A Simple Christian Seder for Young Families

I remember my parents having a Christian Seder for my brother and I when we were young children. It was special and memorable. My husband and I have hosted and been guests at several Christian Seders. I attended a class put on by Jews for Jesus on the Seder. I was even a guest at a Jewish Seder once! Needless to say, it is a tradition I am fond of. The downside of a traditional Seder is that they are LONG and can be a little cerebral for very young children. In our home we have made it our goal to make this special feast a delightful tool for imprinting the beauty of Christ into the hearts of our children.

What is a Seder?

The first Passover

God brought his people out of slavery in Egypt after 10 plagues. The plagues showed God’s power over the Egyptian false gods. The tenth plague was that the Lord would strike down all of the firstborn of both animals and men in Egypt except that He would pass over any homes that had a lamb’s blood painted on the door frame. That night in Egypt the Israelites were to sacrifice a lamb and eat it in haste, roasted, with bitter herbs and unleavened bread. After the tenth plague Pharaoh let God’s people go free. You can read the account in Exodus chapter 12.

Kept as a statute throughout generations

The Passover (also called the Feast of Unleavened Bread) was to be kept each year throughout the generations as a statute forever. Key elements were that the Israelites were to keep their homes free of any leaven or yeast (representing sin) for seven days. On the first day of the feast, they sacrificed the Passover Lamb and ate it with bitter herbs and unleavened bread. Exodus 12 describes recounting the story to children as an important part of the feast.

And when your children say to you, ‘what do you mean by this service?’ you shall say, ‘It is the sacrifice of the Lord’s Passover, for he passed over the houses of the people of Israel in Egypt when he struck the Egyptians but spared our houses.’

Exodus 12:26-27

Some Terminology to understand a Christian Seder

The word Seder simply means “order” and typically refers more specifically to the ordered meal part of the Feast of Unleavened Bread and the Haggadah (which literally means “telling”) is the text used – like the liturgy in a liturgical church service. The Haggadah or text of the Seder was actually written down many years after Christ, but it follows tradition that was instituted way back in Egypt.

I have a free printable Seder script for you that I adapted from several Messianic Jewish “Haggadahs“. I will tell you more about that in the next sections.

Why should Christians celebrate the Passover?

The Passover has always pointed to Jesus!

The most simple answer is that the Passover, from the beginning, always pointed to Jesus! In a way, the Passover meal has always been a “Christian Seder”. John the Baptist said in John 1:29, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!”. Jesus ate the Passover with his disciples just before his death and told them that the bread symbolized his body and the wine symbolized the New Covenant bought with his blood.

Cleanse out the old leaven that you may be a new lump, as you really are unleavened. For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed.

1 Corinthians 5:7

The Lord’s Table is an abridged Christian Seder.

We don’t often make the connection between communion at our churches and the Passover. But it was during Jesus’ last Passover feast with his disciples that he instituted the Lord’s Table when he took the unleavened bread and the wine and said, “do this in remembrance of me.” Luke 22:7-23 The context of Jesus’ command makes me believe it is good and right for Christians to celebrate the Passover, doing it in a way that calls to remembrance the reality that Jesus is the fulfillment – He is the lamb, he is the bread, and it was His blood that bought all the promises of freedom and salvation for us.

A Christian Seder points to Christ but is not a requirement.

That said, in Colossians chapter 2, Paul explains how Christ’s finished work “cancelled the record of debt that stood against us”. He says in verses 16-17, “Therefore let no on pass judgement on you in questions of food and drink, or with regard to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath. These are a shadow of the things to come, but the substance belongs to Christ.” All the Old Testament ceremonial law (feasts, sacrifices, etc.) are fulfilled in Christ. As Christians, we are no longer bound by them! While the Lord’s Table was a direct command from Jesus – the Seder celebration, I believe, is a matter of conscience. If you choose to celebrate, do it with the mindset that this is a picture – a shadow – pointing to Jesus. You ought not do a Christian Seder legalistically.

When can a Christian Seder celebrated?

As a Christian, you are not bound by the Old Testament ceremonial laws; there is liberty as to when you can perform a Christian Seder. Logical times would be on the 14th day of the first month of the Jewish calendar as prescribed in the Old Testament. The Thursday before Easter is also logical because it can help us follow along with Jesus’ actions during the last week of his life.

How can Christians do a Seder with young children?

Make a Christian Seder engaging and sweet!

I am a firm believer in anchoring spiritual delights with tangible joys. I want my children to think back on family traditions as a sweet time with our family. First and foremost that means that mom and dad need to have joyful attitudes. Second, it means making the content engaging and meaningful so that my little ones can grasp concepts that are high and lofty. Third, it means making abstract things concrete. Take a cue from God’s example. Tie the spiritual realities to the physical pleasures of food. Use the the delicious Passover roasted lamb to understand how good Christ’s sacrifice was. (If you’ve never had roasted lamb, take my word that it is absolutely mouth watering.) Pick the best wine or juice. God could have chosen something gross like pickle juice as a “sign of the new covenant” but he chose sweet wine! Passover IS the gospel! Our celebration had better reflect how good that gospel is!

Passover IS the gospel! Our celebration had better reflect how good that gospel is!

Use this helpful FREE resource.

If you do a Christian Seder you’ll obviously need some things and a Haggadah! Fortunately for you, I made one that is perfect for young families. It is short and to the point. The different “readers” are based on different reading levels. Just assign Reader 1 to your youngest child. There is a complete “supply” list and introductory notes to help you.

There are quite a few Messianic Haggadah’s out there. I based this one on several versions – shortening and rewording a few things to better reach my young children. I was careful to maintain the “ceremony” and symbolism. In other words, I made it more accessible to young children without making it childish.

Make your Christian Seder special with a little preparation.

I recommend printing off the Haggadah ahead of time and reading through it. In total (including the actual meal portion) it takes our family an hour to get through it. We start about 30 minutes before our typical meal time and have our lamb and soup ready to go.

You’ll want to consider your menu. I recommend roasted lamb and matzo ball soup for an authentic feel – but prepare what will delight your family!

You will need several supplies including

• Candles
• Red Wine (or grape juice/other red juice)
• A bowl of water and towel for handwashing
• Parsley (one sprig for each person)
• Small bowls of salt water (one for each person)
• Matzah bread and two linen napkins or cloths
• A lamb shank, bone, or something to symbolize the Passover lamb
• An egg – traditionally roasted but you just need to hold it up as a symbol.
• Horseradish
• Charoseth (A mixture of coarsely chopped apples, walnuts, cinnamon, honey, and red wine. There are various recipes online.)
• Money – a coin or a dollar will suffice.

Conclusion

I would love to hear how you celebrate a Christian Seder in your home. If you use my resource, come back and let me know how it went in the comments. Give this article a share with any young families that might benefit from this!