Easter is my favorite Christian "high day". Why? Because if Jesus Christ had not risen from the dead, our entire faith would be groundless and worthless. It would be "in vain", as Paul says in 1 Corinthians 15:17. The figureheads of all other world "religions" either lie dead in the grave to this day or they will be there eventually. But, Jesus Christ was raised from the dead by the power of God the Father (Ephesians 1:20), and it is because of this that we mortals who trust in His finished work have the assurance of eternal life if we trust in Him (1 Cor. 6:14). Hallelujah!
On this beautiful Resurrection Morning though, I invite you to examine briefly with me (as most of us have a very busy Easter) the parallels between the Resurrection and the Jewish Feast of First Fruits. To review:
It is recorded in Leviticus 23 that God the Father gave Moses the information about the 7 Holy Feasts. Here are the Spring Feasts, in chronological order:1
Passover (Pesach) Nisan 14-15
Unleavened Bread (Chag Hamotzi) Nisan 15-22
First Fruits (Yom Habikkurim) Nisan 16-17
Pentecost (Shavuot) Sivan 6-7
And here they are, added to our old friend, the handy-dandy chart!
Thursday sundown to
Friday sundown
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Nisan 8
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Jesus arrives at M,M&L's house in Bethany earlier in the day.
"Mary" (most likely Mary of Bethany) anoints Jesus' feet with costly ointment.
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Friday sundown to
Saturday sundown
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Nisan 9
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Weekly Sabbath; no work or travel.
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Saturday sundown to
Sunday sundown
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Nisan 10
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Palm Sunday; Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem
Jesus presents Himself at Temple; Passover Lambs are Selected (Lamb Selection Day)
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Sunday sundown to
Monday sundown
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Nisan 11
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Day 2 of lamb with family
Jesus curses the fig tree
Jesus cleanses the Temple
Jesus heals and teaches in the Temple
Jesus and the 12 return to Bethany.
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Monday sundown to
Tuesday sundown
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Nisan 12
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Day 3 of lamb with family
Jesus teaches extensively in the Temple
Olivet Discourse (Mount of Olives) to disciples
Judas makes contact with Temple priests
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Tuesday sundown to
Wednesday sundown
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Nisan 13
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Wednesday sundown to
Thursday sundown
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Nisan 14
The Lord's Seder |
"Preparation Day"
After sunset, to begin the day, Jesus eats The Last Supper (Jesus' early Passover seder) with the disciples.
Garden of Gethsemane in the early hours; Jesus' high priestly prayer (John 17); Jesus's mock trial; sentencing Thursday morning.
Day of Jesus' crucifixion (begins mid- morning) and death (mid-late afternoon)
Day 5 of lamb with family; sacrificed in late afternoon. Lamb's blood applied to doorposts . God's Lamb's blood covers all our sins.
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Thursday sundown to
Friday sundown
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Nisan 15
Passover Feast of Unleavened Bread begins |
High Feast of Passover after sundown;
First day of Feast of Unleavened Bread;
Jesus' body is dead in the tomb; Disciples are scattered and terrified.
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Friday sundown to
Saturday sundown
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Nisan 16
Feast of First Fruits |
Jesus' body remains dead in the tomb.
During the day the wave offering is made (waving of the omer - - barley sheaf).
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Saturday sundown to
Sunday sundown
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Nisan 17
Feast of First Fruits |
In the wee hours Jesus is resurrected, as our First Fruits. Other dead in the area come out of their tombs. After dawn, the women and later the disciples witness the empty tomb. He is risen! He is risen indeed!
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Interestingly, though not coincidentally, Jesus referred to the Feast of First Fruits Himself, in John 12.
23Jesus replied, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. 24Very truly I tell you, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds. 25Anyone who loves their life will lose it, while anyone who hates their life in this world will keep it for eternal life. 26Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be. My Father will honor the one who serves me.
27“Now my soul is troubled, and what shall I say? ‘Father, save me from this hour’? No, it was for this very reason I came to this hour. 28Father, glorify your name!”
Then a voice came from heaven, “I have glorified it, and will glorify it again.” 29The crowd that was there and heard it said it had thundered; others said an angel had spoken to him.
The Feast of First Fruits commemorates (Leviticus 23:9-12) the beginning of the harvest, and signals the start of 49 days until the harvest festival of Shavuot (Pentecost) comes. The ceremonies surrounding First Fruits are:
- the waving of a sheaf of barley (wave offering) on Nisan 16 (Saturday/Sabbath that year); see Joshua 5:11
- a defect-free male lamb was offered, along with bread and wine, See Leviticus 23:13.
- the very symbols Jesus used to ask us to remember Him ("Last Supper" aka Jesus' Early Seder)
20 But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept.
21 For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead.
22 For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.
23 But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ's at his coming.
1 Cor. 15:20-23 (KJV)
Now, I want to quote very liberally from my source below: {emphasis mine, for clarity/translation}
"Yeshua {Jesus} is the first-begotten of the Father (Heb. 1:6); the firstborn of all creation (Col. 1:15-16); the first-begotten of the dead (Rev. 1:5); and is the First Fruits of those who are to be resurrected (1 Cor. 15:20-23). Baruch HaShem! {Blessed be G-d!} And just as He is our Firstfruits, so 'He chose to give us birth through the word of truth, that we might be a kind of first fruits of all He created' (James 1:18)."
How amazing that immediately after Jesus' resurrection, we find recorded only in Matthew's gospel that, in the aftermath of the crucifixion earthquake and Easter morning earthquake the graves were opened and that some of the dead were likewise resurrected, as the incredible resurrection power of God spilled over that area! (Matt. 27:52-53)
In closing, 1 Peter 1:3-5 (NET) - -
{This from the man who had not only denied His Lord 3 times, but who had 3 days later held the empty grave clothes in his hands...}
3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! By his great mercy he gave us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 that is, into an inheritance imperishable, undefiled, and unfading. It is reserved in heaven for you, 5 who by God’s power are protected through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.
Alleluia!
https://youtu.be/eeZVLgbKTxo
Source:
1 http://www.hebrew4christians.com/Holidays/Introduction/introduction.html
Love this!! Tov!! Amen, come quickly Y'shua! Baruch Hashem!
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