I’ve been a Christian for a long time and many Easters have come and gone! Never have I been a part of an Easter celebration that I will remember like the one this past weekend.
Our Home Group on the left-bank of Paris decided that for our monthly worship gathering they wanted to host a traditional Seder Meal. Somehow the idea came about to go out of the city to our friend Adrian’s parents country home and do the dinner there. I am so thankful that they did decide this! It ended up being a great time.
A Seder meal is a traditional Jewish meal that was eaten on the first day of the Passover celebration. Every element of the meal tells the story of how God brought His people out of captivity into freedom. 
As Christians, our story is fundamentally tied to the Jewish story. In fact, all of the things that happened to the Jewish people (slavery, exile, God rescuing His people, searching for a promised land, waiting for the return of the Messiah) happen to us all on an individual level…The Jewish narrative is our narrative too! This Seder meal was a great way to remember our own personal captivity and slavery to sin…but the end is a great celebration of the reality that we have been ushered by God into the promise of Jesus, our Savior.
For me personally, this was the most meaningful and powerful Easter weekend of my life. We concluded our meal with two of my friends getting baptized…the first people baptized from our community! I never get tired of seeing people grow closer to God! Praise to God for His story that He has invited us through Jesus to be a part of. 
On top of the spiritual side of the weekend being fulfilling…The house also had a pool, tennis court, huge field for soccer, football, and ultimate frisbee, and there was no city sounds to be heard! Only birds and the voices of my friends!
hey justin, dree and i actually got to share in our first passover seder also this season. at bridgeway we have a little population in our family who are messianic jews. all of them grew up jewish and took part in the seder every year. once they found fulfillment in Jesus years ago their eyes were opened to the deep symbolism of the seder meal. so they all finally got together and decided to hold one at the church. like you said it is amazing to take part in a seder meal and to see the foreshadowing which our jewish ancestors would take part in every year of the coming messiah. it’s definitely going to stay a piece of our easter tradition now. love you brother. - jeremy