Crystal Lutton
27th March 2008, 11:55 AM (11:55)
In the sacrilegious bunny thread ;) Barbara asked for more information about our calendar when I mentioned that we don't celebrate Easter. In fact, we don't celebrate Christmas either :cs01 As I mentioned there, people are welcome to celebrate or not on their own and we aren't ANTI their celebration. It's also not an issue of diversity or tolerance--no separation of church and church :fav06
Rather, we observe the Jewish calendar and the Biblical Feasts and Festivals. This means last Shabbat our congregation was treated to a rousing readers theatre of the Pirates of Purim with Rabbi Jack as Captain Jack Haman and a lot of sword fights involving Esther Swann :laughing And in April we will be observing Passover (in remembrance of Him) and the feast of Unleavened Bread (the time He was in the tomb) and the feast of First Fruits (the day He arose). When Jesus walked the earth he observed all of the Biblical Feasts and Festivals (including Hannukah--the Festival of Rededication). So in following Him we celebrate them as well.
As it turns out, every Biblical Feast and Festival holds prophecy about Messiah. And just as we celebrate the Spring feasts and festivals that he fulfilled on his first coming, we celebrate the Fall feasts and festivals that prophecy about his return. Understanding the Biblical timeline makes references that John speaks of in Revelation make a lot of sense that isn't mystical or "secret" or foreboding at all.
In the fall we will celebrate Rosh Hoshannah (which is the holiday involving the blowing of the shofar and the start of the New Year--the day on which the Jews believe many things happened including creation and which most Messianic believers look to as the "season" we can know for His return), Yom Kippur--the day of judgment when we bless each other with the traditional blessing "may your name be written in the Lamb's book of life", and Sukkot--the festival celebrating God dwelling with man.
Based on the best information out there record wise there are about 3 "best" estimates on when Jesus was actually born and the one I fall strongly towards is the one that seems to be supported both by Temple service rotations and the Biblical Calendar. This would mean going from the time in rotation that Elizabeth's husband would have served as High Priest we can count forward to Mary's conception at Hannukah (when the light of the world entered the world), then to his birth at Sukkot (when God dwells with man). We read in the Gospels about his death at Passover, his time in the tomb at the Feast of Unleavened Bread, and his resurrection on the Feast of First Fruits.
Where our family finds Easter and Christmas fun holidays that are about love and giving and all sorts of Christian values, our congregation (and our family) looks to the Biblical timeline for our holy days. Just like most Christians who go to church two times a year will go Easter and Christmas, most Jews who go two times a year will go Rosh Hoshannah and Yom Kippur--so those are the days we have to be prepared for.
And Passover is, most years, our HUGE outreach holiday. (this year we have been through so much as a congregation that we are having small seders in the homes of members as a way to continue to build stronger community). To be able to show a Jewish person how Jesus is all over, inside and out, the Passover seder--always has been--is huge. Yes, he is the perfect Passover lamb. He is also the afikomen--the piece of matzah taken from between two others (the Trinity), broken, hidden in a white wrap, and brought back from "the grave" at the end of the seder. This is the piece of matzah he took and "broke" (the only piece broken during the seder--half is hidden, half is eaten) and said, "Take, eat, THIS is my body broken for you." In other words--*I* am the afikomen--what this symbolizes is what I am doing. And the cup of Redemption is the one following it that he took and said, "Take, drink, THIS is my blood shed for you." He wasn't giving them something new that night, he was revealing where he was always in something old. A Messianic Seder is always something amazing to participate in--I highly recommend it :)
Anyway, there are deep revelations about Messiah in every Biblical Feast and Festival--and there are SO MANY! Not only do we turn every Shabbat into a celebration but we observe all the Feasts and Festivals with a lot of teaching and training about where HE is in them. One of the reasons for the commands to celebrate the holidays is to teach the children--to fulfill the V'Havata in Deuteronomy to teach them diligently at all times. So we have fun and I watch my children getting it all--taking it in on a regular basis and absorbing it :)
Sadly, what has made so much of Judaism dry and tasteless for most Jews is not realizing the reason for the sacrifices, celebrations, observations, feasts and festivals. Many of our Jewish attenders are just amazed when they see that HE was there all along!
Sorry if I got too long winded there--this topic really gets me going :basic0i
Rather, we observe the Jewish calendar and the Biblical Feasts and Festivals. This means last Shabbat our congregation was treated to a rousing readers theatre of the Pirates of Purim with Rabbi Jack as Captain Jack Haman and a lot of sword fights involving Esther Swann :laughing And in April we will be observing Passover (in remembrance of Him) and the feast of Unleavened Bread (the time He was in the tomb) and the feast of First Fruits (the day He arose). When Jesus walked the earth he observed all of the Biblical Feasts and Festivals (including Hannukah--the Festival of Rededication). So in following Him we celebrate them as well.
As it turns out, every Biblical Feast and Festival holds prophecy about Messiah. And just as we celebrate the Spring feasts and festivals that he fulfilled on his first coming, we celebrate the Fall feasts and festivals that prophecy about his return. Understanding the Biblical timeline makes references that John speaks of in Revelation make a lot of sense that isn't mystical or "secret" or foreboding at all.
In the fall we will celebrate Rosh Hoshannah (which is the holiday involving the blowing of the shofar and the start of the New Year--the day on which the Jews believe many things happened including creation and which most Messianic believers look to as the "season" we can know for His return), Yom Kippur--the day of judgment when we bless each other with the traditional blessing "may your name be written in the Lamb's book of life", and Sukkot--the festival celebrating God dwelling with man.
Based on the best information out there record wise there are about 3 "best" estimates on when Jesus was actually born and the one I fall strongly towards is the one that seems to be supported both by Temple service rotations and the Biblical Calendar. This would mean going from the time in rotation that Elizabeth's husband would have served as High Priest we can count forward to Mary's conception at Hannukah (when the light of the world entered the world), then to his birth at Sukkot (when God dwells with man). We read in the Gospels about his death at Passover, his time in the tomb at the Feast of Unleavened Bread, and his resurrection on the Feast of First Fruits.
Where our family finds Easter and Christmas fun holidays that are about love and giving and all sorts of Christian values, our congregation (and our family) looks to the Biblical timeline for our holy days. Just like most Christians who go to church two times a year will go Easter and Christmas, most Jews who go two times a year will go Rosh Hoshannah and Yom Kippur--so those are the days we have to be prepared for.
And Passover is, most years, our HUGE outreach holiday. (this year we have been through so much as a congregation that we are having small seders in the homes of members as a way to continue to build stronger community). To be able to show a Jewish person how Jesus is all over, inside and out, the Passover seder--always has been--is huge. Yes, he is the perfect Passover lamb. He is also the afikomen--the piece of matzah taken from between two others (the Trinity), broken, hidden in a white wrap, and brought back from "the grave" at the end of the seder. This is the piece of matzah he took and "broke" (the only piece broken during the seder--half is hidden, half is eaten) and said, "Take, eat, THIS is my body broken for you." In other words--*I* am the afikomen--what this symbolizes is what I am doing. And the cup of Redemption is the one following it that he took and said, "Take, drink, THIS is my blood shed for you." He wasn't giving them something new that night, he was revealing where he was always in something old. A Messianic Seder is always something amazing to participate in--I highly recommend it :)
Anyway, there are deep revelations about Messiah in every Biblical Feast and Festival--and there are SO MANY! Not only do we turn every Shabbat into a celebration but we observe all the Feasts and Festivals with a lot of teaching and training about where HE is in them. One of the reasons for the commands to celebrate the holidays is to teach the children--to fulfill the V'Havata in Deuteronomy to teach them diligently at all times. So we have fun and I watch my children getting it all--taking it in on a regular basis and absorbing it :)
Sadly, what has made so much of Judaism dry and tasteless for most Jews is not realizing the reason for the sacrifices, celebrations, observations, feasts and festivals. Many of our Jewish attenders are just amazed when they see that HE was there all along!
Sorry if I got too long winded there--this topic really gets me going :basic0i