There’s nothing more stupid in the church today than evangelicals doing a play-acting “Seder Supper.”
First, we don’t need to do a fake Passover. The church already has the Lord’s Supper which is (among other things) the fulfillment of the old covenant Passover. Jesus gave us a meal. Why do something other than what he commanded? Why do another religious meal when Jesus already gave us one?
The reason some evangelicals get interested is the Seder is that, having eviscerated the true sacraments of their meaning and efficacy, they go looking for substitutes. They have emptied the true sacraments (baptism and the Lord’s Supper) of mystery, yet, being human, they still yearn for meaningful and mysterious rituals, so they either borrow from Jewish tradition (the Seder as a substitute for the Lord’s Supper) or they create their own (such as the altar call). The answer to this longing for meaningful rituals should be satisfied by reclaiming and understanding what Jesus gave us. Doing a Seder is not a way to return to the church’s roots; it is the church engaging in idolatrous syncretism, no matter how well intentioned.
Second, most of the Seder is not actually rooted in Scripture. It’s not the ritual described in Exodus 12 or later OT Scripture. Most of it comes from later extra-biblical traditions; indeed, most of it comes from rabbinic Judaism, and was established long after Christian faith and Judaism were clearly distinct and very different faiths. Even if those rabbinic traditions get infused with Christian symbolism, they are not “our” traditions and symbols. They comes from the Talmud, not the Bible. Christians have no more business doing a Seder than than they do keeping Ramadan or celebrating Kwanza. The church has her own meal, her own traditions, her own calendar, her own story. Why borrow from apostate Judaism? Why syncretize the Christian faith with a rival?
I have argued elsewhere that one deep-seated reason dispensational evangelicals are attracted to modern Israel is because they have rejected Christendom but still long to have an earthy, embodied cultural manifestation of the faith. The same thing is happening here – having minimized the power of the Christian sacraments, these same evangelicals look to Judaism to provide what they (wrongly) think their own religion lacks.
Third, for Christians to try to perform an old covenant Passover in any way is virtually blasphemous – and it’s impossible anyway. Will the Seder meal only be for the circumcised per Exodus 12, and those who keep the cleanness laws of Leviticus? Where are are Levitical priests going to be found to administer the ritual? How does taking this pseudo-Passover meal outside of Jerusalem get justified in light of Deuteronomy 16? How will a lamb be sacrificed at the temple, per the old covenant requirement, since the temple was destroyed in 70AD? Will 2 year olds be welcome to eat the Seder since the Passover meal was for the whole household and obviously included young children? What about the shedding of blood after Jesus’ death on the cross – on what basis could any Christian revert to an animal sacrifice when the final sacrifice has been offered?
The Passover was part of a system that God ended in 70AD. To turn back to it (especially in rabbinic/Talmudic form) is no better and no different from turning to paganism (cf. Gal. 4:8-11). The whole point of the Last Supper is that Jesus has transformed the old covenant Passover into something better – the new covenant meal of the Lord’s Supper. Doing a Seder is participating in a religious system that rejected Jesus as Messiah.
There’s more that could be said, but these reasons are fully sufficient for Christians to reject the Seder. Do the meal Jesus gave us. Do it every Lord’s Day, like the apostles did. Read Calvin on the real (Spiritual) presence and embrace a theology of sacramental efficacy. Use good bread and real wine. We don’t need weird non-Christian rituals to give the season meaning.
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ADDENDUM ON THE CHURCH CALENDAR: The church calendar is purely voluntary. It is a matter of custom and prudence, not divine law. I think the church calendar is a helpful catechetical tool, a helpful way of ordering time and ensuring that a local pastor does not just camp out on one aspect of Jesus’ work to the exclusion of others. But it is not required. I take a broad view of the regulative principle — the old covenant shows us that there is wisdom in having a calendar tied to the great events of redemptive history, so I think the church calendar is based on principles found in the OT, adapted to a new covenant situation — but refusing to keep the calendar is not a sin. And for obvious reasons, there is a great deal of variety in different denominations/traditions within the church. That variety need not bother us.
The calendar has been abused at times — it has become legalistic, or gotten twisted into focusing on things contrary to Scripture. Had I lived in Zwingli’s day, I probably would have a made a point to eat sausage during Lent as well. But when the calendar is done right, it has great value and creates a culture and rhythm in the life of the church that serves a good purpose.
Even in the old covenant, when God did prescribe a calendar to his people, there was some flexibility. Passover could be rescheduled, per Numbers 9. Feasts and fasts could be added (e.g., Purim in the book of Esther). The calendar is made for man, not man for the calendar.
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