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).
That's an incorrect interpretation of scripture. Colossians 2:16,17 reads:
Col 2:16,17 Then do not let anyone judge you in eating, or in drinking, or in part of a feast, or of a new moon, or of sabbaths which are a shadow of coming things, but the body of Christ.
The first thing to notice is that Paul, in inspired scripture, says that holy days and sabbaths ARE shadows of things to come. ARE, not WERE.
The second thing to notice about the verse is that the "judging" wasn't about WHETHER those in the Colossians church were celebrating holy days, but HOW. The Colossians WERE celebrating God's holy days. And many of the Colossians were gentiles, not jews.
Y'shua believes in all the Feast days in G-d's Word!
B'shem Y'shua
chuck
;-)
B'shem Y'shua
chuck
In Col 2:14, Paul talks about the fact that Christ saved us with His sacrifice, "Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us". In continuing that thought, Paul is telling the Christians there that they should let no one judge them for keeping or not keeping the old ways (Col 2:16-17). Logically, if no one is going to judge us on keeping the old holy days, then there can be no requirement to keep them.
Very poor Exegesis.
B'shem Y'shua
chuck
I remember seeing Him in a December episode of South Park singing "Happy Birthday to Me, Happy Birthday to Me...".
My point is that Paul clearly was saying that keeping those things, such as holy days, were not required of Christians. My wording was probably bad on that statement and for that, I apologize. However, it doesn't change the clear teaching of the text.
B'shem Yshua
chuck
We are actually not talking about Jewish Holidays here. Leviticus chapter 23 establishes the Sabbaths and Feast days for the Israelites....verse 1-2. Moses was also speaking to the other eleven tribes of Israel, not just the Jews(Judah).
He also made sure they understood that these ordinances would last forever(for generations to come)verse 14... Feast of Firstfruits, verse 21... Feast of Weeks, verse 31 includes Feast of Trumpets and The Day of Atonement, and verse 41...Feast of Tabernacles.
I can find nowhere in the scriptures where these lasting ordinances(for generations to come) were done away with. I can find in "Church" history where they attempted to confuse the population and bring in pagan superstitions which allowed most of the citizens to retain their old customs but still claim to be "Christians".
Passover and the seven day Feast of Unleavened Bread had been instituted earliar while still in captivity in Egypt (Exodus Chapter 12).
You are Quoting the book of Colossians, Chapter 2, verse 17.
Did you ever wonder why, Paul, as an apostle to the gentiles would be talking and writing to them about religious festivals and Sabbaths? They were pagan prior to their conversion and had no knowledge of these things! That is...
until Paul instucted them in how these Festivals and Sabbaths should be observed.
This is why we celebrate the Pagan Feast of Easter:
Constantine, august, to the churches. ...
When the question arose concerning the most holy day of Easter, it was decreed by common consent to be expedient, that this festival should be celebrated on the same day by all, in every place. ... it seemed to every one a most unworthy thing that we should follow the custom of the Jews in the celebration of this most holy solemnity, who, polluted wretches! having stained their hands with a nefarious crime, are justly blinded in their minds. It is fit, therefore, that, rejecting the practice of this people, we should perpetuate to all future ages the celebration of this rite, in a more legitimate order, which we have kept from the first day of our Lord’s passion even to the present times. Let us then have nothing in common with the most hostile rabble of the Jews. We have received another method from the Saviour. A more lawful and proper course is open to our most holy religion. In pursuing this course with a unanimous consent, let us withdraw ourselves, my much honored brethren, from that most odious fellowship. ... As it is necessary that this fault should be so amended that we may have nothing in common with the usage of these parricides and murderers of our Lord; and so that order is most convenient which is observed by all the churches of the West, as well as those of the southern and northern parts of the world, and also by some in the East, it is judged therefore to be most equitable and proper, and I pledged myself that this arrangement should meet your approbation, viz. that the custom which prevails with one consent in the city of Rome, and throughout all Italy, Africa and Egypt, in Spain, Gaul, Britain, Lybia, the whole of Greece, the diocese of Asia, Pontus and Cilicia, would be gladly embraced by your prudence, ... and to have no fellowship with the perjury of the Jews. And, to sum up the whole in a few words, it is agreeable to the common judgment of all, that the most holy feast of Easter should be celebrated on one and the same day (A Historical View of THE COUNCIL OF NICE; with a TRANSLATION OF DOCUMENTS by Rev. Isaac Boyle, D.D.; T Mason and G Lane, New York, 1839; pp. 51-54).
This post-Nicean letter from the emperor, Constantine I (306-337 CE), should further illustrate the kind of calendrical problem with which we are confronted.
From
http://www.ccg.org/english/s/p195.html
B’shem Y’shua
chuck
"There is no need for additional, special "Christian holidays".
Are you saying we should get rid of extra days set aside to worship and praise God??? HOLY DAY - holiday...
What do you mean by "necessary"? What is wrong with going beyond "necessary"? When you love, do you only do what is "necessary"?
The Jews had no problem with remembering and thanking God throughout the year on days other than the Sabbath. Catholicism is a FULFILLMENT of Judaism, not a replacement or abrogation. So, we should continue to have holidays throughout the year, other than Sunday, to remind us of God.
Regards
I think there is a verse that says that Jesus is Lord of the Sabbath. The sabbath is not the first day of the week.
Or God could be washing His hands of those that refuse His Commandments. He did say He was giving us a choice between Life and death.
We are commanded to keep the Sabbath holy. That is the day that Jesus observed, too. No other day was set apart.
Luke 6: 5 And He was saying to them, "The Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath."
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