speech Pathology Major)

You can read more of her blog Here.

It is through your support and prayers that our ministry is possible, and I wanted you to know that our students are grateful to you!


Grace & Peace,