Passover

Holy Week is a special time for our family, especially as we near the end of the week. Last night, our family had the opportunity to experience “The Stations of the Cross” at our church. It is a humbling experience, to immerse yourself in the sounds and smells of the last twelve hours of Jesus’ earthly ministry, to encounter His suffering, to nail your own sins to His cross.

I took Princess E with me through each of the stations this year. It was the first time she had gone through. She has a vivid imagination and was able to fully experience the walk. She found it increasingly difficult to continue. At the end, emerging from the station of the tomb, she said simply “That was hard.” She found it quite difficult to wrap her mind around the pain and suffering our Savior experienced FOR US.

Late last week, when I was planning our upcoming dinner menus, she asked if we could eat dinner on Maundy Thursday in the same way Jesus would have eaten the last supper with His disciples. The first surprise, for me, was realizing she knew the term Maundy Thursday. I was an adult before I ever remember hearing it.



Anyway, I set out to plan a Passover Seder for our family for our dinner tonight. After some research, the final menu was Sweet Beef Roast, Miriam’s Purple Cabbage, and Roasted Potatoes. On the side, I made a gravy from the pan drippings and served unleavened bread. It may not have been the perfect Passover Seder meal, but it was a reasonable attempt. Here are a few photos of the food.




Princess E set the table for dinner. As she was setting it, she asked if we would allow her to set an extra place for Jesus. Of course, Jesus is always at our table, so setting a place for Him did not seem strange at all. We did have to draw the line when she asked if we could eat upstairs in the hallway, which would be more like the upper room in her estimation.

Princess E asked the blessing, as she often does. The prayers of a child are so honest. I am in awe of her thankful heart. As we ate our meal, we retold the story of the Exodus out of Egypt, and why Jesus would have been observing the Passover with His Disciples that last night.

As we head into Good Friday, it is with humble hearts and a spirit of deep gratitude that Jesus was willing to endure such a horrific, traumatic death for us. I can barely begin to imagine the fear and hurt His mother experienced as she watched her precious Son during those final hours. Her heart must have been unbearably heavy with grief. Imagine how His followers felt. Their beliefs shattered, their lives in danger; into hiding they went. Imagine how Jesus felt, betrayed by Judas and deserted by His disciples. Imagine that night…