Firstfruits in the Bible holds significant spiritual and symbolic meaning for Followers of Yeshua – Jesus. The concept of firstfruits refers to the practice of dedicating the first and best portion of one’s harvest or income to God as an act of worship and gratitude. It is a way of acknowledging that all blessings come from God and expressing trust and reliance on His provision.
We see Passover’s “core purpose” in Exodus 13:8, “You are to tell your son on that day saying, ‘It is because of what Adonai did for me when I came out of Egypt.'” In a previous “Holiday Mirrors” article, we briefly discussed how communal storytelling finds its zenith in Passover. We can say the same regarding the traditional liturgies of Easter (and the lead-up to it).
Jesus in the Passover: The Apostles recognized that the Messiah was so intimately connected to Passover that they even referred to Him as “our Passover Lamb” (1 Corinthians 5:7; 1 Peter 1:19), but this raises many questions. Why are the Messiah and Passover so interconnected? What does it mean for Yeshua Jesus to be our Passover Lamb? Join me and let’s journey deeper to explore the answers.
Nisan – Season of Redemption, But what does it mean? Redemption is God reaching down to us in our lowest of places and lifting us out of them miraculously. We carry redemption with us in the form of the indwelling Messiah and, by extension, His Father. Thus, by graciously receiving Yeshua’s redemption, we carry it with us through all our circumstances.
Passover is every believer’s heritage. Whether you’re celebrating Passover for the first time this year or are a seasoned veteran, take hold of the freedom this holiday offers in Messiah. Reclaim your spiritual heritage by participating in Passover this year, and ask yourself, “What will I do with my freedom?”
For most of the last 2,000 years, the Church has not focused much on the biblical Jewish holidays. This historical fact can leave many Gentile followers of Yeshua, wondering, “Why should I celebrate the Jewish holidays?” This question is excellent, and I think it presents an opportunity to grow and learn.
This is one of the songs we sing each year at the Passover Seder, entitled “Ha Lachma Anya.” It speaks of the bread of affliction that the Israelites ate in the land of Egypt. It goes on with an invitation saying “Let all who are hungry come and eat. Let all who are in need […]
The Hebrew month of Sivan is the month in which the Lord descended on Mt. Sinai and spoke the 10 Commandments to Israel on Shavuot/Pentecost. Historically as well as spiritually, Sivan is a month of revelation — millions of Israelites encountered God simultaneously in the days of Moses (Exodus 19:20)! This revelation on Mt. Sinai […]
Passover is incomplete without Pentecost, Shavuot in Hebrew. It is for this reason that we count down 49 days from Passover to Pentecost. This means that redemption (Passover) is not complete with out the revelation of God’s Word which happened at Sinai on Pentecost with the giving of the 10 Commandments. The reason being is that redemption without revelation leads to regression into slavery because without the truth you cannot truly be set free spiritually. Passover and Pentecost together lead to both salvation and transformation through Word and Spirit!