He Who Has Come

We are "Messianic Jews." That means we are of Jewish descent, but we believe that Yeshua, (Jesus), the Messiah has come. So we celebrate Passover, and conduct mostly a traditional Seder dinner, but with added features in keeping with our beliefs. We could not do the Seder on the first or second eve of Passover, which is traditional, so we did it last night. I love the ceremony. Every symbol is filled with the promise and expectation of Jesus. My husband, who years ago worked for Chosen People Ministries, became a licensed minister at that time, and he conducts our Seder beautifully (although he is not Jewish.) He wears the traditional garb and speaks the Hebrew convincingly. It is always a very special time for me, and each year, there is some aspect of the ceremony that strikes me in a new way.

The most enigmatic and mysterious part of the ceremony is the "afikomen." This is a piece of matzoh (unleavened bread,) which is broken and half of which is put in the center of a trifold "unity bag." (The triune in One symbolism of that is worth a blog in itself....) Anyway, the other half of the broken Matzoh is wrapped in a white linen cloth and hidden. At the end of the ceremony, the one who finds the afikomen receives a reward. There are many intriguing aspects to the afikomen. First, it is the only Greek word in a starkly Hebrew ceremony. Secondly, no one is quite sure what the word means. Some scholars believe it means, "He who has come." Some Jewish traditions translate it as 'dessert.'

What is most interesting to me is that many scholars believe that the afikomen was clearly a Messianic symbol and there is evidence it was a part of the Seder in the first century, during and right after the time of Jesus. Some believe the "bread" he offered His disciples at the Last Supper (which was a Passover meal) was the afikomen. It was the symbol and promise that He was the expected Messiah "who has come."  Later, some scholars believe Rabbinical commentators suppressed the Messianic meaning of afikomen, and now the word and practice is shrouded in mystery.

But to me, each Passover Seder, it is clear. The afikomen is Jesus. Jesus is one portion of the triune God, broken away in His crucifixion and punishment for our sins, separated for a time from His Father, wrapped in a linen cloth and buried, then found alive, risen from the grave. Those who find Him and believe are rewarded with eternal life. "He who has come." Afikomen. Hallelujah!

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"Messiah our Passover has been sacrificed.
Let us therefore celebrate the Feast."
(1 Corinthians 5:7-8)
"I have believed that you are the Messiah, the Son of God,
the One Coming into the world."
(John 11:27)

(reference: http://www.hebrew-streams.org/works/judaism/afikoman.html)