Feb. 15, 2021
There was a sense of separation that the priests of Israel observed since they dealt with the things of God. To fail to do this was to profane God’s holy name. The sacrifices brought to God had to be perfect.
The major purpose for having feasts was to express the relationship between the Lord and his people. The Sabbath was the designated sacred day of rest when the people of God would stop their work and this principle is found in the feasts that follow. Seen together, these feasts remind the people of their relationship with God throughout the year:
- The Sabbath - A weekly day of rest to remember creation.
- The Passover - A yearly remembrance of salvation from slavery in Egpyt.
- The Feast of Firstfruits - A yearly offering to dedicate the harvest to God.
- The Feast of Weeks - A yearly celebration to recognize the Lord as the provider. It is called “Pentecost” in the New Testament from the Greek word for “fiftieth.” (Acts 2:1)
- The Feast of Trumpets - A yearly solemn assembly to spiritually prepare for the most sacred month of the year.
- The Day of Atonement - A yearly day of solemn rest to recognize the redemption of Israel.
- The Feast of Booths - A yearly joyful celebration of the Lord leading his people out of Egypt.
Taken together, these feasts remind the people of Israel throughout the year that Yahweh is the Lord their God.
The Gospel of Matthew now arrives at his central message. Jesus is the promised Messiah, fulfilling Old Testament prophecies of the suffering servant (Isaiah 52:13-53:12).
In his darkest hour, Jesus cries out to God in deep emotional and spiritual agony by quoting Psalm 22. Jesus not only faced a separation of fellowship with the Father but also faced the outpouring of God’s wrath as a substitute for sinful humanity.
When the curtain of the temple (Exodus 26:31-33) was torn in two, it signified the removal of the separation between God and his people.
“[Jesus] entered once for all into the holy places, not by means of the blood of goats and calves but by means of his own blood, thus securing an eternal redemption.” (Hebrews 9:12)
Make It Personal
- Because of Jesus’ perfect sacrifice, we no longer bring sacrifices to an actual altar. Instead, we offer our lives as living sacrifices to God. We keep his commandments of “love God and love your neighbor” today and we do it because he is holy and good. Take a moment to reflect on what Jesus has done on our behalf.
- The feasts of the Lord were to give gratitude to Him and to live in remembrance of who He is and what He had done. It is important to stir our faith by remembering what God has done. Take a moment to write down some of the ways God has answered your prayers in the last year.
- Jesus showed his deep love for us by dying in our place. He was the ultimate sacrifice. Now, we can stand with no condemnation before God (Romans 8). Who can you tell about what He has done today?