Date and Time*
Date: April 7, 2020 (Tuesday)
Time: 7:30PM or shortly after sunset
* See section entitled “Additional Information on Date and Time of Passover Service” at the end of this guide for additional details.
Planning
Make appropriate preparations for this service. If possible, give yourselves a little time before the service to reflect and pray on the great sacrifice of our Lord and Savior. While it is not necessary to be somber during this service, proper respect should always be maintained. Preparations include the following:
- Unleavened bread broken or cut in small pieces (~1” x 1”)
- Red wine poured into small serving cups or glasses (~1 oz./person)
- Foot washing bowls (or alternative) with water
- Towels for foot washing service
- A closing song such as Amazing Grace
Note: There should be enough bread and wine for each participant. Destroy any left-over bread and wine that night. Exodus 12: 10 states, “Do not leave any of it till morning; if some is left till morning, you must burn it.” Remember, the bread and wine, once prayed upon, symbolize the body and blood of Jesus Christ.
Order of Services
- Opening Prayer
- Introductory Scripture Readings
- Foot Washing Service
- Partaking of the Bread*
- Partaking of the Wine*
- Scripture Readings
- Closing Hymn
- Closing Prayer
*Only those who have baptized should partake of the bread and wine. (I Cor. 11: 27-28)
Opening Prayer
The opening prayer should include thanks to God for his Son, our Passover, who died in our place. Some reference to God’s love for us, and our love for one another is also important. Also, it is good to ask God to instill an attitude of humility and contriteness as we participate in this service.
Introductory Scripture Readings
Read the following scriptures.
- Luke 22: 7-20
- The hour had come! Jesus’s trial began on this night. Jesus was betrayed by Judas, arrested, abandoned by His disciples, condemned by the High Priest and Sanhedrin, spit on and beat, turned over to Pilate, condemned to death, scourged, crucified, died, and was finally buried. All of this happened during the 24 hours of Passover Day, Nisan 14. Jesus endured all of this as our Passover Lamb. Because He died for our sins, we can have life through faith in his shed blood.
- “…do this in remembrance of me.” (V19)
- “…new covenant in my blood…” (V20)
- I Corinthians 11: 17-26
- “…on the night he was betrayed…” (V24, 25)
- “…do this in remembrance of me.” Never forget what Jesus did. (V24, 25)
- “…new covenant in my blood…” (V25)
- “…for whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup…” (V26)
- “…proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.” (V26)
- I Corinthians 11: 27-32
- “…whoever eats this bread or drinks this cup in an unworthy manner” (V27)
Foot Washing Service
- Background: As Jesus reclined at supper with his disciples, Jesus had a lesson of love and humility to convey to his disciples by washing their feet. Jesus did this before instituting the symbols of His body and blood.
- Read the following scriptures:
- John 13: 1-17
- Perform foot washing service (if there are two or more people)
Partaking of the Body of Christ
- Read the following scriptures:
- John 6: 47-51
- I Peter 2: 21-25
- Isaiah 53: 1-9
- I Corinthians 11: 23-24
- Offer a prayer asking God to bless the bread which represents the body of Christ that was broken for our sins. Give thanks to God for his power to heal, and for the forgiveness of sins which we have in his Son.
- After the prayer, share the bread with those assembled and baptized.
Partaking of the Blood of Christ
- Read the following scriptures
- Hebrews 9: 19-26
- I Peter 1: 18-21
- I Corinthians 11: 25
- Offer a prayer asking God to bless the wine which represents the shed blood of Christ which was poured out for our sins. The prayer should include thanksgiving to God for his Son who shed his blood and died in our place. Acknowledge that we are sinners whose only hope is in His mercy.
- After the prayer, those who are assembled and baptized should partake a cup/glass of wine.
Final Readings
Before leaving for the Mount of Olives, Jesus gave his disciples some final instructions. The following scriptures include excerpts of Jesus final words with his disciples.
- John 13: 31-35
- John 15: 9-17
- John 16: 17-24
- John 17: 1-5, 13-26
Closing Hymn
- Read Matthew 26: 30
- Sing a closing hymn such as “Amazing Grace”
Closing Prayer
The closing prayer should again include thanks to God for his Son, our Passover, who died in our place. We should also thank God for his love, mercy, forgiveness, and promise of salvation through his Son, our Savior. We should ask God to help us walk in humility and contriteness that we might walk and live as Jesus walked and lived. Finally, we should ask God to help us to remember the lessons we have been reminded of on this night that we might please Him in all we do.
Additional Information on Date and Time of Passover Service
Passover day is Nisan 14 (Hebrew Calendar) according to Leviticus 23: 5. See also Numbers 28: 16. Under the Old Covenant, the Passover Lambs were to be sacrificed on Nisan 14 (Exodus 12: 16, Deuteronomy 16: 6). Because Jesus is the True Passover Lamb, our Passover Lamb (I Corinthians 5: 7), He was betrayed, crucified, and died on Nisan 14.
Jesus instituted this New Covenant Passover Service “on the night he was betrayed” (I Corinthians 11: 23-25; Matthew 26: 20-29). This was also the evening portion of Nisan 14 (Passover Day). As Christians, we believe that we should observe this service at the very time instituted by Jesus – the evening of Nisan 14, Passover evening. We are also instructed to do so by the Apostle Paul in I Corinthians 11: 23-25. So, when is Nisan 14? The Hebrew/Jewish Calendar is a lunar calendar, but we use a solar calendar. Therefore, from year to year, Nisan 14 falls on different dates on our calendar but always in March or April. This year, Nisan 14 falls on April 8th. That said, there is one other factor to consider. Days in the Bible and under the Hebrew calendar begin at sunset – not midnight. See Genesis 1: 5, 8, 13, etc. and Luke 23: 44, 54. Therefore, Nisan 14 actually begins at sunset on April 7th (Tuesday night) and ends at sunset on April 8th this year. For these reasons, we will observe this New Covenant Passover Service on the evening of April 7th (after sunset) this year.