The Seven Feasts (Session 2)

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Passover, Unleavened Bread, and Firstfruits

Shalom Shabbat - Peace and Rest
Question. Should New Testament Christians study, and observe the Old Testament Feasts?
There are a lot of people who would think we are wasting our time in studying these Feasts, that this is all Old Testament stuff, and doesn't apply to the New Testament Church.
We are going to be looking at the exact opposite, we will see how the Old Testament particularly in this study of the Feasts how much they point to Jesus' coming, death, burial, resurrection, and second coming. It is good to establish the Hebrew roots that form the tree of Christianity.
How cool would it be to be able to witness, and share your faith to a Jew because you have the confidence to relate to them with the knowledge of their feasts.
The answer to the second part of the question is No we do not have to observe the Feasts of the Old Testament, but yes we can if we choose to observe them, as long as it is to Glorify God the Son. If it is to get a clearer understanding of Jesus birth, death, burial, resurrection, and future prophesy.
It would be really cool if we could pick at least one Feast and observe it after we are finished studying this lesson.
Show the Jewish Calendar, and the seven feasts
Passover
Unleavened Bread
Firstfruits
Pentecost
Trumpets
Day of Atonement
Tabernacles
There are two Feasts mentioned in this Jewish calendar that we won't be covering in this study they are the Purim, and the Dedication.
What is Purim ?
The Feast of Purim is a Jewish holiday in celebration of the deliverance of the Jews as recorded in the book of Esther. It is also known as the Feast of Lots (Purim being the Hebrew word for “lots”). The feast is not mentioned in the New Testament, although scholars believe the unnamed feast of John 5:1 could be Purim.
What is the feast of Dedication?
The Feast of Dedication, which was once also called the Feast of the Maccabees, was an eight-day winter festival celebrated by the Jews in the month of December or sometimes late November, depending on when it fell in the lunisolar Jewish calendar. Today, this festival is called Hanukkah or the Festival of Lights. The history of the Feast of Dedication goes back to the intertestamental period and the Maccabean Revolt. After the Seleucid king Antiochus Ephiphanes profaned the Jewish temple and forced the Jews to abandon their sacrifices and adopt pagan rituals, a group of Jewish freedom fighters rose up, defied the oppressive pagan regime, and overthrew the Seleucids. The temple in Jerusalem was re-dedicated to God; ever since then, the Feast of Dedication has been celebrated to commemorate this meaningful event in Jewish history. The original Feast of Dedication involved a miracle, according to rabbinic tradition. When the Jews re-entered the temple they could only find one small, sealed jug of olive oil that had not been profaned or contaminated by the Seleucids. They used this to light the menorah in the temple, and though the oil was only enough to last one day, it miraculously lasted eight days—time for more oil to be made ready. This is the reason Hanukkah lasts for eight days. The Bible mentions the Feast of Dedication by name in the Gospel of John. “Then came the Festival of Dedication at Jerusalem. It was winter, and Jesus was in the temple courts walking in Solomon’s Colonnade” (John 10:22–23). This is the scene in which Jesus claims oneness with the Father, for which the unbelieving Jews try to apprehend and stone Him (verses 24–39). The Feast of Dedication, with its roots in the miracle of the menorah, has always been associated with lights; it is sometimes called the Festival of Lights. Illuminating houses and synagogues is a tradition that was probably carried over from the Feast of Tabernacles. The recitation of Psalm 30:1–12 is also an important part of the Feast of Dedication because of its themes of God-given victory over enemies and the replacement of mourning and sorrow with hope and joy (Psalm 30:5, ).
DVD Session 1:
Questions:
Whey did God establish the Sabbath?
How does the Messiah Jesus fulfill the Sabbath?
How can resting from our daily routines honor the Lord?
What can we learn from setting a day aside to rest in Him?
Reflection Questions for the coming week:
Read . Think about the Liberty that is given to us in Jesus.
Take a few minutes to reflect and see if you have a regular time each week set aside to focus on the Lord. If you do not have a regular time, what do you need to eliminate to find the time to spend with the Lord?
If you already have a regular time you spend one on one with the Lord how has it changed your life?
In Traditional Jewish households worldwide there is a Sabbath prayer that is spoken by the women of the home to welcome the Sabbath by lighting the candles. For Jewish people who have accepted Jesus as their Messiah, this traditional Hebrew prayer is modified to honor Jesus in this blessing.
Say the Sabbath Prayer, and close.
Blessed are You, O Lord our God, King of the universe who has sanctified us through faith in Jesus the Messiah, the Light of the World, and in His name we kindle the Sabbath Lights.

Passover, Unleavened Bread, and Firstfruits

Read
This Messianic passage likens the Messiah to a lamb taken to the slaughter
A Sheet of matzah is bread that is flat because it contains no yeast, it is pierced and striped, pointing to the fact that Jesus was crucified and striped on our behalf as we just read in .
Watch DVD session 2.
Discussion:
1. What is the significance of beginning the biblical year with the Feast of Passover ?
2. Why was it important for each family to apply blood of the lamb to their doorway?
3.What if a religious family decided they did not want to apply the lamb's blood to their door, would they have escaped judgement? (See , . )
4. There are many symbolic elements and set practices in a Passover Seder. What are some of the benefits of having symbols and ceremonies in worship? What are some pitfalls?
Ask them to read through the Key Bible verses and Key terms on the handout during this next week.
Read and reflect on the progressive revelation that God gave us concerning the Lamb.
A lamb for the person
A lamb for the family
A lamb for Israel
A lamb for the world
A lamb for eternity

Key Bible Verses for next week

; , , : 1:18-19, , , ,

Key Terms:

Body of the Messiah- A term for all those who have trusted in Jesus as their Savior through His blood atonement.
Firstfruits - The first and best of the agricultural offering
Gentile - A non Jew or non Israelite.
Leaven- Chametz is the Hebrew term for “leaven” which is any food that is made of grain and water that has been allowed to ferment and rise.
Mosaic Law - The law that, according to the OT, God gave to the Israelites through Moses. The Mosaic Law contains 613 commandments including many rules of religious observance given in the Torah, or the first five books of the OT.
Proselyte - The biblical term that comes from the Greek and Hebrew idea for a “stranger” a “newcomer to Israel”. In the NT it is used to describe a convert to Judaism from paganism.
Ruach HaKodesh - Hebrew for the Holy Spirit. Ruach literally means “spirit” ha means”the” and Kodesh means “holy”. The Holy Spirit which is the third person of the Trinity.
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