What is Passover? Jesus marked it with His followers shortly before His death, but what is it, and how does it apply to our faith today? Rabbi Roy Schwarcz of Chosen People Ministries has planted several churches where Jews and Gentiles worship together, recognizing Jesus as Messiah. But that is not how his story started. Roy was raised as a nominal Jew, went through his bar mitzvah, and decided not to seek further training in his Jewish faith. He was taught “liturgy, rather than a relationship with God.” One summer as a young man, he traveled the country searching for the meaning of life, and found a group of “Jesus lovers” who shared with him about Jesus out of the Old Testament writings. When Roy came to understand that Jesus was the Jewish Messiah, everything changed.

Rabbi Schwarcz unpacks several elements of the Passover meal. Jews used four cups during Passover that were rooted in the Exodus story – the  first cup, sanctification. The second cup, the cup of plagues. The third cup, the cup of redemption, was the one Jesus used when He led the Last Supper. He said, “This is the cup of the new covenant in My blood…” The fourth and final cup was the cup of praise.

Roy also points out the “middle matza,” the bread that was traditionally picked up and followed with “This is the bread which was afflicted in the wilderness…” It was earth-shattering and wondrous for Jesus, in that moment, to lift it up and instead say “This is My body… given for you.”

Finally, Jesus rose on the First Fruits holy day – a fact that Roy points out is no coincidence. Jesus’ life and death perfectly lined up with Scripture, and we can embrace the Jewishness of Jesus and the reality of our Jewish heritage.

Image: Flickr

Highlight – The meaning of Passover

The meaning of Passover