Nazarene Israelite Two House Congregation of Port Elizabeth

PASSOVER -- SERVICE AND MEAL

We're so pleased to have you with us tonight! YHVH is our Host tonight as at all His Feast Days.
"Let us begin with an ancient Passover song! “When Israel out of Egypt went”, from Psalm 114

Light the Lamps

Servant: "By the hands of a woman, the lamps are lit.

This reminds us that it was the promised Seed of a Woman who is the Light of the World.

"Sister _________________ will you please light the candles.”

 

The servant's wife (OR another lady) covers her head, lights the candles, and says:

Blessed are you YHVH our Elohim, King of the Universe, Who has set us apart with Your commandments, and given us the festival lights to kindle.

Blessed are you YHVH our Elohim, King of the Universe, Who has brought us life, and sustained us, and enabled us to reach this season of awe.

Blessed are you YHVH our Elohim, King of the Universe, Who has sent thy Word as a light to bring revelation to the nations, and the esteem of Your people Israel."
 
PRAYER

Servant: "Brother _______________, Will you please ask for (YHVH)'s presence with us tonight?"  

Prayer as follows or similar: "We praise you YHVH our Elohim, ruler of the universe, for you have liberated your people Israel with your mighty hand in ancient times when you brought us out of Egypt and then in a much greater sense when you sent your son, the anointed lamb of YHVH to be our Passover. We come before you this evening in Yahshua's name to praise you for your great power and love and to remember Yahshua's death until he comes. Please send your Spirit into our hearts to sanctify us as we keep your Feasts, obey your commands and trust in the salvation you have sent for us through your son, Yahshua.

Read Exodus 12:1-14

Servant: "Brother _________________, please read the story of that first Passover."
 Now YHVH spoke to Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt, saying, "This month shall be your beginning of months; it shall be the first month of the year to you.

"Speak to all the congregation of Israel, saying: 'On the tenth day of this month every man shall take for himself a lamb, according to the house of his father, a lamb for a household. And if the household is too small for the lamb, let him and his neighbor next to his house take it according to the number of the persons; according to each man's need you shall make your count for the lamb. Your lamb shall be without a blemish, a male of the first year. You may take it from the sheep or from the goats.

'Now you shall keep it until the fourteenth day of the same month. Then the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill it at twilight. And they shall take some of the blood and put it on the two doorposts and on the lintel of the houses where they eat it. Then they shall eat the flesh on that night; roasted with fire, with unleavened bread and with bitter herbs they shall eat it. Do not eat it raw, nor boiled at all with water, but roasted in fire; its head with its legs and its entrails. You shall let none of it remain until morning, and what remains of it until morning you shall burn with fire.

'And thus you shall eat it: with a belt on your waist, your sandals on your feet, and your staff in your hand. So you shall eat it in haste. It is (YHVH)’s Passover. For I will pass through the land of Egypt on that night, and will strike all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgment: I am YHVH. Now the blood shall be a sign for you on the houses where you are. And when I see the blood, I will pass over you; and the plague shall not be on you to destroy you when I strike the land of Egypt. So this day shall be to you a memorial; and you shall keep it as a feast to YHVH throughout your generations. You shall keep it as a feast by an everlasting ordinance.'"  

Servant: "We are here tonight in obedience to this command".

 

Servant continues to read the following:

REASONS FOR OUR GRATITUDE

How plentiful are the reasons for our gratitude to YHVH for the many favors bestowed upon us!
YHVH brought us out of Egypt, divided the Red Sea for us, permitted us to cross on dry land, sustained us for forty years in the desert, fed us with manna, ordained the Sabbath, brought us to Mount Sinai, gave us the Torah, led us into the land of Israel, built for us the Temple, sent us prophets of truth, and made us a Set-apart people to perfect the world under the kingdom of the Almighty, in truth and righteousness.

If the children of Israel have many things to be grateful for, how much more the children of YHVH who has (YHVH)’s son for an example, brother and savior, and who has the gifts of the Set-apart Spirit of YHVH!!!

Servant continues with the following prayer:
 
 

PRAYER OF REPENTANCE

"Almighty Father in Heaven, we come before you in the name of your son, our Passover lamb, the lamb of YHVH. We are very conscious that we are not worthy without Yahshua to come into your presence. We have given in to the pulls of our flesh, to the temptations of the world and fallen to the snares of the adversary. We have sinned against Elohim and against our neighbor. We have sometimes hurt our brethren in the congregation, your own children.

"Father, we are so sorry! We know we have no excuse. Yahshua was tempted in every way we are - yet he was without sin. Father, we thank you for his example. We ask you to lead us also out of sin as you lead our ancestors out of Egypt so long ago. Father, be powerful in our lives as you were in the camp of Israel. You can break the strong bonds that are upon us. We don't ask you to take away the law but we ask you to free us from all the problems of breaking the law by guiding us and helping us to keep it. We thank you for your power and for your loving help for us.

In the name of Yahshua, the lamb of YHVH, we pray. So let it be Father, according to your mercy."  

The Explanation of the Meal:

 Servant: "This night we have come together to commemorate the beginning of freedom. Freedom of the Israelites from the bondage of hard taskmasters; the Egyptians; and freedom for us through Yahshua through whom YHVH has given us the gift of eternal life.

"But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves to YHVH, the fruit you reap is sanctification, and the result is eternal life. For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of YHVH is eternal life through Yahshua the Messiah, our Master." (Romans 6: 22-23) . 

YHVH commanded the Israelites to sacrifice a first-born lamb without spot or blemish for the first Passover. He commanded them to take the blood from the sacrificed lamb and smear it on the doorposts of their houses as a redeeming sign from the penalty of death. YHVH also sacrificed His first-born, Yahshua, without spot or blemish; without sin, to become sin for us so we may have everlasting life. Yahshua shed his redeeming blood so we may mark the doorposts of our heart so that eternal death may also pass over us.

The first Passover was kept in a solemn way, with loins girded, staff in hand, and shoes on their feet just as if they would be ready to leave at a moment's notice. We, too, must be ready at a moment's notice for Yahshua to reclaim us at His second coming; with "our loins girded about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness, and your feet shod with the preparation of the good news of peace; above all, taking the shield of faith, with which you shall quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of The Spirit, which is the word of YHVH." (Eph. 6:14-17)

This all began when YHVH told Moses that He had heard the cries and had seen the tears of His people under the whip of the cruel taskmasters. We commemorate that from beginning to end. That's why we do these things and have these symbols -- only as a remembrance of what was. Let's look at what they stand for:

Unleavened bread was prepared in haste and given no chance to rise. Remember the unleavened bread this next week as we commemorate this feast, as a conscious effort to remove sin from our lives so we can please our Creator whom we love. Let us not give sin a chance to rise and grow within our lives. "Don't you know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump? Therefore purge out the old leaven, so that you may be a new lump as you are unleavened,'' (1 Corinthians 5:6-7)

Bitter herbs remind us of the bitterness of slavery but also of the bitterness of death.

"They shall look upon me, the one they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one that is in bitterness for his first born." (Zechariah 12:10)  

The salt water which the bitter herbs are dipped into symbolizes the tears of bondage. We also should remember the tears of Miriam of Bethany "who was a sinner, when she knew that Yahshua was eating in the Pharisee's house, brought an alabaster box of ointment, and stood at His feet behind him, weeping; and began to wash his feet with tears, and did wipe them with the hair of her head, and kissed His feet, and anointed them with the ointment," to anoint His body for burial. (Luke 7:37-38)  

The charoset symbolizes the mortar the Israelites made to build Pharaoh’s Monuments. Yahshua is our mortar to cement the body of Messiah (the ecclesia) together. "Now, therefore, you are no longer foreigners and aliens, but fellow citizens with the set-apart ones and members of (YHVH)’s household, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Yahshua the Messiah himself as the chief cornerstone. In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a set-apart temple in YHVH. And in him you also are being built together to become a dwelling in which YHVH lives by his Spirit." (Eph. 2:19-22) 

Taking the Old Symbols before the Fellowship Meal:  

Servant: "We have here parsley and salt water. It represents bitterness and tears. Let us reflect on their meaning as we all share. Dip some parsley in the salt water and eat.  

"We also have fresh celery. Take a piece of celery to dip into the dish of charoset. Remember, the celery symbolizes bitterness and the charoset mortar. Together they remind us of the bitter treatment of the Israelites by the Egyptian taskmasters. But also remember how Yahshua binds his people together into one body.  

"We'll take a short break now to set the table for the meal. Then we'll offer a prayer before we eat.  

Prayer before the meal

Servant: "Now we will thank YHVH for blessing us with the food that He provides so abundantly. ________________, will you please give thanks?" 

Meal -- here we eat a light meal and talk about the first Passover.  

Clear the Table

After The Meal Read 1 Corinthians 11:27-29  

Servant: Consider the words of the Apostle Paul in 1 Corinthians 11:27-29 "Therefore whoever eats this bread or drinks this cup of the Master in an unworthy manner will be guilty of the body and blood of the Master. A man ought to examine himself before he eats of the bread and drinks of the cup. For anyone who eats and drinks without recognizing the body of the Master eats and drinks judgment to himself. That is why many among you are weak and sick, and a number of you have fallen asleep."

Brethren, remember what this scripture says. Let us take a few minutes now to examine our hearts and go before YHVH in repentant prayer so we may partake of the emblems worthily.  

The Foot Washing

Servant: "John 13:4-17 Yahshua rose from supper and laid aside His garments took a towel and girded Himself. After that, He poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples' feet, and to wipe them with the towel with which He was girded. Then He came to Simon Peter and Peter said to Him, "Master, are You washing my feet?"

Yahshua answered and said to him, "What I am doing you do not understand now, but you will understand after this."

Peter said to Him, "You shall never wash my feet!"

Yahshua answered him, "If I do not wash you, you have no part with Me."

Simon Peter said to Him, "Master, not my feet only, but also my hands and my head!"

Yahshua said to him, "He who is bathed needs only to wash his feet, but is completely clean; and you are clean, but not all of you." For He knew who would betray Him; therefore He said, 'You are not all clean.'

So when He had washed their feet, taken His garments, and sat down again, He said to them, "Do you know what I have done to you? You call me Teacher and Master, and you say well, for so I am. If I then, your Master and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet. For I have given you an example, that you should do as I have done to you. Most assuredly, I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master; nor is he who is sent greater than he who sent him. If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them."

 

Instruct the congregation of procedures and proceed with foot washing.

"Please remember to do this rather quietly and please remember to wash your hands when you are done"

After the foot washing.

The Bread  

Servant: "Yahshua said in John 6:47-58, "Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me has everlasting life. I am the bread of life. Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and are dead. This is the bread which comes down from heaven that one may eat of it and not die.

"I am the living bread which came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever; and the bread that I shall give is My flesh, which I shall give for the life of the world."

The Jews therefore quarreled among themselves, saying, "How can this Man give us His flesh to eat?"

Then Yahshua said to them, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in you. Whoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. For My flesh is food indeed, and My blood is drink indeed. He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him. As the living Father sent Me, and I live because of the Father, so he who feeds on Me will live because of Me. This is the bread which came down from heaven; not as your fathers ate the manna, and are dead. He who eats this bread will live forever."

The prophet says in Isaiah 53:3 to 7:

"He is despised and rejected by men, A Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. And we hid, as it were, our faces from Him; He was despised, and we did not esteem Him. Surely He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; Yet we esteemed Him stricken, smitten by Elohim, and afflicted. But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned, every one, to his own way; and YHVH has laid on Him the iniquity of us all. He was oppressed and He was afflicted, Yet He opened not His mouth; He was led as a lamb to the slaughter, And as a sheep before its shearers is silent, So He opened not His mouth.
 

Luke 22:19 And He took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, "This is My body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of Me."

 

Prayer -- "________________ please give thanks for the bread YHVH has provided for us."

Prayer as follows or similar: "Father YHVH, we do thank you for the bread you have given for us. You sent your son to give his body to be broken for us. We can only imagine your feelings as the soldiers beat him, spit on him, scourged him, and finally drove great nails through his flesh. We know you were able to watch this torture because it was part of your plan for us. We thank you that 'through his stripes we are healed.' Father, we are so sorry that we needed this sacrifice of Yahshua's. We thank you Father, and we thank Yahshua that the sacrifice was willingly made out the love both of you have for us. We each remember Yahshua's death tonight with sadness and with love for you. In Yahshua's name we pray. So let it be."

(Servant: Break the unleavened bread into enough pieces for every immersed person present and distribute it.)

"At this point let us each offer a silent prayer of thanks for our personal blessings from our savior's broken body for each one of us and eat the unleavened bread which is a symbol of Yahshua's broken body."  

The Cup

Read Matthew 26:27-29

Servant: "And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, "Drink you all of it; for this is my blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins. But I say to you, I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you in My Father's kingdom."  

Prayer -- "________________ please give thanks for the cup YHVH has provided for us."

Prayer as follows or similar: "Almighty Father YHVH, we ask you to accept our thanks for this cup we drink. We have heard of the great pain that swept through Yahshua as he hung on that tree for us, as his life-blood flowed out of him. How much his pain must have hurt you also! Father we are so sorry for our sins that required this sacrifice.

"We are pleased that through this sacrifice, many people can come to be your children. We know that is your desire. Father, may each of us here be worthy of all you have done for us. Not that we would be righteous enough of ourselves, but that we would be truly repentant and be truly loving of our brethren. Thank you for being our loving Father. Thank you for sending Yahshua to be our brother, our example, and our savior. In Yahshua's name we praise and thank you! HalleluYah!"  

Let the wine be distributed to each Immersed person

Servant: "Let us partake of the wine, professing: 'Almighty YHVH, we accept Yahshua's blood as the token of the new covenant in His Blood -- HalleluYah!'"
 

The Reading if time permits

_________________ Please read John 13, (7 minutes)

_________________ Please read John 14, (5 minutes)

_________________ Please read John 15, (5 minutes)

_________________ Please read John 16, (6 minutes)

_________________ Please read John 17 (5 minutes) (28 min. for all)  

Sing final song.

Servant: Yahshua said, "A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another."

"Brethren, we know that we must show our love for one another in the many things we do and say throughout the year. Love is not something that happens for just a few minutes. But now let's give each other an embrace and a blessing, just as a symbol showing that the Messiah's love is in us.

May YHVH bless you. (ALL) "NEXT YEAR JERUSALEM!"