The Passover table, as was used by the Jews in Bible days was always constructed in the shape of a parallelogram, with one side left open. This arrangement gave the table three sides: one long, one short and then on the other side, another long side. In other words, it was U-SHAPED. In this way the servants who brought the food could enter the opening space of the “U”, and serve the guests from that vantage point. They could serve the guests in all directions from their central position. Those who would come to the Passover would be “seated” on the floor at the outside rim of the table – the table being about 9 or 10 inches high.
“From Jewish authorities we know that the average dining apartment was computed at fifteen feet square; the expression “furnished” no doubt refers to the arrangement of ouches all around the table, except at its end, since it was a canon that the very poorest must take of that supper in a reclining attitude, to indicate rest, safety and liberty”
Here “A” represents the table, “B” & “B” respectively the ends of the two rows of single divans on which each guest reclines on his left side, with his head “C” nearest the table, and his feet “D” stretching back towards the ground.
“Jewish documents are equally explicit as to that of the guests. It seems to have been quite an established rule that, in a company of more than two, say of three, the chief personage or Head – in this instance, of course, Christ – reclined on the middle divan. We know from the Gospel narrative that John occupied the place on His right, at that end of the divan – as we may call it – at the head of the table. But the chief place next to the Master would be that to His left, or above Him. In the strife of the disciples, which should be accounted the greatest, this had been claimed, and we believe to have been actually occupied, by Judas. This explains how, when Christ whispered to John by what sign to recognize the traitor, none of the other disciples heard it. It also explains, how Christ would first hand to Judas the sop, which formed part of the Paschal ritual beginning with him as the chief guest at the table, without thereby exciting special notice. Lastly, it accounts for the circumstance that, when Judas, desirous of ascertaining whether his treachery was known, dared to ask whether it was he, and received the affirmative answer, no one at the table knew what had passed. But this could not have been the case, unless Judas had occupied the place next to Christ; in this case, necessarily that at His left, or the post of chief honour. As regards Peter, we can quite understand how, when the Lord with such loving words rebuked their self-seeking and taught them of the greatness of Christian humility, he should, in his impetuosity of shame, have rushed to take the lowest place at the other end of the table. Finally, we can now understand how Peter could beckon to John, who sat at the opposite end of the table, over against him, and ask him across the table, who the traitor was. The rest of the disciples would occupy such places as were most convenient, or suited their fellowship with one another.”
We who are believers in Messiah can rejoice that we are able to keep this Passover Feast just as He did, in obedience to the Father. We can rejoice for He is our Passover Lamb and in Him we have obtained life. Not only life, but life more abundantly according to John 10:10 “The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.” (KJV)
EVERYONE JOINS IN SINGING OF:
‘LET MY PEOPLE GO”
When Israel was in Egypt’s land, Let my People go. Oppress’d so hard they could not stand. Let my people to. Go down Moses ‘way down to Egypt’s land – Tell old Pharaoh – let my people go!
PESACH
THE LEADER OF THE SEDER HOLDS UP THE SHANKBONE AND RECITES:
The PASCHAL LAMB which our forefathers ate, was as an offering unto God because he spared them from the death angel. As it is written: “Ye shall declare, This is the Paschal offering unto the Lord who passed over the houses of the children of Israel when He struck Egypt and spared our houses. Then the people bowed in worship.”
The Holy Scripture also says, “He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth,” (Isaiah 53:7 KJV)
We, as believers, know that our Messiah shed his blood as the final sacrifice for us. As John said: “Behold the Lam of God, which takes away the sin of the world.” (John 1:29 KJV).
JESUS IS THE PASCHAL LAMB!!
Have you ever wondered why Jesus is called the Passover Lamb? Why not call him a goat which was used for the day of atonement? After all, it was a goat that carried away the sins of the people into the wilderness. “When Aaron has finished making atonement for the Most Holy Place, the Tent of Meeting and the altar, he shall bring forward the live goat. He is to lay both hands on the head of the live goat and confess over it all the wickedness and rebellion of the Israelites – all their sins – and put them on the goat’s head. He shall send the goat away into the desert in the care of a man appointed for the task. The goat will carry on itself all their sins to a solitary place; and the man shall release it in the desert.” (Leviticus 16:20-22 NIV)
The chain of events that happened to a lamb for Passover was a rehearsal (miqrah) for the things that were to happen to the Messiah. On the tenth of Nisan, the Passover lamb was led through the Sheep Gate for its journey to the Temple. When it entered in, the people would wave palm branches before in all four directions. Then they sang the Hallel. (“Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.”) They laid palm branches before the lamb. This very sequence of events was done for Jesus as recorded in Matthew 21:6-9. “The disciples went and did as Jesus had instructed them. They brought the donkey and the colt, placed their clocks on the road, while others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. The crowds that went ahead of him and those that followed shouted, ‘Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!’” (NIV)
The lamb was then taken to the Temple where it was kept four days under close observation. According to tradition there were fifty tests performed to insure the lamb’s purity. On the fourteenth day of Nisan, after the lamb was declared to be pure and free from defect, it was placed upon the altar at 9:00am, there to remain until 3:00pm. At that time the High Priest took a knife and slit the throat of the lamb and said, “It is finished”. The very words of Jesus when He was on the cross.
After death the lamb was taken and thrust on a vertical pole. A horizontal pole was transfixed to the vertical one making the sign of the cross. The lamb was then flayed and the skin on the lamb’s back was removed to make sure it was as pure on the inside and it was on the outside. The heart of the lamb was removed and all the blood was drained from it. In this entire procedure, not one bone was broken.