Did Jesus observe any Jewish holidays?[1]
The easiest way to answer this question is simply to notice that Jesus was not a Christian, he was an Israelite through and through. We don’t have to try to prove he kept the annual Jewish feasts; we simply assume this. But we also have much evidence to support this assumption which we will look at down the track.
Matthew 24:30–31 (NRSV) — 30 Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see ‘the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven’ with power and great glory. 31 And he will send out his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.
You may not realise, but the text we have cited above from Matthew 24 is a veiled reference to the feast of Trumpets, which instrument was sounded loudly on this day in anticipation of the soon-to-follow Day of Atonement, which we can also see as the Day of Judgment. All four Gospels and the Book of Acts speak of the feasts in passing. Jesus and his disciples celebrated the prescribed Mosaic holidays, as all observant Jews did. But let's get to these feast days in the order they appeared in the year.
1) Jesus' observance of Passover & the Feast of Unleavened Bread
Jesus' observance of Passover was not a casual affair. These were not just annual rituals for him; they were deeply intertwined with his mission and the events that would unfold. He took Passover extremely seriously, as it foreshadowed the most important event of his mission. The Passover before his crucifixion was a moment when the gravity of his mission on earth became palpable to his disciples.
Luke 22:7–8, 14-15 – Then came the Day of Unleavened Bread when the Passover must be killed. And He sent Peter and John, saying, “Go and prepare the Passover for us, that we may eat.” (Luke 22:7-8)
14 When the hour came, he took his place at the table, and the apostles with him. 15 He said to them, “I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer;
Today we refer to this event as the Last Supper. Very rarely do we see this through the lens of the Passover, but that is what it was then, and that is the lens through which it should be seen today. It was the annual memorial of Passover. The context of all passages associated with it, in the Gospels and in Paul, is permeated by Passover. It didn’t magically metamorphose into a new Christian ritual of ‘The Last Supper,’ divorced from Passover. That is a Christian interpretation imposed on this event many hundreds of years after the event, and after a major divorce took place between Judaism and Christianity.
It's quite obvious that Jesus was celebrating it as a fulfilment of the OT history of Passover when Israel was delivered mightily by Yahweh from Egyptian bondage. And now Jesus was instilling it with the sense of a mighty deliverance from our bondage to sin and Satan.
This is the first feast of the Jewish calendar and the most important of the feasts in that it establishes the preeminence and greatness of the deliverance wrought for Israel by Yahweh, who is Jesus, and Passover now becomes the ritual for Jesus' deliverance of his faithful people from sin
The author of Hebrews, citing Jeremiah, compares the Old and New Covenants in this way,
Hebrews 8:8–13 (NRSV) — 8 “The days are surely coming, says the Lord, when I will establish a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah; 9 not like the covenant that I made with their ancestors, on the day when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt; for they did not continue in my covenant, and so I had no concern for them, says the Lord. 10 This is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord: ...12 I will be merciful toward their iniquities, and I will remember their sins no more.” 13 In speaking of “a new covenant,” he has made the first one obsolete. And what is obsolete and growing old will soon disappear.
Notice that this re-newed covenant is to be made with "the house of Israel," (vs. 8 & 10). The Passover as a memorial will not disappear because as Luke and the other gospels say,
Luke 22:19-20 (NIV) …he took [the Passover] bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me.” In the same way, after the supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you.”
Notice that Jesus is not instituting a new 'Lord's Supper' ritual for Christianity; he is re-invigorating Passover to apply to his death, which will also point to the supper he will celebrate with all the saved at his second coming. The inference is that Passover be celebrated as it always had been, once a year on the anniversary of the Egyptian Passover.
2. The Messiah Fulfilled the Feast of First Fruits.
The idea of first fruits is common in many cultures and religions, but only the God of Israel turned it from a sacrifice to a gift. First fruits are the first of the crops that God gives to us as a gift, for food and profit, and which we return to him as our sacrifice.
The Feast of First Fruits was observed on the first day after the Sabbath at Passover. However, do we as Christians connect this feast with what happened on the first day after Jesus last Passover Sabbath?
Matthew 28:1-2, 6 Now after the Sabbath, as the first day of the week began to dawn…there was a great earthquake; for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled back the stone…
[The angel answered the women] “He is not here; for He is risen.”
It would be an understatement to say that Jesus celebrated this particular First Fruits. Jesus gave this particular feast more meaning than any Israelite had ever dreamed possible. He was the Firstfruits of resurrection, as reiterated by the apostle Paul:
1 Corinthians 15:22-23 For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive. But each in turn: Christ, the firstfruits; then when He comes, those who belong to Him.
The Israelites, and we Christians, collect fruit and vegetable produce to display in our worship services each year, but what a paltry reflection of the ultimate fulfilment that Jesus wrought here! Not only was Jesus such a magnificent fulfilment, but Paul tells us that we will be part of that fulfilment “…when he comes.” What a wonderful time and event to look forward to. Instead of celebrating a Christian Easter, which is linked historically with Ishtar, the goddess of fertility, we should be celebrating Jesus resurrection as the fulfillment of the original First Fruits festival.
3. Jesus Pointed to Shavuot (Pentecost).
The Gospels do not directly mention Shavuot, also known as the Feast of Weeks or Pentecost. Nevertheless, we again assume that Jesus knew and observed this holiday just as his parents had and the priests taught.
Pentecost was originally a celebration of Yahweh’s manifestation of himself to the Israelites on Mount Sinai, when he opened to them the substance of his moral character, chiselling it into two stone tablets.
The Ten Commandments reflect the character of the lawgiver and contain universal moral, spiritual, political, and social principles. Scripture sees God's attributes in His law. Like God, "the law of the Lord is perfect" and "the testimony of the Lord is pure" (Ps. 19:7).
Apart from being a prescribed Jewish feast, we know from scripture that Jesus instilled this feast with greater significance after his death and resurrection, because he instructed his disciples to wait in Jerusalem for the promise of the Father (Acts 1:4). What was that promise? Jesus knew that the Father would pour the Holy Spirit out on His followers on the Feast of Pentecost:
Acts 2:1-4a When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit…
Here is the fulfilment that Joel had foretold to Israel in the distant past, that God would manifest himself personally to each believer.
Joel 2:28–31 (NRSV) — 28 Then afterward I will pour out my spirit on all flesh; your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, and your young men shall see visions. 29 Even on the male and female slaves, in those days, I will pour out my spirit. 30 I will show portents in the heavens and on the earth, blood and fire and columns of smoke. 31 The sun shall be turned to darkness, and the moon to blood, before the great and terrible day of the Lord comes.
You will notice that this passage is linked to ‘The Day of the Lord’ in Joel’s mind. The portents mentioned there were similar to those given at Sinai when Yahweh manifested himself there to his people. Both are portents of the Day of Judgment. These same signs accompanied Jesus' death on Calvary, marking it too as a day of judgement.
This promise of the Holy Spirit was also extended to the Gentiles in the future, whoever would join themselves with Israel. If we have faith in Jesus and invite him into our lives, we have the presence of the Holy Spirit. We don’t have to exhibit evidence like speaking in tongues, prophecy, or some very obvious gift. If we have Christ, we have the Holy Spirit’s guiding presence in our lives. And that is our seal from God that we will be saved in the end.
4. Jesus Foreshadowed the Feast of Trumpets.
The Old Testament foretold a great day of the Lord that will be announced by the blast of trumpets. Jesus spoke of that day, when He talked to His disciples on the Mount of Olives about the end of days, in the text which we cited at the beginning of our study:
Matt. 24:30-31 Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And He will send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.
Jesus said the Son of Man would come on the clouds and be heralded by a loud trumpet blast. Jesus' disciples were very familiar with the title Son of Man and were undeniably aware that Jesus had taken this title from Daniel chapter 7. In Daniel, this day is portrayed as the day when the Son of Man was to appear before the Ancient of Days.
Daniel 7:13–14 (NIV) — 13 “In my vision at night I looked, and there before me was one like a son of man, coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was led into his presence. 14 He was given authority, glory and sovereign power; all peoples, nations and men of every language worshiped him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will never be destroyed.
The kingdoms of earth had long since been usurped by Lucifer and his human henchmen, but finally all authority is returned to the Father and the Son of Man, and his kingdom is then shared with his chosen people forever. Paul also puts great emphasis on this same event in 1st Corinthians 15:52 and 1st Thessalonians 4:16, and John refers to it in Revelation 1:9.
What an awesome day. A great trumpet blast announces the coming of the Son of Man on the clouds to rectify all wrongs. And this is what the Feast of Trumpets had always heralded.
5. The Son of Man Fulfilled the Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur).
Before we get into the idea of fulfillment, we need to examine the word ‘atone,’ or ‘kapar’ in Hebrew. You may not be aware that the English word ‘atone’ or ‘atonement’ does not appear in the New Testament. Why does it not appear?
Of course, the Day of Atonement has existed since the days of Israel's wandering in the wilderness, and first-century Jews were well acquainted with this term and concept.
The problem occurs because the Old Testament was written in Hebrew and the New Testament in Greek, and these two languages do not always have compatible equivalents for every word.
In this case we may find it interesting to make a Hebrew translation of the Greek New Testament. Read these words of Jesus:
For the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many. (Mark 10:45)
Although the Greek word (Lutron, λύτρον) is translated into the English word ‘ransom,’[2] in Hebrew we find – you guessed it – ‘kapar’! In other words, we can also read this verse like this: “the Son of Man came to give His life as an atonement for many.” The shed blood of Jesus atoned for our sins and justified us once and for all. We can read ransom or atonement here, and atonement is arguably the best choice. When we turn to Hebrews 9, we find the same Greek word that can be translated atonement.[3]
Hebrews 9:11–12, 15 (NRSV) — 11 But when Christ came as a high priest of the good things that have come, then through the greater and perfect tent (not made with hands, that is, not of this creation), 12 he entered once for all into the Holy Place, not with the blood of goats and calves, but with his own blood, thus obtaining eternal redemption [atonement]. ...15 For this reason he is the mediator of a new covenant, so that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance, because a death has occurred that redeems [atones] them from the transgressions under the first covenant.
So ‘ransomed’ and ‘redeemed’ in these texts and elsewhere show that Jesus made atonement for us in an eternal sense and, in so doing, fulfilled the Day of Atonement symbolism on our behalf. So if we celebrate the annual Day of Atonement festival, as the Older Testament enjoins us to, we are celebrating Jesus' eternal atonement for us.
6. Jesus Observed the Feast of Tabernacles (Sukkot).
John 7:1–10 After some discussion with His disciples about the dangers of attending the Feast of Tabernacles, since the Jews were out to arrest him, and because he had stated that his time had not yet come, they all eventually went up to Jerusalem separately .
At this point in Jesus’ ministry, all Israel knew of him and his deeds. Some welcomed His teachings, and many disciples were die-hard converts, but some were sceptical, and others openly opposed him. Jesus knew that attending the Feast of Tabernacles (Sukkot) in Jerusalem would cause a stir. And, as he told his followers that day, his time had not yet come. This was presumably because Jesus knew his correct timing was at Passover.
Once He reached the Temple Mount, Jesus taught the people about the Kingdom of God. And on the last day of the feast, called Hoshana Raba (the Great Salvation), the words of Jesus resonated with all who gathered. It was the day of the Water Pouring Ceremony, when priests poured water over the altar, crying to God for salvation. John highlights these facts, tying them to the feast of Tabernacles.
John 7:37-38 On the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. He who believes in me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.”
The fact of the Water Pouring Ceremony certainly must explain Jesus's choice of words here. He was assuring his eager listeners that there was no shortage of living water with him.
But in relation to Tabernacles, we need also to turn to the book of Revelation where John says he heard a loud voice from the throne of God saying,
Revelation 21:3 (NRSV) — 3 “See, the [tabernacle] home[4] of God is among mortals. He will [tabernacle] dwell with them as their God; they will be his peoples, and God himself will be with them;
Of course, the original tabernacle was the tent in the wilderness, which this passage references. The Feast of Tabernacles also linked back to this and forward to the eternal dwelling with God on the earth made new.
7. Did Jesus Celebrate the holiday of Hanukkah?
Even though Hanukkah was not specifically ordained in the Torah, Jesus did not ignore it. Quite the opposite – he came specifically to Jerusalem, even though none of the Old Testament prophets instructed Israelites to do so.
John 10:22-23 Now it was the Feast of Dedication in Jerusalem, and it was winter. And Jesus walked in the temple, in Solomon’s porch.
We know Jesus was a huge fan of Daniel, having taken his main appellation from chapter seven and referring to Daniel 8 in his Olivet Sermon on the last days, so attending Hanukkah should not surprise us at all. This feast was to commemorate what the apostle John refers to as the Feast of Dedication (also ‘Festival of Lights’).
After the Temple was desecrated by the Greek leader Antiochus Epiphanes, who placed a pig’s head on the altar, which Jews referred to as the abomination of desolation, the Maccabees restored it in 165 BC and dedicated it once again to the one true God.[5]
In Daniel 8:13-14 we have the classic declaration after the desecration of the Sanctuary.
Daniel 8:13-14 (1890 Darby Bible) 13 And I heard one saint speaking, and another saint said unto that one who spoke, How long shall be the vision of the continual sacrifice and of the transgression that maketh desolate, to give both the sanctuary and the host to be trodden down under foot? 14 And he said unto me, Until two thousand and three hundred evenings and mornings: then shall the sanctuary be vindicated.
(Youngs Literal Trans 14 And he saith unto me, Till evening—morning two thousand and three hundred, then is the holy place declared right.)
These two translations come closest to the normal meaning of the final English word here because when you look up the Hebrew root here you find that tsadaq [צָדַק] means to be just or righteous, to have a just cause, be in the right, to be put or made right, be justified, make to appear righteous, to do or bring justice. It does not mean ‘cleanse’ as the KJV translates it. The idea in Daniel here is that after the antichrist figure attempts to desecrate the symbol of the kingdom of God, the Temple, and its truth and people, God will intervene and reinstate justice, righteousness and truth in his kingdom and to his people.
8. And of course, Jesus Kept the Sabbath, Because,
Mark 2:27–28 (NRSV) — 27 “The sabbath was made for mankind, and not mankind for the sabbath; 28 so the Son of Man is lord even of the sabbath.”
The message is simple: when God created Adam and Eve, he didn’t do so for the sake of the Seventh Day. That would be absurd. He created it for the man and the woman – to spend this day with him! Man and God kept the very first Sabbath by having fellowship with one another.
Should I Celebrate the Feasts with Jesus?
Jesus was aiming to bring the focus and attention back to the Father and the Kingdom of God. That was the essence of how He observed the feast days. If we clearly understand that Jesus did not abolish the Sabbath but deepened its meaning, and if, as is quite obvious, he did not abolish the commemorative feasts either, then we should continue to observe them as well. When considering the Biblical Feasts and whether you celebrate them, let Jesus’ example lead you. May every holiday bring you closer to the Father and the Messiah. Draw near to God and worship him because he is worthy.
[1] The inspiration and some material for this article came from: https://firmisrael.org/learn/what-holidays-did-jesus-celebrate-here-is-a-list/#:~:text=Jesus%20Observed%20Passover%20and%20the,2%3A40%2D43
[2] λύτρον [lutron /loo·tron/] n n. From 3089; TDNT 4:328; GK 3389; Two occurrences; AV translates as “ransom” twice. 1 the price for redeeming, ransom. 1a paid for slaves, captives. 1b for the ransom of life. 2 to liberate many from misery and the penalty of their sins.
[3] λύτρωσις [lutrosis /loo·tro·sis/] n f. From 3084; TDNT 4:351; TDNTA 543; GK 3391; Three occurrences; AV translates as “redemption” twice, and “redeem + 4160” once. 1 a ransoming, redemption. 2 deliverance, esp. from the penalty of sin.
[4] σκηνή [skene] 20 occurrences; AV translates as “tabernacle” 19 times, and “habitation” once. 1 tent, tabernacle, (made of green boughs, or skins or other materials). 2 of that well known movable temple of God after the pattern of which the temple at Jerusalem was built.
[5] Quote Maccabees here.
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