FROM THE PRESIDENT
MARCH 2018 / THE CHOSEN PEOPLE - 2
Dear friends,
We are approaching the Passover
/Easter season, and I pray this
will be a spiritually enriching
time for you and your family.
Hundreds of Jewish people—
both believers in Jesus
and seekers—will be
attending Chosen People
Ministries’ Passover
events around the globe.
Please remember to pray
for these outreaches, as
many Jewish people will
be introduced to the
Lamb of God for the
first time in a very “Jewish way!”
Your Mission to the Jewish
People has produced two new books,
which are now available. Both books
cover similar material, but the longer
book, Messiah in the Passover,
goes into greater depth regarding
Passover in the Bible, Jewish history,
and even Church history. The Gospel
in the Passover focuses on the way in
which Jesus fulfills the festival.
PASSOVER AND THE
GOSPEL OF JOHN
My chapter in Messiah in the
Passover focuses on the Gospel of
John, and so, based on that wonderful
Gospel, I will try to answer this
question: “Was the Last Supper a
Passover Seder?” The following is a
small portion of the chapter.
The Gospel of John is critical
to understanding the Jewish story
of Jesus. Many scholars argue that
the Gospel of John was primarily
written to Gentiles, perhaps because
of its A.D. 90 date of authorship as
well as for a variety of textual reasons.
However, the Gospel of John really
should be viewed through a Jewish
lens. John himself was Jewish and
one of the earliest disciples of Jesus.
Traditionally, and without argument, he is thought to be the
author of the Gospel that bears his name, the Epistles (First,
Second and Third John), and the Book of Revelation. According
to early Church tradition, John lived longer than any of the other
apostles and died as an exile in the late first century on the island
of Patmos.
John’s first-hand experience with Jesus gives
him great insight into the details of Jesus’ life. He
traveled with the Messiah, heard His sermons,
and was perhaps the one who was described
as “beloved.” He was present at the foot of the
cross, unlike his peers, and was given the task of
caring for Miriam (Mary), the mother of Yeshua
(John 19:26-27).
He was present with Jesus at every Jewish
festival the Savior celebrated. Perhaps this is why
we learn some unique aspects of the last Passover supper of Jesus
through John—especially from the teaching of the Savior during
that meal, generally referred to as the Upper Room Discourse.
John mentions Passover quite often in his Gospel. In his very
first mention of Jesus, John refers to Him as “the Lamb of God
who takes away the sin of the world” (John 1:29). We may assume
that his hearers would have understood this comment in light of
the Passover.
John describes three different Passovers observed by Jesus:
John 2:13, 6:4, and the final Passover, the focus of this chapter,
found in John 11:55, 12:1, and 13:1, with additional references
in John 18:28 and 19:14. It should also be noted that Luke tells
us that John was asked by Jesus to make preparations for this final
Passover meal (Luke 22: 8-13).
THE FOOT WASHING
We understand that the Seder observed by Jesus and His disciples
would have been more primitive and not as well developed
as what was described 200 years later in the Mishnaic tractate,
Pesachim,1 or found in the modern Haggadah, the guide to our
modern Passover Seder. However, some of the traditions recorded
by John run parallel to our modern day Passover Seder and
cause us to think that, in fact, Jesus observed a similar Passover
to what we know today and what I was raised celebrating each
year! As most of us know, Jesus washed His disciples’ feet during
the Last Supper.
THE WASHING OF HANDS DURING THE PASSOVER SEDER IS
FOUNDATIONAL TO FOOT WASHING
The modern Haggadah calls upon participants to wash their
hands twice for the sake of establishing ritual purity.
The first ritual hand washing is called, in Hebrew,
WAS THE LAST
SUPPER A
PASSOVER
SEDER?
The washing of hands
during the Passover
Seder is foundational
to foot washing.