Punta Gorda Seventh-day Adventist Church

Scripture: (Exodus 13:8 NKJV)  "And you shall tell your son in that day, saying, 'This is done because of what the LORD did for me when I came up from Egypt.'

Observation: God had delivered the Israelites from their life of slavery in Egypt after a long struggle with Pharaoh.  The annual Passover service was established not just as a celebration of their deliverance but as a teaching tool for future generations, particularly for children.  Every year, as the family gathers around the Passover table and the children as, “What is this?”, the parents respond in two ways: 1. The Lord delivered me from slavery (13:8).  2. The Lord deliver us from slavery (13:14-16).

Application: The point of the annual Passover celebration/commemoration is to teach the children about God’s marvelous deliverance power and to remind them that they were slaves, but God gave them freedom.  Children are taught through songs, through the food items, through the games played, and through the questions asked that God displayed His power on their behalf.  The questions reflect something that is very special not just for Israelites delivered from slavery but to all of us who have suffered under the slavery of sin from our birth.  To the first question the answer is – The Lord delivered me.  This reflects the fact that salvation is first of all a personal matter – God delivered me from sin.  The second answer reflects what God has done for us as a people – God delivered us all.

While most of us do not have Jewish heritage and therefore don’t celebrate Passover, the communion service gives us the same opportunity to explain to our children what Jesus has done for us.  As we consider the foot washing part of the service, we can explain to our children that Jesus gave us an example of humility and service.  We can explain to them what the bread and the grape juice represent, and most importantly, what the sacrifice of Jesus accomplished for each of us as individuals and what it assured for us as a people – eternal life on the earth made new.

A Prayer You May Say: Father, thank You for delivering me from the bondage of sin, and thank You for guaranteeing for us, through the death of Your Lamb, eternal life with You.

Used by permission of Adventist Family Ministries, North American Division of Seventh-day Adventists.