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引言：

Matzah (無酵餅)

正月十四日黃昏的時候、是耶和華的逾越節。這月十五日、是向耶和華守的無酵節，你們要吃無酵餅七日。第一日當有聖會，甚麼勞碌的工都不可做。要將火祭獻給耶和華七日。第七日是聖會，甚麼勞碌的工都不可做。 (利 23:5-8)

逾越節的故事無疑是一個令人激動的故事：背景是猶太嬰兒被判處死刑、有嬰兒漂浮在河中、猶太人被奴役、耶和華從燒着的荊棘中向摩西顯現、與法老和埃及術士激烈對抗、施行十災、法老軍隊追趕離開的猶太人、紅海分開和一個國家在一個雷鳴的荒山腳下誕生（羅森塔爾和霍華德 Rosenthal & Howard, 49＊）。猶太人通常在三月或四月慶祝逾越節。

＊選自”The Feasts of the Lord: God's Prophetic Calendar from Calvary to the Kingdom, by Kevin Howard (Author), Marvin Rosenthal (Author) ＆ Tom Allen (Illustrator)” 一書

逾越節乃以色列三大節期之一。以色列的節期沒有一個像逾越節一樣預表我們在耶穌裡所得的救贖。逾越節的含義清楚記載在利未記23章。希伯來語 “pesach” 的意思是「彈跳，跳躍或越過」某物。

The Passover

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如果您有興趣邀請我們的工作人員帶領逾越節晚餐，或者想購買一本彌賽亞生命差會印製的哈加達 (Haggadah)（價格：5美元），請電郵至office@lifeinmessiah.org。

Observed typically in March or April

If you’re interested in one of our staff members leading a Seder or if you’d like to purchase a Life in Messiah Haggadah ($5) please email office@lifeinmessiah.org.

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虛擬逾越節晚餐..Virtual Passover Seder

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逾越節（Pesach）的意義

「神與亞伯拉罕立約，應許將迦南全地賜給他和他的後裔永遠為業，也必使他的後裔極其繁多，國度從他而立，君王從他而出，神也必作他們的神。亞伯拉罕要作多國的父，萬國都必因他的後裔得福。此外，神講述其後裔會寄居別人的地430年。日期滿足後，神會懲罰那地苦待他們的人，後來他們必帶着許多財物從那裏出來，返回迦南地居住。」（創12: 1-3；22: 15-18；26: 3-5；28: 14）

以色列人在埃及住滿了四百三十年（出12: 40）。神按祂的應許，帶領以色列人進入迦南地（創 46: 3-4；50: 24）。在公元前15世紀，神降十災予埃及，好使法老允許以色列人離開埃及。

在《出埃及記》第11章，神詳述祂將會降下第十災，也是最後一個災難給埃及人並他們的假神。午夜時分，耶和華出去巡行埃及遍地，殺死每一個家庭的長子和所有頭胎的牲畜。在這場最後的、最激動人心的災難中，神戲劇性地使祂的子民擺脫埃及的束縛。

在《出埃及記》第12章，神明確地吩咐以色列人該如何避免這最後一場毀滅性的災難。他們要在希伯來曆尼散月十日，從羊群中選擇一隻完美的、沒有任何殘疾、一歲的公羊羔，並保留牠到該月十四日。每個家庭都有時間仔細觀察這隻羊羔，以確保其健康無瑕。

這樣的安排也可使每個家庭有時間親自接觸他們的羊羔，使牠不單只是一隻羊羔（出12: 3），而且更是「他們」的羊羔（出12: 5＊）。這讓他們可以更深體會這祭物是何等有價值：一位無辜的代替他們而死！

＊英文譯本如KJV，NASB，ESV都是譯作Your lamb

在尼散月十四日黃昏，以色列「全會眾」公開地把羊羔宰了。每個人都要為羊羔的死亡負上責任。但是每個家庭都要將自己羊羔的血塗在自己家的門楣和門框上，標誌着他們對耶和華的信心（出12: 13）。當他們這樣做的時候，無辜和無瑕疵的羊羔就成了他們的替代品，耶和華的審判便「越過」他們。因此，耶和華將逾越節定為「耶和華的夜」 — 是以色列眾人世世代代該謹守的，因耶和華領他們出了埃及地（出12: 42）。

根據聖經，逾越節是一日的節期，緊隨的七日是除酵節。現今，這兩個節期通常結合在一起，簡稱為「逾越節」。在新約，逾越節被用作除酵節的代名詞（路22: 1）。今天以色列人和改革派猶太教徒仍然將除酵節保留為七天，大多數散居世界各地的猶太人則守節八日。

節期的第一天和最後一天被認為是神聖的日子，像安息日一樣不允許做任何工作（參見出12: 16）。正統猶太派教徒則在整個節期中遵守此禁令。聖殿還存在的時候，以色列人要在除酵節將特別的燔祭，素祭和贖罪祭獻給耶和華（民28: 17-25）。

羔羊是逾越節的核心和中心（出12章; 34: 25；申16: 1-7）。沒有羔羊，就不會有拯救。這隻羔羊是如此重要，以至「逾越」一詞可以同時用來形容羔羊和節期（出12: 21；申16: 2,6；比較路22: 7；林前5: 7。中文聖經在「逾越」一詞後加上羔羊和節期，但原文只有「逾越，Passover」）。

神吩咐以色列人在逾越節當夜要吃三種有象徵意義的食物：羊羔，無酵餅（matzah）和苦菜（出12: 8）。如前所述，這隻羊羔是一隻幼小的羊羔，象徵無罪。這隻羊羔也要用火烤，象徵審判，這審判本來是要落在長子身上，現在卻臨到牠身上。根據密西拿（Mishnah 猶太人的口頭傳統）Pesahim 10: 5，拉比迦瑪列（保羅在迦瑪列門下受教）說：「凡沒有在逾越節說明（解釋）這三樣東西的，便是沒有履行自己的義務。」

聖經記載以色列人要從他們的家中除去任何發酵的食品（出埃及記12: 15）。每年春天，在逾越節開始之前，傳統的猶太家庭都會進行一次大掃除，清除所有發酵食品；洗刷房屋，將口袋裡裡外外洗淨；清洗炊具，並用最好的逾越節瓷器、銀器和水晶代替日常餐具。

吃無酵餅象徵着祭物的純潔無瑕，因為酵母具有變酸的特性，常常是罪的象徵（林前5: 6-8）。吃苦菜可提醒羊羔所受的苦。

逾越節的重要性

雖然在實際上只有一次「逾越」，但耶和華訂立逾越節是為了記念這一次重要的事情 (出13: 3) 。神設立逾越節和無酵節就是為了記念他們從埃及出來的日子 (申16: 1， 3)

逾越節與地上其它宗教的節期有很大分別。它是現存最古老、仍被記念的節期之一，已有近3500年歷史。當以色列人離開埃及一年後，便在西乃曠野慶祝逾越節（民9: 1-14）。及後當猶太人進入以色列地（5: 10-12），在希西家王（代下 30章）、約西亞王（王下 23: 21-23；代下35: 1-19）、從巴比倫被擄歸回之後（拉6: 19-20）、在耶穌時代（約11: 55），都有記載以色列人慶祝逾越節。

因為逾越節如此重要，所以神給了在尼散月14日無法守逾越節的人一個替補日期。那些因接觸屍體而污穢或長途跋涉的人，可以在30天後，第二個月的十四日守逾越節（民9: 1-14；比照代下 30: 2, 15）。神設立的其它節期都沒有這種安排。

作為彌賽亞的追隨者，我們為什麼要認識逾越節？

1. 耶穌也守逾越節

新約全書的四福音都有記載耶穌上耶路撒冷守逾越節。透過逾越節，我們認識耶穌是神所差來的彌賽亞。主耶穌好像逾越節的羔羊，擔負世人的罪孽，為我們流血捨命，救贖我們的靈魂脫離永遠的滅亡。

2. 逾越節讓我們認識耶穌的最後晚餐，餅和杯所預表的意義，及彌賽亞耶穌的死。

離開埃及的前一晚，以色列人因逾越節羊羔的血才能脫離神的刑罰，免被擊殺。（出12章）。以色列人是藉著羔羊的血從為奴之地被「救贖」出來的，因為若不流血，罪便不得赦免。透過聖經，我們知道彌賽亞就是逾越節的羔羊，已經為我們的罪被殺獻為祭了。在整本希伯來聖經，我們找到多處經文講述彌賽亞如何為我們受苦，成為贖罪祭的羔羊。

3. 透過整本聖經，我們對基督教的本質 — 羔羊的犧牲有了奇妙深刻的見解。

神已經表明，獻祭的羔羊（出 12: 5）足以在埃及贖回祂的子民。這是預表新約的逾越節羔羊基督為世人被殺獻祭，成了永遠贖罪的事。

4. 幫助我們與猶太朋友分享彌賽亞是耶穌基督的救贖信息。

耶穌是猶太人；祂的門徒是猶太人。在五旬節信主的所有人都是猶太人。世界上第一個基督教教會 - 耶路撒冷教會，其信徒全部都是猶太人。早期教會派出傳教士到世界各地與外邦人分享福音。每間教會，神學院，聖經學院和宣教機構都可以追溯到早期的猶太基督徒。擁有逾越節的知識可以幫助您與猶太朋友分享神的救贖恩典，因為您與他們都認識逾越節。

5. 研究逾越節能幫助您為天國來臨做好準備。

當萬王之王的主耶穌降臨時，會慶祝猶太人的節期。撒迦利亞書14章16節闡述，在千禧年期間，列國會上耶路撒冷守住棚節（Sukkot）— 以色列三大節期之最後一個。

逾越節晚餐（Seder）

1. 在基督之前的幾個世紀，逾越節的傳統儀式開始出現。它規定了逾越節之儀式的傳統程序，其程序包括誦讀聖經，祈禱，吃象徵性的食物和唱歌。

2. 整體而言，這個逾越節宴席的基本程序至今仍與2000年前相若，只是增加了從中世紀一直至現在的歌曲和傳統。

3. 最初，以色列人要吃三樣東西：羊羔，無酵餅（matzah）和苦菜。後來拉比加入了許多其他元素，包括綠色蔬菜，烤雞蛋，（蘋果和堅果的混合物）和四杯葡萄酒。後來，拉比增加了第五個杯子，叫做以利亞杯。這隻杯子充滿了希望，期盼先知以利亞來臨，喝杯子裡的葡萄酒，宣布彌賽亞到了（瑪4: 5）。像大多數猶太節日一樣，逾越節有很多特別的食物。這提醒我們，從猶太人的角度來看，神學不僅是知識的傳授，而且還可以品嚐！

4. 逾越節宴席有一個主題 — 救贖或釋放；逾越節帶出的不僅是神救贖的信息，也說明神救贖的方法 — 透過逾越節羔羊的犧牲。

大衛·布魯爾（David Brewer）編輯

The Story of Passover (Pesach)

Matzah (unleavened bread)

“In the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month at twilight is the Lord’s Passover. Then on the fifteenth day of the same month there is the Feast of Unleavened Bread to the Lord; for seven days you shall eat unleavened bread. On the first day you shall have a holy convocation; you shall not do any laborious work. But for seven days you shall present an offering by fire to the Lord. On the seventh day is a holy convocation; you shall not do any laborious work.’” Exodus 23:5-8

The story of Passover is definitely an exciting one, set in the background of a death sentence for Jewish infants; a baby floating in a river; Jewish slaves; a burning bush; Egyptian sorcerers; tense confrontations with the Pharaoh; divine plagues; a pursuing army; the parting of a sea; and the birth of a nation at the foot of a thundering wilderness mountain (Rosenthal & Howard, 49).

Of all the feasts of Israel, none foreshadows our redemption in Jesus in such beautiful detail as the festival of Passover. The meaning of Passover is found in Leviticus 23. The Hebrew word “pesach” means “to spring, jump or pass over” something.

The Meaning of Passover

For 430 years the Jewish people had lived in Egypt (Ex. 12:40). It was finally time for God to fulfill His promise and lead them to Canaan, the promised land (Gen. 46:3-4; 50:24). In order to convince the Pharaoh in the 15th century B.C. to let the people go, He brought 10 devastating plagues upon Egypt.

In Exodus 11 God gave details of a tenth and final plague that He would bring upon the Egyptians and their false gods. At midnight, the Lord would pass through the land and kill the firstborn of each family and of all the cattle. With this final, climactic plague, God would dramatically free His people from their bondage to Egypt.

In Exodus 12, God outlined explicit steps that the Israelites should take so that they wouldn’t be struck down by the devastating last plague. They were told to choose a male lamb eight days old to a year, in its prime. It was to be perfect, without any flaw or defect. It was to be taken out from the flock on the 10th day of the Hebrew month of Nisan and kept until the 14th day of the month. This would allow time for each family to carefully watch the lamb to make sure it was fit and without any flaws.

This would also allow time for each family to become personally attached to their lamb so that it would no longer be just a lamb (Ex. 12:3), but their lamb (Ex. 12:5). This would deeply impress upon them the costly nature of the sacrifice. An innocent one was to die in their place!

On the late afternoon or early evening of the 14th day of Nisan the lambs were to be publicly killed by “the whole assembly.” Everybody was responsible for the death of the lambs. But each family was to individually apply the blood of their lamb to the doorposts of their own home as a visible sign of their faith in the Lord (Ex. 12:13). When they did this, at this moment the innocent and spotless lamb became their substitute, making it possible for the Lord’s judgment to “pass over” them. And so the Lord instituted Passover as “a night for solemn observance to the LORD for bringing them out of the land of Egypt” (Ex. 12:42).

According to the Bible, Passover is a one-day feast that immediately precedes the seven-day Feast of Unleavened Bread. Today, both feasts are usually joined together as a single entity and simply called “Passover.” In the NT Passover is used as a synonym for the Feast of Unleavened Bread (Luke 22:1). Today, Israelis and Reform Jews still keep the feast of Unleavened Bread for seven days, while most Jewish people in the Diaspora observe the feast for eight days.

The first and last days of the festival were considered holy days during which, like the Sabbath, no work was to be performed (cf. Ex. 12:16). Orthodox Jews today apply the work prohibition to the intermediate days of the festival as well. While the Temple stood, special burnt offerings, grain offerings, and sin offerings were presented to the Lord during the days of Unleavened Bread (Num. 28:17-25).

The Lamb was the core and center of Passover (Ex. 12; 34:25; Deut. 16:1-7). Without the lamb there would have been no deliverance. So important was this lamb that the term “the Passover” came to be used interchangeably of the lamb as well as the holiday (Ex. 12:21; Deut. 16:2, 6; cf. Luke 22:7; 1 Cor. 5:7).

God required three symbolic foods to be eaten that Passover night – the lamb, matzah (unleavened bread), and bitter herbs (Ex. 12:8). As mentioned earlier, the lamb was to be a young lamb, depicting innocence. It was also to be roasted with fire, symbolizing the judgment that would fall on it instead of the firstborn. According to the Mishnah (oral traditions of the Jewish people), Pesahim 10:5, Rabban Gamaliel (who was Paul’s teacher in Rabbinics) said: “Whosoever has not said (explained) these three things at Passover has not fulfilled his obligation.”

The Bible says the Israelites were to remove any leavened products from their household (Ex. 12:15). This was to remind them they had to flee Egypt so quickly the bread in their ovens didn’t have time to rise. Every spring in a traditional Jewish household, a furious housecleaning takes place to remove any leavened products before Passover begins. Houses are scrubbed, pockets are turned inside out and laundered, cooking utensils are scalded, and everyday dinnerware and flatware are replaced with the finest Passover china, silver, and crystal.

Matzah was to be eaten symbolizing the purity of the sacrifice since leaven, with its souring characteristic, was often a symbol of sin (1 Cor. 5:6-8). Bitter herbs were to be eaten as a reminder of the suffering of the lamb.

The Importance of Passover

There was only one Passover when the Lord passed through the land in judgment. Every observance since then has been a memorial to remember that important occasion (Ex. 13:3). So, God established the holidays of Passover and Unleavened Bread for the purpose of remembering (Deut. 16:1, 3).

Passover holds great distinction among the religious feasts of the world. It is the oldest continuously observed feast in existence today, celebrated for almost 3500 years. It was celebrated in the Sinai wilderness one year after Israel left Egypt (Num. 9:1-14); as the Jewish people came into the land of Israel (Josh. 5:10-12); in the days of King Hezekiah (2 Chr. 30) and King Josiah (2 Kings 23:21-23; 2 Chr. 35:1-19); after the return from Babylonian captivity (Ezra 6:19-20); and extensively during the days of Jesus (Jn. 11:55).

It was so important that God gave an alternate date for those who were unable to observe Passover on the appointed day on Nisan 14. Those who had become defiled by touching a dead body or were away on a long journey could celebrate Passover 30 days later on the fourteenth of the second month (Num. 9:1-14; cf. 2 Chr. 30:2, 15). None of the other feasts appointed by God had this accommodation.

Why is it a great idea for followers of Messiah to understand the Passover?

1. The first reason is that Jesus celebrated Passover.

2. Passover forms the primary background for understanding the events of the Upper Room, the symbolism of the Lord’s Table, and the meaning of Messiah Jesus’ death.

3. We gain marvelous insight into the very essence of Christianity – the sacrifice of the Lamb. God has already shown that a sacrificed lamb (Ex. 12:5) was sufficient for the redemption of an entire people back in Egypt. Passover is a living picture of how sacrifice is properly obtained.

4. So that we can better share the message of redemption available through Messiah Jesus with our Jewish friends. Jesus is Jewish; the disciples were Jewish; all the people saved at Pentecost were Jewish; the first Christian church in the world, the church of Jerusalem, was entirely Jewish; the church sent missionaries out into the world to share the gospel with Gentiles. Every church, seminary, Bible college and missions agency can be traced back to the early Jewish Christians. A knowledge of Passover will help you share with your Jewish friends because you will then have some common ground with them.

5. Studying Passover will help prepare you for the Kingdom to come. When the King of Kings, the Lord Jesus, comes, He will celebrate the Jewish feasts. We see from Zech. 14:16 that the Feast of Tabernacles/Booths (Sukkot) will be celebrated during the Millennium.

Seder

1.Several centuries before Christ, a somewhat traditionalized Passover service began to emerge. It prescribed the traditional order of the Scripture readings, prayers, symbolic foods, and songs in the Passover service.

2.The basic order of this Passover seder today remains pretty much as it was 2,000 years ago even though the service continued to be embellished with more songs and traditions up through the Middle Ages.

3. Originally, the Israelites were to eat three things: lamb, matzah, and bitter herbs; Rabbis later added numerous other elements, including green vegetables, a roasted egg, (apple/nut mix) and four cups of wine. Later in history, rabbis added a 5th cup called the Cup of Elijah; this cup is filled with the hope that the prophet Elijah will come, drink from the cup and announce that the Messiah has arrived (Malachi 4:5). Like most of the Jewish feasts, Passover features special foods. This reminds us that, from a Jewish perspective, theology is not only taught, it is also tasted.

4. The Passover seder has a theme – redemption or deliverance; Passover imparts more than God’s message of redemption; it imparts God’s means of redemption – through the sacrifice of a Passover lamb.

Compiled by David Brewer

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虛擬逾越節晚餐..Virtual Passover Seder

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資料來源：

Buksbazen, Victor. The Gosel in the Feasts of Israel. Fort Washington, PA: CLC, 1954.

Fuchs, Daniel. Israel’s Holy Days In Type and Prophecy. Neptune, NJ: Loizeaux Brothers, 1985.

Howard, Kevin and Marvin Rosenthal. The Feasts of the Lord: God’s Prophetic Calendar from Calvary to the Kingdom. Nashville: Thomas Nelson, Inc., 1997.

Kasdan, Barney. God’s Appointed Times: A Practical Guide for Understanding and Celebrating the Biblical Holidays. Baltimore: Lederer Publications, 1993.

Kolatch, Rabbi Alfred J. The Jewish Book of Why. Middle Village, NY: Jonathan David Publishers, Inc., 1981.

Ritchie, John. Feasts of Jehovah. Grand Rapids: Kregel Publications, 1982.

Schauss, Hayyim. The Jewish Festivals: History & Observance. New York: Schocken Books, 1938.

Scott, Bruce. The Feasts of Israel: Seasons of the Messiah. Bellmawr, NJ: The Friends of Israel Gospel Ministry, Inc., 1997.

Shepherd, Coulson. Jewish Holy Days: Their Prophetic and Christian Significance, 4th edition. Neptune, NJ: Loizeaux Brothers, 1977 (originally published 1961).

Zimmerman, Martha. Celebrate the Feasts. Minneapolis: Bethany House Publishers, 1981.

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