Thursday, April 21, 2011

Dayenu! It would have been enough!

Part of the Jewish Passover seder includes leader and all reciting a list of God's blessings and responding, "Dayenu," It would have been enough:

Leader: If He had only taken us out of Egypt and not judged the Egyptians:
All: Dayenu! It would have been enough!

Leader: If He had judged their gods but not slain their firstborn:
Dayenu! it would have been enough!

If He had divided the Red Sea but not allowed us to pass through on dry ground:
Dayenu! It would have been enough!

If He allowed us to pass but did not drown the Egyptian's armies:
Dayenu! It would have been enough!

If He had fed us with manna but had not given us the Sabbath:
Dayenu! it would have been enough!

If He had given us the Sabbath but not the Torah:
Dayenu! It would have been enough!

If He had given us the Torah but not led us into Israel:
Dayenu! it would have been enough!

If He had given us Israel but not built and consecrated the Temple:
Dayenu! It would have been enough!

And in this Messianic seder, they added:

As followers of Yeshua, we add still another Dayenu. Our God not only provided all of the above, He provided a once and for all atonement for us through Jesus the Messiah who died for our sins and rose from the dead so we can know freedom from sin and abundant life now and forever. For this we can all say: Dayenu! It is indeed enough!

The seder is full of symbolism for followers of Yeshua ha Maschiach.

The matzoh is broken and hidden in a pouch w/ three pockets. Why three? They may represent a unity, or Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

We see Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The matzoh is hidden in the middle pocket, as in Son.

The matzoh itself, in the baking, is pierced, and the baking rack gives it stripes. This reminds us of the writings of the Jewish prophet Isaiah in chapter fifty-three:


But He was pierced for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon Him, and with His stripes, we are healed.

The ceremony includes four cups of wine. Many believe Yeshua held up the Cup of Redemption at the Last Supper or seder. Some say it was the Cup of Elijah.

"And as they were eating, Jesus took the bread, blessed and broke it and gave it to His disciples and said, 'Take, eat, this is my body.' Then He took the cup and gave thanks, and gave it to them saying, 'Drink from it, all of you. For this is my blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.'" Matthew 26:26-29

"Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world." John 1:29.

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