Mary Magdalene is one of the most prominent people in the life and ministry of Jesus. She is a prime example of what the Gospel of Jesus Christ does and who the Gospel is for. Guess who is also a prime example of what the Gospel does and who it is for? You and your neighbor.
The Feast of Trumpets, Rosh Hashana in Hebrew, is the celebration of the Jewish New Year. It is a day of solemn rest and “Memorial” (Lev. 23:24). How do you celebrate Memorial Day? With barbecues and cookouts? How did Israel celebrate the Feast of Trumpets as a memorial day? By remembering their exile as a result of sin and the faithfulness of God’s mercy. Ultimately, the Feast of Trumpets reminds us that Jesus is coming again with a loud trumpet call (Matthew 24:31).
God chose a very specific day to pour out His Holy Spirit. It wasn’t just any day. It was the day of Pentecost also known as the Feast of Weeks, or Shavuot in Hebrew. Pentecost originally celebrated the day when the Israelites arrived at Mount Sinai (Exodus 19) and God gave the Torah through Moses. The LORD’s Torah was not only for Israel but for all nations. The events of Pentecost recorded in Acts 2 are the fulfillment of the New Covenant prophesied about in Jeremiah 31. Pentecost is also one of the most joyous of all the feasts because it celebrates freedom from slavery and exile. Today, living in the joy of Pentecost, we share the New Covenant accomplished through Jesus Christ which sets sinners free from slavery to sin.
The Day of Atonement, Yom Kippur in Hebrew, is the most holy of all the Seven Feasts. This is the day, the only day, when the high priest would enter into the holy of holies and sprinkle the blood of the lamb on the mercy seat of the Ark of the Covenant. Like all of the Seven Feasts, Jesus Christ is the focal point and fulfillment of the Day of Atonement. Just as Hebrews 9:12 says, Jesus, our High Priest, “entered once for all into the holy of holies not by means of the blood of goats, but by means of His own blood.”
Jesus and His disciples celebrated all of the feasts including the Feast of Booths. On one occasion, during the Feast of Booths, Jesus refers to “Living Water.” What is He referring to? Join us as we step into the life and ministry of Jesus who not only fulfills the Seven Feasts by what He does, but also by what He says.
When did Jesus rise from the dead? The answer seems obvious, right? On Easter Sunday – duh! Actually, Jesus rose from the dead as a “firstfruit” on the Feast of Firstfruits. Once again, the fulfillment of the Seven Feasts is through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
Besides being a holiday, the Seven Feasts are opportunities for discipleship. Imagine a family removing ALL leaven from their homes when one of their children asks, “Why are we doing this?” As the primary means for discipleship, you as the parent respond to your child saying, “As a family, we take sin seriously because we know that sin separates us from God and each other. So, we remove leaven from our house as a reminder to repent and trust in God who is abounding in steadfast love and mercy.” How might we embrace the rhythm of our lives in order to disciple our family and friends?
Passover is the most well know of all the feasts. In fact, it is very difficult to understand the events of Holy Week without understanding the Passover. It is no coincidence that Jesus (our Passover lamb 1 Cor. 5:7) was crucified on Passover. It is no coincidence that Jesus died at the ninth hour (3:00 pm Luke 23:44) which is the same time the Passover lamb was killed. If God is this intentional and precise in working out His plan of salvation, could it be that He is just as intentional and precise in your life?
The number seven is significant in Scripture. Seven is the number that points to Jesus as well as the presence of God in and for all creation. Although the Sabbath is not technically one of the Seven Feasts, the Sabbath is the foundation for life’s rhythm. The Sabbath is observed on the seventh day of the week, every seventh year is decreed a sabbatical year, and after seven sabbatical years a Jubilee year is observed. Seven weeks after Passover comes the celebration of the feast of Pentecost. The feast of Tabernacles, which completes the holiday season, lasts seven days. And the seventh month, Tishri, contains the most holy days of the Hebrew calendar. Join us for worship as we are reminded how the rhythm of Sabbath points us to Jesus who is our rest.
It’s Easter Sunday and Jesus is Risen indeed Hallelujah. During the season of Lent, we’ve been asking, “What is your IT?” What is your greatest fear? What needs to die in your life so that you can experience freedom in Christ? Today is the day when we celebrate the death of IT and rise to new life won for you through the resurrection of Jesus Christ.