Bible Gateway Blog

By Yael Eckstein

This month, Jews around the world will celebrate the single most important event in the history of Israel and God’s children: Passover or Pesach. In rituals that have spanned generations and survived pogroms, persecutions, and even the Holocaust, we will once again gather around the table to observe the traditional Passover meal, known as the seder.

Jews and Christians alike are familiar with the biblical story of the Exodus, which chronicles the Jewish people’s escape from slavery in Egypt. Even though this pivotal event occurred thousands of years ago, we remember it today in the celebration of the Jewish holiday of Passover.

At the heart of the Passover celebration is the seder, the ritual meal held on the first night that allows us to internalize the message of the biblical Exodus. It is through the seder that we fulfill God’s command to “tell your children and grandchildren how I dealt harshly with the Egyptians and how I performed my signs among them” (Exodus 10:2). The foods eaten at the seder all symbolize different parts of the Israelites’ escape from Egypt.

The focus of the seder is retelling the Exodus narrative and hearing the story as if for the first time. This annual storytelling energizes the Jewish people and is one of the forces that has held them together for millennia.

[Explore the Jewish roots of your Christian faith during Passover. Sign up to receive the free Experiencing the Passover 8-day free email daily devotional.]

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