In the times of Yeshua, a young man would choose a young woman that he wanted to marry. He and his father would go to the home of the young woman and meet with her and her father. The men would discuss the ‘bride price.’ The bride’s price was an amount of money or goods exchanged between the groom and the bride’s father. It was a payment of sorts for the hand of his daughter.  

Once the ‘bride price’ was decided, the father of the to-be groom would pour a cup of wine and hand it to his son. The son would then go to the bride-to-be and stand before her with this cup. 

 As he held out the cup, he would say, “All that I am and all that I have I give to you.  Will you be my bride?  Will you marry me?”

At this point, the young woman could say no and refuse the cup. Or she could say, ‘yes,’ and take the cup and take a drink. Then she in turn would take the cup and hold it out to her groom. “All that I have and all that I am, I give to you. I will be your bride. I will marry you.” All this formality was the practice instituting engagement.

Let’s go back now to the connection between Passover and the Bride. Passover for the Jews is the celebration of God redeeming Israel (His Bride) out of Egypt.

Isaiah 54:5

“For your husband is your Maker,

Whose name is the Lord of hosts;

And your Redeemer is the Holy One of Israel,

Who is called the God of all the earth.

Jeremiah 31:31-32

“Behold, the days are coming, says the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah— ³² not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt, My covenant which they broke, though I was a husband to them, says the Lord.

Let’s look at the Passover dinner Yeshua was having with His disciples. Unleavened bread is striped, pierced, and served at every Seder. When He took the bread, He blessed and broke it, and gave it to the disciples and said, “Take, eat; this is My body.”

Then there are four cups usually poured and celebrated in a traditional Seder. The third cup is the cup of Redemption. When Yeshua came to the third cup, He didn’t say the usual prayer. Instead of saying, ”Blessed art Thou, O Lord our God, King of the universe, Creator of the fruit of the vine,” He said, 

“Drink from it all of you for this is the blood of the new covenant which is shed for many for the remission of sins.” Matthew 26:26-28

The disciples were shocked. Yeshua in essence was saying, “All that I am and all that I have, I give to you. I love you. Will you marry Me? Will you be my spiritual bride?” He was proposing marriage to them. The words usually associated with a marriage proposal were inserted into this feast they had celebrated all their lives. 

Yeshua was renewing covenant with them. It marked a reconciliation with Israel and redemption for all mankind. It was a re-covenanting of the marriage. 

When we celebrate communion, we too are renewing our covenant with Him. He is offering Himself again to us and asking for our response. In taking His cup we are again saying—Lord, I receive Your gift again today, and I give you all that I am and all that I have. I am Your bride.

When we say, “I receive Your gift,” we are saying, “Lord, I receive Your forgiveness, Your healing, Your deliverance. I receive my identity with You as holy, accepted, and loved. I receive Your life within me and that empowers me to represent You in our world by the power of the Holy Spirit. My life is Yours Lord, have Your way.” 

If we all did this and meant it, we would be different people and our world would be a different place. 

So, if you’ve ever wondered whether Passover is only for Jews, you may need to reconsider with these facts in mind. The feasts are created by God Himself to gather His family together. If you are a believer who follows Yeshua with all your heart, you are part of His family and part of His Bride. Passover is a celebration of your covenant of marriage with Him. Join Him at the feast. You will be blessed. Passover this year begins at sundown, March 27.

Shalom ♥