Lesson 8

God’s first two holy day seasons are the archetype for important events that His new covenant church has already experienced. In the first holy day season, Jesus is our passover lamb whose blood saves us from death just as the lamb’s blood saved the Israelites. Jesus told Mary before dawn, not to touch him because he had not yet ascended to his father. Jesus was Christian’s Sunday morning Wave Sheaf offering to God at the beginning of the harvest. He is the first born of many brothers. Leavening, completely working its way into dough, is a simile for how Christians must work hard to remove sin from their lives. Not just for a week, but for a lifetime.

1 Corinthians 5:6-8 21st Century King James Version
6 Your glorying is not good. Know ye not that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump? 7 Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ, our Passover, is sacrificed for us. 8 Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.

John 20:17 Good News Translation
17 “Do not hold on to me,” Jesus told her, “because I have not yet gone back up to the Father. But go to my brothers and tell them that I am returning to him who is my Father and their Father, my God and their God.”

Colossians 1:18 GOD’S WORD Translation
18 He is also the head of the church, which is his body. He is the beginning, the first to come back to life so that he would have first place in everything.

Matthew 24:13 International Children’s Bible
13 But the person who continues to be strong until the end will be saved.

The days and concepts God used to bring his religion to the Israelites, are used to foreshadow how salvation comes to all humanity. The second holy day season continues this theme. Jesus told his followers he would send a comforter to guide them and lead them into truth. The Holy Spirit came when the disciples and all Jews celebrated the Feast of Weeks. This feast celebrated the harvest of food, God altered it to represent the harvest of humans that accept Jesus. This smaller annual harvest, will also have a smaller crop. What parallels can you draw between the holy days and following Jesus? Could they help Christians?

John 16:7-11 Complete Jewish Bible
7 But I tell you the truth, it is to your advantage that I go away; for if I don’t go away, the comforting Counselor will not come to you. However, if I do go, I will send him to you. 8 “When he comes, he will show that the world is wrong about sin, about righteousness and about judgment — 9 about sin, in that people don’t put their trust in me; 10 about righteousness, in that I am going to the Father and you will no longer see me; 11 about judgment, in that the ruler of this world has been judged.