New Year 2026

The same as the old?

Whenever the new year approaches, what is your natural reaction?

When I was younger, the natural reaction for every new year is new opportunities and experiences, I mean I still feel that every new year that approaches.

However, as I get older, the daunting thought of another year closer to old age lingers in my mind, and the need to build a time machine or deaging machine comes to mind.

For the secular world, the new year could be seen as a blessing or a curse and with the world as it is today, the secular thought would be on how we can keep the world from falling apart. Wars and conflicts in various places, social justice issues and policital corruption. The secular world hopes for peace but there can’t be peace until they know what peace is.

The secular world only recognises a new year by its revolution around the sun. But, let me ask you this question, what about Jewish people? How do they view the new year and is their new year the same as the western world?

Pascha/Pesach

To the Jewish people, new year is celebrated on the 15 Nisan, would be sometime in April around the Easter period.

Can anyone tell me what is the story behind Pascha/Pesach?

Exodus 12:1–8 NLT

1 While the Israelites were still in the land of Egypt, the Lord gave the following instructions to Moses and Aaron: 2 “From now on, this month will be the first month of the year for you. 3 Announce to the whole community of Israel that on the tenth day of this month each family must choose a lamb or a young goat for a sacrifice, one animal for each household. 4 If a family is too small to eat a whole animal, let them share with another family in the neighborhood. Divide the animal according to the size of each family and how much they can eat. 5 The animal you select must be a one-year-old male, either a sheep or a goat, with no defects. 6 “Take special care of this chosen animal until the evening of the fourteenth day of this first month. Then the whole assembly of the community of Israel must slaughter their lamb or young goat at twilight. 7 They are to take some of the blood and smear it on the sides and top of the doorframes of the houses where they eat the animal. 8 That same night they must roast the meat over a fire and eat it along with bitter salad greens and bread made without yeast.

You see for the Jewish people this is what the new year represents to them, they are reminded on what happned when their ancestors had to slaughter the lamb on the 14th day of the first month of the year, smear the blood on the doorframes and consume of the animal leaving nothing left, they are to eat the lamb with bitter salad and unleavened bread.

All this symbolised and pointed to Jesus; The lamb without defeact that was killed and eaten symbolised Jesus, in 1 Corinthians 5:7 we are told that Jesus is the Passover Lamb and John the Baptist declares in John 1:29 “Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.”

But, read what it says in verse 11 of the same chapter Exodus 12:11

Exodus 12:11 NLT

11 “These are your instructions for eating this meal: Be fully dressed, wear your sandals, and carry your walking stick in your hand. Eat the meal with urgency, for this is the Lord’s Passover.

I want you to consider this, you see the Israelites were slaves and prisoners to the Egyptians, they were persecuted and oppressed by their masters and the Egyptian masters treated them like a cheap tool that they can do as they wish.

So, when God revealed Himself to Moses and the Israelites, He promised them that He will set them free from their salvery; from their prison. The slave will later become the masters; the prisoners will be set free.

All they had to do was put their trust in God and He will rescue them.

So, when they consumed of the lamb that night, they believed in God, and they dressed up, wore their sandals, prepared their walking stick and was ready to go as the Lord passed over them.

This is what the new year represents to the Jewish community.

So what about us? A new year for us is just another revolution around the sun, but that is another year closer until Jesus returns again.

As long as we accept what Jesus has done for us, how He died for our wrongs to make us right, we can find peace and assurances in Him knowing that He is going to make things right with us. There is peace in Him, there is surety in Him.

All we need to do in be dressed, put on our shoes, get our walking sticks and follow Him. Why not try walking with Jesus this new year? Why not try finding the true meaning of peace? Why don’t you give Jesus a try this new year?