Before the destruction of the temple, the central focus of Passover was the sacrificial lamb, offered in the temple and then eaten as part of the meal. When the temple was destroyed, the Jewish people could no longer perform these sacrifices. In response, Jewish leaders developed the Seder and the Haggadah to create a home-centered way to observe Passover.
This means that the Seder, as it exists today, is a later Jewish development, not a direct reflection of the meal Jesus shared with His disciples. Jesus would have had a lamb sacrificed at the temple, and, while there may have been a common set of Scriptures they read or things they said, we don’t know how much of the modern Seder meal is what Jesus actually observed.
As Christians, we recognize that God intentionally chose Passover as the time for Jesus’ death and resurrection. Understanding Passover deepens our appreciation for the biblical story and its fulfillment in Christ. However, learning about Passover and actually observing a Seder are two different things. When Christians adopt the Haggadah and reframe it entirely through a Christian lens, we risk cultural appropriation rather than cultural appreciation. The Jewish Seder is a sacred tradition deeply tied to Jewish covenantal identity, developed over centuries in response to historical events that do not belong to the Christian faith.
Throughout history, Christians have tragically persecuted Jewish people, especially around Passover, accusing Jews of deicide (killing Christ) and even of drinking the blood of murdered children. These false charges led to violence and fear for Jewish communities during a holiday meant to celebrate deliverance and salvation. Given this painful history, our approach to Passover should be one of honoring and respecting Jewish traditions rather than appropriating them. Instead of attempting to “Christianize” the Seder, we can learn about Passover in ways that deepen our Christian faith without causing harm or offense.
If you have a Messianic Jewish congregation in your city, I encourage you to learn from them or ask if you can participate in their Seder meal. A Messianic Seder takes the elements of a traditional Jewish Passover Seder meal and re-interprets them in view of Jesus’s life and death. For example, a Messianic Seder connects the original Passover lamb to Jesus.
In addition, Jews for Jesus has hosted an online, Messianic Seder meal that everyone was invited to participate in. Our family followed it this year and it was very meaningful.
However, if you’d prefer to try something at home, here are two resources:
A Family Passover OR Last Supper Guide
If you are a homeschool family or are looking for something with several days of content, I HIGHLY recommend my friend Sarah Ruth’s family activity guide! It has picture book recommendations and several days of fun learning activities, recipes, and a Seder meal Haggadah. (Sarah Ruth is actually a Messianic Jew, so you’ll be getting your teaching more firsthand than me, who is not Jewish.)
See the Family Passover Guide here.
If you prefer a one-day focus on the Last Supper instead, you can download “Come to the Table” instead, which is a step-by-step, meal-based lesson, including foods to try, Bible passages to read, and questions to ask.
