Subscription Lists
Point of Reference
by Fred Price
In their book, Sitting At The Feet of Rabbi Jesus,1Ann Spangler and Lois Tverberg boldly state, “The roots of Christianity lie deep within the biblical feasts. On Passover Jesus became the Lamb of God whose blood redeemed us, on Firstfuits he rose from the dead as the firstborn of the new creation, and on Pentecost he poured out his Spirit to inaugurate the new covenant.” And while I was aware, in a general sense, of a number of points they make, several others I was unfamiliar with.
The place to begin is at Passover, which is the Jewish celebration of Israel’s deliverance from Egyptian bondage; specifically commemorating the “passing over” of the Death Angel, who bypassed the homes of the Jews who had applied the blood of a lamb to their doorposts – entering the residences of all who had not – killing the first-born of every Egyptian family, including Pharaoh’s. (Exodus 11,12) It is the first and most important of all the designated “feast” days of the Israeli calendar, called for by God himself as a reminder to the Jewish people of their providential release from captivity in Egypt. It also spoke to the perpetual hope of a coming Savior/Messiah, who they believed would redeem them from all future oppressors as well, some fervently believing any future redemption from oppression would again occur on a Passover Eve. And of course, this hope took a unique and unexpected turn when God did indeed bring liberation to all people – during the Passover season – through the substitutionary death of his Son, Jesus Christ.
The Feast of Unleavened Bread ran almost simultaneously with Passover and was sometimes referred to as one celebration. (Mark 14:12) Leavening, or the adding of yeast to dough to make it ferment and rise – and ironically to eventually spoil – was forbidden during this celebration. Its intent being to remind the Jews of the haste with which they prepared the first Passover meal in anticipation of their march to freedom. And providentially allow later Jews to hold up this symbol of the “body of Christ” in the bread of the Last Supper; which was appropriately uncontaminated with any possible means of “decay.” (The importance of this type of symbolism to Jews being further expressed in the fact that throughout the year, all grain offerings had to be free of leaven as well (Leviticus 2:11; 6:17), as they often associated the fermentation of bread by yeast and its subsequent propensity to sour as being representative of pride, hypocrisy and contamination with sin. See also the reference to the “bread of affliction in Deuteronomy 16:3 and the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees in Matthew 16:5,6 & 12) Paul using the same terminology when he wrote, “Don’t you know that a little yeast works through the whole batch of dough? Get rid of the old yeast that you may be a new batch without yeast – as you really are. For Christ, our Passover Lamb, has been sacrificed. Therefore, let us keep the festival, not with old yeast, the yeast of malice and wickedness, but with bread without yeast, the bread of sincerity and truth.” 1 Corinthians 5:6-8
Supernaturally connected to the story of Christ is the Feast of Firstfruits, celebrating the beginning of the grain or barley harvest; representing the people’s hope for the future. And although it doesn’t fall on the same date every year, it always occurs within a few days of Passover. The year of Jesus’ death, it coincided with the day of his resurrection. (Firstfruits is always celebrated on the first day of the week after the Sabbath following Passover. The year Jesus died, that just happened to be the first day of the week – Resurrection Sunday.)
Again, Paul addresses the first century church through the lens of his Jewish heritage when he says, “…Christ has indeed been raised form the dead, the firstfuits of those who have fallen asleep. For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man. For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive. But each in his own turn: Christ the first fruits; then, when he comes, those who belong to him.” 1 Corinthians 15:20-23
Spangler/Tverberg noting how, “These ancient feasts, commanded by God on Mount Sinai, created an important rhythm in first-century life, giving shape to the year and linking the Jewish people to their sacred history.” But they, “…are (also) multilayered and rich in significance (for the rest of mankind, as they) point toward the saving work of Christ.”2
The church that was established as a result of that saving work followed suit, developing a liturgical calendar that reminds us of our own redemption from slavery to sin; the focus being Christmas – celebrating Christ’s birth, and Easter – commemorating his death and resurrection, while Pentecost marks the spread of the new covenant through the founding of the church.
Unbeknownst to some, Christians did not invent Pentecost, but celebrate it 50 days after Easter – or Passover – on the birth day of the church as recorded in Acts 2:1-4. (Pentecost – Greek for fiftieth day, marked the end of the barley harvest and the beginning of the wheat harvest; sometimes called the feast of “weeks”, as it was celebrated 50 days or seven weeks after the harvest season began.) “When the day of Pentecost came, they (the disciples) were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.” The first Christian sermon quickly followed; as crowds were gathering to investigate the sound of the wind and the appearance of fire – as well as the surprising ability of them all to hear the gospel message in their own language. (Acts 2:14,41)
Improbable as it may seem, hundreds of years before Jesus’ birth, death and resurrection, many Jewish Rabbis and scholars had calculated the arrival of the Israeli people at the foot of Mt. Sinai as occurring fifty days after they had left Egypt. (Exodus 19:1) Which meant Pentecost coincided with the giving of the law/covenant to Moses on Mount Sinai; taking on a fuller meaning in the person of Jesus Christ, signifying the activation of a “new” law/covenant which embraced all mankind?
At one point in his ministry, Jesus rather cryptically noted the need for a new understanding of the purposes and decrees of God. (Matthew 9:14-17) He none-the-less used the pattern of the Passover meal to inaugurate his own communion “supper”. Our Bibles recording how, on the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, he instructed his disciples to prepare and then join him in the celebration of Passover. Giving new meaning to the bread of Passover, Jesus gave thanks for it, broke it and passed the pieces around to his disciples saying, “Take and eat, this is my body.” Then, taking a cup of wine – one of several ceremonial cups shared during the Passover meal, Jesus again gave thanks and offered it to his disciples to drink, saying “Drink from it, all of you. This is my blood of the new covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.” Matthew 26:17-30 Admonishing them to, “…do this in remembrance of me.” Luke 22:19 (See also 1 Corinthians 11:23-26)
1Zondervan Publishing
2Subtitled, How the Jewishness of Jesus Can Transform Your Faith.
Rate it:
Fred Price - married (50 years), father of two grown children, grandfather of six.
Fred retired earlier this year after 42 years as a factory worker. He has always had a heart for young people and the challenges they face today. Over the years Fred has taught Discipleship Groups for High School and college students.
Receive the newest devotional each week in your inbox by joining the "Point of Reference" subscription list. Enter your email address below, click "Go!" and we will send you a confirmation email. Follow the instructions in the email to confirm your addition to this list.