Some Christians embrace the Passover traditions of the Jewish Seder in their own observation of the Last Supper. This comes from the belief that since Jesus (Yeshua) was a Jew, he must have observed Passover in the same manner as the Jews of today. However, it is important to remember that the Judaism of the Second Temple period was far different from today. At the time of Jesus, besides the early Christians, there were several Jewish sects: the Pharisees, the Sadducees, the Essenes, and the Zealots.
Jesus was a Jew, but he defiantly wasn’t a Pharisee. He spoke forthrightly against their doctrine and behavior (Mat 23:2-36; Luk 11:37-44). The Pharisees believed an oral law passed down by Rabbis was as equally binding as the written Mosaic Law, and their oral traditions added rules and regulations to every aspect of life. Yeshua rebuked them for setting aside the written Torah and embracing the traditions of men:
Mark 7
8 “For you set aside the commandment of God, and hold tightly to the tradition of men—the washing of pitchers and cups, and you do many other such things.” 9 He said to them, “Full well do you reject the commandment of God, that you may keep your tradition.
He said their oral law was grievously burdensome to the people:
Matthew 23
1 Then Jesus spoke to the multitudes and to his disciples, 2 saying, “The scribes and the Pharisees sat on Moses’ seat. 3 All things therefore whatever they tell you to observe, observe and do, but don’t do their works; for they say, and don’t do. 4 For they bind heavy burdens that are grievous to be borne, and lay them on men’s shoulders; but they themselves will not lift a finger to help them.
Modern Rabbinic Judaism emerged from the sect known as the Pharisees. In the centuries since the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem, the oral law has been codified, and, to Jews, it is held in higher esteem than the Hebrew Bible. Jewish religious law (halakha) and theology are reflected in the Talmud, which consists of the Mishnah (c. 200 AD) and the Gemara (c. 500 AD). The Mishnah is the written compendium of the Rabbinic oral law, and the Gemara is the rabbinical analysis and commentary of the Mishnah. [1,2,3] Thus, Rabbinic Judaism emphasizes Rabbinic teachings handed down over generations, just as the Pharisees did during the lifetime of Yeshua.
Did Yeshua follow the Jewish Passover Seder traditions during the Last Supper?
Absolutely not.
First, as pointed out in previous posts, the Last Supper could not have been the Passover feast because it occurred before the Passover was sacrificed. Second, no Seder tradition is mentioned in the Old Testament (the Tanakh). Third, there is no reference to a Seder tradition in the writings of the apostles or in any of the writings of the early Christian church.
Moreover, there is absolutely no historical evidence that any of the Jewish sects held seders as part of the Passover celebration, including the Pharisees. Rabbi David Golinkin researched the history of the Seder. He found no references to the Seder or the Haggadah (the Jewish text that sets forth the order of the Passover Seder) in the Second Temple descriptions of Passover. He found no mention of a Seder in the fifth-century BC Jewish Elephantine papyri, the book of Jubilees from the late second century BC, or in the histories recorded by Philo and Josephus. However, Golinkin did find that the Seder is “mentioned in the Mishnah and Tosefta (Pesahim Chapter 10), which scholars date to either shortly before or shortly after the destruction of the second temple in 70 CE.”[4]
Thus, no historical or Biblical evidence exists that a Seder tradition was part of the Passover celebrations at the time of the Last Supper. It was invented by the Pharisees at least a generation after the crucifixion.
Should Christians adopt the Jewish custom of a Seder as part of their own historic celebrations of the first Passover and the exodus?
Absolutely not.
The origins of today’s Seder ceremony date from the 16th century AD and it is rooted in Kabbalah, otherwise known as Jewish mysticism:
The Kabbalah of the Seder Plate
https://www.chabad.org/holidays/passover/pesach_cdo/aid/1774/jewish/Seder-Plate-Kabbalah.htm
Rabbi Isaac Luria (the Arizal), the father of Kabbalah, is credited with the arrangement of the Seder Plate predominately used today:
The Seder Plate: A Microcosm of Your Psyche.
One purpose of the Seder is to provide us with tools to experience emotional and spiritual freedom.
Kabbalah, a mystical tradition, is fundamentally different from Christian theology. It teaches concepts such as reincarnation, a form of karma, an inner divinity, and a belief that there is no need for a Redeemer. These teachings are in stark contrast to Christian beliefs. So, why would a Christian consider adopting Kabbalah symbology, which is rooted in these teachings, as part of a celebration of the first Passover and the exodus from Egypt? Would a follower of Judaism adopt a Christian tradition? Of course not. Let us stand firm in our own faith (Php 1:27; 1Co 16:13).
How should Christians celebrate of the first Passover and the exodus?
Start by heeding the warnings of Yeshua:
Matthew 16
6 Jesus said to them, “Take heed and beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees.”
Don’t adopt the yeast of the Pharisees. Instead, imitate the faith of the early church leaders:
Hebrews 13
7 Remember your leaders, men who spoke to you the word of God, and considering the results of their conduct, imitate their faith. 8 Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.
Do as they did and as they taught:
1 Corinthians 5
7 Purge out the old yeast, that you may be a new lump, even as you are unleavened. For indeed Christ, our Passover, has been sacrificed in our place. 8 Therefore let’s keep the feast, not with old yeast, neither with the yeast of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.
The only instructions given to us in regards to the Passover is to keep the feast with sincerity and truth, and to remember that Christ is our Passover.
Scripture quotations are from the World English Bible, which is in the Public Domain.
Footnotes:
- Britannica, The Editors of Encyclopaedia. “Rabbinic Judaism”. Encyclopedia Britannica, 10 Sep. 2019, https://www.britannica.com/topic/Rabbinic-Judaism. Accessed 5 April 2023.
- Dimitrovsky, Haim Zalman and Silberman, Lou Hackett. “Talmud and Midrash”. Encyclopedia Britannica, 18 Feb. 2023, https://www.britannica.com/topic/Talmud. Accessed 5 April 2023.
- Britannica, The Editors of Encyclopaedia. “Bar Kokhba Revolt”. Encyclopedia Britannica, 24 Jan. 2023, https://www.britannica.com/event/Bar-Kokhba-Revolt. Accessed 5 April 2023.
- Golinkin, David. The Origins of the Seder. The Schechter Institutes, Inc.
- What is Kabbalah? Christian Apologetics and Research Ministry. https://carm.org/kabbalah/what-is-kabbalah/ Accessed 5 April 2023.
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