Journey to the Cross: A Look at Passover through the Lens of Jesus (Part 2)

by | Apr 10, 2020 | Children Ministry, Uncategorized | 0 comments

Dear CBCGL Family,

Biblical teacher and historian, Ray Vander Laan, has a teaching series titled, The Path to the Cross. I found it to be greatly informative and eye-opening, especially in regards to elements in the Passover seder (meal) and, what Christians call, the Last Supper that Jesus had with His disciples before He was crucified. I will exploring certain elements (not all) of the Passover seder, how they came into play in Jesus’ last supper and what this means for us. Please join me this week as we journey to the cross together by looking at the Passover through the lens of Jesus Christ.

Disclaimer: All images were taken from the internet (sources cited) and BGM by Dappy T Keyes.

The Four Cups (Part 2) – Wednesday, April 8, 2020

DID YOU KNOW? – Writing Values on the Hearts of Children

In the Passover seder ritual, children play an important part! In the list above, steps #4 and #5 are actually an interactive conversation between children and parents. Children are the ones who ask the four questions during the Passover seder.

One of the things we learned in Kids Church is that remembering history, particularly what God has done, is important! As Ray Vander Laan states, “To forget the story of the Hebrews’ slavery and their forty-year desert journey to the Promised Land would be to risk losing sight of who God is and all that He had taught His people.” (The Path to the Cross, 216) In the Torah, God commands parents to use the Passover seder rituals as “opportunities to teach children their identity as God’s people and to help them remember God’s mighty acts of deliverance.” (ibid.)

As an activity you can do together with your kids, make a table with three columns and four rows. Each column should be labeled, “Four Questions,” “Four Answers” and “Type of Child,” respectively. Look at Exodus 12:25-27; 13:5-10, 14-16; and Deuteronomy 6:20-25. Write down the four questions to be answered (the question in Ex. 13:8 is implied) and how they are answered. When did Moses tell the people to recount their exodus experiences to their children? (See Exodus 12:14, 24-27.) Why do you think he gave these instructions before the events took place and before the children who needed to learn about them were born?

According to Jewish tradition, each of the four questions listed in the chart corresponds to a type of child who must celebrate and be taught the meaning of Passover. Try to match the child described in the list below to the question he would ask.

  1. The wise child whose question indicates a desire for deeper understanding of Passover’s meaning (see Deuteronomy 6:20-25).
  2. The simple or naive child who desires to be godly but knows little about the Passover’s meaning and asks a basic question (see Exodus 13:14-16).
  3. The child who does not know how to ask a question, so the parent must anticipate the unasked questions and provide appropriate answers (see Exodus 13:5-10).
  4. The wicked and rebellious child who asks, “What does this mean to you?” rather than “to us?” The parent responds by including the child in the answer and saying, “The Lord spared our homes that night” (see Exodus 12:25-27).

Scholars have noted that four “sons” also asked four questions during the Last Supper.

  • Who was the wise son, what question did he ask, and how did Jesus answer it? (See John 13:12-17)
  • Who might be the simple or naive son who asked two questions? (See John 13:33-38)
  • Peter instructed someone else to ask Jesus a question, so who might be the son who didn’t know how to ask? (See John 13:21-25)
  • Who might be the wicked or rebellious son? (See Matthew 26:20-25)

In addition to teaching our children to remember the mighty acts and faithful love of God that are commemorated during the Passover and the “Last Supper,” we must also teach them to look forward to the fulfillment of Jesus’ promises.

  • What is the great and glorious promise of Jesus? (See John 11:25-26)
  • What impact did the fulfillment of that promise have on the women who went to Jesus’ tomb, and what were they to do? (See Mark 16:1-7)
  • What has the resurrection of Jesus given us? (See 1 Peter 1:3-6)
  • How can we remember and keep this glorious hope alive in our hearts and in the hearts of our children as we journey through the “deserts” or “wildernesses” in our lives?

In light of the four questions asked during Passover, parents, write out four questions you believe will lead children toward a deeper understanding and life-giving “remembrance” of Jesus’ Last Supper. Then write out four answers.