Yom Kippur

How Do the Biblical Feast Days Point to Jesus?

Written by Holy Branches on January 14, 2025. Posted in Hanukkah, Passover, Rosh Hashanah, Sabbath, Shavuot, Sukkot, Yom Kippur. 5 Comments on How Do the Biblical Feast Days Point to Jesus?

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You may have heard many Christians started observing the Biblical Feast Days. You may even have heard them claim these seven Feast Days point to Jesus as our Messiah. Since the connection between the commands to observe these days in Leviticus and our faith in Jesus as our Savior can be confusing, here’s an overview of these important days and how each relates to Jesus and, thus, to our faith.

I must add that salvation is not found in keeping the Feast Days or God’s commands. Salvation through works is a significant misconception about the Hebrew Roots Movement and the source of many people’s objection to Christians keeping The Holy Days or following the commands of the Torah. Salvation is found in Jesus alone and is based on the grace we’ve been given through Jesus’s sacrifice, not on our adherence to God’s laws (Eph. 2:8-9 and Titus 3:5). We follow His laws only out of love and respect for God and His commands and because His grace has saved us, not because the obedience itself will save us. On the other hand, although the laws don’t save us, we shouldn’t blatantly disregard the way God wants us to live. We should instead delight in His perfect laws (Psalm 1:2, 19:7, and 40:8)!

This article is a basic overview; the verses I give for each refer only to the command. All these observances are mentioned elsewhere in the Bible as well. Click on the day’s name for a more in-depth explanation of how it relates to the Christian faith and can be celebrated in a Christian home.

Celebrating Jesus in the Biblical Feasts Expanded Edition: Discovering Their Significance to You as a Christian

The Sabbath (Lev. 23:3 and Ex. 20:8-11)

Known as “Shabbat” in Hebrew, this Feast Day occurs weekly. The Sabbath is a day to rest and to keep holy – that is, to focus on our God and Savior.

Jesus said that he is “Lord of the Sabbath” (Matt. 12:8 and Mark 2:28). In addition to revealing his divine nature in this verse, having been there at the creation of the universe, Jesus took part in the creation of the Sabbath when God first declared it (John 1:1-5, Gen. 1:26 and 2:3).

Jesus is our “Sabbath rest” (Hebrews 4). As believers, we can rest in our salvation and observe the Sabbath just as God did. We should strive to align our behavior with what God desires of us despite and because of our salvation. However, we can rest in the mercy and grace we’ve been given and approach God with no shame after repenting and turning from our sin.

Passover (Lev. 23:5 and Exodus 12)

“Pesach” in Hebrew, this Feast is a remembrance of the Passover and the resultant exodus from slavery in Egypt. During the Passover, the blood of the Passover Lamb on the doorposts of the Hebrew people saved them from the final plague of the death of the firstborn.

John the Baptist prophetically calls Jesus “the Lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world” (John 1:29). After Jesus’s crucifixion and resurrection, Paul refers to him as “our Passover” (1 Cor. 5:7). What these two men realized is that the sacrifice of the Passover Lamb that saved the Hebrew people foreshadowed the sacrifice Jesus made that saves us today!

Jesus also tells us he’ll celebrate The Passover with us again someday (Mark 14:24-25 and Luke 22:15-16). Wow! What an exciting Feast to look forward to!

Unleavened Bread (Lev. 23:6-8 and Exodus 12:15-20)

Also called “Chag HaMatzot,” this week-long Feast occurs during the week of Passover. It’s generally a time to remember the Passover further. Being in a hurry to leave Egypt when Pharaoh finally allowed them to, they didn’t have time to leaven their dough and had to cook and eat unleavened bread.

The command for this Feast is to remove all leaven (also called “chametz”) from one’s household and to eat none for seven days. “Leaven” or yeast is a biblical reference to sin or corruption. When something is described as “unleavened,” it’s pure or uncorrupted.

For example, when yeast is placed in bread, it spreads until it is in the entire batch. Think about people you know who have let a minor sin enter their lives; likewise, it spreads and spreads and sometimes ends up ruining lives. Think about a married man who friends an old girlfriend on social media and what damage this tiny action can lead to.

Jesus, our “bread of life,” was able to be the only atoning sacrifice for our sin because he was “unleavened” or uncorrupted by sin. Having adhered to the entire law (Torah), his perfection made his crucifixion the one-time blood sacrifice that could cover the sins of all mankind forever.

In 1 Cor. 5:6-7, Paul explains that a bit of leaven leavens the whole lump. Even if we lead perfect lives, we cannot achieve perfection, causing us not to be able to experience true communion with God. Having to clean out all the leaven in every nook and cranny of our homes reminds us that even the tiniest bits of sin left in the nooks and crannies of our hearts must be dealt with. If not, they will indeed “leaven the whole lump” and spread throughout our lives and those around us.

How blessed are we? Jesus has dealt with each crumb of leaven in our hearts so that we can approach God pure and “unleavened” as well!

First Fruits (Lev. 23:9-14)

Called “Yom Bikkurim” (the Day of First Fruits) or “Reshit Katzir” (beginning of the harvest) in Hebrew, this Feast Day is the dedication of the future harvest to God, which was demonstrated by waving a sheaf of green barley before God. It begins the 49-day countdown to The Feast of Weeks, the next Feast. The command also includes sacrificing a blemish-free male lamb as well. However, this part can only be done with the Temple.

Here’s another Feast Day that Paul sheds light on for us. In 1 Corinthians 15:20-28, he tells us that Jesus is the “first fruits” to both the dead and those “in Christ” when Jesus returns to Earth. Just as the First Fruits Feast offerings looked forward to the future harvest, so did Jesus’s resurrection. He came to save us and will raise the dead and rule the Earth when he returns! What a glorious day that will be!

Feast of Weeks (Lev. 23:15-21)

“Shavuot,” in Hebrew, means “weeks,” and is another name for this Feast. It’s more commonly known among Christians as Pentecost (which means “fifty”). It marks the 50th day after the original Passover, the day God gave His law (Torah) to His people on Mount Sinai. It’s called the Feast of Weeks because the counting was to be done in weeks. The command says to count seven Sabbaths (seven weeks) from the Day of First Fruits until this Feast.

Before his ascension into Heaven, 40 days after his resurrection, Jesus foretold what would happen on the day the apostles celebrated The Feast of Weeks. In the first chapter of Acts, Jesus tells them to stay in Jerusalem and wait for the promised Holy Spirit.

Sure enough, just as he said, the apostles were celebrating the Feast of Weeks ten days later, thanking God for giving His Word on Mount Sinai. During this celebration, they received the Word in their hearts just as was prophesied (Jer. 31:31-33 and Joel 2:28-29). While they thanked God for His Word, His Word entered their hearts as the Holy Spirit indwelt them.

Jesus said that he had to leave so that they could receive the Holy Spirit, and that’s precisely what happened. The Word was given on Mount Sinai, then lived among us, personified in Jesus, and then the Word was given to each believer personally through the Holy Spirit!

Feast of Trumpets (Lev. 23:23-25)

A Shofar or Ram’s horn. A type of “trumpet” discussed in the Bible.

Commonly called Rosh Hashanah due to its designation as the first day of the Jewish New Year, this day is called Yom Teruah in the Hebrew Bible. The command says it is a Sabbath, and trumpets (or shofars – rams’ horns) are to be blown, along with a sacrifice brought to the Temple. Biblically, it’s not the New Year but is a method of numbering and counting the years.

Generally, the creation of the universe is celebrated, and it marks the beginning of the “Ten Days of Awe,” which continues over the year’s remaining Feast Days. This ten-day period is a time of introspection where each person evaluates their life, repents for sin, and resolves to live more according to God’s will.

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We must first understand the “Teruah” to fully understand this Feast. More than just the noise of a trumpet blast, this was the same call made by the priests when the wall of Jericho fell. It’s the one used when King David returned the Ark of the Covenant to Jerusalem, and it will be the one heard on “the Day of The Lord” (Zeph. 1:16). This type of trumpet blast (or even shouting) is like a call to war or a celebration of a victory of God or His people.

The Feast of Trumpets is when we anticipate Jesus’s return to Earth. Jesus gives a chilling explanation of this day in Matthew 24. He says that after the sun, moon, and stars are darkened, and the powers of the heavens are shaken (woah…), the trumpet call will bring his elect from the Earth’s four corners. “His elect”? That’s us, Christian Brothers and Sisters! And so we remember to blow our trumpets yearly on The Day of Trumpets. And in the meantime, we wait… And listen for the trumpets…

And in the meantime, we wait… And listen for the trumpets…

As we think of a new year beginning and prepare our hearts for Yom Kippur, we can focus on repentance and re-aligning our lives with God’s will. An honest and prayerful examination of our lives can highlight the sin we must deal with and the changes we must make.

This process will naturally bring us to a state of thankfulness for our Savior. We can repent, turn from our sin, and know that his unselfish sacrifice on the cross covers it.

Day of Atonement (Lev. 23:26-32)

Also called Yom Kippur (the Day of Coverings), this was the only day of the year that the high priest could enter the Holy of Holies and make a sin sacrifice for God’s people. He was the only one who could stand between them and God to make atonement, and only on this day, according to specific procedures. Without the Temple to make these sacrifices today, the Jewish people see this as the day that God writes our names in the Book of Life or the Book of Death, depending on which we deserve.

As Christians, we see this day a bit differently, of course. While focusing on repentance, we can also celebrate and be grateful for the sacrifice that made atonement for our sin, Jesus. He is also our high priest (Heb. 4:14-15 and 8:1-6) and is therefore qualified to make atonement for our sins. Furthermore, if we profess Jesus as our Savior, we know that our names are already written in the Book of Life, so we can thank God for that!

Prophetically, we can also look forward to the day when Jesus returns as judge. Although one judgment was carried out when Jesus was crucified, there remains a Judgement Day for those who have rejected him. There are also a few places in the Bible (Matt. 12:36-37, 1 Cor. 3:13, and 2 Cor. 5:10) indicating that, as Christians, our actions will be judged as well (although not with gravity equal to those not in Christ). Because of this, we all must closely examine our actions and the fruit of our lives and further align with God’s will.

Feast of Tabernacles (Lev. 23:33-36, 39-43)

This Feast is also referred to as the Feast of Booths or Sukkot (“booths” or “tabernacles” in Hebrew). It’s traditionally a time to remember God’s provisions for His people and His dwelling or “tabernacling” with His people. The command includes living in a temporary dwelling for the week.

Celebrating Biblical Feasts: In Your Home or Church By Martha Zimmerman

Many Christians use this time of the year to celebrate the time Jesus spent tabernacling with us, from birth to resurrection. Sukkot is a time to celebrate God’s dwelling with His people. Jesus was precisely that! He is God and came to Earth as a man to walk with us!

We can also thank God for His provision and blessings during this time. Yes, He gives us more than we need in a material sense, but He also does in a spiritual sense. Being the sinful people we all are, we’re separated from God and in dire need of a way to Him that we can’t provide ourselves. Although we’re undeserving of it, God chose to give us a second chance. He sent Jesus so we could approach God even though we were unworthy. That’s the best blessing of all!

Many places in the Bible foretell a time when God will dwell with us again. The Feast of Tabernacles is when we can look forward to the Wedding Feast in Revelation. Jesus—the groom—will finally be united with us, his people—his bride—and there will be a great, joyful Wedding Feast! What an event to behold! I can’t wait, can you?!

All these Feasts point to Jesus in powerful yet unique ways. Bringing these traditions into your Christian faith will provide reminders of the part we all have in God’s Kingdom and of our eternal Savior and what he’s done in the past, what he’s doing right now, and what he will do in the future. Celebrate Jesus throughout the year—on the Feast Days and every day!

Holidays for Christians to Observe in Honor of Their Hebraic Roots

Written by Holy Branches on December 26, 2024. Posted in Hanukkah, Hebraic Roots, Passover, Purim, Rosh Hashanah, Shavuot, Sukkot, Traditions, Yom Kippur. 1 Comment on Holidays for Christians to Observe in Honor of Their Hebraic Roots

If you’re just here for the free printable calendar, get yours here!

The celebration of Passover has become more common among Christians in recent years. This celebration is so beneficial because Passover has many elements that point to our Messiah and highlight the greatness of our God and His love for us!

But did you know other holidays celebrate our God and Savior while honoring the Jewish history of our faith? Some of them are Biblical, and others are traditionally Jewish in our culture but also have implications for us as Gentile believers.

Adding these significant days to your family’s legacy can enrich and deepen your faith and help you pass it on to your children and others. It can even bring you and your family closer to God and Jesus as we learn more about them through observation of these meaningful times.

Here are some that are the most directly connected to the practice of our faith as Christians, especially as it relates to our Jewish roots.

Purim (פּוּרִים)

Purim is the celebration of God’s deliverance of the Jewish people through Queen Esther. A man named Haman was plotting their destruction, but Esther bravely approached the king and revealed her identity as a Jew to encourage him to save her people. He did and had Haman executed instead.

As Christians, we’re familiar with persecution and how God orchestrates historical events that affect His people. We can celebrate that Esther was in the place she was because God knew what the need for her to be there would be and made her an instrument for His plan.

Purim is a fun celebration. Both children and adults dress as characters from the story and act it out in dramatic fashion. It is held on the 14th day of Adar on the Hebrew calendar, corresponding to February or March on our Gregorian calendar.

Passover (פֶסַח- Pesach)

This celebration commemorates God’s rescuing the Israelites from slavery under the Egyptians. Its relevance to Christians is very basically two-fold. Firstly, since we are also God’s people, we have a part in this history, and secondly, we have been rescued from the slavery of our sin by the blood of Jesus.

Biblically, Passover is to be celebrated on the “fourteenth day of the first month.” On the Hebrew calendar, it starts on the fourteenth day of the month of Nisan, which corresponds with our Gregorian calendar, which is sometime in March or April.

Holocaust Remembrance Day (יוֹם הַשׁוֹאָה – Yom HaShoah)

This somber observance was established in 1953. It’s a national holiday in Israel to remember the Holocaust in Europe during World War II and the murder of over six million Jewish people, including children. This remembrance occurs on the 27th day of Nisan on the Hebrew calendar, during March or April.

Why should Gentile (non-Jew) Christians observe Holocaust Remembrance Day? Romans 1:16 tells us that salvation came first to the Jew and then to the Greek (Rom. 1:16). Christians are the Gentile believers that are “grafted in” to the promises to God’s people described in Romans 11.

Throughout the Old Testament, God clarifies that the Jewish people are His chosen people. He made a covenant with Abraham concerning their lineage throughout history and brought the Savior to the world through the Jewish line. God also says that He will never abandon the Jewish people.

If the Jewish people are this important to God and are the roots of the tree we’re grafted into; we must be concerned with their well-being in our day and throughout history. The tragedy that struck as the Holocaust brutally and senselessly extinguished the lives of so many people precious to God (Jews and others) must never be forgotten, and its horrors never repeated.

Pentecost and Shavuot (שָׁבוּעוֺת)

I combine these two celebrations because they’re similar in meaning and history. Before the Holy Spirit appeared as tongues of fire and inhabited the Apostles in Acts 2, this time was known as Shavuot or the Feast of Weeks.

It was commanded in Leviticus 23 and was a type of harvest festival that was to occur 50 days after the Passover. Also recognized on this date is the gift of God’s Laws being given to His people on Mt. Sinai. Shavuot is what the Apostles were celebrating when they were “gathered” when God’s Spirit was given to them.

They would have realized the significance of the gift of God’s Spirit being given specifically on this day during a celebration of the gift of God’s Word being given as well. Jesus also foretold it when he said they’d be baptized by the Spirit in Acts 1:4-5.

The command says it is to take place on the 6th and 7th of the month of Sivan. It is to be observed 50 days (or 7 Sabbaths and one day) after the Day of Firstfruits during the Feast of Unleavened Bread (when the Passover and Exodus from Egypt occurred).

Rosh Hashanah (רֹאשׁ הַשִּׁנִה)

This holiday is commonly known as the Jewish New Year and is called Yom Teruah in the Bible. It was designated the first day of the new year primarily for year-counting purposes, but it’s also one of the commanded Feasts in Leviticus 23. It was a two-day festival during which trumpets (shofars) were blown and sacrifices were performed.

Today, it marks the beginning of the High Holy Days in Autumn. It’s a time when people examine their lives, seek to rid them of their old, sinful ways, and make a change for the better. In this way, it’s a lot like the American New Year, but it’s also a type of Judgment Day or the beginning of a season of judgment for the Jewish people.

Christians can remember on Rosh Hashanah that we will be judged with Jesus as our substitute. We can also examine our lives and see whether we’re living in a way that expresses the joy of this salvation. The command to blow a trumpet on this day should cause us to look forward to the day when Jesus has returned and the dead are raised (1 Cor. 15:52).

The Feast of Trumpets occurs on the 1st and 2nd days of the month of Tishrei on the Hebrew calendar and in September or October on the Gregorian calendar.

Day of Atonement (יוֹם כִּיפּוּר – Yom Kippur)

This Holy Day is another of the commanded Feasts in Leviticus 23. It’s observed ten days after Rosh Hashanah and is a day of confession and repentance. Biblically, it was a day when sacrifices were offered for the people’s sins. As Christians, this is a day we can celebrate the mercy we have been given in having our sins fully atoned for by Jesus!

The date is the 10th of Tishrei, which occurs in September or October.

Feast of Tabernacles (סֻכּוֺת- Sukkot)

Another Holy Day from Leviticus 23, Sukkot, is a seven-day celebration, five days after the Day of Atonement. Also known as the Feast of Booths, it is a time when people leave the comfort of their homes and live in temporary shelters.

This celebration serves to appreciate God’s provision for us and to celebrate God being among His people on earth. Christians can be even more thankful at the time of Sukkot for Jesus, who, as God, came down to earth to be with us.

Eighth Day (שְׁמִינִי עֲצֶרֶת – Shimini Atzeret)

This day is the day just following the last day of Sukkot. It’s on the 22^nd day of Tishrei, which falls in September or October. It is the final commanded Feast in the List in Leviticus 23.

It’s a day to remain with God and rest in His provision, even after the previous seven have been focused on Him. This day is more spiritual and considered greater than the 7 of Sukkot. A formal prayer for rain is often said, and it’s said to be a time to store the memories of what God has provided in our hearts.

Simchat Torah (שִׂמְחַת תּוֺרָה)

This celebration is not in the Bible but is a great way to thank and praise God for giving us His Word! It’s held on the 22nd day of Tishrei and is also known as “rejoicing in the Torah.”

Jews and Christians enjoy the immense blessing through the words and commands God Gave us in the Torah (the first five books of the Bible) and the rest of His Word. Simchat Torah’s joyful celebration marks the end of the annual Torah reading cycle and the beginning of a new one. When celebrated in a synagogue, there is dancing and singing, and it’s a beautiful time of worship.

Hanukkah (הֲנֻכָּה)

Although not a commanded Holy Day, Jesus celebrates it in the Book of John. It commemorates the dedication of the rebuilt temple after the Babylonians destroyed Solomon’s temple.

The story of Hanukkah is miraculous. The Jewish people were vastly outnumbered as they decided to fight against the destruction of their people and culture and the blasphemy of God. God was with them as they fought, and they were victorious!

Celebrated from the 25th of Kislev to the 2nd or 3rd day of Tevet on the Hebrew calendar, Hanukkah falls in late November or December.

Christians can celebrate God’s power displayed in His people and the victory over persecution. We are also interested in this day as we can see Jesus having shown up in Jerusalem for its celebration, translated as the Feast of Dedication. At this time, Jesus said that his sheep would never perish and that no one could snatch them out of his or His Father’s hand.

Here’s a calendar of the dates of these important days. Print out the free PDF version to keep handy in planning for these days.

Having a Jewish calendar to see what holidays are approaching and plan for them is helpful. Many are out there, but I like the First Fruits of Zion calendar best!

I hope observing these holidays brings you joy, deepens your Christian faith, and provides yet another way to pass your faith on in your family’s legacy, as they have for my family. I’ll continue to post ways for Christian families to observe these meaningful days on the Hebrew Roots Mom website, so stay tuned!

Resolutions: The New Year and Beyond

Written by Holy Branches on December 26, 2024. Posted in Hanukkah, Passover, Rosh Hashanah, Sabbath, Shavuot, Sukkot, Traditions, Yom Kippur. No Comments on Resolutions: The New Year and Beyond

This time of year, it seems everyone’s thinking about resolutions – losing weight, quitting smoking, reading their bible more, etc. But we’ve also heard that statistics show these resolutions often don’t last long. People stick to them for the first few weeks or months of the New Year and then return to their previous ways.

But what if there was more than one New Year’s Eve? What if there were a few more times in the year marked for a reassessment of our lives and the making of resolutions with the overall goal of bettering ourselves? Just think of who we’d be and what we could accomplish if we routinely adjusted the direction of our lives.

A GPS navigation system recalculates our route if we get off track. If we take a wrong turn or go straight instead of turning left, the system recalculates the course, ensuring that we still reach our destination despite deferring from the path we should be on.

Fortunately, we can do the same with our lives! Though we may be dedicated to God and genuinely want to follow His plan, we all veer off the route He has for us. It takes repeated examination, re-dedication, and re-adjustment to stay where God wants us.

Enter the Holy Days

Recalculating the route is what I love about celebrating the Biblical Holy Days. That’s one purpose of them – introspection and examination of our lives, re-aligning them with God’s plan. Each of these set-aside times also points us back to Jesus! This re-alignment is done many times yearly, and celebrating these days helps my family and I continually recalculate the routes our lives are on. Here are some of those times.

The Sabbath

God commands us to “remember” the Sabbath and keep it holy. But what exactly are we to remember? Ezekiel chapter 20 (verses 12 and 20) tells us that the Sabbath is a sign that we belong to God. Keeping the Sabbath is our acknowledgment of the covenant God made with us.

Our activities on the Sabbath should then point us to Him and remind us of Him and His goodness. The Sabbath, combined with Bible study and attending services, should encourage us to look at our lives weekly and see where we need to make changes to adhere more closely to the will of God.

The Sabbath also provides a time to rest before the next busy week. It gives us time to plan the days ahead and make the necessary changes to help us be more effective weekly.

Passover

The themes of Passover will also encourage close examination of our lives. That we are no longer slaves to Egyptian captors or to sin causes us to recall all God has done for His people. We could never have obtained this freedom for ourselves. Just as the blood of the lamb freed the Hebrew people from Egypt, Jesus, our Passover Lamb, freed us from the sin that enslaved us.

Think of God’s faithfulness to all His people. In the most challenging times, God can free you from what afflicts you, often working a miracle in your life as he did throughout Exodus. Nothing is too hard for God, and there is no limit to how good your life can be when following Him.

Passover brings a question of identity to mind. Who are we? Or, instead – whose are we? The answer for Christians is that we belong to God. He is the one who rescued us and the one who provided a way to Him despite our sinfulness. As His people, we mature in our faith and begin to learn to look at ourselves through His eyes. While He loves, accepts, and forgives us with our flaws, our desire to obey Him grows as our love for Him does.

Unleavened Bread

The Feast of Unleavened Bread is seven days where leaven (yeast) is not only not eaten but also cleaned out of homes altogether. The Bible often uses leaven as a symbol of sin or wickedness. Cleaning leaven out of your home and diet for seven days is difficult! Think of all the crumbs in your pantry or even under your fridge!

The cleanout of leaven causes us to look closer at the sin in our lives. If we’re honest, it’s there on the surface but also in the dark pantry-type corners of our lives! We must constantly be on the lookout for the crumbs of sin in our lives and get rid of them before we end up with a filthy mess. We must also do the more unpleasant cleaning in the parts of our life we’d rather ignore – like that mess under the fridge. During this period, we should sincerely evaluate our lives and identify where sin has been festering, then work to make ourselves more pleasing to God.

Cleaning sin out of our lives should also awaken us to the grace we’ve received. Isn’t it amazing that God knows we aren’t capable of a flawless cleanout and has provided us with a perfectly leaven-free Savior – a gift so indescribably good it makes even a clean home seem like chopped liver!

First Fruits

First Fruits is a Spring festival that celebrates the fertility of the land as a blessing from God. Part of this new growth (a lamb without defect along with wine and bread) is given back to God as an offering and show of gratitude for His blessings. In the New Testament, 1 Corinthians 15:20-23 explains that Jesus is the first fruits.

Just like the Holy Day of First Fruits, which is to recognize ahead of time the blessings that God will give, Paul shows in Corinthians that Jesus’s resurrection assures us of the blessing we’ll receive in the harvest at the end of time. We look ahead to when we’ll commune with God, and Jesus will rule.

Looking forward to this time in the future should prompt us to be grateful and prepare ourselves as offerings. We need to do all we can to align our lives with what God wants of us and be continually and earnestly hunting for what that looks like.

Shavuot

This celebration commemorates the Law God gave to the Hebrew people on Mount Sinai. Also known as The Feast of Weeks or Pentecost, this is what the apostles were celebrating when the Holy Spirit was given in Acts 2. Shavuot is a reminder that God gave us His Law as a blessing and that the Holy Spirit is the Law written on our hearts that was prophesied by Jeremiah (31:33).

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But do we see God’s Laws as a blessing? Or do we compromise, justify our disobedience, and declare that certain ancient Laws don’t apply to us? Shavuot is a time to thank God for His Law and to delight in it as the Psalmist does in chapter 1, verse 2. It’s a time to take a close look at our actions and see whether there’s truth in saying that we aim to obey them and delight in them. We should reflect on how God’s Law has improved our lives and its blessing for all his people. How can we better please God by following his commands?

Shavuot is also when we thank God for the gift of His Spirit. Having the Holy Spirit dwelling in us serves many functions, confirmation of our salvation being just one of many. He’s also our guide and convicts us when we need to change the course of our lives. As we celebrate the gift of the Holy Spirit, we pay special attention to whether we’re listening to this conviction and guidance and adjust our hearts, minds, and actions accordingly.

Yom Teruah

Also known as Rosh Hashanah, this Feast gives many reasons for introspection and re-calculation of the routes of our lives. Celebrating our names being written in the Book of Life, remembering the story of Abraham almost sacrificing Isaac (Gen. 22), casting off sin, and calling attention to trumpet blasts are all themes of this celebration.

These themes should make us want to audit our behavior and encourage us to make adjustments. The Bible says the names of the righteous are written in the Book of Life. Sin in all our lives prevents us from being wholly righteous, which is why we can celebrate the gift we have in Jesus, who stands in our place just as God provided a ram to stand in Isaac’s place.

But just because we have Jesus as our substitute does not mean we don’t try our best to obey. It’s not to earn our salvation that we obey but out of love for God. Focusing on repentance provokes change. I always tell my children when they say apologize that sorry people change. If they’re genuinely sorry, I’ll see it in their actions, not just their words. It’s the same with us and God. Being genuinely sorry will change us noticeably.

We also focus on trumpet blasts at this time. The original command for this celebration includes the blowing of trumpets. This trumpet blowing is not just for musical enjoyment or celebratory noise. This type of trumpet blowing, using a ram’s horn or shofar, is Biblically an indication that God’s about to do something big! Other times trumpet blasts of this type are used is when the wall of Jericho was brought down or when Jesus returns (Joshua 6:20 and 1 Thess. 4:16-17, respectively)!

We often forget the supernatural aspects of God, and the trumpet blasts remind us that the miraculous events in the bible are REAL and not just stories. If we believe that, we should look forward to Jesus’s return and listen for the accompanying trumpet blasts, for real! If this doesn’t motivate us to ponder our lives and make necessary adjustments, I don’t know what will!

Yom Kippur is also known as the Day of Atonement because it’s on this day that confession of and atonement for sin is to be made. This atonement is as a people, not necessarily an individual level. We’re apologizing for the things we’ve done to turn away from God as His people, not just for the individual disobedience in our own lives.

There are two things a Christian can focus on during Yom Kippur. The first is the honest and humble confession of sin. Yes, we can do this on any day of the year, but this day, set aside for confession, reminds us to do so when we may otherwise forget. Some pray and fast on Yom Kippur because it’s a time when we’re genuinely sorry and commit to change.

The other focus is that Jesus has eternally atoned for our sins! While we’re repentant, we’re also grateful for the undeserved grace we’ve been given. Even if we were to maintain a “good” life, we cannot earn our salvation and deserve condemnation. But that’s not our destiny if we’ve received Jesus as our Savior, and that’s something we should be humbly grateful for.

Sukkot

If we take even a glance at our lives, we’ll see that God has richly blessed us. This day is to celebrate what God has given us – food, shelter, and everything we need. He not only meets our needs; He goes above and beyond to provide for His people. In our culture, we often take these things for granted, and his graciousness is difficult to see, but Sukkot encourages us to see it for what it is – lavish blessings on His people!

He not only meets our physical needs but, more importantly, our spiritual needs. Among all other provisions, He’s also provided Jesus as a way for our sin debt to be paid. A theme of Sukkot is that God tabernacled with His people in the desert. He didn’t just observe them from Heaven; he was with them on their travels, guiding them. This guidance is the same thing Jesus does for us! He came from Heaven to Earth to live among us and become the provision for our sin.

Sukkot prompts us to look around again and see what God has done. He’s met and continues to meet our needs, especially the most desperate – the need for a Savior. Acknowledging this should alter the way we live. If we’re grateful, we will grumble and complain less about what we don’t have. We’ll show our gratitude for forgiveness by extending it to others, as well as repenting for sin and striving to live obedient lives.

Hanukkah

While not one of the seven appointed times in the book of Leviticus, Hanukkah is also an excellent time for resolutions. This celebration is all about re-dedication – both of God’s Temple and ourselves. Hanukkah celebrates the amazing things God has done for His people and our re-dedication to Him of what was His in the first place.

Hanukkah is a time to consider what or who we stand for. Having to state what we stand for seems optional when we live in a time and place that’s one of comfort and little persecution. But Christians everywhere don’t enjoy this type of comfort now, and we probably won’t experience it forever, either. Even our daily actions will show what we stand for, though. An honest review of our lives will show who we serve and where we need to get back on track.

So, go ahead and make that resolution for the New Year. But revisit it soon! If you don’t already celebrate the Biblical Holy Days, getting started is easier than you think! Visit the pages linked above to read more about each Holy Day on this website. Happy New Year!

Yom Kippur: Fasting for Christians

Written by Holy Branches on October 10, 2024. Posted in Traditions, Yom Kippur. 5 Comments on Yom Kippur: Fasting for Christians

Observing the Biblical Holy Days is a rich experience for Christians, and Yom Kippur is no exception. Most of us are familiar with the themes of atonement and repentance of this Feast Day.

But what about fasting? Traditionally, Yom Kippur is observed with a 25-hour fast. Do we have to fast to celebrate it? What are the benefits of fasting?

How is Fasting Related to Yom Kippur?

Yom Kippur is also known as the Day of Atonement. In the time of the Temple, it was a time to bring a sacrifice to atone for, or “cover,” sin. As Christians, we know that Jesus was the sacrifice that atoned for our sin once and for all! On Yom Kippur, we can both focus on repentance for sin and on our Savior, who took that sin upon himself on the cross.

The command for Yom Kippur in Leviticus 23:26-32 says to “humble your souls.” Humble can also be translated as “afflict.” While the Hebrew word used here could be translated a few different ways, all of them are unpleasant and uncomfortable, to the degree that even your soul is somehow involved in this significant discomfort.

So, while fasting isn’t directly commanded. It is an affliction that humbles and can even affect your soul. If you haven’t done it before, I’ll tell you – fasting is challenging! You have to set your mind against what your body desperately wants. It takes much discipline and is not much fun at all.

So that brings us to the question – why fast?

Benefits of Fasting for Christians

Despite how difficult and uncomfortable it is, there are significant benefits to our faith through fasting. While there are notable health benefits to fasting, that shouldn’t be the goal of a fast on Yom Kippur. The goal should be to achieve a state of humility and repentance, not to focus on the body but on the state of the heart.

It makes us want to cry out to God.

In our comfortable lives, we don’t often happen upon the times that make us desperately cry out to God. This lack of need is a blessing, of course, but it also keeps us in a state where we may not come before God in a weakened, humble state of need. Fasting removes one of the comforts we take for granted, and we can turn each hunger pang into a reminder to go before God in humble prayer.

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It can improve our relationship with God.

As we respond to our hunger with prayer, we open a conversation that may have previously been one-sided, brief, inconsistent, or non-existent. The feeling of an empty stomach is a constant reminder of why we’re fasting and brings our focus back to God. Twenty-five hours of turning our attention toward Him humbly makes us better listeners. It can remove what was previously in the way of hearing what God wants to say to us so we can listen to Him more clearly.

It reminds us who our provider is.

Since most of us don’t regularly go without food or other necessities, we can forget where it comes from or credit ourselves with providing it. Fasting brings to mind just how blessed we are to have the option to eat when we’re hungry. God provides above and beyond what we need, and denying ourselves for a while puts that in perspective. Fasting is a humbling reminder that we come before a mighty God who always has our lives in His hands.

It brings out our spiritual side.

Throughout each day of our lives, we tend to our physical needs and wants. We bathe, rest, brush our teeth, apply lotions, etc. But an entire day of fasting causes us to turn on the physical and focus on the spiritual. One wise Jewish source said that we become like angels for a day since they don’t have physical needs like eating. Our stomachs tell us we need food, but we quiet them, acknowledging that we need God more.

Fasting on Yom Kippur can cause us to shift our focus from ourselves and our physical needs to our God and Savior. This Holy Day allows us to take a break from everyday life to humble ourselves before our great Provider. We use that time to repent of our sin and express gratitude for a Savior sacrificed to pay for it.

If you plan to observe Yom Kippur this year, check out the Holy Branches Calendar for the correct dates.

Atonement and Repentance: Why Celebrate Yom Kippur?

Written by Holy Branches on October 10, 2024. Posted in Hebraic Roots, Traditions, Yom Kippur. 5 Comments on Atonement and Repentance: Why Celebrate Yom Kippur?

Yom Kippur is considered a primarily Jewish holiday and is even called the Holiest Holy Day of the year on the Hebrew calendar! Yet the number of Christians celebrating Yom Kippur (the day of atonement for sin) is growing. What does this biblical Holy Day have to do with the Christian faith?

Through our Biblical roots, Christians can bring the Biblical Holy Days into their faith and make these traditions their own. We can further follow our Rabbi Jesus and enrich our faith by obeying the Biblical commands of his Father, which he obeyed, including the observance of Yom Kippur.

A Biblical Holy Day

In Leviticus 23, commands for observing seven Feast Days are listed. This list is also found in Numbers 29:7-11.

”The Lord spoke to Moses, saying, ‘On exactly the tenth day of this seventh month is the day of atonement; it shall be a holy convocation for you, and you shall humble your souls and present an offering by fire to the Lord. You shall not do any work on this same day, for it is a day of atonement, to make atonement on your behalf before the Lord your God. If there is any person who will not humble himself on this same day, he shall be cut off from his people. As for any person who does any work on this same day, that person I will destroy from among his people. You shall do no work at all. It is to be a perpetual statute throughout your generations in all your dwelling places. It is to be a sabbath of complete rest to you, and you shall humble your souls; on the ninth of the month at evening, from evening until evening you shall keep your sabbath.’”
Lev. 23:26-32 (NASB)

Celebrating Jesus in the Biblical Feasts Expanded Edition: Discovering Their Significance to You as a Christian By Richard Booker

Yom Kippur is to be observed on the 10th day of the month of Tishrei on the Biblical calendar. Biblical days are from evening to evening instead of morning to morning (Gen. 1:5), so Yom Kippur starts on the evening of the 9th day of Tishrei. It occurs in September or October on our Gregorian calendar. It comes ten days after Rosh Hashanah (Yom Teruah in Hebrew). The ten days from Rosh Hashanah to Yom Kippur are called the Days of Awe.

Called Yom HaKippurim (literally, the day of coverings, cancelings, pardonings, or reconcilings) in Hebrew, the command includes a holy convocation, humbling or afflicting the soul, offering sacrifices, and taking the day as a Sabbath. In the Old Testament, it was the one time of the year when the high priest offered a sacrifice to atone for his sin and that of the people of Israel. You can find the detailed procedure for this in Leviticus 16.

Blood Sacrifice

Throughout the Bible, it’s clear that all sin separates us from God and leads to death. A blood sacrifice is the only way to pardon or atone for our sin.

“For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it to you on the altar to make atonement for your souls; for it is the blood by reason of the life that makes atonement.”
Lev. 17:11 (NASB)

^“And according to the Law, one may almost say, all things are cleansed with blood, and without shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.”
Heb. 9:22 (NASB)

These verses show just how vital this Day of Atonement was in the days before Jesus! Yom Kippur was the only day the priest could offer this type of sacrifice and the only time throughout the year that the Israelites could have their sins forgiven on a corporate level.

Yom Kippur Observation Today

Orthodox Jews consider the days between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur a time of judgment. The belief is that on Rosh Hashanah, God writes the names of the righteous in the Book of Life, and those that are evil are listed in the Book of Death. Whether or not one’s name will be recorded in the Book of Life can be affected by their actions during this 10-day period.

On this somber day, referred to as a Great Sabbath or High Sabbath, Jewish people practice a 25-hour fast. They also attend synagogue services where specific prayers are said and scriptures are read. They focus on repentance for sin from God and others and examine their life to see where changes need to be made to move toward righteousness.

A Christian Yom Kippur?

As Christians, we have accepted the gift of Jesus as the single, eternal sacrifice that atones for our sin. Because of this, we no longer need to seek atonement as individuals. Instead of making Yom Kippur irrelevant to us, this makes this Holy Day even more meaningful!

On Yom Kippur, we can celebrate because our sins have been atoned for once and for all by Jesus. Yom Kippur also moves us to sadness because there are still those who have not yet turned to him. We should have remorse over our sin and repent it in our lives and communities. Though these are emotions we should have continually as Christians, a day set aside helps us focus on these and discuss them with God and our families.

Celebration and Repentance

What does a focus on sin, atonement, and repentance look like for a Christian family? Here are some things to include in your Yom Kippur to bring out the meaning and weave its concepts into your family’s legacy.

1. Pray

Set aside time to spend with God – alone and as a family. Thank Him for the gift of Jesus and the forgiveness, deliverance, and salvation we have because of his sacrifice. Confess sin in your life and community and commit to turning from it to a better, Godlier path.

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2. Humble your Soul

This humbling is usually done in the form of fasting. The Bible doesn’t specifically say to fast on this day, though. Some people practice this humbling or affliction by giving something up, like time or money, instead. Be sure to use whatever you choose only to bring yourself closer to God. Remember when Jesus rebuked those who used fasting as an outward action instead of a way to get their heart focused on God (Matt. 6:16-18)? What they were doing wasn’t honoring God, and neither is anything else we do in His name that brings attention to ourselves and not glory to Him.

If you plan to fast, pray whenever you experience hunger pangs. The Bible often positively pairs fasting with praying, so do them together and, in doing so, bring blessing into your life and glory to God.

Plan for a large meal on the evening of Yom Kippur so that everyone doesn’t start the fast hungry and has some calories to work off of for the next 25 hours. Make the meal that will break the fast ahead of time so it’s ready when the fast is over. I’m guessing that no one in your house will be in the mood to labor over a meal that evening, and everyone will want something to eat as soon as possible!

3. Forgive and seek forgiveness

Colossians 3:13 says that we must forgive others as we have been forgiven. Make this day the day you leave behind that grudge or bitterness you’ve been hanging on to, and let the healing begin in that relationship. On that same note, be honest with yourself about who you may need to ask for forgiveness. Decide to honor God on Yom Kippur by putting your pride aside, humbling yourself, and admitting where you wronged someone else. I do know how difficult this is! Read James 4:6-10 for encouragement.

4. Hear what God has to say to you

Spend some time in God’s word on this Sabbath day. Here are some scriptures to read and meditate on to get you in the right mindset for Yom Kippur.

Leviticus 16, 17:10-13, and 23:26-32

What About the Sacrifices: A Messianic Perspective on Messiah and the Purpose of the Levitical Sacrifices By D. Thomas Lancaster

Numbers 29:7-11

Jonah (the whole book – it’s short!)

Isaiah 53 and 58:1-12

Matthew 6:14-15 and 6:16-18

Romans 3:9-26 and 6:20-23

Colossians 1:13-23 and 3:12-17

Hebrews 4-10

James 4:6-10

5. Make it a holy convocation

A convocation is an assembly or gathering. For it to be holy, it needs to be set apart to God. For the Israelites, this meant gathering as a nation before God. Here are a few things you could do to incorporate a holy convocation into your observation of Yom Kippur.

Find your nearest Messianic Jewish congregation and visit. The UMJC and the Messianic Covenant are some great places to start to find the one closest to you. Also, check out How to Find a Hebraic Congregation.
Gather together with fellow believers. Plan and discuss Yom Kippur with your believing friends. If they’re interested, invite them over and read scriptures, pray, and fellowship together.

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Gather as a family. Have everyone stop their daily activities and come together to focus on the reason for this Holy Day. Talk about the concepts of Yom Kippur – sin, atonement, salvation, repentance, and forgiveness. Open up and be real with each other about where you are in your spiritual walk. Read scripture and pray together as a family.

6. Wear White

Wearing white on Yom Kippur is an outward expression of our acknowledgment of and gratefulness for the purity we receive through the forgiveness of our sins. It serves as both a reminder and an object lesson throughout the day, especially for children!

More and more Christians are celebrating Yom Kippur because, through it, we can focus on repentance – our own and that of our community – and thank God for providing us a way to atone for our sins through Jesus’s sacrifice on the cross. Isaiah 53:6 says that Jesus took all our sins onto himself. Wow. We are so undeserving yet SO loved, Brothers and Sisters!