Object Lesson:

Easter, Christmas, our birthdays or anniversaries, these are all important holidays or occasions that we like to celebrate and remember. Passover is one of those special days too! It’s a day that God’s people remember that God delivered the Israelite people from slavery in Egypt, thousands of years ago.

Passover is celebrated once a year with a special dinner, a Seder, that tells the story of God’s great rescue of the Israelite people. Even special Seder plates are used during the dinner to tell the story. (A Seder plate is a large round plate with six sections to hold each of the items that tell the Passover story.)

Six items are on a Seder plate:

Haroset, reminds God’s people of the mortar that was used to hold the bricks together that the Israelite slaves used to build with in Egypt.

Matzo cracker, bread made without yeast. The Israelites were in a hurry to escape from Egypt, so they didn’t have time to add yeast * to their bread dough in order to let it rise.

Parsley, is green and reminds God’s people that everything that grows is a gift from God. The parsley is dipped into salty water, then eaten, to remind God’s people of the tears they shed while in bondage.

Horseradish, is a bitter herb to remind the Israelites of the bitterness of slavery. (A little bit of horseradish is eaten on a matzo cracker with the Haroset.)

Hard-boiled egg, is a reminder of the sacrifices made by God’s people in slavery.

Lamb bone, reminds God’s people that a perfect lamb was sacrificed for their sins. The lamb’s blood was then placed on the door frames of the Israelite’s homes, so that the Angel of Death would, PASSOVER their homes, and they would be saved from death, and able to escape slavery in Egypt.

Today, when we celebrate communion, we are remembering Jesus’ last Passover Seder, the Last Supper before his death and resurrection. Jesus brought new meaning to the Passover celebration when he took the bread, the matzo, broke it, and said, "This is my body, broken for you." Then he took the wine and said, "This is my blood, shed for you." When Jesus’ died, he became our Passover Lamb. He has delivered us from our slavery to sin, and because he rose from the dead, he has made it possible for us to live in Heaven eternally with him! On that day we will celebrate another supper, the Supper of the Lamb! 

To make the Bricks & Mortar Treat you will need:

2-3 kinds of apples, cored and cut into quarters, walnuts, honey, cinnamon, grape juice, matzo crackers, small zipper baggies for each child, (double bagged), a plastic knife and spoon for each child, something to crush the nuts with, such as a rolling pin or wooden mallet.

Put a small handful of the walnuts into each baggie. Zip shut. Gently pound the nuts to crush them into smaller pieces. Give each child 1-3 slices of apple to cut into pieces, place the chopped apples into the baggie, shake in a little cinnamon, add a teaspoon of honey, and a splash of grape juice, then stir.

Using the matzo crackers as your bricks, and the haroset as your mortar, build a tower or a pyramid. As you eat your yummy snack, remember that God delivered his people from slavery in Egypt where they had to build using bricks and mortar; and in the same way, God has delivered you. No longer do you have to work to earn God’s favor. God loves you, because Jesus has delivered you from sin! (John 3:16)

* Yeast, in the Bible, is often symbolic of sin (See Matthew 26:26-29, 1Corinthians 5:6-8, Revelation 19:9).

Copyright 2001 Sarah A. Keith -- SundaySchoolNetwork.com

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