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If we know the biblical accounts, then we know this is a time when our spiritual ancestors would have been leading unleavened lives. For they had physically removed the yeast of leavened bread from their homes. But, the Christian world is divided when it comes to how to celebrate or remember the events that the bible recounts at this time of year. Most conventional Christians embrace the Good Friday – Easter Sunday tradition. If they think about it at all, they may consider Passover, and the idea of eating ‘unleavened bread,’ matzah, as quaint Jewish customs. But in favouring tradition over ‘sola scriptura’ believers are missing important lessons that we are told to remember. So how did our spiritual ancestors worship and what insight did this give them?
Nisan 15 – Holy Day Leading Unleavened Lives Paul knew, that like leaven, a little spiritual corruption could become pervasive. And in time that leaven of sin could destroy the whole congregation. Paul’s advice was to remove the leaven of malice and vice, by leading unleavened lives in sincerity and untainted truth. Consider this profound message during the Passover season.
Unleavened Bread — Our Spiritual Heritage Paul in writing to the Corinthians reminded them of their spiritual heritage. He had instructed them to ‘put out the leaven’ in accordance with the Lord God’s instructions in the book of Exodus. For even though Gentiles by birth, they had become part of God’s people by baptism. But there was a problem. They had removed the physical leaven from their homes. But, they were not leading unleavened lives. They were ‘leavened’ by tolerating sexual sin in their midst. And Paul knew, that like leaven, a little spiritual corruption could become pervasive. And in time that leaven of sin could destroy the whole congregation. Paul’s advice was to remove the leaven of malice and vice, and walk with God in sincerity and untainted truth. So, are we leading unleavened lives?
The actual chronology of the biblical accounts is evidence of Jesus having been in the tomb three days and three nights. He was in the tomb Wednesday late afternoon before sunset and left the tomb late Saturday (Sabbath)afternoon just before sunset. Paul was convinced that Jesus was the Messiah for he fulfilled the prophecies. But even more, Paul had a personal experience talking to the resurrected Jesus. Like Mary and all of the other disciples, Paul knew from personal experience that Jesus had risen from the dead! And, he had fulfilled the symbolism of the wave sheaf … so what did that mean?
Historically speaking, there was a time when Britains and Canadians would not have questioned their status as Christian nations. Yet, when David Cameron had the audacity to say that Britains should be, “more confident about our status as a Christian country.” there was a political uproar against this idea. Today atheists, and others among the elite of society are loudly denouncing any connection to Christianity. They are decrying the notion of a godly code of conduct as ‘abhorrent’ and twisting God’s light into darkness with their rhetoric. They hate those who exercise their right to free speech to express the hope of salvation and the promises of God that Paul preached. So let’s examine the apostle Paul’s defence before the Roman authorities, Felix and Festus, to help us understand what it means to be a Christian, or a Christian nation.
An excellent way to engage young and old in the biblical narratives, reader’s theatre provides an opportunity for everyone to participate in playing a role and gaining greater knowledge of the characters and events illuminated in the scriptures. Whether performed as a “play” or just enjoyed around the dining table, reader’s theatre could add to your celebration of God’s festivals and prompt further discussion of the biblical themes. Here are five scripts of varying lengths that can be downloaded and printed.
GOSHEN GAZETTE This Passover script provides a humorous, but biblically sound retelling of the story of the Exodus from Egypt from the eyes of first person accounts as read in the “Goshen Gazette” news. This could be acted out by a youth group in costume and presented to the congregation. Or it is easily broken into one page scripts that can be read by adults and children around the table for the evening meal at the beginning of the first Holy Day during the Passover season.(Night to Be Much Observed — Passover Seder)
Comments Off on Celebrating the New Covenant Passover?, Articles, by CGP.
Celebrating the New Covenant Passover? But does it matter when?
Based on the Hebrew scriptures, the gospels, and historical record we are confident in stating that during the time of Jesus’ death the Jews were correct in celebrating the Passover seder (Old Covenant Passover) at the end of the 14th of Nisan/ Abib in accordance with the instructions in the book of Exodus. Some Churches of God in the past century have called this time the, “Night to Be Much Observed.” Now the trickier part is in the gospel accounts, concerning the timing of the foot washing, bread and wine ceremonies that we will call the New Covenant Passover. This is due to the one divergent reading that seems to say that the disciples ate a “Passover” meal with Jesus at the beginning of the 14th. However, in the scholarly literature this was considered to be the “thorniest” question about ‘timing’ in all of the New Testament. There were according to the scholarly writers 4 main possible explanations. Here they are in a nutshell:
The beginning of the 14th was the “real” Jews’ Passover, and everyone else keeping the Passover (such as the Pharisees and Sadduccees) on the following day were in error (most unlikely)
The beginning of the 14th was not the Jew’s Passover but the disciples being from Galilee typically celebrated Passover at the beginning of the 14thlike the Samaritans rather than the mainstream of the Jewish community (very unlikely)
The beginning of the 14th was not the OT Passover, that would be held later. But Christ would be dead then, so he kept the Passover meal a day earlier in this one case. Therefore many, Messianic Jews, favour adding the bread and wine ceremony to the Passover seder meal on the 15th(possible)
This meal was the beginning of the whole 8-day season of Unleavened Bread (U.B.) which was also referred to as Pesach. Currently, the last day of U.B., the holy day, is called the 7thday of Pesach. The beginning of the 14th was the night in which the leaven was typically put out of the homes of all the Jews and was included in the general season of activities under a generic label for the season as Pesach/Passover. The meal Jesus ate on Abib 14 was not THE Passover seder meal, but a meal beginning the season. Paul and John seem to indicate we are to observe the symbols of the bread and wine, but not the meal, at the same time Jesus and his disciples originally did, thus making it a new observance with new symbols. (most likely)
Comments Off on Holy Time? — Interview with Dr. S. Bacchiocchi, Articles, Jeff Patton, by CGP.
What is old is new, Some questions do not change, and some answers remain the same. If you are concerned with keeping your life in tune with the biblical narrative, then it is time to thoughtfully reconsider this issue of holy time.
Does It Really Matter Which Days You Keep?
by Jeffrey H. Patton
In our worship of God the Father and Jesus Christ, should Christians keep traditionally popular, accepted days like Lent, Ash Wednesday, Good Friday, Easter, Whitsunday and Christmas? Or should we keep the days that the Bible talks about like Passover, Pentecost, and other strange sounding Old Testament festivals like the Feast of Trumpets, Day of Atonement, and Feast of Tabernacles?
Does it really matter which days we keep or choose NOT to keep? Why would anyone suggest that Christians should get their religious Holy Days out of the Old Testament? Hasn’t there been a total theological divorce between Old Testament and New Testament, law and grace, Judaism and Christianity? What is the Truth?
