Posted on 03/25/2005 12:29:50 PM PST by DouglasKC
The last activity Jesus Christ shared with His disciples, only hours before He was crucified, was the biblically commanded Passover celebration. He had observed this festival annually since His birth (Luke 2:41).
Accompanied by His 12 apostles for their final Passover meal together, "He said to them, 'With fervent desire I have desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer'" (Luke 22:15, emphasis added throughout). His intense longing to observe this Passover service reveals His deep devotion to celebrating it.
Not only does Jesus—merely hours before His crucifixion—still regard keeping the Passover as important, but also, as He explained to His disciples that evening, He fully intends to observe it with them again when "it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God" (verse 16).
Why did Jesus set such a committed example of observing this festival if He intended soon afterward—as is commonly believed today—to abolish this festival? Does that really make any sense?
Most people claiming to follow Christ's example today know little or nothing about the Passover or the other biblically commanded festivals. Nor do they understand why He considered them important. And most of them certainly have never thought of these days as meaningful to them personally. But should they?
After instituting important symbols in that last Passover observance before His crucifixion, Jesus told those gathered with Him: "For I have given you an example, that you should do as I have done to you ... If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them" (John 13:15-17).
This is direct instruction to them to continue observing "these things"—that is, the elements of the Passover service—in exactly the same manner as He had done with them. Years later it becomes even clearer that Christ's instruction is applicable to all Christians. The apostle Paul plainly tells even the non-Jewish Christians in the Greek city of Corinth to follow the example Jesus Christ set on that Passover evening.
"For I received from the Lord," wrote Paul, "that which I also delivered to you: that the Lord Jesus on the same night in which He was betrayed took bread; and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, 'Take, eat; this is My body which is broken for you; do this in remembrance of Me.'
"In the same manner He also took the cup after supper, saying, 'This cup is the new covenant in My blood. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.' For as often [meaning year after year according to God's command] as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death till He comes" (1 Corinthians 11:23-26).
Yes, Christ's apostles believed and taught that we must follow the example He set and live as He lived. As the apostle John wrote, "He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as He walked" (1 John 2:6).
The religious days observed by Jesus and His countrymen during His physical lifetime included the weekly Sabbath day as well as a series of annual festivals, all commanded directly by God (see Leviticus 23). These days are biblically consecrated as holy convocations in the Scriptures (verse 2).
Since the festivals first appear in the Old Testament, let's briefly consider Jesus' attitude toward those ancient Scriptures. How highly did He regard them? Even more importantly, how does He want us to regard them today?
The Hebrew Scriptures made up the only "Bible" available to Jesus and the early Church. The New Testament was written years after His crucifixion. To Jesus the "Word of God" and the Old Testament Scriptures were one and the same.
Jesus' loyalty to these Scriptures is plain. He explains, "The Scripture cannot be broken" (John 10:35). He tells us that "it is easier for heaven and earth to pass away than for one tittle of the law to fail" (Luke 16:17). And He points out, "It is written [in Deuteronomy 8:3], 'Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God'" (Matthew 4:4).
He also forcefully exclaims that anyone who "breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches men so, shall be called least [by those] in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven" (Matthew 5:19).
Jesus expects those who would follow His example both to practice and teach the clear commands of God written in the Old Testament Scriptures. Of course, He expects this obedience to be fully compliant with His example and teachings recorded in the New Testament. But there is no conflict between the two. One is not pitted against the other.
Consider, for example, the principle that the sacrificial shedding of blood is necessary before sins can be forgiven. That is just as valid in the teaching of the New Testament as it was in the Old. The difference is that under the Old Testament administrative system animals were sacrificed to represent the better sacrifice that would be made in the future—the sacrifice of Jesus Christ (Hebrews 10:12).
Yet the law requiring this spilling of blood for the forgiveness of sin was not abolished (Hebrews 9:22-26). Only by being justified through Christ's shed blood can we be saved (Romans 5:9).
This brings us back to why Jesus was so committed to keeping the Passover with His apostles just before He was crucified. For centuries the keeping of the Passover had represented the fact that Jesus, as mankind's Redeemer, would be sacrificed by the shedding of His blood for the remission of sins.
Jesus was crucified on Passover day, on the 14th day of the first month in the sacred calendar followed by the Jews. Anciently it was observed by the slaying of an unblemished lamb or kid goat (Exodus 12:5-11). But its real focus was on a different sacrifice. We find this explained in the New Testament when "John [the Baptist] saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, 'Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!'" (John 1:29).
As the apostle Paul also explains: "For indeed Christ, our Passover, was sacrificed for us. Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth" (1 Corinthians 5:7-8). Here Paul is instructing Christians to keep both the Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread as Christian observances (compare Leviticus 23:5-6).
Therefore, we now have direct New Testament evidence that at least two of the seven annual festivals—the Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread—are also Christian festivals. Logically then the other five would be also. But before we consider any other festivals, let's understand what the overall significance of all of these sacred occasions is to Christians today.
All of the sacred biblical festivals are closely linked to the harvest seasons of the Holy Land. And Jesus often compared what God was doing through Him to a harvest.
For example, He said: "My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me, and to finish His work. Do you not say, 'There are still four months and then comes the harvest'? Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes and look at the fields, for they are already white [ripe] for harvest! And he who reaps receives wages, and gathers fruit for eternal life, that both he who sows and he who reaps may rejoice together'" (John 4:34-36).
Here Jesus links the idea of a harvest to His work of bringing humanity into a relationship with God the Father that leads to eternal life. On another occasion "He said to His disciples, 'The harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest'" (Matthew 9:37).
God's annual festivals depict the work of Jesus Christ in "harvesting" human beings into the Kingdom of God. They are God-given annual reminders of Christ's role in securing redemption and salvation for all humanity.
God began revealing parts of His plan of salvation when He evicted Adam and Eve from the garden in Eden. Because they had succumbed to the serpent's influence and sinned, God spoke to the serpent, saying, "I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your head, and you [the serpent] shall bruise His [Christ's] heel" (Genesis 3:15).
Here God revealed that, at a future time, a very special descendant of Eve would crush the head of "that serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan" (Revelation 12:9)—bringing Satan's control over mankind to an end.
God began revealing more details of His plan through Moses—by instituting His annual festivals at the same time He selected the ancient Israelites to be His servants. Some of these festivals even had an immediate meaning and application within the history of ancient Israel.
But the long-term, primary reason that God established them was to depict the relationship of all human beings to the mission of the Messiah. As mentioned earlier, Paul pointed out: "For indeed Christ, our Passover, was sacrificed for us. Therefore let us keep the feast ..." (1 Corinthians 5:7-8). The relationship of the Passover festival to the death of Christ, and our redemption through that death, has always been its primary purpose.
In addition to Passover and the Days of Unleavened Bread, the Feast of Pentecost likewise is clearly a Christian festival. According to Jewish tradition, the Israelites received the Ten Commandments at the time of the festival of Pentecost. It was then that God made a covenant with them and they became the "congregation of God."
Yet a far more important relationship would be established on a later Day of Pentecost—through the gift of the Holy Spirit. Acts 1:4-5 tells us: "And being assembled together with them [Jesus' disciples], He commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the Promise of the Father, 'which,' He said, 'you have heard from Me; for John truly baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.'"
Then, "when the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire ... And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit . . ." (Acts 2:1-4).
Since Paul tells us, "If anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His" (Romans 8:9), there can be no doubt that this festival sets an important milestone for all Christians for all time. It is a Christian festival. And Paul observed it as such (Acts 20:16; 1 Corinthians 16:8).
The other four biblical festivals listed in Leviticus 23 occur around the time of the fall harvest season (in the northern hemisphere).
All depict the main events to occur at or following Christ's return. For example, the Feast of Trumpets points to His second coming. Seven trumpet blasts are to announce the seven major events leading up to and including Christ's return (Revelation 8-11). At that time, "He will send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather together His elect ..." (Matthew 24:31; compare 1 Corinthians 15:52).
How much more "Christian" could these festivals be? Their focus is primarily on all that Jesus Christ has done, is doing and will do to ensure our salvation.
When Christ returns, not only will He keep the Passover, along with His resurrected apostles, but He also will require all nations to join Him in keeping the Feast of Tabernacles (Zechariah 14:16).
Therefore, should not all Christians today acknowledge the example Christ has set for them? Then all can join the apostle Paul in declaring, as recorded in Acts 18:21: "I must by all means keep this coming feast" (compare Acts 20:16).
By vote of the congregation. Officially, we associate and hold to United Church of God's fundamental beliefs by consensus because it most accurately reflects our biblical beliefs.
How are teachers/preachers of these beliefs disciplined or held to teaching according to these beliefs?
From the biblical example:
Mat 18:15 "If your brother sins, go and show him his fault in private; if he listens to you, you have won your brother.
Mat 18:16 "But if he does not listen to you, take one or two more with you, so that BY THE MOUTH OF TWO OR THREE WITNESSES EVERY FACT MAY BE CONFIRMED.
Mat 18:17 "If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector.
In the three years that I've been attending with United I haven't heard of any kind of discipline being imposed in our local congregations. I've heard that disfellowshiping occurs sometimes in other congregations, but it's almost always reserved for those who actively attempt to sow discord by vocally and continually opposing the beliefs of the rest of the church. Most of the "hot button" issues are left as a matter of personal conscience.
What are the fundamental beliefs of the body of Christ? How are they determined, and how do they differ from those of the United Church of God?
That still doesn't invalidate my point. You're trying to say that the holy days were not taught because the holy days were not referenced in the letter. The ten commandments for the most part were also not mentioned in the letter. They were as much a part of the law, if not more so, then the holy days. By your logic, gentile converts weren't being taught to refrain from killing, worshipping false Gods or worshipping idols.
Your statement that the holy days were unique to Judaism is perhaps technically accurate, but biblically there are examples of non-Jews not only observing, but worshipping at God's Holy Days:
Joh 12:20 And there were certain Greeks among them that came up to worship at the feast:
Also, verse 21 is not even included in the letter
It doesn't matter. Verse 21 was an explanation of WHY they didn't include MORE in the letter:
Act 15:20 Instead, we should write a letter telling them to keep away from things polluted by false gods, from sexual sins, from eating the meat of strangled animals, and from eating bloody meat.
Act 15:21 After all, Moses' words have been spread to every city for generations. His teachings are read in synagogues on every day of worship.
For generation people had been learning about the Holy Days. This was the normative cultural and scriptural thing to do. It was commanded by God in the only holy scriptures they had. Of course they were observing them. The only thing that makes you think they weren't is that your are looking backward under the prism of your current beliefs and current tradition.
Naturally I believe that the fundamental beliefs of the United Church of God are the most accurate representation of the fundamental beliefs of the body of Christ or else I would worship elsewhere. There is no specific written statement in scripture that lists the fundamental beliefs of the body of Christ such as United or any modern church has...although Hebrews 6:1 and 6:2 come close. However, I believe that scripture contains all of the fundamental beliefs of the body of Christ and that those in the body of Christ are led by the spirit of God to understand them.
These were the minimum requirements for gentiles to initially follow in order to get along with the jews. The early church was a co-mingling of Christian Jews and converted gentiles. Many of jews still had hangups about cermonial and traditional rules when it came to associating with gentiles. A good example of this is in Galatians chapter 2. Remember that many of these laws and traditions were manmade...not scriptural.
So the converted jews were insisting that in order to be SAVED one had to observe ALL the law of Moses:
Act 15:1 And certain men which came down from Judaea taught the brethren, and said, Except ye be circumcised after the manner of Moses, ye cannot be saved.
Of course that's not true. One doesn't have to observe all the laws or Moses...or any of them to be saved. One only has to receive God's spirit, as the gentiles had.
BUT, there was still the issue of obedience to God's laws. Obedience to God's law comes as one learns and grows spiritually.
Please note that I am not advocating that all of the old testament laws still need to be followed. Paul makes it clear exactly which ones were obviated by Christ...primarily the laws pertaining to sacrifice and any and all functions related to the Levitical priesthood.
So the council at Jerusalem outlined the minimum requirements needed to preserve peace among the differing brethren...because after all they would learn the rest in the synagogue every sabbath.
Act 15:20 But that we write unto them, that they abstain from pollutions of idols, and from fornication, and from things strangled, and from blood.
Act 15:21 For Moses of old time hath in every city them that preach him, being read in the synagogues every sabbath day.
A further point about the holy days: I believe the holy days exist above and beyond any of the covenants. They are apart from any law, past or present. The proof of this is that they still exist in the future after Christ returns to earth:
Zec 14:16 And it shall come to pass, that every one that is left of all the nations which came against Jerusalem shall even go up from year to year to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, and to keep the feast of tabernacles.
Zec 14:17 And it shall be, that whoso will not come up of all the families of the earth unto Jerusalem to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, even upon them shall be no rain
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