Trending
Perhaps you have one of those bracelets with the letters, "WWJD." The intended message, of course, is for the wearer to ask herself, "What Would Jesus Do," so that we might bring morality and ethics into our daily decision-making process. As a Rabbi, I love those bracelets, because WWJD could be interpreted as, "What Would any Jew Do?" It is no accident that our Christian friends borrow extensively from Jewish teachings, since the star figure and moral exemplar of the New Testament seems to practice Judaism throughout his life. He visits the ancient Temple in Jerusalem, he teaches at the synagogue, and most of those "words in red" in your Bible are good Jewish teachings, often direct quotes from the Torah. The connection between our two faiths is quite deep indeed, and it is all the more prominent this year, as the holidays of Passover and Easter happen to fall simultaneously: the Passover Seder will be this coming Wednesday night, April 1 and the holiday will continue for seven days through the week ahead, while Easter falls in the middle of the Passover week, on Sunday, April 5. Historically and theologically, these two springtime festivals are directly linked, though the messages they offer to us today differ slightly.
Both holidays certainly have a central theme of blood and sacrifice. In the Passover narrative, the historical context is the impending Exodus from Egypt, and therefore, to avoid the Tenth Plague, the death of the firstborns, God directs the Israelites to slaughter and eat a lamb per family and to put the blood on their wooden doorposts to prevent the death of their children. Christianity borrows these symbols, but changes their meanings. The "lamb" of course, is Jesus, who represents God's first born son. The "blood" comes from Jesus' death on the wooden cross, and Christianity suggests that his sacrifice enables believers to triumph over death themselves.
At the Passover seder, we have three pieces of matzah, the middle of which is broken and a piece is hidden to be eaten at the end of the seder, shared by all in attendance. Our Christian friends again borrow the symbols, but change their meanings. Perhaps, some Christian apologists suggest, the three matzot represent the trinity of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, the middle of which (Jesus) is "broken" through crucifixion, "hidden" in the tomb which is later found empty, and then "shared" with the world; this is a uniquely Christian idea, indeed, with no actual rooting in Judaism.
In all of these examples, and indeed in many more, Christianity borrows from its Jewish roots to find common symbols which are then endowed with new, and specifically Christian, theological significance. Even the ritual of the Seder itself is borrowed by the Synoptic Gospels of Mark, Matthew, and Luke, which characterize the "Last Supper" as a Passover seder. Unfortunately, from an historical perspective, this is problematic. If the Last Supper is the Seder, it would mean the trial narrative and crucifixion take place on the first day of the Passover festival, a day when no work would have been done and no court would have been in session. The New Testament itself wrestles with this issue, suggesting the community was in a hurry to complete the trial and execution before the coming of the Sabbath, but there is a better answer to the chronology. The Gospel of John suggests that they're in a hurry because the Seder is not the Last Supper, but rather the next evening at the end of the day of the trial, meaning Jesus is the "lamb" for the Passover offering, a far more powerful image of sacrifice and faith.
In the end, both holidays celebrate springtime, rebirth, and renewal. While Easter for Christians celebrates the sacrifice that allows for freedom from the slavery of spiritual death, Passover for Jews celebrates not only the freedom of our ancestors from slavery in Egypt, but also our responsibility to work as partners with God to bring freedom to those still enslaved and suffering today. Both holidays, therefore, inspire us to give thanks for how blessed we are at this season of hope, and to show our thanks by sharing our blessings with those who are in need. As we say each year at our Passover seder, "Let all who are hungry come and eat!" May all of us who hunger for learning, fellowship, and spiritual growth find this spring holiday season one of inspiration and fulfillment. My family and I wish you a very happy Holy-day season, for whatever faith leads you to help make our community a better place for all of our neighbors.