As inspired by Paul: ‘In truth, Christ, our Passover, was sacrificed for us. So, let us celebrate not with the leaven of old, nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of honesty and truth.’ (1 Corinthians 5:7-8) Here, Paul guides the Corinthians to observe the feasts of unleavened bread and Passover as expressions of Christian practice, drawing a parallel with Leviticus 23:5-6.
Now, we have direct evidence from the New Testament that at least two of the annual festivals, Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread, are Christian celebrations. Before considering any other festivals, let’s understand the significance of these holy occasions for Christians today.
Meaning of God’s Holy Festivals:
All biblical festivals are closely tied to the agricultural seasons of the Holy Land. Jesus often referred to the work He was accomplishing through Him in comparison to the harvest. For instance, He said, ‘My food is to do the will of Him who sent me and to finish His work. Do you not say, “There are yet four months, then comes the harvest”? Look, I tell you, lift up your eyes, and see that the fields are white for harvest.’ (John 4:34-36).
Here, Jesus connects the concept of the harvest to bringing humanity into a relationship with the Father, which leads to eternal life. Another occasion is when He said, ‘The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore, pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.’ (Matthew 9:37).
God’s Annual Festivals and their Significance:
When God expelled Adam and Eve from the Garden of Eden, He began to reveal elements of His plan for salvation. As they succumbed to the influence of the serpent and engaged in sin, God declared, ‘I will put enmity between you [the serpent] and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.’ (Genesis 3:15).
Here, God unveiled that in the future, a very special descendant of Eve would ‘crush the head of the ancient serpent, who is called the devil and Satan’ (Revelation 12:9) – ending Satan’s control over humanity.
God started to unfold His salvation plan through Moses, setting up His annual festivals while choosing the ancient Israelites as His servants. Some of these festivals had immediate significance and application in the history of ancient Israel.
However, God established them with a long-term, primary purpose of depicting the relationship of all humanity with the mission of the Messiah. As mentioned earlier, Paul explained: ‘Christ, our Passover, was sacrificed for us. So, let us celebrate the feast…’ (1 Corinthians 5:7-8). The Feast of Passover, with its connection to the death of Jesus, and through that death, our redemption, has always been the primary intention.
Pentecost Festival:
Besides the days of Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread, Pentecost is also explicitly an Christian festival. According to Jewish tradition, during the time of the Pentecost festival, the Israelites received the Ten Commandments. At that time, God made a covenant with them, and they became the ‘assembly of God.’
Later, on the day of Pentecost, the Holy Spirit came with the gift of tongues, signifying the establishment of a new covenant with God’s people. Acts 1:4-5 states: ‘And while staying with them he ordered them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father, which, he said, “you heard from me; for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.”
When the day of Pentecost arrived, ‘suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting… And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit…’ (Acts 2:1-4).
Considering Paul’s assertion in Romans 8:9, ‘Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him,’ there is no doubt that this festival holds paramount significance for all Christians at all times. It is a Christian festival, and Paul saw it in this way (Acts 20:16; 1 Corinthians 16:8).
Other Biblical Festivals:
Listed in Leviticus 23, four other Bible festivals are around the time of the fall harvest season. All these festivals symbolize or foretell major events in Christ’s life or after His second coming.
For example, the Festival of Trumpets symbolizes the second coming of Jesus and other future events. Blowing the great trumpet refers to Jesus gathering His chosen ones (Matthew 24:31; compared with 1 Corinthians 15:52).
How Many More Christian Festivals Could There Be?
The focus here is primarily on what Jesus has done, is doing, and will do to ensure our salvation. When Christ returns, He will not only celebrate with His resurrected saints but will also demand that all nations join in celebrating the Feast of Tabernacles. (Zechariah 14:16).
So, should all Christians today accept the example set by Christ for them? Then, everyone can join Paul in proclaiming, as in Acts 18:21, ‘I must by all means keep this coming feast in Jerusalem’ (compared with Acts 20:16).”