Celebrate Easter with a Seder Part 2
Yesterday I shared with you the beginning of the Christian Seder my family has during the Easter weekend. We try and have this on Good Friday to reminisce about the “Last Supper”, but sometimes have it on Saturday. We reserve Sunday for a relaxing time of Church and casual dinner. Though this year with my sister being only four hours away, we may have to change things up a bit.
Christian Seder continued
The Four Questions
At this point, the youngest child and the father interact to explain why Passover is celebrated. After asking the first “stage setting” questions, the child will ask four detailed one. (In our family, we share the questions among all the children.)
Child: Why is this night different from all other nights?
Father: Once we were slaves to our sin, like the Jews who were slaves in Egypt , but now we are free , and we set aside this night each year to remember the great things God did for us.
For God so loved the world that he gave his only son, Jesus, so that we might not perish and be slaves to sin, but so we might be free and have abundant life.
Child: On all other nights we eat either bread or matzo, but why on this night do we eat only matzo?
Father: Matzo reminds us of two things. There was no time for the Jews bread to rise when it was time to leave Egypt. This unleavened bread reminds us the Jews were delivered from slavery in Egypt, and were given new life. And we as Christian, were delivered from sin and also have new life.
Child: On all over nights we eat whatever vegetables we want, but why on this night, do we eat only bitter ones?
Father: We remember how bitter our sin was and the how bitter the Israelites’ slavery in Egypt was.
(Since our family doesn’t recline at the table, we skip this question and usually substitute it with a different one of our choosing)
Child: On all other nights we eat either sitting up or reclining, but why on this night do we all recline?
Father: Before we were slaves, but now we are able to recline and express the rest we enjoy as free people.
Here are some fun ideas you might want to try with your family:
*Conduct the first part of the Seder in the living reclining on homemade pillows with the names of your guests.
*Make up four questions centering on present day Israel
Why is the land different from other lands? Then pray for the peace of Israel and Jerusalem.
*Ask a fifth question for the Jewish children who died in the Holocaust and never got a chance to ask.
