know anything about our own Jewish heritage or if we do not have a supernatural love for Israel and the Jewish people. Studying the Feasts helps bring that deeper level of understanding, revelation and love. Lev. 23 describes all the major Feasts. These Feasts are not only historical but are also prophetic in their meaning for us as believers in Christ. Some have been fulfilled but some have not yet been fulfilled. There were 3 major festival/religious seasons for the Hebrew people when the men were called to go up to the Temple in Jerusalem to worship. The first season was the Passover season which included the Feasts of Passover, Unleavened Bread and First Fruits. The Jewish people celebrated Passover for 1,500 years before Jesus came. God gave the Feasts originally to the Jewish people because they were a foreshadowing of the coming Messiah. In this way they would know the one the Prophets spoke of. When Jesus came some Jewish people believed that He was The Messiah others did not. The first church was Jewish. In those days the question was how can a Gentile be saved - now the question is how can a Jewish person be saved? Exodus 12 tells the story of the first Passover when the Israelites after hundreds of years of slavery in Egpyt were set free. It was the blood of the Passover lamb that saved the Israelites from the Angel of Death who struck down every firstborn in Egypt. As believers it the the blood of Yeshua that saves us from an eternal death and calls us out of Egypt which represents the world. In Exodus it says that on the 10th day of Nisan (March/April) every man shall take a lamb. This is the day that Jesus rode into Jerusalem (Palm Sunday). It says that the lamb must be without blemish. The authorities questioned Jesus but could not find any fault in Him. On the 14th day of Nisan is when the Israelites
had to kill the spotless lamb. This is the day that Jesus was crucified. Jesus fulfilled the Feast of Passover because He was the Passover lamb that took away the sins of the world. The Feast of Unleavened Bread begins for 7 days on the 15th day of Nisan. The Israelites escaping from Egypt had no time to let their bread rise using leaven (yeast) so they had to eat unleavened bread. This is called Matzah. Leaven represents sin. Unleavened bread will not spoil as regular bread can. Jesus who was without sin and whose body did not decay in the grave fulfilled the Feast of Unleavened Bread. The Feast of First Fruits is actually what we now call "Easter or Resurrection Day". It occurs on the 3rd day after Passover and is an offering of the first barley harvest that comes up in the early spring. The Priest waved the first offering of the harvest to God so that it would be acceptable to Him. In the same way Jesus fulfilled the Feast of First Fruits by being resurrected on that day and going before God, the Father ahead of us as our High Priest to offer the first offering of the harvest of the believers who would follow so that we would be acceptable to God. As a believer in Christ these Feasts represent the New Birth (Passover). Then dealing with sin in our lives by putting off the old nature (Unleavened Bread) and taking hold of the new nature so that we can live a victorious, resurrected life for God (Feast of First Fruits). This season let us give thanksgiving and praise to Jesus, our Passover Lamb! Min. Lita Theodos and her husband, Kerry have a Training and Resource Center (worship & Judaica items) in Belleville, NJ as well as a Worship Dance School in Rutherford, NJ. They are available for conferences, seminars, classes etc. and can be reached at (973) 661-5217 or by email at livingwatersmin@msn.com