The Three Main Jewish Feasts and their Christian

The Three Main Jewish Feasts and their Christian equivalents

Three Main Jewish Feasts • Pesach (Passover) – Celebrating freedom from Egypt, the Exodus • Shavuot (Pentecost) – Celebrating God giving the 10 Commandments to Moses and the first harvest • Sukkot (Festival of Shelters/Booths) – Celebrating God’s care for his people in the desert • Holy Thursday – Jesus celebrated Passover & gave Himself as the Lamb of God • Pentecost – Holy Spirit came upon the apostles – the birth of the church • Some bible scholars believe Jesus was probably born at this time of the year. Others say He may come again at Sukkot

Pesach • Known in English as Passover • Remembers when the Angel of Death ‘passed over’ the houses of the Israelites in Egypt on the night that all the first-born Egyptians died • Eat the passover lamb • Blood of the lamb on their door posts • 8 days eating unleavened (flat) bread • Seder meal including bitter herbs and haroseth (a mixture of apple and walnuts)

Seder Meal

Lamb of God • For Christians Jesus is their passover lamb • John the Baptist called Jesus the Lamb of God • Jesus died so that death would ‘pass over’ Christians • Jesus died on the cross and rose again during the 8 day Passover festival.

Shavuot • Known as Pentecost in English • It has many different names including: – ‘Festival of Giving of the 10 Commandments/Law’ – ‘Festival of the First Fruits’ – ‘Harvest Festival’ • Celebrated by decorating synagogues and homes with flowers and fruit • Eat Dairy foods (Land of Milk & Honey) • Adults study the law all night

Shavuot Celebrations

Pentecost – Come Holy Spirit • Means 50 Days • Pentecost is celebrated 7 weeks after Easter Sunday • Apostles were gathered in the Upper Room in Jerusalem • They heard rushing wind and saw flames of fire landing on them • They went outside and preached to all who were in Jerusalem for Pesach • 3000 people joined the church that first day

Sukkot – Festival of Shelters • Joyful 7 day feast held in September/October – The Jewish calendar is different to ours • Celebrates God’s protection and provision for the 40 years the Israelites spent in the desert – The miracle of the pillar of cloud and fire. – The parting of the Red Sea and God's victory over the Egyptian army. – The sweetening of the bitter water at Marah. – The miracle of the quails and manna from heaven. – The miracle of the life-giving water from the rock. – The defeat of the Amalekites at Rephidim. • Families eat and sometimes live in a shelter/tent for 7 nights • Autumn festival harvests are waved at God in thanks

Celebrating Sukkot

Other Jewish Feasts & Festivals • • Rosh Hashanah – New Year Yom Kippur – Day of Atonement Hanukkah – Festival of Lights Purim – Festival of Lots (Esther) ____________ All images used ‘labelled for non-commercial use with modification’ on Google Images