Why we Celebrate the Commanded Feasts of God
By Rev. Cheryl S. Birch
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The purpose of this article is to explain what it means to be Messianic Jews and Messianic minded Gentiles who celebrate the
commanded feasts of God together as “one new man” in Messiah Yeshua, Jesus Christ, our Lord.
What does it mean to be a Messianic Jew? That is easy to answer. When a Jewish person accepts Yeshua as Messiah (Jesus as
Savior) they become spiritually complete and are then fully part of the body of Christ. Because they have accepted Jesus as Messiah
they are called Messianic.
What is a Messianic minded Gentile? This is a person who is not Jewish, who has accepted Jesus as Savior, and has come to
understand He is Messiah and the importance of the Jewish root of their faith. They also have understanding that Jesus is Messiah to
both Jew and Gentile. That we are ONE NEW MAN in Christ Jesus. (Read Ephesians Chapter 2)
The idea of a One New Man is rather foreign to much of the western church so let me share a scriptural foundation and what God did in
my life as an example.
In 1991 the Lord called me as a Gentile Christian to keep the feast of Passover called Pesach (Pay-sock) in Hebrew. My trusted
spiritual advisor attended an event and learned that everyone Jew and Gentile are called to keep the feasts. This was a very new
concept for me and I decided to go to scripture to prove out that the Passover feast should be kept. I read the book of Exodus and
discovered the Lord commanded Passover.
And you shall take a bunch of hyssop, dip it in the blood that is in the basin and strike the lintel and the two door posts with the blood that
is in the basin. And none of you shall go out of the door of his house until morning. For the Lord will pass through to strike the Egyptians;
and he sees the blood on the lintel and the on the two door posts, the Lord will pass over the door and not allow the destroyer to com into
your house to strike you. And you shall observe this thing as an ordinance for you and yours sons forever. Exodus 12:22-28
The word “forever” popped off the page and peaked my curiosity. The Holy Spirit then took me on a wonderful journey through the Bible,
both Old and New Testament. When I was done I was convinced that keeping the Passover feast was indeed a command of God
forever for all of His people, both Jew and Gentile believers.
My Journey began with the Book of Leviticus in Chapter 23. This book records the commandment of the Lord that His people keep
specified days of worship and feasts to honor and remember what He has done for them. God established Shabbat (the Sabbath),
Pesach (Passover), Shavuot (Pentecost) Rosh Hashanah (The feast of Trumpets), Yom Kippur (The Day of Atonement) and Sukkot (The
Feast of Tabernacles). As you read Leviticus 23 you will see that after each commanded event is established the Lord says that it is to
be kept forever for all generations.
That convinced me that Jews indeed needed to keep the feasts even to this day. But, I wondered, did Jesus celebrate Passover?
Absolutely! He was without sin. Therefore, He was obedient to God, His Father, and kept all the feasts, including Pesach, as
commanded in Exodus and Leviticus. In fact, the last event Jesus participated in with His disciples was the Last Supper, which was a
Pesach Seder.
When I read that Jesus celebrated the Passover with His family as a child (Luke 2:41) and with His disciples during His ministry on
earth that was enough proof for me. Whatever He did, I wanted to find out more about.
With open heart, as I read the Bible, I found even more! In Romans 11:16-18 it says we, the Gentile believers in Yeshua, are wild
branches grafted into the Olive Tree. The Olive Tree is Israel. We became grafted in through the shed blood of Jesus. It also says that
Abraham is the father of both Jew and Gentile believers. Abraham is the father of nations. We are part of the seed of Abraham and as
adopted sons and daughters may partake of all the same blessings as the Jews. The feasts are a blessing to God’s children.
Lastly and most profoundly, the Holy Spirit illuminated to me 1 Corinthians 5:6-7. In this verse Paul is writing to Gentile believers in
Corinth.
Your glorying is not good. Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump? Therefore purge out the old leaven that you may
be a new lump since you truly are unleavened. For indeed the Christ, our Passover, was sacrificed for us. Therefore let us keep the feast,
not with old leaven, nor with leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth. I Corinthians 5:6-7
Upon reading that scripture all doubt vanished. Indeed, both Jew and Gentile believers are called by God to celebrate the feast of
Passover! I have celebrated every year since. I celebrate in freedom not bound by law.
After that study, I began to research the biblical truth about the other feasts as well. It became a passion to learn more about my Savior
by studying the feasts. To my delight, I found out that every feast was kept by Jesus and that He has fulfilled with His life or will fulfill them
all prophetically.
The celebration of a feast can be as simple as recognizing it is a feast time, such as Tabernacles. You can thank Him in prayer for the
time he dwelt with us, how he dwells within us and will dwell with us through all eternity. Or, you can build a Sukkah (booth) in your back
yard and decorate it, camping with family and Jesus under the stars. Don't be bound up in tradition! Have Fun! Celebrate the Freedom
you have because of your Savior.
If you have any specific questions about the feasts, or how to celebrate as a believer in Jesus as your Savior, please fill out the contact
form below. We also have a study kit on Passover and on all the feasts available. Click Here for more information.
Shalom!
Rev. Cheryl Birch
commanded feasts of God together as “one new man” in Messiah Yeshua, Jesus Christ, our Lord.
What does it mean to be a Messianic Jew? That is easy to answer. When a Jewish person accepts Yeshua as Messiah (Jesus as
Savior) they become spiritually complete and are then fully part of the body of Christ. Because they have accepted Jesus as Messiah
they are called Messianic.
What is a Messianic minded Gentile? This is a person who is not Jewish, who has accepted Jesus as Savior, and has come to
understand He is Messiah and the importance of the Jewish root of their faith. They also have understanding that Jesus is Messiah to
both Jew and Gentile. That we are ONE NEW MAN in Christ Jesus. (Read Ephesians Chapter 2)
The idea of a One New Man is rather foreign to much of the western church so let me share a scriptural foundation and what God did in
my life as an example.
In 1991 the Lord called me as a Gentile Christian to keep the feast of Passover called Pesach (Pay-sock) in Hebrew. My trusted
spiritual advisor attended an event and learned that everyone Jew and Gentile are called to keep the feasts. This was a very new
concept for me and I decided to go to scripture to prove out that the Passover feast should be kept. I read the book of Exodus and
discovered the Lord commanded Passover.
And you shall take a bunch of hyssop, dip it in the blood that is in the basin and strike the lintel and the two door posts with the blood that
is in the basin. And none of you shall go out of the door of his house until morning. For the Lord will pass through to strike the Egyptians;
and he sees the blood on the lintel and the on the two door posts, the Lord will pass over the door and not allow the destroyer to com into
your house to strike you. And you shall observe this thing as an ordinance for you and yours sons forever. Exodus 12:22-28
The word “forever” popped off the page and peaked my curiosity. The Holy Spirit then took me on a wonderful journey through the Bible,
both Old and New Testament. When I was done I was convinced that keeping the Passover feast was indeed a command of God
forever for all of His people, both Jew and Gentile believers.
My Journey began with the Book of Leviticus in Chapter 23. This book records the commandment of the Lord that His people keep
specified days of worship and feasts to honor and remember what He has done for them. God established Shabbat (the Sabbath),
Pesach (Passover), Shavuot (Pentecost) Rosh Hashanah (The feast of Trumpets), Yom Kippur (The Day of Atonement) and Sukkot (The
Feast of Tabernacles). As you read Leviticus 23 you will see that after each commanded event is established the Lord says that it is to
be kept forever for all generations.
That convinced me that Jews indeed needed to keep the feasts even to this day. But, I wondered, did Jesus celebrate Passover?
Absolutely! He was without sin. Therefore, He was obedient to God, His Father, and kept all the feasts, including Pesach, as
commanded in Exodus and Leviticus. In fact, the last event Jesus participated in with His disciples was the Last Supper, which was a
Pesach Seder.
When I read that Jesus celebrated the Passover with His family as a child (Luke 2:41) and with His disciples during His ministry on
earth that was enough proof for me. Whatever He did, I wanted to find out more about.
With open heart, as I read the Bible, I found even more! In Romans 11:16-18 it says we, the Gentile believers in Yeshua, are wild
branches grafted into the Olive Tree. The Olive Tree is Israel. We became grafted in through the shed blood of Jesus. It also says that
Abraham is the father of both Jew and Gentile believers. Abraham is the father of nations. We are part of the seed of Abraham and as
adopted sons and daughters may partake of all the same blessings as the Jews. The feasts are a blessing to God’s children.
Lastly and most profoundly, the Holy Spirit illuminated to me 1 Corinthians 5:6-7. In this verse Paul is writing to Gentile believers in
Corinth.
Your glorying is not good. Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump? Therefore purge out the old leaven that you may
be a new lump since you truly are unleavened. For indeed the Christ, our Passover, was sacrificed for us. Therefore let us keep the feast,
not with old leaven, nor with leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth. I Corinthians 5:6-7
Upon reading that scripture all doubt vanished. Indeed, both Jew and Gentile believers are called by God to celebrate the feast of
Passover! I have celebrated every year since. I celebrate in freedom not bound by law.
After that study, I began to research the biblical truth about the other feasts as well. It became a passion to learn more about my Savior
by studying the feasts. To my delight, I found out that every feast was kept by Jesus and that He has fulfilled with His life or will fulfill them
all prophetically.
The celebration of a feast can be as simple as recognizing it is a feast time, such as Tabernacles. You can thank Him in prayer for the
time he dwelt with us, how he dwells within us and will dwell with us through all eternity. Or, you can build a Sukkah (booth) in your back
yard and decorate it, camping with family and Jesus under the stars. Don't be bound up in tradition! Have Fun! Celebrate the Freedom
you have because of your Savior.
If you have any specific questions about the feasts, or how to celebrate as a believer in Jesus as your Savior, please fill out the contact
form below. We also have a study kit on Passover and on all the feasts available. Click Here for more information.
Shalom!
Rev. Cheryl Birch
Free! Listen to Teaching on Feast of Tabernacles GO HERE |
