8 Reasons Christian Holidays Should Not Be Observed

Posted on 2017/11/02 by Guestspeaker

Those who tried to reform the church in the 16th and 17th century did an effort to go back to the biblical Truth and to the early followers of Jesus.

For centuries there had always been true followers of Christ, who did not believe in a triune god and did not want to partake in the heathen festivals of their region.

The pastors who came from the Roman Catholic church, like Luther and Calvin, did an effort to bring the focus back onto the Word of God, but never managed to go so far with their Reformation that their followers would come to agree to only keep to the days given by God. Today we can only notice that lots of their hopes and teachings are gone away, and that we can see again protestant churches with statues or graven images and traditional rites and festivals.

*

To remember

The writers who try to promote Presbyterian perspectives, as summarized in the Westminster Standards bring a summary of Reasons Against Holy Days, one of the five points of dispute written by David Calderwood and the General Assembly of the Kirk of Scotland in 1618 when King James forced the Kirk to adopt the Five Articles of Perth.

1. “Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work” (Ex. 20:9).

six days of work = a command or as permission

some feel they have a moral right to have the day off from their employer + wrongly think the employer would be infringing on their Christian liberty if forced to work on one of these holidays

2. Only God can make a day holy

Man made holy days + ceremonies = > Assigning spiritual significance to something Scripture doesn’t = epitome of will worship (Col. 2:23), i.e. idolatry.

Human beings have no authority to sanctify a day,

we must worship God how He has told us He wants to be worshiped

Unbiblical ceremonies = lighting of candles, waving of palm branches, + certain decorations with intended religious significance = violate Regulative Principle of Worship + subvert headship of Christ over His Church.

Occasional days of public fasting or thanksgiving

lawful + necessary, upon special emergent occasions, to separate a day or days for public fasting or thanksgiving

3. No one but God has ever appointed a holy day

Purim

= days of civil mirth + gladness > not a religious holiday, rather = civil celebration

The Feast of Dedication (Hanukkah)

commemoration of rededication of the second Temple in Jerusalem during the Maccabean Revolt in the inter-Testamental period

> unduly instituted + ungroundedly

Pharisees added many festivals without divine warrant > feasts of the Tekuphas (equinoxes) and the Feast of Xylophoria, <= Feast of Dedication = Pharisaical tradition.

Jesus’ presence in Jerusalem during the Feast of Dedication

4. Annual holy days were part of the Ceremonial Law and abrogated with it

observation of days served to the people of God for a typical use and a rudiment of religion.

To substitute other days in place of the Jewish, a Christian Pascha [Easter] and Pentecost for the Jewish, is but to substitute rudiments + elements to the Jewish, and not to chase away, but to change the Jewish holy days…

Jews had no anniversary days

observation of anniversary days = pedagogical, rudimentary + elementary, + consequently ceremonial

5. Jesus Christ has not instituted any other holy day but the Lord’s Day

no Christian holy days other than the Lord’s Day, the Christian Sabbath

Holy days in the Early Church

conflicting accounts in the Early Church about where Pascha, or Easter, comes from.

Some reported that Philip + John kept the 14th day of the month (ed. = 14 Nisan), and others that Peter kept the first Lord’s Day after the 14th day of the month, which turned into a long lasting controversy.

6. Specific dates

If God wanted religious festivities for events of Christ’s life = would have recorded exact days of the year that those events took place

7. Even things indifferent, when they are abused and polluted with superstition, ought to be abolished.

Things indifferent, when abused + polluted with superstition, ought to be abolished

8. That which has lawfully been abolished cannot be received and put in practice again

After the attainments of the Protestant Reformation, wherein the Reformed Church cast off the superstitious, idolatrous, and arbitrary rituals and holidays of the Papal Antichrist, how can we justify slipping back into a lukewarm position?

+

Preceding

Followers, protestors and reformers

Trying to Get Rid of Holy Days for a Long Time

+++

Further reading

Holy Day

Holidays=Holy Days

High Holy Days 1

High Holy Days 2

The High Holy Days

The Holy Day Sermons I Won’t Deliver

Just a holy day – not a holiday

What is a holy day of obligation? When are they?

Why Are There Holy Days of Obligation?

It’s hard to say goodbye to the High Holy Days

Nehemiah Told Us What to Do on A Holy Day.

Forget Samhain: Halloween as a Pagan Holy Day

At the Graveyard on the Feast of All Saints

All Saints Day

All Saints & Holy Days of Obligation

Epiphany and Ascension reinstated to former dates

The Feast of the Assumption – Holy Day of Obligation

Thinking of Christmas

The Distraction of Christmas?

Christmas is Coming

Shhhh…. Christmas is coming (in 76 days)

12 Ways to Maintain the Christmas Spirit AFTER Christmas (8)

The most unpopular controversy – Should Christians celebrate Christmas?

A 7-Law-Keeping Gentile Still Doesn’t Keep The Holy Days

Rosh Hashanah – Names of this Holy Day

What if Today Was truly HOLY Day…. What Would It Look Like?

Purely Presbyterian

8 reasons christian holidays should not be observed Reformed churches have historically been opposed to observing man made holy days such as Christmas and Easter. Even the Reformed churches on the continent, which left some holy day observance to Christian liberty in some of their confessions, did so because of either compromise with the stubborn people for the sake of further Reformation, or because the civil magistrates forced them to (c.f. John Calvin and Holy Days). Gisbertus Voetius, a delegate to the Synod of Dordt, relates that the Dutch Church had been trying to get rid of holy days for a long time, but the allowance of holy days by the synod was “imposed from the outside, burdensome to the churches, in and of itself in an absolute sense unwelcome; to which Synods were summoned, compelled, and coerced to receive, bring in, and admit, as in the manner of a transaction, in order to prevent…

View original post 4,692 more words

Yom Hey, Eve of Passover and liberation of many people

Posted on 2016/04/21 by Marcus Ampe

Today it is Yom Hey, the day before the most important day and period of the year. On the 13th of Nisan we may have the search for the leaven and tomorrow we come to remember the night that Jesus came together with his apostles to remember the Pesach or Passover.

2016 April 22 brings us the remembrance of the Fast of the First born (Hebrew: תענית בכורות, Ta’anit B’khorot or תענית בכורים, Ta’anit B’khorim) and the First Ceder Night.

14th of Nisan, 5776 = Erev Pesach

Pesach (Passover) begins at sunset on Friday April 22, 2016
and continues through nightfall on Saturday April 30, 2016 .

These days we are looking forward to the most important offering in history. In Scriptures we do have Positive and Negative Mitzvahs. for the 14th of Nisan we remember the negative mitzvah or command 92:

We are forbidden to slaughter blemished animals as sacrifices
Leviticus 22:22 “You shall not offer these to the L-rd”

We are not allowed to slaughter animals that have blemishes for use as sacrifices (see also, Positive Mitzvah 61).

20 centuries ago a unblemished sacrifice was made by the lamb of God, the Nazarene Jew Jeshua who gave himself for the world.

Passover Seder table with an Esperanto Haggadah of Pesach Esperanto: Seder-tablo dum Pesaĥo kun Hagada en Esperanto (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

He had asked his disciples to prepare all Seder items and food for the holiday meals before the onset of the holiday and Sabbath. He asked them also to hire and prepare a place where they could come together for the remembrance of the miracle which spared the firstborn Jewish sons from the plague which struck down the firstborn sons of the Egyptians. By right, this fast should be held on the anniversary of the day on which the miracle occurred: on the night of the fifteenth of Nissan. However, since the fifteenth is already Passover, and we do not fast on Festival days the fast is pushed back to the fourteenth when at dawn on Friday 22 April 2016 by the Jews only firstborns are required to fast.

Jeshua has become the first born of the new generation or of the new world. By him self giving himself as a lamb on the slaughter for God as payment for the sins of the world. The sacrifice offer had to be pure and that is what Jesus was. He always had loved the God of Abraham and always kept to This God’s Commandments. Even in the most difficult period of his life, he only wanted to do God’s Will and not his own will. (Naturally if Jesus would be God he always would have done his own will, but the Bible tells us that Jesus is the son of God, who did follow up God’s and not his own will.)

Luke 22:39-44 (TS98)
39 And coming out, He went to the Mount of Olives, according to usage, and His taught ones also followed Him. 40 And coming to the place, He said to them, “Pray that you do not enter into trial.” 41 And He withdrew from them about a stone’s throw, and falling on His knees He was praying, 42 saying, “Father, if it be Your counsel, remove this cup from Me. Yet not My desire, but let Yours be done.” 43 And there appeared a messenger from heaven to Him, strengthening Him. 44 And being in agony, He was praying more earnestly. And His sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground.

Before he started preaching his cousin had warned people already to look at this special man

John 1:29 (TS98)
On the next day Yoḥanan saw יהושע {Jehsua} coming toward him, and said, “See, the Lamb of Elohim who takes away the sin of the world!

It was this rabbi who was sent by god who was also prepared by God and already foretold before Abraham was born.

Zephaniah 1:7 (TS98)
Hush! in the presence of the Master יהוה {Jehovah}. For the day of יהוה is near, for יהוה has prepared a slaughter, He has set apart His invited ones.

Christians like Jews should commemorate God‘s kindness towards the Israelite firstborn; when Jehovah slew all the Egyptian firstborn males but spared their Jewish counterparts.

In a way the heathen or gentiles could be compared to the Egyptians, but know the blood was from a man, Jeshua, and salvation comes over all those who want to believe in that ransom offer, the Kristos or Christ Jesus.

Many abide by the custom that the father of a firstborn male who is under the age of Bar Mitzvah fasts in lieu of his son.

Whilst it is customary for all synagogues to organize a Siyum (Hebrew: סיום‎) or “completion” of any unit of Torah study, or book of the Mishnah or Talmud in Judaism, usually followed by a celebratory meal, or seudat mitzvah, a meal in honor of a mitzvah, or commandment, Christians should also come together in the manner Jesus did. They should take time to listen to the completion of a tractate of Talmud, and come to break bread with each other in remembrance of rabbi Jeshua taking the bread and saying those words we should write in our heart.

Luke 22:7-18 (TS98)
7 And the Day of Unleavened Bread came when the Passover had to be slaughtered. 8 And He sent Kĕpha and Yoḥanan, saying, “Go and prepare the Passover for us to eat.” 9 And they said to Him, “Where do You wish us to prepare?” 10 And He said to them, “See, as you enter into the city, a man shall meet you carrying a jar of water. Follow him into the house he enters. 11 “And you shall say to the master of the house, ‘The Teacher says to you, “Where is the guest room where I might eat the Passover with My taught ones?” ’ 12 “And he shall show you a large, furnished upper room. Prepare it there.” 13 And going they found it as He had said to them, and they prepared the Passover. 14 And when the hour had come, He sat down, and the twelve emissaries with Him. 15 And He said to them, “With desire I have desired to eat this Passover with you before My suffering, 16 for I say to you, I shall certainly not eat of it again until it is filled in the reign of Elohim.” 17 And taking the cup, giving thanks, He said, “Take this and divide it among yourselves, 18 for I say to you, I shall certainly not drink of the fruit of the vine until the reign of Elohim comes.”

Today we still wait for that Reign of God to come, but we can see already much more light, because we can see lots of signs which are declared signs of the coming Last Days.

We invite you to be with us in prayer these days and to remember the liberation of the People of Israel and the liberation of the people given liberation by Jesus Christ his offering.

Preceding articles in English:

Holidays, holy days and traditions

Seven Bible Feasts of JHWH

White Privilege Conference (WPC) wanting to keep the press out for obvious reasons

First month of the year and predictions

Entrance of a king to question our position #2 Who do we want to see and to be

Shabbat Pesach service reading 1/2

Who Would You Rather Listen To?

Focus on outward appearances

Preceding articles in Dutch:

De zeven Feesten van God

Azteekse en Romeinse tradities die ons nog steeds beïnvloeden

Additional reading

+++

De zeven Feesten van God

Posted on 2016/04/21 by Guestspeaker

De zeven Feesten van God zijn de belangrijkste feesten van de hele
Bijbel (Va’Yikra 23, Leviticus 23).

In de Bijbel lezen we niet over kerst, sinterklaas, halloween en zelfs niet over pasen.

English: Shabbat Candles Deutsch: Schabbatkerzen (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

We lezen wel over het Pascha (niet te verwarren met het christelijke pasen), het Feest van Ongezuurde Broden, Sjawoeot (Pinksteren, de 50ste dag), Bazuinendag, Jom Kippoer (Grote Verzoendag), Sukkot (Loofhuttenfeest) en de Achtste Dag (het Millennium).

Velen geloven dat de geboden en voorschriften en leringen der mensen (Kol. 2:20-23) op de Tora betrekking hebben. Dat is een klassieke fout van christenen die menen dat de Wet is afgeschaft/verouderd/geannuleerd

Het eerste feest is de 14de nisan. Lukas noemt het het feest der Ongezuurde Broden, dat Pascha genoemd wordt (Lukas 22:15). Dit feest is niet slechts een feest der herinnering of gedachtenis, maar heeft ook een vooruitwijzende betekenis (Lukas 22:16, 29-30) en heeft betrekking op het Koninkrijk. Het Feest van Pascha is dus niet verouderd. Het is Gods Feest!!!

Dit geldt voor alle zeven Feesten van JHWH.

De spil van Gods Feesten is de Shabbat.

Het christendom loochent Gods Woord (Psalm 119:66,115).

Kom tot inzicht en bekering.

– Martin Rozestraten

White Privilege Conference (WPC) wanting to keep the press out for obvious reasons

Posted on 2016/04/20 by Marcus Ampe

WPC organizers reacted very poorly to the discovery that this year’s conference was being reported on from inside. This is unsurprising, since WPC has attempted to totally ban reporters from covering its proceedings and has actively kept them out in the past.

It must not surprise you why it was kept secretly for the press the previous years. When you look at the debates it is clear we should seriously pose several questions by the speakers invited and by the set up of that conference.

Today there is a renewed attack (in the Western world) on anything to do with believing there is a God, a Creator of any kind!

There are even people who hold conferences to make it clear to others that almost every dysfunction in society, from racism and sexism to global warming and a weak economy, is united by the ideology of ‘Christian hegemony.’ That is at least what a lecturer at the 2016 White Privilege Conference (WPC) claimed.

Believers are again open to ridicule. Academics, who are confident they have the answer (or at least acceptable opinions) to everything about how the world began, compete among themselves for the “glory” they can receive from each other and from the public with their notions. Some also want others to believe that all more active believers would be creationists and do not seem to get the difference of believing that there has been a Most High Supreme being ordering everything and being responsible for the creation.

Contingency, Hegemony, Universality (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Certain people, like Paul Kivel, think Christians “colonize our mind.”
Paul Kivel, is a social justice educator, activist, and writer, who to our mind looks not so social at all but is perhaps an atheist socialist against religion and willing to attack it. Though he claims to be an innovative leader in violence prevention for 35 years, it either looks like he has changed gear or has always loved to set up non-believers against believing people .

He defines Christian hegemony as the

everyday, pervasive, and systematic set of Christian values and beliefs, individuals and institutions that dominate all aspects of our society through the social, political, economic, and cultural power they wield. Nothing is unaffected by Christian hegemony (whether we are Christian or not) including our personal beliefs and values, our relationships to other people and to the natural environment, and our economic, political, education, health care, criminal/legal, housing, and other social systems. {Christian hegemony}

For him

All people who are not Christian, as well as most people who are, experience social, political, and economic exploitation, violence, cultural appropriation, marginalization, alienation and constant vulnerability from the dominance of Christian power and values in our society. {Christian hegemony}

It looks like Christendom and/or Christianity (though he constantly refers to Christianity) is/are the badness of this world.

The internalization of dominant western Christian beliefs and values by individuals in our society seems to bring all badness into the world and being the cause of the present problems we have with fundamental Muslims. but it seems also to be in participial white Christian men who are dominating this world and causing inequality and injustice.

He writes

Another level of Christian dominance is within the power elite, the network of 7-10,000 predominantly white Christian men who control the largest and most powerful social, political, economic, and cultural institutions in the country. And finally there is the level which provides the foundation for all the others – the long and deep legacy of Christian ideas, values, practices, policies, icons, and texts that have been produced within dominant western Christianity over the centuries. That legacy continues to shape our language, culture, beliefs, and values and to frame public and foreign policy decisions. {Christian hegemony}

He even wants us tot believe, that we believers are blind. It is true that we cannot go without all those companies and organisations which have their say in our communities and that economical as well as political parties want to have everything in their hands. But we think it over the top, him saying

Christian dominance has become so invisible that its manifestations appear to be secular, i.e. not religious. In this context, the phrase “secular Christian dominance” might be most appropriate, Christian hegemony under the guise of secularism. Of course, there are many forms of Christian fundamentalism which are anything but secular. Often fundamentalists want to create some kind of theocratic state. But the more mainstream, everyday way that dominant Christian values and institutions influence our lives and communities is less evident, although no less significant and certainly not limited to fundamentalists. {Christian hegemony}

According to him Christian leaders have established an annual holiday cycle that extols US militarism/ triumphalism, the nuclear family, consumerism and whiteness. Perhaps he is so much focussed on the U.S.A. that he does not see the holidays of other countries and mistakenly takes many heathen holidays as Christian holidays, though it mostly are also the heathen people who celebrate those and try to lure Christians to celebrate with them.

The holiday cycle which he presents on his website present many secular holidays which he presents as so called holidays of Christianity though Christianity argues a lot against the celebration of those feasts. But we do agree in Christendom we see many people with the name Christian celebrating those heathen festivals as so called Christian holidays.

Painting of Christopher Columbus. The painting Virgen de los Navegantes (in the Sala de los Almirantes, Royal Alcazar, Seville). A painting by Alejo Fernández between 1505 and 1536. It is the only state sponsored portrait of the First Admiral of the Indias called Don Cristoval Colon known today as Christopher Columbus in English. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

For him those holidays downplays the violence in our history, holding up a few white Christian men, such as Christopher Columbus and his American presidents,

for uncritical praise and emphasizes faith, family and country.

he writes and continues:

For many in the US, this cycle has come to seem traditional, even though it is constantly recreated and most of the holidays originated within the last 150 years. For some, these holidays have come to feel familiar, unifying and just plain American even though for millions of others they can be painful and alienating. Most of our national holidays are seen as secular, even though their underpinnings are deeply Christian. Even Christmas and Easter are viewed as secular by many. (I have been told that the phrase Merry Christmas in bold letters on the public buses in my
city is not religious but merely a general holiday greeting.)

It looks like he does not know that Jesus was not at all born on the 25th of December and that all the traditions people flirt with have nothing to do at all with the birth of Christ nor with God, and are an abomination in the eyes of God, of which a real Christian should abstain.

That New Year’s day for Muslims, Jews, Hindus, Chinese, Vietnamese, Mayans and many Native peoples happens at other times of the annual cycle, has nothing to do with Christianity not with Christendom but with choosing an other calendar system.

The fact that western countries imposed this calendar worldwide, even though those in the West are a minority in the world, is never acknowledged.

he writes, but we do think that is a matter of choosing a time indication where the West has chosen to keep to that Gregorian calendar, even after some countries tried the Napoleonic calendar for some time, but whatever calendar they would choose always there would be people able to complain about the system chosen.

We do not see any reason at all why not to say “Happy Chinese New Year” or “Happy Jewish New Year”, like we do in the West of Europe? He should know that these other calendars are also culturally specific and that everybody is free to follow one or the other and that nobody would mind you saying “Happy New Year” when it is a new year for that person.
For us this article is written on the 12th of Nisan, 5776 but in the West most people would not know about which day we are talking therefore we also use the common general practised calendar indicating that it is today April the 20th of the year 2016 of the common Era (CE). For us on 22 April (Taanit Bechorot) Friday night we are looking at the 14th of Nisan, 5776 going to celebrate the Passover, the “Feast of Unleavened Bread” Erev Pesach and on the 23rd the 15th of Nisan, 5776 we look at the holiday yomtov, being part of the “Passover, the Feast of Unleavened Bread”or “Pesach I”, having on Sunday the 1st day of the Omer (or Pesach II) the period between Passover and Shavuʿot, the 16th of Nisan of the year 5776. {The holiday of Pesach, or Passover, is an annual week long festival commemorating the Exodus of the Jews from Egypt and slavery. Before the main festival begins for the Jews, the Christians remember the night that Jesus came together with his apostles for the Last Supper and announcement of the installation of the New Covenant. for us this 14 th of Nisan is the most important day of the year and precedes the Pesach festival which begins on the 15th day of the Hebrew calendar month of Nisan — which derives its name from the passing over of the homes of the Israelite slaves during the tenth plague. It is that liberation and the liberation by Christ that we should remember for ever.} Next year the Passover shall be on Monday, April 10 and in 2018 on Friday, March 30.
But this is all about arrangements and agreements and depending on which calendar you want to base your daily activities.

For economical and practical reasons an agreement has to be made to use what calendar and what to consider the first day of the week: Thursday (certain Hindus), Friday (like Muslims), Friday night – Saturday night or Sabbath (like the Jews), or the week beginning on Sunday or Monday, as such beginning the day at 00.00 hours or when the sun gets down. Here you may find calendars beginning the week with Sunday and others ending with the weekend (which I personally find more practical).
It is true that

holidays can be destructive when they celebrate war or colonialism, are promoted aggressively or when corporations use them to promote values hostile to our environment and us. {The Christian Holiday Cycle}

For sure we need to think seriously about what we celebrate and why, who is included or excluded in the celebration and what values are implicitly or explicitly communicated. But we never should condemn certain groups of people if they want to celebrate certain days, though it is our duty to point out to Christians what they are celebrating and which festivals are alright to take part in and which not.

For Kivel the choice of calendar use and the days celebrated shows the dominance of a certain group and the normalization of such a group.

It is said that WPC takes tremendous pains to protect everybody’s feelings, but this year many toes were stepped on. To ensure a gender non-conforming person isn’t labeled with a wayward “he,” attendees are asked to always introduce themselves with their name and their pronoun set. Presenters routinely ask for anybody to pipe up if they’re triggered by a presentation, and will apologize if such a complaint arises. Almost half the conference revolves around microaggressions and how to avoid them or defuse them.

A major part of WPC are the daily caucuses, where attendees segregate themselves by race and talk through their feelings on white privilege. They were assembled collectively beforehand and assigned to a specific smaller room ‘because of the large number of white people in attendance’. Organizers warned they could start physically exerting their white privilege by walking too aggressively and not paying heed to their surroundings. If attendees weren’t careful, they said, they risked getting in the way of non-white attendees who would have no choice but to shy away and debase themselves before these barreling vectors of overwhelming privilege.

Disaffected participants in the 2016 White Privilege Conference (WPC) have taken to Twitter to complain that the conference was, ironically, too white and was actually filled to the brim with white supremacy. Adopting the hashtag #WPCSoWhite, inspired by the recent #OscarsSoWhite campaign, Twitter users claimed the conference that was supposed to battle white privilege instead served to entrench it. The tag appears to have been started and pushed with particular vigour by Aeriel Ashlee, an education consultant who attended WPC and objected to several parts of a keynote address delivered by (white) historian James Loewen. Some of his comments where even described as “deeply offensive and traumatizing.”

I’m not ok with using oppressive & racist language by a white man in the “service” of learning @JamesWLoewen #WPCsowhite

— Heather Heater (@heaterMPH) April 16, 2016

We talk about taking action to dismantle white supremacy yet not much response on Loewen’s use of the N-word #WPCSoWhite #PHLWPC17

— TastefulIntuition (@TheeKWard) April 16, 2016

N-word NEVER acceptable from #whitefolks lips! Deeply offensive & traumatizing. @JamesWLoewen #WPCSoWhite #PHLWPC17 https://t.co/oLP9M9GwUs

— Jill Poklemba (@jillmarette99) April 16, 2016

Frederick Gooding, Jr., who styles himself as “The Race Doctor” gave a half-comedic, half-serious lecture intended to point out various moments of subtle white supremacy and white privilege throughout the past year. Near the end of his address, Gooding went after Hollywood for the recently-released film “Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice,” which features three Caucasian heroes in the form of Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman.

“I have a quota where it’s just a little too much whiteness, I gotta tap out,”

the Doctor said to a laughing audience.

“One white hero at a time, I can kinda take that, but you have two of them … but then, the White Man said, we gonna show you something. And they throw in a white woman!”

For people discussing other folks it may not be easy today how to call them. All sorts of new terms have to be looked for to talk about people with an other skin colour or with an other faith. In this time of many fleeing from the Middle East and from Africa for discussing different terms are looked for, and one term which could be right at one time a few weeks later may be considered totally wrong to be used. Undocumented immigrants may still be called “illegals” despite the fact that this also could be a highly inaccurate and pejorative term. Whether intentional or accidental, the use of such terms has shaped public opinion on immigration policy. Of course, not everyone who uses these terms intends to colour undocumented immigrants with the stigma that these terms carry with them. Today the phrase “illegal immigrant” is by many considered

decidedly not okay

During a workshop titled “Nativism 101,” on the topic of immigration and the groups opposed to it, one attendee objected to another’s use of the term “undocumented immigrant.”

Instead of illegal or undocumented, the woman proposed that such immigrants be labeled

“unauthorized immigrants.”

Unauthorised where those who brought out photographs and texts from this conference where very high income prizes where charged, as if the poor people and immigrants ever would be able to pay such fees.

Dividing the people in categories for the debates Kivel finds it are the Christians who divide people and put them in hierarchical order. For him it is in-acceptable that there would be a

“God over people, men over women, parents over children, white people over people of colour,”

inevitably creating systems that justify and even glorify oppression, but was he and the organisers not doing just that?

Please do read also:

+++

Azteekse en Romeinse tradities die ons nog steeds beïnvloeden

Posted on 2015/12/21 by Belgian Biblestudents - Belgische Bijbelstudenten

In zijn boek The Trouble With Christmas zette de schrijver Tom Flynn de conclusies uiteen waartoe hij na jaren van onderzoek in verband met Kerstmis was gekomen:

„Een groot aantal tradities die we nu met Kerstmis associëren zijn geworteld in voorchristelijke heidense religieuze tradities. Sommige hebben maatschappelijke, seksuele of kosmologische associaties die onderlegde, cultureel gevoelige moderne mensen ertoe zouden kunnen brengen de tradities te verwerpen zodra ze de oorsprong ervan beter zijn gaan begrijpen.” — Bladzijde 19.

Na een grote hoeveelheid ondersteunende inlichtingen verschaft te hebben, keert Flynn naar het uitgangspunt terug:

„Een van de grootste tegenstrijdigheden van Kerstmis is hoe weinig ervan werkelijk christelijk is. Wanneer we de voorchristelijke elementen eenmaal hebben verwijderd, is het merendeel van wat overblijft nachristelijk in plaats van authentiek christelijk van oorsprong.” — Bladzijde 155.

Kerstgebruiken — Zijn ze christelijk?

De kersttijd is aangebroken. Wat betekent dat voor u, uw gezin en uw vrienden? Gaat het om een geestelijk evenement of alleen maar om een feestelijke en vrolijke periode? Is het een tijd om over de geboorte van Jezus Christus na te denken of een periode waarin men zich niets van christelijke normen hoeft aan te trekken?

Houd bij een beschouwing van die vragen in gedachte dat de kersttradities in de streek waar u woont, kunnen afwijken.

In Mexico en andere Latijns-Amerikaanse landen wordt bijvoorbeeld zelfs een andere naam gebruikt. Zoals in de Grote Winkler Prins Encyclopedie wordt opgemerkt, is het woord Kerstmis „afgeleid van ’Christus-mis’”, terwijl La Navidad, zoals het kerstfeest in deze Latijns-Amerikaanse landen wordt genoemd, betrekking heeft op de geboorte van Christus.

Geboortedag en een geboortefeest op een andere dag

Vreemd is wel dat de beloofde Messias, de zoon van Jozef en Maria uit het geslacht van koning David geboren is op 17 oktober 4 VGT en dat men het volstrekt op 25 december wil vieren het geboortefeest van de god van het licht.

Als we kijken naar het weer zouden we niet de indruk krijgen dat wij het koudste seizoen van het jaar tegemoet gaan. We kunnen niet voorbijgaan aan de kortere dagen, die er ons aan herinneren dat we dichter bij de langste duisternis van het jaar komen.

Die duisternis maakt altijd angstige mensen en daarom keken ze in het verleden en nu nog steeds naar manieren om meer licht te krijgen. De duisternis was ook een tijd dat mensen dichter bij elkaar wensten te zijn, om zich veiliger te voelen, en om samen aangename dingen te doen die hun gedachten konden verzetten.

Medio december vierden de Romeinen feest, namelijk de Saturnalia welk voor vele latere generaties de basis vormde voor hun Winter feesten. Voor hen en voor vele mensen nu is het wat zij noemen ‘De tijd van het Jaar’ en ‘Christmas’ of ‘Kerstmis’. Van die viering werd bijvoorbeeld de uitgebreide feesten, het geven van geschenken, en het branden van kaarsen afgeleid.

Seizoenen, stormen, donkerte, donder en licht

De Winter zonnewende brengt meerdere heidense mensen samen om de terugkeer van het licht te vieren.

In andere culturen vinden we ook dat vele eeuwen voordat Jezus geboren werd de geboorte van het licht werd gevierd. De Rooms-Katholieke Kerk voelde zich niet verlegen veel tradities van heidense mensen die natuurelementen, zoals het licht en de de ‘keiringen’ van de stand van de maan en de zon en de verandering van het seizoen over te nemen. Zelfs de Israëlieten namen dergelijke natuurlijke elementen zoals de vier tekufot op in hun gebruiken (Teḳufat Nisan, Teḳufat Tammuz, Teḳufat Tishri en de Teḳufat Tebet), waarbij ook bijgeloof werd verbonden met die tekufot feest. Hai Gaon [Hai ben Sherira (of Hai geboren te Sherira (Gaon)], in de tiende eeuw, in antwoord op een vraag naar de prevalentie van de gewoonte in het “Westen” (dwz, ten westen van Babylon), gaf aan dat al het in het huis opgeborgen water in vaten in het eerste uur van de tekufah moest worden weggegooid in de overtuiging dat het water dan vergiftigd is, en als het gedronken werd zwelling van het lichaam, ziekte, en soms de dood zou veroorzaken, dat dit alleen volgde om dat het nieuwe seizoen kan worden begonnen met een toevoer van vers, zoet water.

Wanneer de zon Capricornus binnentreedt krijgt men het begin van de winter, of ” et ha-ḥoref “(strippen-tijd), wanneer de nacht de langste is van het jaar. Voor meerdere mensen was het de tijd dat iets moest worden gestript of onggedaan gemaakt worden. Met sommige dingen die gebeurd waren in het verleden moest komaf worden gemaakt. De slechte dingen moesten worden vergeten of afgelegd worden. Er werden dan voornemens gemaakt om het in de komende tijd het beter te doen. Die vermelding van betere voornemens zien wij in verscheidene landen nog opduiken met het voorlezen van een ‘Nieuwjaarsbrief‘. Na de invoering van de Gregoriaanse kalender in 1582 werd 1 januari aanvaard als nieuwjaarsdag in steeds meer landen in Europa en daarna in de wereld en werd het voorlezen van de nieuwjaarsbrief een Vlaamse traditie. ‘te zijn over met’ en nieuwe wegen weer kon worden genomen. Het was de tijd van een ‘draai’ of een wedergeboorte.

De Griekse oppergod Zeus (Jupiter bij de Romeinen), die heerste vanaf de berg Olympus, was in de Frygische en Thracische mythologie Sabazios de nomadische stormgod en vadergod. In de Indo-Europese talen zoals het Frygisch gaat het ‘-zios’ element in de naam terug op Dyeus, de gemeenschappelijke voorloper van ‘dios’, ‘deus’ (god) en ook van de naam Zeus.

Bij de ‘kering’ van de donkerste dagen naar terug lichter wordende dagen keek het volk uit naar de wedergeboorte van de zon en hoopte dat alles goed zou gaan. Daarom boden zij de rest van hun voedsel aan de goden van de natuur die er voor moesten zorgen dat in het komende jaar de gewassen veel vruchten zouden dragen en er goed weer zou zijn. Met hun offergaven, vuur maken (licht maken) en veel lawaai maken (vervangen door vuurwerk) wenste men de god van de donder (hemel en donder god Zeus) te verzoeken en hoopte men dat hij zich niet boos zou maken op hen. Het lawaai diende ook om de slechte geesten af te houden en zo het eigen huis te beveiligen. Voor hem werd ook een dag van verering genomen, namelijk de ‘zondag’ waarop mensen bijeenkwamen om Zeus of Jupiter (zoals zoon van Kronos ook genoemd werd) te vereren en offergaven te brengen.

Onder Constantijn (Constantinus) de Grote, die op de plaats van een tempel van Aphrodite de nieuwe Kerk van de Heilige Apostelen liet bouwen en de Heilig Grafkerk in Jeruzalem en de oude Sint-Pietersbasiliek te Rome stichtte, gingen de kerkleiders akkoord om Jeshua‘s naam te veranderen (ter behoud van de vrede) naar ‘Issou‘ of ‘Heil Zeus‘ dat in het Nederlands eerst ‘Jesus‘ werd en eind vorige eeuw ‘Jezus‘ werd. Zo kon de ‘leider’ van de christenen eveneens een godheid worden en samen vallen met de godenverheerlijking van de Romeinen. De Romeinse driegodheid werd gelijk gesteld met hun godheid die aldoende een Drie-eenheid werd. De beeltenis van oppergod Jupiter, gelijkgesteld met Jeshua/Yashua/Yahshuah/Yehoshuah voor יהושע die de naam Jezus kreeg ter verering van Zeus, kon nu door de marktkramers verder verkocht worden aan de Christenen die deze beeldjes dan ook in hun huizen opnamen.

In ruil voor de aanvaarding van de driegodheid voerde Constantijn verscheidene legislatieve maatregelen in met betrekking tot de joden: het werd hen verboden christelijke slaven te hebben of hun slaven te besnijden. Bekering van christenen tot het jodendom werd verboden. Bijeenkomsten voor religieuze diensten werden beperkt, maar het werd joden toegestaan jaarlijks Jeruzalem binnen te gaan op Tisja be’Aaw, waarop de verwoesting van de Eerste Joodse Tempel (in 587 VGT door de Babyloniërs) als de Tweede Joodse Tempel in 70 GT (aan het einde van de Joodse Oorlog) wordt herdacht. Constantijn dwong van het eerste concilie van Nicaea ook een verbod af tegen het vieren van Pasen op de dag voor het joodse Pesach op 14 Nisan, zoals de quartodecimanen deden.

De luidruchtige activiteiten ter verering van de godheden die het lieten donderen en bliksemen en instonden voor het licht werden ook na het verval van het Romeinse rijk verder in ere gehouden.

Ook in Latijns-Amerika kunnen we zulke zeer luidruchtige feesten vinden. Voor veel mensen zijn de donkere nachten een goede gelegenheid om samen de ‘goede’ dingen naar boven te halen. Alle slechtheid moest weg naar beneden. Op 24 december was het grote moment om te kijken naar de volgende dag wanneer de godin van het licht zou terugkeren in het geval ze zich al bereid toonde haar goedheid te tonen na de gebaren van de mensen. Met al het licht en lawaai moest men de goedgezindheid van de godin van het licht oproepen.

Posada feesten

In de 16de eeuw nam de in Geeraardsbergen geboren Franciskaanse broeder Pedro de Gante ook gekend onder Pedro de Mura en Pieter van der Moere, de Spaanse gewoonte van de negen daagse viering Las Posadas mee naar zuid Amerika waar in Mexico het een nog steeds gehouden traditie is die verder vermengd werd met Azteekse elementen.

Pyrotechnische verlichting door lijnen van vuurwerk in 2007 Parrandas.

Ook in Cuba brachten Spaanse broeders in de 18e eeuw, onder leiding van ‘Vader Francisco Vigil de Quiñones’, de priester van de grote kathedraal van Remedios, de Parrandas, om volk te lokken naar hun kerken. Hij liet hen samenkomen om middernacht doorheen de week voor kerst waarbij hij groepen kinderen samenstelde en hen voorzag van potten, borden en lepels, zodat ze rond het dorp konden lopen terwijl zij lawaai maakten en verzen zongen.

Kinderen in Oaxaca, Mexico vieren Las Posadas door het breken van een traditionele stervormige Piñata.

Van 16 december tot 23 december in Latijns-Amerika worden acht Posada feesten gehouden en op de 24e, Nochebuena (De Goede of bij ons gekend als Heilige Nacht of Kerstavond) wordt gevierd, en gezinnen een inspanning leveren om samen te zijn voor een speciaal diner. Ook in West-Europa is deze gewoonte van een kerst maaltijd al lang een favoriete moment.

Gun u een ogenblik om enkele details uit Mexico te beschouwen. Hierdoor kunt u worden geholpen uw eigen mening over dit feest bij te schaven.

De posadas, „de drie koningen” en de nacimiento

Latijns-Amerika, geografisch

De festiviteiten beginnen op 16 december met de posadas. In het boek Mexico’s Feasts of Life wordt opgemerkt:

„Het is de tijd van de posadas, negen magische dagen vóór kerstavond, waarin de eenzame zwerftocht van Jozef en Maria in de stad Bethlehem en het ogenblik waarop ze uiteindelijk hartelijkheid en een onderkomen vonden, worden herdacht. Familie en vrienden komen ’s avonds bijeen om de dagen vóór de geboorte van Christus na te spelen.”

File:Piñata Animation.gif Traditiegetrouw draagt een groep mensen beeldjes van Maria en Jozef naar een huis en vraagt in een lied om onderdak, oftewel posada. De personen in het huis zingen bij wijze van antwoord, totdat het de bezoekers uiteindelijk wordt toegestaan binnen te komen. Dan begint een feestelijk samenzijn, waarbij sommigen — geblinddoekt en met een stok in de hand — om de beurt proberen de piñata, een grote versierde aardewerken pot die aan een koord hangt, kapot te slaan. Is de pot eenmaal gebroken, dan wordt de inhoud (snoep, fruit en dergelijke) door de feestvierders bijeengeraapt. Hierna breekt de tijd aan voor eten, drinken, muziek en dans. Van 16 tot en met 23 december worden acht posada-feestavonden gehouden. Op de 24ste wordt nochebuena (kerstavond) gevierd en doen gezinnen extra moeite om met z’n allen een speciale maaltijd te nuttigen.

The tradition in Spain and some Latin American countries is that the Three Wise Men are who bring gifts to children at Christmas. In recent years, as an assimilation of the Anglo-Saxon tradition of Santa Claus, they often appear at gift shops and shopping malls, where children have the opportunity to take a picture sitting on their knees and deliver the letter with their demands. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Het Driekoningenfeest, Jan Steen

Kort daarna volgt nieuwjaarsdag, waarop zeer luidruchtig feest wordt gevierd. Op de avond van 5 januari is het gebruikelijk dat de Tres Reyes Magos („drie koningen”) de kinderen speelgoed brengen. Het hoogtepunt wordt gevormd door een feest op 6 januari, waarop er een rosca de Reyes (ringvormige koek) wordt geserveerd. Als dit gebak wordt gegeten, zal iemand in zijn stuk een poppetje aantreffen dat de baby Jezus voorstelt. De vinder is verplicht op 2 februari een laatste feest te organiseren waarop hij of zij als gastheer of gastvrouw zal optreden. (Op sommige plaatsen gebruikt men drie poppetjes, die „de drie koningen” voorstellen.) Zoals u ziet, gaan de festiviteiten in verband met Kerstmis alsmaar door.

In deze periode neemt de nacimiento [Geboorte (leven) kerststal) een behoorlijk belangrijke plaats in. Wat is hierbij betrokken? Welnu, zowel op openbare plaatsen als in kerken en huizen worden taferelen opgebouwd met figuren (groot of klein) van aardewerk, hout of klei. Ze beelden Jozef en Maria af, knielend voor een kribbe waarin een pasgeboren baby ligt. Vaak zijn er herders, alsook Los Reyes Magos („de drie koningen”). De entourage is een stal, en er kunnen ook enkele dieren in voorkomen om het tafereel compleet te maken. De centrale figuur is echter de pasgeboren baby, in het Spaans el Niño Dios (de Kindgod) genoemd. Deze sleutelfiguur wordt meestal op kerstavond in de stal geplaatst.

De kerststaltradities nader bekeken

The Encyclopedia Americana zegt over de kerstviering zoals men die in de hele wereld algemeen kent:

„De meeste gebruiken die nu met Kerstmis verband houden, waren oorspronkelijk geen kerstgebruiken maar veeleer voorchristelijke en niet-christelijke gebruiken die door de christelijke kerk werden geassimileerd. De saturnaliën, een Romeins feest dat half december werd gevierd, verschaften het model voor een groot aantal van de met Kerstmis verband houdende festiviteiten. Aan deze viering zijn bijvoorbeeld de uitgebreide feestmaaltijden, het geven van geschenken en het branden van kaarsen ontleend.”

In Latijns-Amerika worden aan die fundamentele kerstgebruiken vaak nog extra gebruiken toegevoegd. ’Uit welke bron’, vraagt u zich misschien af. Eerlijk gezegd beseffen velen die zich aan de bijbel willen houden dat sommige gebruiken puur azteekse riten zijn. El Universal, een krant die in Mexico-Stad verschijnt, merkte op:

„Fraters van verschillende orden trokken voordeel van de omstandigheid dat festiviteiten van de indiaanse rituele kalender samenvielen met de katholieke liturgische kalender, en daarom maakten ze hier gebruik van om hun evangelisatie- en zendingswerk te ondersteunen. Ze vervingen de vieringen ter ere van de pre-Columbiaanse godheden door festiviteiten ter ere van christelijke godheden, introduceerden Europese feesten en activiteiten en trokken ook voordeel van de indiaanse festiviteiten, hetgeen in een cultureel syncretisme resulteerde dat tot authentiek Mexicaanse uitingen heeft geleid.”

Geboorte van een kindgod

The Encyclopedia Americana legt uit:

„Kerstspelen werden al vroeg een deel van de kerstviering . . . De Heilige Franciscus is er naar verluidt mee begonnen in de kerk een kerststal in te richten.”

Deze spelen waarin de geboorte van Christus werd uitgebeeld, werden in het begin van de kolonisatie van Mexico in de kerken opgevoerd. Ze werden door franciscaner monniken georganiseerd om de indianen over het kerstgebeuren te onderwijzen. Later werden de posadas populairder. Welke oorspronkelijke bedoeling er ook achter de posadas geschuild mag hebben, de manier waarop ze in deze tijd worden gehouden, spreekt voor zichzelf. Als u in deze periode in Mexico bent, kunt u zien of ervaren wat een schrijver voor El Universal in zijn commentaar speciaal belichtte:

„De posadas, die een manier vormden om ons aan de pelgrimage van Jezus’ ouders te herinneren toen ze naar een plaats zochten waar de Kindgod geboren kon worden, zijn in deze tijd louter dagen van dronkenschap, excessen, gulzigheid, zinloosheid en toenemende misdaad.”

De gedachte van de nacimiento is tijdens de kolonisatie van Mexico uit de oorspronkelijke opvoeringen in de kerken ontstaan. Sommigen zullen het idee misschien aantrekkelijk vinden, maar geeft het correct weer wat de bijbel zegt? Dat is een goede vraag. Toen de zogenoemde drie koningen — die in werkelijkheid astrologen waren — op bezoek kwamen, verbleven Jezus en zijn ouders niet langer in een stal. Er was tijd overheen gegaan en het gezin woonde in een huis. U zult het interessant vinden dit detail in het geïnspireerde verslag in Mattheüs 2:1, 11 op te merken. U kunt ook opmerken dat de bijbel niet zegt hoeveel astrologen er waren.

Nog een detail dat niet over het hoofd gezien mag worden: In de Mexicaanse nacimiento wordt de baby „de Kindgod” genoemd, met de gedachte dat hij God zelf was die als baby naar de aarde was gekomen. In de bijbel wordt Jezus echter voorgesteld als de Zoon van God die op aarde werd geboren; hij was niet dezelfde als of gelijk aan Jehovah, de almachtige God. Beschouw eens hoe de waarheid hierover wordt uiteengezet in Lukas 1:35; Johannes 3:16; 5:37; 14:1, 6, 9, 28; 17:1, 3; 20:17.

Jezus is niet God zelf maar de gezondene van God.

35 De engel gaf haar ten antwoord: „Heilige geest+ zal over u komen en kracht van de Allerhoogste zal u overschaduwen. Daarom ook zal hetgeen wordt geboren, heilig,+ Gods Zoon, worden genoemd.+ (Lukas 1:35)

16 Want God heeft de wereld* zozeer liefgehad+ dat hij zijn eniggeboren Zoon heeft gegeven,+ opdat een ieder die geloof+ oefent in hem, niet vernietigd zou worden,+ maar eeuwig leven zou hebben.+ 17 Want God heeft zijn Zoon niet naar de wereld uitgezonden opdat hij de wereld zou oordelen,+ maar opdat de wereld door bemiddeling van hem gered zou worden.+ (Johannes 3:16-17)

36 Het getuigenis echter dat ik heb, is groter dan dat van Joha̱nnes, want het zijn juist de werken die ik in opdracht van mijn Vader moet volbrengen, de werken zelf die ik doe,+ die getuigenis over mij afleggen dat de Vader mij heeft gezonden. 37 Ook de Vader zelf, die mij heeft gezonden, heeft getuigenis over mij afgelegd.+ GIJ hebt noch zijn stem ooit gehoord, noch zijn gedaante gezien;+ 38 en zijn woord hebt GIJ niet blijvend in U, omdat GIJ juist degene die hij gezonden heeft, niet gelooft.(Johannes 5:36-37)

14 „Laat UW hart niet verontrust worden.+ Oefent geloof in God,+ oefent ook geloof in mij.+ 2 In het huis van mijn Vader zijn vele woningen.+ ….. 6 Jezus zei tot hem: „Ik ben de weg+ en de waarheid+ en het leven.+ Niemand komt tot de Vader dan door bemiddeling van mij.+ …. 9 Jezus zei tot hem: „Nu ben ik al zo’n lange tijd bij ulieden, en nog hebt gij mij niet leren kennen, Fili̱ppus? Wie mij heeft gezien, heeft [ook] de Vader gezien.+ Hoe kunt gij dan zeggen: ’Toon ons de Vader’?+ 10 Gelooft gij niet dat ik in eendracht met de Vader ben en de Vader in eendracht met mij is?+ De dingen die ik tot ulieden zeg, spreek ik niet uit mijzelf; maar de Vader, die in eendracht met mij blijft, doet zijn werken.+ 11 Gelooft mij, dat ik in eendracht met de Vader ben en de Vader in eendracht met mij is; of anders, gelooft op grond van de werken zelf.+ 12 Voorwaar, voorwaar, ik zeg U: Wie geloof oefent in mij, zal ook zelf de werken doen die ik doe; en hij zal grotere+ werken dan deze doen, omdat ik heenga naar de Vader.+ 13 En wat GIJ ook vraagt in mijn naam, dat zal ik doen, opdat de Vader in verband met de Zoon verheerlijkt moge worden.+ 14 Indien GIJ iets vraagt* in mijn naam, ik zal het doen. … 28 GIJ hebt gehoord dat ik tot U heb gezegd: Ik ga heen en ik kom tot U [terug]. Indien GIJ mij liefhadt, zoudt GIJ U verheugen dat ik heenga naar de Vader, want de Vader is groter+ dan ik. (Johannes 14:1, 6, 9-14, 28)

17 Deze dingen sprak Jezus, en terwijl hij zijn ogen naar de hemel opsloeg,+ zei hij: „Vader, het uur is gekomen; verheerlijk uw zoon, opdat uw zoon u verheerlijkt,+ 2 gelijk gij hem autoriteit over alle vlees hebt gegeven,+ opdat hij, wat het gehele [aantal] betreft [van hen] die gij hem hebt gegeven,+ hun eeuwig leven moge geven.+ 3 Dit betekent eeuwig leven,+ dat zij voortdurend kennis+ in zich opnemen van u,* de enige ware God,+ en van hem die gij hebt uitgezonden, Jezus Christus.+ 4 Ik heb u op de aarde verheerlijkt,+ daar ik het werk heb voleindigd dat gij mij te doen hebt gegeven.+ 5 En nu, Vader, verheerlijk mij naast uzelf met de heerlijkheid die ik naast u had voordat de wereld was.+ (Johannes 17:1-5)

17 Jezus zei tot haar: „Klem u niet langer aan mij vast. Want ik ben nog niet naar de Vader opgestegen. Maar ga naar mijn broeders+ en zeg hun: ’Ik stijg op naar mijn Vader+ en UW Vader en naar mijn God+ en UW God.’”+ 18 (Johannes 20:17).

Viering van Jezus geboorte en de drie koningen

In Latijns-Amerika is het idee van de kerstman vervangen door de drie koningen. Maar net als in veel andere landen, verstoppen veel ouders speelgoed in huis. Op de ochtend van 6 januari gaan de kinderen er dan naar op zoek, alsof de drie koningen het hebben gebracht. Dit is een lucratieve tijd voor speelgoedwinkeliers, en sommige hebben veel geld verdiend aan wat veel eerlijke mensen als slechts een illusie beschouwen. De mythe van de drie koningen verliest onder heel wat mensen, zelfs onder kleine kinderen, aan geloofwaardigheid. Sommigen mogen het weliswaar betreuren dat steeds minder mensen deze mythe geloven, maar wat kan men verwachten van een illusie die alleen maar in stand gehouden wordt ter wille van de traditie en het commerciële voordeel?

Kerstmis, of het geboortefeest, werd niet door de vroege christenen gevierd. Een encyclopedie zegt er het volgende over:

„In de eerste eeuwen van de christelijke kerk werd het feest niet gevierd, omdat het onder christenen in het algemeen gebruikelijk was de dood van opmerkelijke personen te vieren in plaats van hun geboorte.”

De bijbel brengt de viering van verjaardagen in verband met heidenen, niet met Gods ware aanbidders. (Mattheüs 14:6-10).

Dit wil natuurlijk niet zeggen dat het niet nuttig is de werkelijke gebeurtenissen in verband met de geboorte van de Zoon van God te weten te komen en in gedachte te houden. Het bijbelse feitenrelaas verschaft belangrijke verhelderende inlichtingen en lessen voor allen die willen doen wat God van hen verlangt.

De geboorte van Jezus volgens de bijbel

In de Evangeliën van Mattheüs en Lukas zult u betrouwbare inlichtingen over de geboorte van Jezus aantreffen. Ze tonen aan dat de engel Gabriël in de Galilese stad Nazareth een jonge ongehuwde vrouw, Maria genaamd, bezocht. Welke boodschap bracht hij?

„Zie! gij zult in uw schoot ontvangen en een zoon baren, en gij moet hem de naam Jezus geven. Deze zal groot zijn en de Zoon van de Allerhoogste worden genoemd; en Jehovah God zal hem de troon van zijn vader David geven, en hij zal voor eeuwig als koning over het huis van Jakob regeren en aan zijn koninkrijk zal geen einde zijn.” (Lukas 1:31-33).

Maria was erg verbaasd over deze boodschap. Omdat ze ongehuwd was, zei ze:

„Hoe zal dit geschieden, daar ik geen gemeenschap heb met een man?”

De engel antwoordde:

„Heilige geest zal over u komen en kracht van de Allerhoogste zal u overschaduwen. Daarom ook zal hetgeen wordt geboren, heilig, Gods Zoon, worden genoemd.” Maria, die besefte dat dit Gods wil was, zei: „Zie! Jehovah’s slavin! Mij geschiede naar uw verklaring.” (Lukas 1:34-38).

Een engel vertelde Jozef over de wonderbare geboorte, opdat Jozef niet van Maria zou scheiden, zoals hij van plan was toen hij op de hoogte raakte van haar zwangerschap. Jozef was daarna bereid de verantwoordelijkheid op zich te nemen om voor de Zoon van God te zorgen.

18 De geboorte van Jezus Christus nu geschiedde aldus. Terwijl zijn moeder Mari̱a aan Jo̱zef ten huwelijk beloofd was,+ bleek zij voordat zij verenigd waren, zwanger te zijn door heilige geest.+ 19 Daar Jo̱zef, haar man, echter rechtvaardig was en haar niet in het openbaar tentoon wilde stellen,+ was hij van plan in het geheim van haar te scheiden.*+ 20 Doch nadat hij deze dingen had overdacht, zie! daar verscheen hem Jehovah’s* engel in een droom en zei: „Jo̱zef, zoon van Da̱vid, wees niet bevreesd Mari̱a, uw vrouw, mee naar huis te nemen, want dat wat in haar verwekt is, is door heilige geest.+ 21 Zij zal een zoon baren, en gij moet hem de naam Jezus*+ geven, want hij zal zijn volk+ van hun zonden+ redden.”+ 22 Dit alles is in werkelijkheid geschied opdat vervuld zou worden hetgeen Jehovah*+ door bemiddeling van zijn profeet had gesproken,+ toen hij zei: 23 „Ziet! De maagd*+ zal zwanger worden en een zoon baren, en zij zullen hem de naam Imma̱nuël*+ geven”, hetgeen vertaald betekent: „Met ons is God.”+

24 Toen ontwaakte Jo̱zef uit zijn slaap en deed zoals de engel van Jehovah* hem had voorgeschreven, en hij nam zijn vrouw mee naar huis. 25 Hij had echter geen gemeenschap+ met haar* totdat zij een zoon had gebaard;+ en hij gaf hem de naam Jezus.+ (Mattheüs 1:18-25).

Vervolgens werden Jozef en Maria, wegens een verordening van caesar Augustus, gedwongen Nazareth in Galilea te verlaten en naar Bethlehem in Judea, de stad van hun voorvaders, te gaan om zich te laten inschrijven.

„Terwijl zij daar waren, werden de dagen vervuld dat zij moest baren. En zij baarde haar zoon, de eerstgeborene, en bond hem in windsels van doeken en legde hem in een kribbe, omdat er in het gastverblijf geen plaats voor hen was.” (Lukas 2:1-7).

Lukas 2:8-14 beschrijft wat er daarna gebeurde:

„Er waren in diezelfde landstreek ook herders, die buitenshuis verbleven en ’s nachts de wacht hielden over hun kudden. En plotseling stond Jehovah’s engel bij hen, en Jehovah’s heerlijkheid omscheen hen, en zij werden zeer bevreesd. Maar de engel zei tot hen: ’Vreest niet, want ziet! ik maak u goed nieuws bekend omtrent een grote vreugde, die heel het volk ten deel zal vallen, want heden is u in Davids stad een Redder geboren, die Christus de Heer is. En dit is een teken voor u: gij zult een baby vinden in windsels van doeken gebonden en liggend in een kribbe.’ En plotseling bevond zich bij de engel een menigte van de hemelse legerschare, die God loofde en zei: ’Glorie in de hoogste hoogten aan God, en op aarde vrede onder mensen van goede wil.’”

De astrologen

In Mattheüs’ verslag wordt vermeld dat er astrologen uit het oosten naar Jeruzalem kwamen om de plaats te zoeken waar de Koning van de joden geboren was. Koning Herodes had hier veel belangstelling voor — maar niet met goede bedoelingen.

„Hij zond hen naar Bethlehem en zei: ’Gaat, stelt een nauwkeurig onderzoek in naar het jonge kind, en wanneer gij het gevonden hebt, bericht het mij dan, opdat ook ik het hulde kan gaan brengen.’”

Toen de astrologen het jonge kind vonden,

„openden zij hun schatten en boden het geschenken aan: goud en geurige hars en mirre”.

Maar ze gingen niet terug naar Herodes.

’Hun was in een droom een goddelijke waarschuwing gegeven niet naar Herodes terug te keren.’

God gebruikte een engel om Jozef voor Herodes’ bedoelingen te waarschuwen. Jozef en Maria vluchtten daarop met hun zoon naar Egypte. Daarna, in een poging de nieuwe Koning uit de weg te ruimen, gaf de wrede koning Herodes opdracht jongens in het gebied van Bethlehem te doden. Welke jongens? Jongetjes van twee jaar oud en daaronder. (Mattheüs 2:1-16).

Wat kunnen we van het verslag leren?

De op bezoek zijnde astrologen — ongeacht hoeveel het er waren — aanbaden niet de ware God. De bijbelvertaling La Nueva Biblia Latinoamérica (uitgave van 1989) verklaart in een voetnoot:

„De magiërs waren geen koningen, maar waarzeggers en priesters van een heidense religie.”

Hun komst hield verband met hun kennis van de sterren, waaraan ze waren toegewijd. Als God hen naar het jonge kind had willen leiden, zouden ze naar de precieze plaats zijn gebracht zonder eerst naar Jeruzalem en Herodes’ paleis te hoeven gaan. Later kwam God tussenbeide om hun route te veranderen en zo het kind te beschermen.

In de kersttijd wordt dit verslag vaak in een mythische en romantische sfeer gehuld waardoor het belangrijkste feit wordt verdoezeld: dat deze baby werd geboren om een luisterrijke Koning te zijn, zoals aan Maria en de herders was bekendgemaakt. Nee, Jezus Christus is niet langer een baby, of zelfs een kind. Hij is de regerende Koning van Gods koninkrijk, dat zeer binnenkort alle regeringen die tegen Gods wil gekant zijn zal verwijderen en alle problemen van de mensheid zal oplossen. Dat is het Koninkrijk waar we in het Onze Vader om bidden. (Daniël 2:44; Mattheüs 6:9, 10).

Via de bekendmaking van de engelen aan de herders vernemen we dat de gelegenheid tot redding voor allen openstaat die bereid zijn naar de boodschap van het goede nieuws te luisteren. Degenen die Gods gunst verwerven, worden „mensen van goede wil”. Er zijn schitterende vooruitzichten op vrede in de hele wereld onder het koninkrijk van Jezus Christus, maar men moet bereid zijn Gods wil te doen. Is de kersttijd hier bevorderlijk voor en wordt dat verlangen in deze periode weerspiegeld? Veel oprechte mensen die overeenkomstig de bijbel willen leven, zijn van mening dat het antwoord duidelijk is.

10 Maar de engel zei tot hen: „Vreest niet, want ziet! ik maak U goed nieuws bekend omtrent een grote vreugde, die heel het volk ten deel zal vallen,+ 11 want heden is U in Da̱vids stad+ een Redder geboren,+ die Christus [de] Heer* is.*+ … : 14 „Glorie in de hoogste hoogten+ aan God, en op aarde vrede+ onder mensen van goede wil.”*+ — Lukas 2:10, 11, 14.

Voorgaande

Engelstalige versie / English version: Roman, Aztec and other rites still influencing us today

De eerste christenen hun vieringen

Aanvullende lectuur

+++

Verder interessante aanverwante lectuur

+++

Here comes Santa Cop – Right down Washburn Ave. (wibw.com)
Weeping Fathers (tworiversblog.com)
A Light, A Word, A Child. (pasturescott.org)
Christmas Expectations and Emotions (girltalkhome.com)
A Classical Christmas (brianlauritzen.com)
-Atheist Complaints Against Public Christmas Displays Backfire (answersforthefaith.com)
Jesus’s house? The abysmal state of “Biblical archaeology” (whyevolutionistrue.wordpress.com)
True Life (genesisone.wordpress.com)
Worshiping King Jesus! (brentkuhlman.wordpress.com)
Advent – a Season of All Tenses! (biblicalpreaching.net)

First month of the year and predictions

Posted on 2015/03/25 by Bijbelvorsers

Nisan, the first month of the ecclesiastical year and for the Jews the seventh month (eighth, in leap year) of the civil year, it is the month were renewal is at the tip of the tongues. In the Torah it is called the month of the Aviv, referring to the month in which barley was ripe. But in the Book of Esther in the Tanakh and in the Christian Bible it is referred to as Nisan.

Jesus, being a Jew commemorated also the salvation of the Israelite firstborns during the Plague of the Firstborn.

According to standard biblical chronology, the Jewish people got its freedom after that tenth plague wrought upon Ancient Egypt. Jehovah had spoken to Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt requiring them to remember the moment He was going to give them as part of the month which had to be the beginning of months. Being the first month of the year to the people of God.

Exo 12:1-2 The Scriptures 1998+ (1) And יהוה {Jehovah} spoke to Mosheh and to Aharon in the land of Mitsrayim, saying, (2) “This month is the beginning of months for you, it is the first month of the year for you.

For those who followed the orders of God there was no problem but for the others who did not listen to the Most High every firstborn in the Land of Mitzrayim (Ancient Egypt) got struck.

Exo 12:23-30 The Scriptures 1998+ (23) “And יהוה {Jehovah} shall pass on to smite the Mitsrites, and shall see the blood on the lintel and on the two doorposts, and יהוה {Jehovah} shall pass over the door and not allow the destroyer to come into your houses to smite you. (24) “And you shall guard this word as a law for you and your sons, forever. (25) “And it shall be, when you come to the land which יהוה {Jehovah} gives you, as He promised, that you shall guard this service. (26) “And it shall be, when your children say to you, ‘What does this service mean to you?’ (27) then you shall say, ‘It is the Passover slaughtering of יהוה {Jehovah} , who passed over the houses of the children of Yisra’ĕl in Mitsrayim when He smote the Mitsrites and delivered our households.’ ” And the people bowed their heads and did obeisance. (28) And the children of Yisra’ĕl went away and did so – as יהוה {Jehovah} had commanded Mosheh and Aharon, so they did. (29) And it came to be at midnight that יהוה {Jehovah} smote all the first-born in the land of Mitsrayim, from the first-born of Pharaoh who sat on his throne to the first-born of the captive who was in the dungeon, and all the first-born of livestock. (30) And Pharaoh rose up in the night, he and all his servants, and all the Mitsrites. And there was a great cry in Mitsrayim, for there was not a house where there was not a dead one.

The Old Moore’s Almanac which has been published in Ireland since the year 1764 makes every year predictions. You need only look back on the monthly predictions it projects to realise just how inaccurate it is – just a bit of a ‘break’ here and there. but it was very popular and still today people are fascinated with predictions. Strangely enough they may find a book full of predictions, but which is not so popular because it gives predictions but also a lot of warnings which seem to be frightening, because they demand an honouring of Somebody Who cannot be seen. Though that Book of books may present lots of predictions we can verify with what happened in the past and see that they came true.

The Bible not only makes predictions, its batting average is 100%. Usually when we read the prophecies from elsewhere we end up knowing that they really haven’t got a clue – just a good calculated guess here and there. Prophecy for us humans with a consistency and without generalisation, well, our track record is not good. We can travel in space but not into the future.

Today people got more frightened with ISIS and other fundamental groups terrorising whole populations and killing people like it are just flees to be done with. Lots of people wonder if there is hope in what is increasingly being seen as a hopeless world. They should come to see that the future is plain to God as is the past and that gives us security.

With the first month of the religious year of the People of God, not only the Israelites got liberated, but also for the gentiles was given hope by the one who was also called the son of David and son of Abraham. this time it was not just a year old male taken from the sheep or from the goats.

Exo 12:5-6 The Scriptures 1998+ (5) ‘Let the lamb be a perfect one, a year old male. Take it from the sheep or from the goats. (6) ‘And you shall keep it until the fourteenth day of the same month. Then all the assembly of the congregation of Yisra’ĕl shall kill it between the evenings.

The world got offered a new spotless lamb. That perfect one was born as the only begotten son of God and anointed by his heavenly Father. Not having spot or wrinkle or any of this sort, but that it might be set-apart and blameless, the 33 year old one gave himself for the sins of many. Herein we do have our hope. Isaiah had forecasted that a baby will be born who will be a sign in the world. Beyond any short term fulfilment of that sign it pointed to someone coming who will really fulfil the sign and in their coming to the world, start a train of events that will make a difference both in time and eternity.

The baby born in Bethlehem, grown up in Nazareth had walked up to Jerusalem, God’s city and was now ready to have him taken prisoner, flogged and killed. Nobody can do God anything, but man can do a lot of awful things to another man. So Jesus had all the reason to be afraid and even to go sweating blood and water, at one moment even doubting the future and crying to his heavenly Father why He the God of gods had left him, now when he was in his hour of death.

Isaiah and others had made predictions about that sign which would come. Predictions in Old Testament days often had a short range fulfilment which prepares our minds to accept a long-range and far more significant fulfilment of what has been promised. The predictions are often fulfilled a couple of times. There’s an immediate fulfilment, and there’s also a long-term fulfilment.

500 years after the time of Isaiah, and about 250 years before the time of Jesus Christ, 70 scholars met in Egypt with the aim of getting the Old Testament from the Hebrew into the Greek language. Coming to the verse about a young woman they saw more in this event than a child back then. They saw that a child would be ‘God with us’. Lots of people came to understand that God could only be with us when He would be here on earth. They forget that God is everywhere and always is present all over. Having the ‘Immanuel‘ or God with us does not mean that the child would be The God. Throughout times many were called ‘Immanuel‘ or ‘Emmanuel,’ also today, but for sure they are not God here on earth..
What got fulfilled at Bethlehem was that the promise first made in the Garden of Eden came into fulfilment. Jesus of Nazareth was the personification of that Word given by God (John 1:1). He was going to present God’s Word in the world and let enough people see Who the heavenly Father really is. He also wanted to have people to understand how important it is not to do our own will but to try to come to do God His Will, like Jesus all his lifetime tried to do God His will and not his.

It was God His will that there would come a saviour to bring an end to the curse of the fall, the sin of man. Now the time had come in the first month of the year. Spring was near, but now had to come a more important Spring. He had to be the Spring of life, the Source of life for many. That is what we are commemorating soon. The liberation of God’s people is the first thing we do have to remember, but secondly we do have to commemorate the evening that Jesus gathered in the upper room with his close disciples and dearest friends.

The coming days we should prepare for that holy moment when wine became a symbol for blood and bread the symbol for the life giving flesh of the promised one.

Find also:

+++

Jews Around The World Recognize Strength, Pride With Purim Celebrations (newyork.cbslocal.com)
Jews around the world are celebrating Purim, a joyous holiday that teaches lessons about strength and pride in your identity.
+
“The good part is hidden and wrapped up. You have to know that in all of nature we don’t see God, but he’s hidden somewhere,” Yosef Rapoport said.
Netanyahu and Queen Esther of Persia (rehmat1.com)
“Tomorrow night, on the Jewish holiday of Purim, we’ll read the Book of Esther. We’ll read of a powerful Persian viceroy named Haman, who plotted to destroy the Jewish people some 2,500 years ago. But a courageous Jewish woman, Queen Esther, exposed the plot and gave for the Jewish people the right to defend themselves against their enemies. The plot was foiled. Our people were saved,” Netanyahu said.
Netanyahu, Persia, Purim and Esther (stream.org)
Netanyahu specifically mentioned Esther, Persia, Haman and the Feast of Purim. Here is what happened in the story. Haman, a wealthy high official, had tricked the king of Persia, Ahasuerus (many scholars think this was Artaxerxes II) into issuing a special order. According to Persian law, once such an order was issued, it could not be rescinded. The order required that all the scattered Jews throughout the empire (including Canaan, the location of modern Israel) be attacked and wiped out on a certain day.
No Mask Needed When Defending Israel (blogs.timesofisrael.com)
Since the original decree calling for a “day of rage” could not be overturned, the king permitted the Jews to fight back in self defense. Instead of what was to be a “final solution” for the Jews, 75,800 men were killed. No Jewish casualties are recorded, although the Book of Esther does mention that no spoils of war were taken, indicating that the Jews were only fighting because they were being attacked.

The story of Purim has repeated itself more than a few times in our history. Just over 70 years ago, the Holocaust, and shortly thereafter, Israel’s War of Independence was launched with the intended goal of our total decimation.
Netanyahu and Queen Esther of Persia (mooglemeow.blogspot.com)
‘Benjamin Netanyahu while addressing the American Knesset in Washington DC invoked Persians’ hatred toward country’s Jewish community over 2500 years ago.
Residents of Moldaw Enjoy a Purim Art Project and Time of Reflection with Local Students (ireport.cnn.com)
our students spent time reflecting upon what they discovered about themselves, others and how they may make a difference in the world.
+
“Everyone feels uplifted when the children visit and they can exchanges stories and discuss their lives and particular holidays, like Purim,” said Thia Tran, lifestyles director at Moldaw Residences. “The intergenerational interaction is beneficial for everyone involved and always brings such joy to our residents. We’re happy to welcome the students and their families any time they want to visit.”
Seeking Esther (susanlapin.typepad.com)
There is much that humans need to do and, tragically, too many people today, both Jewish and non-Jewish, are not standing up to the challenges of our time. However, no matter what we do, no matter how strong our military, no matter how advanced our technology, we need to deeply believe and modify our behavior in accordance with, the additional words, “God willing,” iin order to act as descendants of Moses and Esther. May God deliver us from evil today as He did long ago in Persia, reaffirming the blessing we say before reading the Book of Esther, “in those days as at this time.”

Seven Bible Feasts of JHWH

Posted on 2015/03/24 by Guestspeaker

By many Christians the death of Christ is celebrated on “Good Friday.” In different denominations we also do find the Easter celebration on the Day of Estra.

The world should know not all Christians do celebrate on heathen feast-days but do keep to the Biblical days of the feast given by the Most High. The world should also know that the origins of “Good Friday” may be questioned it even not being mentioned in the Bible. Not only does it not contain “Good Friday”, the Gospels do not even speak of a Friday Crucifixion.

In a few days time we shall encounter the day we should remember. It is not on a fixed date, every time falling on the same day of the present calendar we are using in the West. On the Jewish calendar it is always falling on the same day, namely the 14th of the first month of the year or 14 Nisan, which this year shall be from Friday evening April the 3rd until Saturday evening April the 4th. Nissan was made the first month of the year because it is the month in which the Jewish People were freed from slavery in Egypt, the house of bondage. That liberation is what we all should remember, plus a more important liberation as well, namely the liberation of all people. That general greater liberation happened by the Nazarene Jew Jeshua giving his body as a ransom for the sins of all people.

“In Nisan they were redeemed, and in Nisan they are destined to be redeemed in the future.”
(Rosh ha-Shanah 11a; Mechilta de-Rabbi Shimon bar Yochay 12:42; Tanchuma, Bo 9)

How true that is. Jeshua or Yeshua HaMashiach (Jesus the Messiah) suffered for us in the month of Nissan. We should remember this offer lamb who took care to do only the will of his heavenly Father and not his will. By his offering he made a bloodcovenant with the heavenly Father and made a turning point for humankind. He became the beginning of the New Creation, and was the first born of that New World. With him may we reckon all time beginning at the point of our redemption from sin and death.
Nisan is truly a new beginning for Jew and Gentile.

That evening millions of true Christians shall remember the last meal Jesus had with his disciples. The Christadelphian community in Belgium invites everybody to their remembrance meeting Friday April 3 after sunset.

***********

There are seven Bible Feasts of JHWH recorded in Leviticus chapter 23.

In the Gospel of John the main Feasts of God are Sukkot (John 7 – 10) and Pesach
(John 13 – 17).

In the book of Acts we read about Sjawuot (Acts 2), the Feast of Unleavened Bread (Acts 20:6) and again Sjawuot (Acts 20:16, Pentecost).

The first ”day” of the week (mia toon sabbatoon) is actually the first Sabbath week of a series of 7 Sabbaths before Sjawuot, counting fifty days till Sjawuot (Leviticus 23:16).

The Jewish and Gentile believers celebrated the Feasts of JHWH.

In the Apostolic Constitutions we read that the Christians met on Sabbath in the first three centuries.

After that time Rome changed the Sabbath in a Sunday.

Jesus rose from the dead on a Sabbath day.

The early Christians did not celebrate the unscriptural feasts of Sunday (dies solaris), X-mas and Eastern.

– Martin

The Sacrifice of the Old Covenant (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Find also:

Vrijdag 3 april 2015 een dag voor verenigde samenkomst ter herinnering

Miljoenen mensen zijn erbij — Komt u ook?

+++

Easter and it’s Pagan Origins (infobarrel.com)
Constantine and the Council of Nicaea sought to merge the religion of the Pagans with the religion of the Christians.

The mission sought out was to convert the Pagans to Christianity but in a way as not to shock them and completely turn them away. Constantine and Council of Nicaea came to the conclusion that if they were able to get the Christians and Pagans to celebrate similar holidays on the same day, then conversion would go more smoothly.
Brannon Howse: Church of Rome versus the gospel of the Bible – March 10, 2015 (thefreedomreport.us)
Former Catholic Priest of 22 years Richard Bennett on the gospel of the Church of Rome versus the gospel of the Bible.
It’s the postmodern experimentation of the New Testament that keeps it new (theguardian.com)
The gospels of the New Testament, compiled somewhere between AD50 and 110, get older every year. They also stay strikingly new, fuelled by a literary experimentalism that keeps them alive not as religious artefacts but as pieces of writing.
Did Christ die on a Friday? The fulfillment of the Sign of Jonah (biblethingsinbibleways.wordpress.com)
Yeshua died before the Sabbath and rose after the Sabbath. The biblical Sabbath Day coincides with the day which is presently known as Saturday. Using the above, Christian Denominations around the world believed, and still believe in the following hypothesis (Please note that the following will be disproved using Scripture subsequently)
+
Yeshua had to fulfill the Scriptures by being in the belly of the earth for three days and three nights. From the time of death and entombment to the time of resurrection and rising from the tomb should have been 3 days and 3 nights. So how is a Friday evening death and burial to sunday early morning resurrection provide 3 days & 3 nights? It barely gives 1 day and 2 nights. So what happened to the rest of the 2 days and 1 night?
New Age Christianity: The Crossless Gospel of Deception by Rocket Kirchner (dandelionsalad.wordpress.com)
if Europe is suffering from what many critics describe as “Metaphysical boredom”, then America is plagued by “Metaphysical lunacy”.
+
Have the New Agers ever stopped to think that the early Christians were martyred in Rome because they refused to put Jesus of Nazareth in the pantheon with the other gods? For to them He was God. The only One. Period. Now that may not prove that He was. But it does prove that they believed that He was. And many of them knew him when He actually walked the Earth. Forgiveness and reconciliation were not just a major part of Christ’s teachings, they were at the center of His teachings. And at the center of the center is that before there can be forgiveness and reconciliation between humans and other humans, it must first begin with God reconciling the world unto Himself. Enter the cross and vicarious expiatory blood sacrifice. In other words, according to the early followers of Jesus, He did not just die as a martyr. He died as a sacrifice for sin. Does this prove that it is a fact? No. But what it does prove is that this is what the early Christians believed to be a fact, and this was a matter of public record that they believed this. This sacrificial death motif is either misunderstood today or deliberately omitted. And we wonder why there is no world peace and why humans are not reconciled with each other. They first have to be reconciled with God. There is no short cut. First things first.
Passover Fast Facts (gantdaily.com)
Passover, also called Pesach, is the Jewish festival celebrating the exodus of the Israelites from Egyptian slavery in 1200s B.C. The story is chronicled in the Old Testament book of Exodus. In the book, Israelites marked their doorposts with lamb’s blood to protect children from the tenth plague: the slaughter of the first born. With the protective mark, the destruction would “pass over” the house.
Chuck Kolb 03/20/2015 abbreviated (conpats.blogspot.com)
This Shabbat is the last of the Four Parashiot that have special Torah readings in
preparation for Pesach (Passover), which is only two short weeks away !

It is called Shabbat HaChodesh (Sabbath [of the] month), and a special reading is
added from Exodus 12:1–20, which details the laws of Pesach (Passover).

This Sabbath also marks the first of the month (Rosh Chodesh), head of the month
of Nissan, which God ordained as the first month of the Biblical calendar.
It’s all about that Group (blogs.timesofisrael.com)
The Shem Meshmuel (as told to me by my Rebbe at YU Rav Herschel Reichman Shlitta) learns that GOD commanding Moshe to use the language of gathering when instructing the Jewish people to build the mishkan teaches us about the significance of our relationship to the Jewish people as a whole and our collective role as part of our holy people.
Torah for Today: What does the Torah say about.. Preparing for Pesach? (jewishnews.co.uk)
The hard work of Pesach cleaning is at odds with the obsessive desire for gratification. Why, then, do so many of us work so hard in preparation for this festival?

In fact, if one lists all the Jewish holidays and ask what proportion of Jews observe each one, the likely conclusion would be that the holidays most adhered to are the two most difficult: Pesach and Yom Kippur.

The very fact that people work so hard in preparation for Pesach (and fast on Yom Kippur and do other things which require self-sacrifice) is itself testimony to the potential for human beings to strive for something greater than instant gratification.
Grace Upon Grace (#LentChallenge) (enthusiasticallydawn.com)

Shabbat Pesach service reading 1/2

Posted on 2014/04/18 by Guestspeaker

Because this Shabbat (Sabbath) falls during Chag HaMatzot (Feast of Unleavened Bread), a special reading is inserted into the regular Torah reading cycle.

This special portion will be read in synagogues around the world during the Shabbat Pesach (Saturday Passover) service.

On this weekend as many believers are also celebrating the resurrection of the Messiah, it is fitting to recall the physical redemption of the Jewish People from Egypt. We know you will be blessed as you discover the Jewish roots of your faith in the King of Kings and Lord of Lords!

Shabbat Chol HaMoed Pesach (The Intermediate Sabbath of Passover)

Exodus 33:12–34:26; Numbers 28:16–25; Ezekiel 37:1–14; Luke 24

Handmade shmura matzo used at the Passover Seder especially for the mitzvot of eating matzo and afikoman. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

“You shall keep the Feast of Unleavened Bread [Chag HaMatzot]. Seven days you shall eat unleavened bread [matzah], as I commanded you, at the time appointed in the month Aviv, for in the month Aviv you came out from Egypt.” (Exodus 34:18)

An Orthodox Jewish boy eats a piece of matzah during Passover.

The Parsha (Scripture portion) for this Shabbat, which occurs in the middle of the Passover week, begins by describing the holy days of Pesach (Passover) and the Feast of Unleavened Bread (Chag HaMatzot) which last seven days.

These two special events are most often blended into one and just called Passover, but there is a crucial difference between the two, which we will explore in today’s study.

During the Passover time frame, there are three distinct events that represent three unique spiritual states or conditions of the soul:

Passover represents salvation: we are saved from the wrath of God by faith in the blood of the Passover Lamb.

“Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.” (John 1:29)

Jeshua (Jesus) was slain on Passover as the perfect fulfilment of the lamb that saved the Israelites on the very first Passover:

“And when I see the blood I will pass over you.” (Exodus 12:13)

Unleavened bread, also called matzah or the bread of affliction, represents sanctification.

Matzah is flat because it is devoid of yeast (chametz), which represents wickedness, pride and that which causes us to be puffed up or to think more highly of ourselves than we ought.

“Your boasting is not good. Don’t you know that a little yeast leavens the whole batch of dough? Get rid of the old yeast, so that you may be a new unleavened batch—as you really are. For Messiah, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed.” (1 Corinthians 5:6–7)

The matzah and wine of the ritual Pesach meal called a Seder (order).

Chametz is closely related to the Hebrew word chamutz, which means sour. Yeast is a souring agent. Likewise, sin causes bitterness in our soul.

“Therefore let us keep the Festival, not with the old bread leavened with malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread [matzah] of sincerity and truth.” (1 Corinthians 5:8)

The week of unleavened bread, therefore, represents sanctification accomplished through affliction, trials and testing, and the purging of pride in order to teach us humility and obedience by the things we suffer in our wilderness experiences.

“And you shall remember that the Lord your God led you all the way these forty years in the wilderness, to humble you and test you, to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep His commandments or not.” (Deuteronomy 8:2)

A tour group takes shelter from the sun under a lone acacia tree in Israel’s desert.

First Fruits, also called Bikkurim in Hebrew, which occurs the day after the first day of Unleavened Bread (although there is some disagreement as to the timing), represents resurrection.Just as the barley is offered up to the Lord as the first crop after winter, so Jeshua was also raised from the dead on the Feast of Firstfruits.

“But now the Messiah is risen from the dead, and has become the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep.” (1 Corinthians 15:20)

From these distinct elements within Passover, we can understand that between the events of salvation and resurrection is a process of sanctification.

Passover → Unleavened Bread → First Fruits

Salvation → Sanctification → Resurrection

A crop of barley in Israel

Additional reading:

+++

The Beauty of Pesach (Passover) (guardmyheart423.wordpress.com)
Most people, if you know the Bible, know that Passover comes from the account of the Children of Israel’s deliverance from slavery in ancient Egypt. Over 400 years of tears and sweat and blood and agony…Finally, HaShem sends a deliverer – Moshe. Speaks to him through a bush on fire that was not consumed and sends 10 plagues upon the land until Pharoah finally lets up and sends them away, practically.
+
Our striped, bruised, pierced, and broken matzah (Yeshua) was raised from the dead, conquering death and hasatan (the deceiver) for good!
We patiently await His return and follow in His footsteps and keep the Feast in all diligence and in His memory. (1 Cor.5:6-8; Luke 22:19; 1 Cor.11:24-25)
Chag Pesach Kasher v’Sameach : חַג כָשֵׁר וְשָׂמֵחַ (jewsdownunder.wordpress.com)
the lessons derived from the Egyptian slavery and the resulting redemption provide a powerful base for Jewish faith and ethics. The journey initiated during Pesach, that of a nation of slaves racing towards freedom, reaches its climax with the festival of Shavuot, without a rendezvous with God at Mt. Sinai. Here the Jews’ new-found freedom finds its purpose.
G-dfearers Participation In Shabbat, And Pesach According To Toby Janicki (paradoxparables.justparadox.com)
Here are some quotes from Toby Janicki author if the book Godfearers and staff writer for First Fruits if Zion regarding Gentile observance of Shabbat and Pesach in the Apostolic Community.
+
“Our Master Yeshua chose the wine and the matzah of a Passover Seder to represent his body and blood. More than just learning about and celebrating the concept of freedom from oppression and exile, for disciples of Messiah, the seder celebrates Yeshua’s atoning death and resurrection while remaining firmly grounded and centered on God’s deliverance of the Jewish people from Egypt.” Toby Janicki
Let my people go! – Pesach (Passover)/ The Feast of Unleavened Bread (chandlerozconsultants.wordpress.com) >Let my people go, that they may serve me
‘Pesach’, usually called ‘The Passover’ in English, is the greatest of the Judaic festivals and the oldest in the Jewish calendar. Like the Christian Easter, it varies in date from year to year, occurring in the Spring and lasting for seven or eight days, not all of which are taken as holidays.
+
The festival remains essentially a family gathering for remembrance and rejoicing in freedom. In Jewish tradition the festival is known as ‘The Season of Release’, the central theme of which can be interpreted on three levels.
Passover 2014: the Jewish festival explained (independent.co.uk)
As sundown on Monday evening marks the beginning of Passover, we answer some frequently asked questions on one of the most important festivals in the Jewish year.
+
To commence a week of complex dietary restrictions, family and friends gather for the Seder meal served on a special ceremonial dish. Eaten in a symbolic, the dinner includes a lamb bone, a roasted egg, a green vegetable to dip in salt water, bitter herbs made from horseradish and a paste made of chopped apples, walnuts and wine called Charoset.
+
Moshiach’s Feast, beginning before sunset and continuing until after nightfall, concludes the festival. The meal anticipates the arrival of the Messiah, stared on the first day of Passover when a glass of wine is left out for Elijah.
A Symbolic look at Pesach (Passover) (bibleanswergirl.wordpress.com)
Many people read the Old Testament (Tanakh) and do not read the New Testament (B’rit Hadashah). Conversely, there are a large number of people who read the New Testament and neglect to read the Old Testament. In order to properly understand God’s Holy Scriptures we must read and study both the Old Testament and the New Testament.
+

The Matzah is symbolic of the manna the Israelites ate in the wilderness. It also symbolizes Jesus.

John 6:35 And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.

Jesus was born in Bethlehem, which means House of Bread and He was buried on the Feast of Unleavened Bread.
Unleavened bread (propheticsteps.com)
The feasts of the Lord are of great significance. Their historical importance for the Jewish people and the church should not be overlooked. The most discussed and well-known are the feasts of Passover and Pentecost, for good reason. The other feasts are just as important.
+
The difference between bread and crackers, really, is leaven, yeast, hot air. Are we puffed up by our leaven? Has our sin transformed us into something we were never meant to be? That is what sin does, it turns us into something far different from what God would have us be.
Donut Versus Matzah: A Passover Lesson On Arrogance (kissmymezuza.wordpress.com)
On Passover we don’t eat chametz (leavened bread products). They symbolize arrogance. Arrogance is something that doesn’t last. For example, if we left a donut (chametz) around for a couple of months it would grow mold and rot.

Chocolate donut (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Matzah represents humility. Humility is a lasting trait. If we leave matzah around for a couple of months, it’s still good. A humble person endures.
Passover 2014: Date, History, Traditions (latinopost.com)
Jewish people everywhere are saying goodbye to bread, because Passover begins tonight, Monday, April 14, at sundown. The eight-day holiday, which is one of the biggest holidays in the Jewish calendar, ends on Tuesday, April 22.The holiday is always celebrated in early spring, from the 15th through the 22nd of the Hebrew months of Nissan. The holiday commemorates the emancipation of the Israelites from slavery in Egypt, and celebrates the freedom that the Jewish people now enjoy.
+
Seders are only held on the first two nights of Passover. During the rest of the holiday, chametz, or leavened products, are not eaten until the holiday comes to an end.
Timely Growth (belgianbiblestudents.wordpress.com)
Serious lovers of God and Biblestudents do want to live according to the Law of God and are grateful that they may remember one of the most important happenings in the history of Israel, the People of God, and the liberation of the whole world by the instalment of the New Covenant.

Entrance of a king to question our position #2 Who do we want to see and to be

Posted on 2014/04/14 by Marcus Ampe

Previously

In the previous writing we looked at the multitudes, being more obedient and yielding to the effect of the sign, who went to meet the Christ, hymning him as one who had conquered death, and carrying palm branches. And they do not praise him with ordinary language, but quote from the inspired Scripture that which was beautifully spoken with regard to him; confessing that he was indeed King of Israel, whom also they called specially their own king, accepting the lord-ship of the Christ.

We also saw that they spoke about the Son, they say, is Blessed: not because he who blesseth all things and guards them from destruction, and who is of the ineffable essence of the Father, receives the blessing which comes from the Father; but because the blessing which is due to One Who is God and Lord by Nature is offered to him from us, inasmuch as he came in the Name of the Lord.

Knowing his place under God

Many people in the old times as in the contemporary time do not see the prophetic language, which was quoted very suitably, with regard to that man that entered the gates of Jerusalem on a colt. For indeed some are called lords, who are not such by nature, but have the honourable name granted to them by favour. Many of them do not see the difference between tittles and names and do not remember that in the Holy Scriptures there is also spoken of a lot of gods and lords. In the Book of books men are also called “true,” when they abstain from falsehood: but this is not the thing to say with regard to Christ; for he is not called “Truth” for the reason that he does not speak falsely, but because he has that nature which is altogether superior to falsehood. He was a real man of flesh and blood and bones, having placed in the womb of his mother Miriam (Mary/Maria) from the lineage of king David. Though coming from a blue blood family, he was a simple ‘carpenters’ son. His earthly father Joseph was a skilled labourer. Jesus knew very well his place in the community, but also knew the task given by his heavenly Father, which was more important than his position on earth, where he could do nothing without his Father in heaven; Who is grater than him.

John 5:19-20 ESV So Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of his own accord, but only what he sees the Father doing. For whatever the Father does, that the Son does likewise. (20) For the Father loves the Son and shows him all that he himself is doing. And greater works than these will he show him, so that you may marvel.

Showing the work of his Father and the way to God

In the short period of Jesus his public life, he did many miracles, but never claimed to do them by himself, and never wanting people to thank him, but told them to thank his heavenly Father, Whom is also our Father.

Jesus Christ fragment before his death

John 14:6-7 ESV Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. (7) If you had known me, you would have known my Father also. From now on you do know him and have seen him.”

John 14:28-31 ESV You heard me say to you, ‘I am going away, and I will come to you.’ If you loved me, you would have rejoiced, because I am going to the Father, for the Father is greater than I. (29) And now I have told you before it takes place, so that when it does take place you may believe. (30) I will no longer talk much with you, for the ruler of this world is coming. He has no claim on me, (31) but I do as the Father has commanded me, so that the world may know that I love the Father. Rise, let us go from here.

The love of Jesus Christ (Jeshua from Nazareth) was with his heavenly Father, to whom he always prayed and taught others to pray to Him as well.

On Palm Sunday Catholics pray.

Almighty and everlasting God, who didst ordain that our Lord Jesus Christ should sit upon the foal of an ass, and didst teach the multitude to spread their garments or branches of trees in the way and to sing Hosanna to His praise: grant, we beseech Thee, that we may be able to imitate their innocence and deserve to partake of their merit.

A redeemer for the people coming to Jerusalem

Triumphal entry into Jerusalem – The Osnabrück Altarpiece (detail) Unknown Master, German (active 1370s in Westphalia)

Never did Jesus ask the people to honour him. Jesus was an humble man. This holy week we better think about that humbleness he kept. We should think about that man about whom the children cried out, saying:

This is he that is come for the salvation of the people. He is our salvation, and the redemption of Israel. How great is he whom the Thrones and Dominions go forth to meet! Fear not, O daughter of Sion; behold thy King cometh to thee sitting on an ass’s colt, as it is written.

By this man, sent form God, salvation could come over the people there but also here now.

The multitude in Jesus his time went forth to meet their redeemer with flowers and palms, and paid the homage due to a triumphant conqueror:

the Gentiles proclaim the Son of God; and their voices thunder through the skies in praise of Christ: Hosanna in the highest!

It was the time for the this one seated on the colt:

Blessed is He that cometh in the Name of the Lord: Hosanna in the Highest!

As Jeshua entered the holy city, the Hebrew children, went declaring the resurrection of life, with palm branches, cried out:

Hosanna in the highest.

An appeal to be stopped

The people in charge of Jerusalem city and its temple did not like it at all that when the people heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem, they went forth to meet him, showing more interest in him than in what the priests had to tell in what they considered to be the House of God.

For them it was better that this “Saviour” would not get any more attention. He had already received to much followers because he had taken their amazement by the many miracles he had done. His followers were also calling to take up the same mind which Christ Jesus showed them. How could they talk about his nature coming from the first, divine, and yet he did not see, in the rank of Godhead, a prize to be coveted (Philippians 2: 5-11).

Jesus, like his earthly parents Mary and Joseph, knew his origin, but he did not want to boast by his descent. He dispossessed himself, and took the nature of a slave, fashioned in the likeness of men, and presenting himself to us as a humble man doing the works of his Father in heaven. He lowered his own dignity, accepted an obedience which even was going to bring him to his death, death on a wooden stake.

A name given to be greater

We should know that that is why God has raised him to such a height, given him that name which is greater than any other name; so that everything in heaven and on earth and under the earth must bend the knee before the name of Jesus, and every tongue must confess Jesus Christ as the lord, dwelling in the glory of God the Father.

Philipppians 2:5-11 ESV Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, (6) who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, (7) but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. (8) And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. (9) Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, (10) so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, (11) and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Not own will but the Will of the Father

Jesus his mind had always been on trying to do what God wanted from him. He also learned the apostles that nothing that we do means anything if the mind is not continuously fixed on God. All labour, all study, all service and sacrifice and suffering, are useless if we do not keep God before our mind, for none of it is serving its intended purpose. Like Jesus always did everything for God we always should remember: if we also are not consciously doing it for God — in love of God — it is fruitless and meaningless in any eternal sense. The mind fixed on God — in total harmony with God — is the ultimate goal and purpose of all. If any activity is not contributing to this purpose, but rather diverting the mind from it to its own self, then that activity is counter-productive and destructive, however “good” it may be. It has usurped the position of God in our heart and mind and thoughts. It has become idolatry.

Pope Francis I on Palm Sunday

Pope Francis leads the Palm Sunday mass at Saint Peter's Square at the Vatican April 13, 2014. REUTERS-Alessandro Bianchi

Pope Francis leads the Palm Sunday mass at Saint Peter’s Square at the Vatican April 13, 2014. – Credit: Reuters/Alessandro Bianchi

The tired and somber-looking Pope Francis I, who led a Palm Sunday service before more than 100,000 people, opening two packed weeks of activities including Easter and the canonization of two popes, rode into the square of the Vatican on a white jeep and stopped at the centre of the square to bless palm and olive branches. He delivered an impromptu homily, putting aside the one he had prepared.

Francis spoke of the events on the last two days of Jesus’ life – his betrayal by Judas, his arrest, beating, trial and crucifixion – and asked his listeners to think hard about who they resembled more, those who helped Jesus or those who condemned him, betrayed him or were indifferent to his fate. For us this holy week we should think seriously about what had happened, what the people undertook and should question which site we do want to take.

We all could wonder like the pontiff:

“Where is my heart? Who among these people am I like? This question will remain with us all week.”

For the second straight year, Francis, whose has said the Roman Catholic Church must be closer to the poor and suffering, is holding two services for Holy Thursday outside one of Rome’s basilicas. In one he will wash and kiss the feet of elderly people in a nursing home to commemorate Jesus’ gesture of humility to his apostle on the night before he died.

14 April 2014 = 14 Nisan and the Holy Week

Tonight, April 14, we shall remember in our service this particular moment at the beginning of 14 Nisan, when the sun goes down and darkness might come over the world.

“For the infant Church, ‘Palm Sunday’ was not a thing of the past,”

wrote Pope Benedict XVI in Jesus of Nazareth: Holy Week (Ignatius, 2011).

“Just as the Lord entered the Holy City that day on a donkey, so too the Church saw him coming again and again in the humble form of bread and wine.”

That “Bread and Wine“, the symbols of a New Covenant we shall remember tonight.

“At the Last Supper, on the night when he was betrayed, our savior instituted the eucharistic sacrifice of his body and blood”,

states the Vatican II Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy,

“He did this in order to perpetuate the sacrifice of the Cross throughout the centuries until He should come again, and so to entrust to His beloved spouse, the Church, a memorial of His death and resurrection: a sacrament of love, a sign of unity, a bond of charity, a paschal banquet in which Christ is eaten, the mind is filled with grace, and a pledge of future glory is given to us” (par. 47).

Form of a slave

The Catholic Church states also that Saint Paul in the great Christological hymn in his letter to the Philippians wrote that

“Christ Jesus, though he was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God something to be grasped”

They say the Son of God came in the “form of a slave” and humbled himself, accepting the cruelty of death on the cross. This, of course, was a most astounding, unexpected descent, flowing from the love the Father and the obedience of the son.

In the eyes of the world, the cross was complete and utter defeat. A ‘cross’ is the sign of the god Tammuz, the god of evil and “son god”, and by presenting this man nailed on that sign of evil they consider this evil conquered. The symbol of this son god would also be used to present the Christian son god or God the son (or god-son).

But, as pope Benedict XVI in Jesus of Nazareth: Holy Week (Ignatius, 2011) noted, “The hour of the Cross is the hour of the Father’s true glory.”

The pilgrims who accompanied Jesus cried out, “Hosanna” (that is, “Save us!”), sang the praises of the Son of David, and told the unsettled city dwellers:

“This is Jesus the prophet, from Nazareth in Galilee.”

Not his will but the Will of his Father

Many had been greatly troubled by the news of Jesus’ birth (Matthew 2:2-3), now the city was upset by this display of joyful praise; the stage was set for the arrest and crucifixion of Christ, where the vertical and horizontal movements would meet according to Catholics on the Cross.

Veringendorf St. Michael Gethsemane-Scene Detail of the left column of the choir, facing the nave, showing the Agony in the Garden (Jesus Christ praying in the garden Gethsemane )

Many have forgotten what Jesus did and whom he really was. This humble man had feelings like we and was also very afraid , like we can be. Also he doubted a moment about the position of God in his life. The gospel-writers were not afraid to write it down, so that we too could see how agony could be come master of the inner soul of Christ Jesus. We this week should also remember that cry of that man of flesh and blood, who sweated in the garden of Gethsemane. There he brought his last hours with his disciples and asked them to pray with him. There it was that Jesus said prayers to his Father in fear of what would be coming; Though there he also declared that not his will should happen. Clearly we get to know that not Jesus his will is most important, but the Will of Jesus his Father, the Only One God of gods.

Matthew 6:10 ESV Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.

Those words should remind us that Jesus also said:

Matthew 7:21 ESV “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.

For Christ Jesus this doing the will of the Father was most important.

John 4:34 ESV Jesus said to them, “My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to accomplish his work.

A call to witness

The God of our fathers appointed Jesus and his apostles, including Saul (Paul) to know His Will, to see the Righteous One and to hear a voice from his mouth, so that they could be a witness for him to everyone of what they have seen and heard. (Acts of the Apostles 22:14-15)

Luke 22:39-44 ESV And he came out and went, as was his custom, to the Mount of Olives, and the disciples followed him. (40) And when he came to the place, he said to them, “Pray that you may not enter into temptation.” (41) And he withdrew from them about a stone’s throw, and knelt down and prayed, (42) saying, “Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me. Nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done.” (43) And there appeared to him an angel from heaven, strengthening him. (44) And being in an agony he prayed more earnestly; and his sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground.

A Spirit like God has no flesh, no blood, no bones, but Jesus had it all. He was the promise of God, the Word spoken in the Garden of Eden, that had become flesh and had brought words of truth. It was up to people to listen to those words and to take them at heart, or to ignore what they say.

Words of the Trusted One who does not forsake

Jesus had always loved and trusted the Words of his Father and had explained them to others. He also had told them they could come to his Father and trust Him. But now looking at death Jesus also was taken by fear and felt that it looked like God was far, far away from him. In case Jesus would have been God he would not have been afraid of death,because he clearly knew it could do nothing to God, or even to God’s people. But now, being a man of flesh and blood, coming into the reality to face that horror, he too was taken by fear. He also wondered, like many of us, if it could not have been that God left him on his own. He also cried like many of us want to do at certain moments:

Passion of Jesus (Jesus in the olive garden and Veronica wipes the face of Jesus) on painted tables in the Church of Saint Ingenuinus

Matthew 27:46 ESV …. “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” that is, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”

As ordinary man, also afraid of death we to shall remember those words Jesus cried out about three in the afternoon in his own Aramaic language. He was calling to Eli, the Elohim his God, Who is also the God of Abraham and the God of Moses. He did not call onto himself but on the Only One Divine Creator.

Remembering tragic events

Today we are going to remember those tragic events and would like to call also

“My God, my God, look upon me;”

We should know that God did not leave his son in the dark. God was willing to take this man as a complete offering, the purest Lamb the world could give as ransom.

We should see that man and should see ourselves placed in his world. We, perhaps may also ask

Why cannot my sinful words reach Thee, Who art my salvation?

some people even might say:

Thou dost not answer, my God, when I cry out to Thee day and night and I am patient still. Thou art there nontheless, dwelling in the holy place Israel’s ancient boast. It was in Thee that our fathers trusted, and Thou didst reward their trust by delivering them. They cried to Thee, and rescue came; no need to be ashamed of such trust as theirs.

Are we not poor worms having no manhood left?

Where in this world we would like to stand

We should question ourselves where in this world we would like to stand and whom we would like to be. Do we want to be of this world or just living in this world where others may consider us a by-word, the laughing-stock of the rabble. Are we wanting to go with everybody keeping up traditions, like having Easter decorations and chocolate eggs searchings in the garden on Easter Sunday, telling children the bells are coming from Rome to throw eggs? (What do those bells and eggs have to do with the resurrection of Christ?)

Do we want to catch sight of us falling to mocking; mouthing out insults, while others toss their heads in scorn. Do we want to accept that Jesus was really a man who really died and not fake his death because God can not die? Are we willing to commit ourselves like Jesus committed himself to his heavenly Father? Are we not afraid that we do not always feel God around us? Are we accepting that we at moments can be week and also like Jesus may wonder why we do not feel God to be with us?

Do you ever have questions why “the Lord” does not come to your rescue and set you as His favourite free? Did you, when you felt abandoned by God, ever ask yourself if you were praising the right god? Have you ever thought if you were worshipping the right god or person or spirit?

These days when we remember the Passion of Jesus Christ, looking back at the time when Jesus had ended all these words which we can find written down in the New Testament, are we willing to place ourselves in the whole story and see the full picture?

Let us look at the disciples who even got more afraid after Jesus had died, but when the Comforter had come, found ways to get over their fear and went out in the world to preach.

Night of remembrance

They also kept remembering the exodus of God His people from slavery, but also remembered the moment that whilst they were at supper in the upper room in Jerusalem, Jesus took bread, and blessed, and broke: and gave to his disciples, and said:

Take ye, and eat. This is My body. And taking the chalice, He gave thanks, and gave to them, saying: Drink ye all of this. For this is My blood of the new testament, which shall be shed for many unto remission of sins. And I say to you, I will not drink from henceforth of this fruit of the vine, until that day when I shall drink it with you new in the kingdom of My Father.

Let us not be scandalized in Jesus this night. Let us come together tonight to sit down and pray that we may not enter into temptation. We should be aware that the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak. We should be stronger than human tradition and show the world where we do want to stand in this world.

Behold, the hour is at hand that we remember that the Son of Man was betrayed into the hands of sinners. Let us go to feel united with the one who was sent by the heavenly Father to save us from all evil. Let us see how then the Scriptures are fulfilled, that thus it happened some two thousand years ago.

We should look at the man who was accused by the chief priests and the elders, who made no answer, so that the procurator wondered exceedingly. Pilate knew that they had delivered Jesus up out of envy. Also his wife sent to him, saying,

“Have nothing to do with that Just Man, for I have suffered many things in a dream today because of Him.”

Who do you want to be and what do you want to believe?

Are you willing to listen to such dreams and such talks from others? Do you want to believe those few people at that time who saw in Jesus the promised Messiah and accepted him as the son of God, the sent one from above? Or do you prefer to follow the same thoughts as the Pharisees and those who accused Christ of saying he was equal with God?

Do you want to be like the two robbers which were crucified with Jesus, one on his right hand and one on his left, who when the passers-by were jeering at him, shaking their heads, were saying,

“Thou Who destroyest the temple, and in three days buildest it up again, save Thyself! If Thou art the Son of God, come down from the cross!”

In like manner, the chief priests with the Scribes and the elders, mocking, said,

“He saved others, Himself He cannot save! If He is the King of Israel, let Him come down now from the cross, and we will believe Him. He trusted in God; let Him deliver Him now, if He wants Him; for He said, “I am the Son of God.”

What do you need to believe Jesus is really the son of God and not god the son?

Do you feel with Jesus when at the ninth hour (3 p.m.) Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying,

“Eli, Eli, lamma sabacthani.”

That is,

“My God, My God, why have You forsaken me?”

God can not die but on that day Jesus again cried out with a loud voice, and gave up his spirit. And behold, the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom; and the earth quaked, and the rocks were rent, and the tombs were opened, and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep arose; and coming forth out of the tombs after his resurrection, they came into the holy city, and appeared to many. Now when the centurion, and those who were with him keeping guard over Jesus, saw the earthquake and the things that were happening, they were very much afraid, and they said,

“Truly He was the Son of God.”

What do you want more?

Do you need extra wonders or spectacular events before you want to believe who Christ Jesus is? Are would you be willing to accept the stories which God allowed to continue through the ages and to reach many people in many languages?

Are you willing to tell the Most High that you know you need no other gift to set before Him, because the ransom paid by God His son Jeshua by God His Majesty may obtain for us the grace of devotion, and ensure us an eternity of bliss. Through our lord Jesus Christ His Son.

We should know that it is truly meet and just, right and for our salvation, that we should at all times, and in all places, give thanks unto the Father of Jesus Christ, who like Jesus looked at Him and praised Him, we also should worship Him as the Only One God Whose Will we want to do.

That we may pray tonight to the Most High and be thankful that He wanted to accept that offering by His son, so that we can have light and eternal life. To this Most Holy Father Almighty, everlasting God Who didst establish the salvation of mankind, by the death of His beloved son on the tree, that whence death came thence also life might arise again, and that he, who overcame by the tree, by the tree also might be overcome.

Tonight we shall look on a special way to the symbols and place in our minds how that man born in Bethlehem made that our sins be purged away, and our just desires fulfilled.

We shall be looking at Jesus on the donkey, thinking we are no donkey. But perhaps it would not be bad to night to see ways in which we can identify with him. A colt is meant to work hard, are we? Do we want to carry Jesus and have also all have heavy burdens to bear?
Being a Christian we shall not be liked so much by others. And when we only want to worship One God, we shall be in the minority outvoted by the world.

Are you prepared to take your humble position in this world like Jesus took his position, only willing to do the Will of his Father?

Preceding article: Entrance of a king to question our position #1 Coming in the Name of the Lord

Find also to read:

Additional reading:

+++

Gazing at the Crucified Christ (prayersofmysoul.wordpress.com)
We see Jesus looking at each of us with great tenderness and compassion. We hear him promising forgiveness and eternal life to anyone who turns to him in repentance. We see a Messiah who loves us unconditionally, who loves us enough to endure and conquer not only our sins but death itself.
“The Emptied-Out God” (stgregoryschurch.typepad.com)
We call this Sunday “the Sunday of the Passion” as if the passion of our Lord began with his entrance into Jerusalem. But in his letter to the Philippians (2:5-11)
Hosanna! (kswptim.wordpress.com)
Do you welcome Jesus into your life, into your home, school, or where you work?Is He declared Lord and Savior by you for all to see and hear?Or will you deny Him later in the week; turn away from Him and let Him die in your life?When you take Jesus as Savior, He is Savior all the time – not just one day a week but every day of the week.
Jesus is my Joy, Jesus is true peace (jesusmygodforever.wordpress.com)
There are so many people in this world who just don’t know Jesus, and it’s sad because he truly yearns for all of us to be in a close relationship with him, he yearns to save all of us from death, destruction, hell. He yearns for our days to be filled with a great peace that no man can obtain without Jesus giving his peace to them. No matter what anyone says how happy they are or how peaceful their hearts are if they don’t know Jesus as their Lord then they cannot know true peace.
Palm Sunday, a day to reflect (endtimebibleprophecy.wordpress.com)
The day that our Lord and Savior would ride into Jerusalem to celebrate Passover, while riding on the back of a donkey, the King of kings, the Lord of lords. Coming in peace, love, and hope. Humbling Himself before the nation of Israel.
+
Many did not believe that Jesus was the Messiah spoken of in the Old Testament. He did not meet the expectations of whom they believed their King should be. He did not come with great force and to conquer their enemies. But instead came in quiet and peacefully. Yet, many today still do not believe that Jesus is Lord.
Palm Sunday 2014. At the Name of Jesus Every Knee Shall Bow. St. Matthew 21. 1-11 (deprofundisclamaviadtedomine.wordpress.com)
The crowd reads Jesus’ actions as proclaiming that He is the King. And even the people of Jerusalem pay attention, the citizens of the city the Lord chose for His dwelling place, the temple. Living in such a holy place, the people of Jerusalem aren’t easily impressed by people claiming to be prophets. But today, on Palm Sunday, when the crowds of Passover pilgrims raise the festal shout of salvation, they ask, “Who is this?” (21:10) And the answer comes back, “This is the prophet Jesus, from Nazareth in Galilee.” (21:11)
Palm Sunday-hymn for Today (berry20nice.wordpress.com)
The Gates of Jerusalem (christinesunderland.com)
The great festivals of the year mark our time on earth, our passage, our pilgrimage from birth to death. Where was I last Palm Sunday? Where will I be Palm Sunday 2015? We mark time with festivals, for time is limited, making it precious; numbered days are valuable days. Was I journeying closer to God or away from him?
Palm Sunday – “o Gates, Lift High Your Heads” (prayers4reparation.wordpress.com)
He, the Lord of hosts, he is the king of glory.
Hosanna in the highest!
Hosanna to Hallelujah (my52sundays.wordpress.com)
From ancient times Christians have brought palm branches home from church on Palm Sunday. Some place them on the wall behind a cross or sacred picture. Farmers would bury palm branches in the corners of their fields.
As time went on, many people added a twist to this tradition by weaving the palms into a cross, a picture frame, or a flower. Some of these were very elaborate, requiring considerable craftsmanship which was passed on in families from generation to generation.The holiest week of the year begins today. But the world doesn’t stop. Everything goes on, all the regular TV programs, the regular work schedule, income taxes, all of our daily chores. So…if I want this to be a “holy week” what do I do? I decide.

Who Would You Rather Listen To?

Posted on 2014/04/10 by Guestspeaker

Next weekend we will be looking forward to the most important days of the year for Jews and Christians.
Those who believe the Nazarene Jew Jeshua is the promised Messiah, have that extra dimension to the celebrations. First there is the remembrance of this rabbi who took his disciples in the upper room to commemorate the great deliverance of God His people.
The exodus of the People of Israel is not only the story of their liberation of slavery, it is also our liberation from the slavery of death, by remembering the restored relationship with the Most High Elohim.

As Christians we shall come together on 14 Nisan to remember the instalment of the New Covenant, and the opening of the narrow gate to the Kingdom of God, to join God’s chosen People. Christians and Jews should learn the same lessons from their Holy Scriptures and go out into the world to show the Master Hand of the Most High to all around them.

+

Additional reading:

Jeshua or Jesus the Christ or Messiah

Are the Jews really God’s Chosen People

The Evolution Of Passover–Past To Present

Commemorating the escape from slavery

Passover and Liberation Theology

1 -15 Nisan

Day of remembrance coming near

Another way looking at a language #4 Ancient times

Self inflicted misery #5 A prophet without a hedge around him

The Advent of the saviour to Roman oppression

Seven days of Passover

On the first day for matzah

A Great Gift commemorated

Jesus memorial

Observance of a day to Remember

A new exodus and offering of a Lamb

In what way were sacrifices “shadows”?

What does ‘atonement’ mean?

Why did Jesus say he wouldn’t drink wine again until the kingdom when he ate and drank other things? (Mark 14:25)

Children ate the OT passover so why not NT bread and wine?

Deliverance and establishement of a theocracy

14 Nisan a day to remember #1 Inception

14 Nisan a day to remember #2 Time of Jesus

14 Nisan a day to remember #3 Before the Passover-feast

14 Nisan a day to remember #4 A Lamb slain

14 Nisan a day to remember #5 The Day to celebrate

Around the feast of Unleavened Bread

High Holidays not only for Israel

Festival of Freedom and persecutions

14-15 Nisan and Easter

The Song of The Lamb #7 Revelation 15

Servant of his Father

For the Will of Him who is greater than Jesus

A Messiah to die

Anointing of Christ as Prophetic Rehearsal of the Burial rites

Death of Christ on the day of preparation

How many souls did the death of Jesus pay for?

Swedish theologian finds historical proof Jesus did not die on a cross

Why 20 Nations Are Defending the Crucifix in Europe

Impaled until death overtook him

Misleading Pictures

A time for everything

2013 Lifestyle, religiously and spiritualy

Fixing our attention

Control your destiny or somebody else will

Allowed to heal

A secret to be revealed

Your Sins Are Forgiven

Slave for people and God

Liberation in Christ

Not bounded by labels but liberated in Christ

Holidays, holy days and traditions

A Holy week in remembrance of the Blood of life

Peter Cottontail and a Bunny laying Eastereggs

Bread and Wine

Around the feast of Unleavened Bread

The son of David and the first day of the feast of unleavened bread

Deliverance and establishment of a theocracy

Focus on outward appearances

Fraternal week-end at Easter in Paris

+++

Related articles

End Times Matrix News – Nisan Uprising (twclark66.wordpress.com)
This edition of ETMN covers many breaking stories in the first hour including the discussion about the subconscious programming in movies and television about the end of America. The second hour discusses the month of Nisan and April and the tragedies related to American history.

The Spiritual Journey from Purim Through Pesach by Rabbi Marcia Prager (kolaleph.org)
If you have been watching the night sky, perhaps you saw the first sliver of the new moon last week. In the Jewish world, we’re moon-watchers, because each new month begins on the new “moon-th.” In early Spring, or sometimes even late winter, we celebrate the New Moon of the Hebrew month called Adar, the month whose motto is: “With the month of Adar, Joy increases!” Why ? – because winter is winding down, and the festival of Purim is coming!

One month later we’ll see another new moon, which arrives in the night sky to really herald the coming of spring!. This new moon ushers in the month of Nisan, The Month of Spring: liberation from the tight cold of winter! Rebirth! Fifteen days later, on the full moon of Nisan, what happens? The festival of Pesach/Passover!
+

During Pesach God blazingly reveals God’s Self to us as the ultimate liberating power, bringing us out of Mitzrayim, and then on to Sinai to covenant with us as a nation. With drama and a cast of thousands, God intervenes in history to liberate an oppressed people and bring us into freedom.

We escape from slavery, and trek into the wilderness of Sinai. At Sinai, God reveals God’s Self to us with lightning and claps of thunder.

We receive Torah and learn to understand freedom in an entirely new way: freedom as commitment.

We will serve no ruler but God.

We hear God call to us: “Be holy, for I, the One Power that “Gods” you, am holy.” (Leviticus 19:2)

We commit ourselves and all future generations to this striving: to be a holy people in a brit olam, an eternal covenant with the Creator of the Universe.

A Survey Of Ebionite Jewish-Christian Scriptures Regarding Gentile Conversion, Judaism, Kashrut, Circumcision, Shabbat, Tefilah and Mikveh Tevilah (paradoxparables.justparadox.com)
“Should Gentile converts to faith in Jesus be required to be circumcised in order to be full members of God’s People? After all, they reasoned, circumcision was an eternal commandment from the days of Abraham on. At the time Gentiles who half-converted to Judaism were called “Godfearers” (Yireh Elohim). Those who moved beyond the Godfearers were called “Converts” (Gerim), and to be a convert one had to experience the covenant blade,” says Scot McKnight.

Christianity Has No Saving Power Only In HaDerech Is Elohims Salvation (spyghana.com)
Christians believe the faith they profess in any brand of Christianity renders them worthy and eligible for Heaven! It is sad to say, however, that all Christians will be utterly disappointed in this because none of them belonging to the countless and diverse denominations of Christianity, qualify for Heaven!

Judaism (whatshotn.wordpress.com)
For one thing much of our culture has been influenced by Judaism. In seminary I studied the Hebrew Bible, what we call the Old Testament, and had to learn to read and write Hebrew and translate specific Biblical texts. I have had several Jewish friends. So I am entering into a religion that I am more familiar and comfortable with.

Judaism is the oldest of the world’s four great monotheistic religions. It’s also the smallest, with only about 12 million followers around the world.

This Week’s Torah Portion – VAYIKRA (And He Called)(terri0729.wordpress.com)
God made Nisan the first month of the year because it was the month in which
the Jewish people were freed from slavery in Egypt.

So too, may we remember our freedom from the slavery of sin and death through
Yeshua (Jesus) the Messiah.

The High Holy Days for Atonement – 2012 A.D. (moshebarabraham2013.wordpress.com)
As we prepare for The High Holy Days of Midian, Israel, and Ishmael, we seek Atonement through Fasting and Prayer as handed down to us from our Ancestors under The Covenant of Abraham (COA), Ibrahiym.

Resources for Passover (christinachronicles.com)
Here are some of the resources I have come across that can be useful as we prepare for teaching and observing this set-apart season to YeHoVaH.

“Passover Seder Meal” by Tina Teehankee (santuariodesanantonio.wordpress.com)
We invite families and friends to attend a Christian ritual that allow us to return to the sources of our past that is the very ground of our being. Such a ritual is the Passover Seder Meal.
+
The holiday commemorates two events: (1) the deliverance from Egyptian bondage as the beginning of national history and (2) the time of the barley season, a remembrance of the relationship of Israel with the land. Passover is celebrated at the Synagogue and at home. The celebration at home is a re-enactment of the Exodus from Egypt; God’s redemptive liberation of Israel from slavery and spiritual misery. The purpose of the Seder Meal and the directed conversation at table is to draw relationships between the Passover and important New Testament truths. It is vital to our understanding of these relationships that we recognize that Jesus was a faithful Jew who observed Judaic laws. It was within Judaism that Christianity was born and wherein it found essential elements of its faith and cult.

Good Friday or Passover? (biblethingsinbibleways.wordpress.com)
As some celebrate Passover, millions of people are preparing to celebrate Good Friday. What is Passover and what is Good Friday? Is Passover for the Jews and Good Friday for the Christians? Where does these days originate from? Did Yeshua(Hebrew name of Jesus) die on Good Friday? or did He die on Passover? are both these days the same? Does it even matter which day we celebrate it on, as long as we remember it? We will delve in to the subject of Yeshua’s death today, and try to answer some of these questions. Keep an open mind, and let God’s Word show you the truth as some of the things you read here might probably shock you.
+
Yeshua rose after the Sabbath According to Mt 28:1-6, Mar 16:2-4, Luke 24:1-3, Joh 20:1,2
The women came to the tomb on the day after the Sabbath, to see it empty.

So According to these verses, we see that Yeshua had risen when the women went to the Tomb on Sunday. So accordingly, we celebrate His “Rising from Death” on Sunday.

He said He would be in the tomb for 3 Days & 3 Nights according to Mat 12:40
If He died on a Friday around 3pm, and was buried before Sundown, before the Sabbath started, and He rose before Sunday Morning, Where are the 3 Days? Friday eve to Sunday Morning is only 1½ Days. Even if we took the whole day of Sunday, it would still be 2 Days. According to a Friday Evening Death and a Resurrection before Sunday Morning, Yeshua seems to have not accomplished what He said He would. And I believe, that He never said anything contrary to what He did. Some say that it doesn’t matter. If it matters to you that you know the Truth, read on. And you will see why it is important to understands the Feasts/Appointments God gave to Israel. (We will do a separate study on the Feasts of God in the near future, where I will cover all of the feasts mentioned in Lev 23, including Passover.)
+
Easter Sunday and the Resurrection of Christ

From Jewish Passover to Christian Eucharist: The Story of the Todah (lionessblog.com)
Scholars have often wondered how the practice of Christian Eucharist could have arisen from the Lord’s Supper, which occurred in the context of the Jewish Passover. Since Passover occurs only once a year, how is it that the Christians got the notion that they could celebrate Jesus’ sacrificial meal weekly, if not daily?The answer is found in the ancient Israelite sacrifice called the todah.
While most people have heard of Old Testament sacrifices such as the holocaust offering or burnt offering, those who have heard of the todah sacrifice are as rare as lotto winners. Today’s ignorance concerning the todah, however, should not imply that it was unimportant to the Jews. Far from it. The todah was one of the most significant sacrifices of the Jews.

Indeed, an old Rabbinic teaching says: “In the coming Messianic age all sacrifices will cease, but the thank offering [todah] will never cease.”(1) What is it about this sacrifice that makes it stand alone in such a way that it would outlast all other sacrifices after the redemption of the Messiah?

Christ our Passover Lamb (daysofdaniel.wordpress.com)
In addition to the taking of communion, many Christians celebrate the Passover week in remembrance of Christ. This includes a time of introspection, repentance and making things right with God and man. But without Christ, the Passover is meaningless.

Passover Primer (boiseweekly.com)
Passover, a Jewish holiday celebrated for seven or eight days (depending on the branch of Judaism) that starts on the full moon in April, is a great opportunity to sink your teeth into Jewish history and culinary traditions. Why? Because each item consumed during the Passover seder–a ritual feast that’s hosted on the first night of Passover, this year Monday, April 14–is filled with thousands of years of meaning.
+
In addition to matzah, the Passover seder features six symbolic items displayed on a special seder plate. While some of these foods are eaten during the reading of the Haggadah–a guide outlining the order of the seder and explaining the significance of the meal–others are there for ceremonial purposes.
+
“What better way to entice people to really think about something than food?” said Lifshitz. “Food is intergenerational dialogue, which is what the Passover seder is about; it’s about a discussion.”

Shabbat HaGadol (layacrust.wordpress.com)
The Shabbat right before Pesach is called Shabbat HaGadol- The Great Sabbath. One interpretation is that “Moshiach”- the Messiah- will come on Passover, so this is the Great Shabbat, the one before that great redemption.Another idea is that the days leading up to the Exodus from Egypt were days of unusual and overwhelming preparation for the Israelites. Those preparations not only affected sacrifices and food but defined faith and self identification. That concept holds true today. Those who choose to prepare for Pesach and change their diet and behaviours for an entire week are declaring their faith in the God of Israel and defining themselves as Jews.

Slaves In Egypt? (brianrushwriter.wordpress.com)
The religion of ancient Israel was not anything that properly deserved to be called Judaism. It was a tribal cult in which the Hebrew God, Adonai or JHVH, was one deity among many in the world, not a universal deity as the Jewish God is today. This God was easy for them to abandon, as the diatribes of the prophets in the Bible show that they frequently did. Moreover, this God was not something to be worshiped in spirit wherever one found oneself; rather, he had a location, and that location was Palestine, especially Jerusalem, more especially the Temple. How can we worship the God of our fathers in a foreign land? the captive Hebrews cried.

G-dfearers Participation In Shabbat, And Pesach According To Toby Janicki (paradoxparables.justparadox.com)
Gentile believers have been brought near to the commonwealth of Israel. Although this does not make Gentile Christians into Jews, they share in the spiritual heritage of the nation of Israel.

Happy Passover! (jewishvoice.wordpress.com)
History repeats itself . . .
First there were the Israelites in Bible times, who were saved from sudden slaughter when they obeyed God by putting blood on the lintels and doorposts of their home. The Angel of Death passed over, and the Hebrew children lived to tell their great story of God’s faithfulness.
Happy Passover! (jewishvoice.wordpress.com)
we as people of faith can celebrate being saved from certain death when we apply the blood of Yeshua our Messiah to our lives and repent of those sins that kept us in our own personal bondage.To help you celebrate this wonderful occasion, we have put together some Passover resources so that you can be educated and inspired by the beauty of this holy feast.

The Unanticipated Passover Seder (ghostriverstudios.wordpress.com)
If there are aspects of the Passover seder from which all people can learn, how much more so is this true for believers in Messiah? After all, our Master Yeshua chose the wine and the matzah of a Passover Seder to represent his body and blood.
+
The Unanticipated Passover Seder
I cannot be considered as one of the members of humanity who marched out of Egypt and left behind my slavery, and certainly I cannot project myself into the masses who stood at the foot of Mount Sinai and personally received the Torah from Hashem, as does every person who is Jewish.

The Unanticipated Passover Seder (mymorningmeditations.com)
our Master Yeshua chose the wine and the matzah of a Passover Seder to represent his body and blood. More than just learning about and celebrating the concept of freedom from oppression and exile, for disciples of Messiah, the seder celebrates Yeshua’s atoning death and resurrection while remaining firmly grounded and centered on God’s deliverance of the Jewish people from Egypt.

Passover: A Time To Remember (jacksonandrew.com)
I am thankful that today, we can celebrate this feast without the sacrifice of a life for our sins, as Christ, our Passover Lamb, has once and for all, become the substitute… and with Him, God is well pleased. Don’t forget to remember or you are doomed to return to what once enslaved you.

The Mystery of the Passover Wine Revealed: The Yayin HaMeshumar….Yeshua said, “I shall give you what no eye has seen and what no ear has heard and what no hand has touched and what has never occurred to the mind of man. (Gospel of Thomas 17) (guapotg.wordpress.com)
The phrase “wine that has been kept” in the Hebrew is Yayin HaMeshumar “wine of keeping”. The tradition of the Yayin HaMeshumar runs deep in traditional Judaism. It is the wine that will be served at the Messianic Feast when the Messiah re-establishes the Kingdom of Israel on earth.
+
Not only is the Yayin HaMeshumar the blood of the Messiah, but it is more. It is the “mystery” of which the blood of Messiah is only part:
+
next time you partake of the cup of redemption in the Passover sader, realize that this cup is symbolic of the Yayin HeMeshumar, the wine that has been kept from the six days in the beginning, the blood of the lamb slain from the foundation which has been hidden and separated and prepared for those who love him.

Passover and the Feast of Unleaven Bread (ourcommunityatfbcdc.wordpress.com)
The Passover meal is eaten on the first day. God commanded that Israel keep this feast perpetually.
+
God offers us redemption through the atoning action of Jesus Christ, God’s son who came to the earth, and suffered and died for the sins of the world. He became the Paschal lamb. Under this judgment of sin and ultimate eternal death, God freely offers to all who will believe and accept His provision for us, forgiveness of our sins and life eternal.

The Passover Type and Its Anti-type (compasschurchamman.wordpress.com)
The Old Testament (Exodus 34:18, 25) distinguishes the festivals by using the terms “Feast of Unleavened Bread” and “Passover Feast”. The New Testament (Matthew 26:17; Mark 14:1; Luke 22:1) refers to both of these as “the Passover” and the “Feast of the Unleavened Bread. These festivals were held in immediate sequence. Passover was celebrated at twilight of the 14th day of the month (Exodus 12:6) and the Feast of Unleavened Bread for the seven days following, namely, the 15th to the 21st (Exodus 12:15; Leviticus 23:5f.; Numbers 28:16ff; 2 Chronicles 35:1, 17).
+
The timing of Jesus’ death in the Passover season and the conviction that his death was the atoning death of “blood poured out for many” (Mark 14:24) assisted linking his atoning death to the Passover sacrifice. As the Israelite was delivered from the bondage of Egypt through the blood of the Passover lamb, so the Christian is saved from sin through the sacrifice of Christ; but Paul further adds that continual victory over the sins of the world means a continual observing of the Feast of Redemption.

Echoing Passover in This Worship (tbolto.wordpress.com)
The word “Seder” simply means “Order.” Everything is done in a careful order in keeping with God’s instructions in the Old Testament or Torah, as it is known by Jewish people, and with traditions that have been added to keep alive the memory of the original Passover people.

The Crossing of the Red Sea- A Picture of the Process of Salvation…..Just as the Egyptians followed the Hebrews into the Red Sea but the Hebrews alone emerged alive, when we enter into the death burial and resurrection of Messiah as symbolized by water im (guapotg.wordpress.com)
When someone asks “are you saved”? the natural question is “saved from what?” “Saved” is a verb that begs for a direct object. Yet many who ask you “are you saved” cannot actually tell you what they mean.

Pesach
I imagine that the death of Jesus was still sad in heaven even though they knew the whole plan. Suffering is sorrowful. I don’t really know what was happening while Jesus was dead so I won’t try to guess here.

“Christ Is Our Passover Lamb” / The Message of the High Sabbath beginning the eve of March 25, 2013 (owprince.wordpress.com)
Remarkably, the celebration of Easter, one of the most holy of Christian holidays, cannot be found anywhere in the Bible. In 1949 the Encyclopedia Britannica in its article on Easter stated the following regarding this day: “There is no indication of the observance of the Easter festival in the New Testament, or in the writings of the apostolic fathers.”

Jesus Christ, Our Passover (fredswolfe.wordpress.com)
Jesus was dead in the grave with no consciousness for 3 full days and 3 full nights = 72 hours. There is no way in Hell to fit 3 full days and 3 full nights between Sunset Friday and Sunrise Sunday. Therefore, there is no such thing as Good Friday! Jesus Christ, our Passover Lamb,was sacrificed for us and was buried on a Wednesday around sunset beginning the 1st night (Thursday). At dawn Thursday began the first day. At sunset Thurs. began the 2nd night of Friday, then Friday day; thenFri at sunset began the 3rd night, Saturday; then Saturday at sunset completed the 3 days and 3 nights. Sunset Sat. began Sunday night:Jn 20:1 The first day of the week cometh Mary Magdalene early, when it was yet dark, unto the sepulchre, and seeth the stone taken away from the sepulchre.KJV
+
If you find the word Easter in your Bible, it’s actually a mistranslation that is noted in your Bible’s margin. Most recent translations of the Bible make the correction. The correct translations use the word Passoverinstead of Easter.

The LORD Jesus Christ- Our Passover (zionsgate.wordpress.com)
Pesach (PAY-sahk) means to ‘pass over’. The Passover meal, seder (SAY der), celebrates this historic event.
+
The LORD’s supper is a remembrance of his sacrifice as the perfect Passover Lamb and the fulfillment of the new covenant between GOD and man (Luke 22:20; 1st Corinthians 5:7; Ephesians 2:11-13). Prophecy of this sacrifice is found in Psalm 22. The Hebrew prophet Isaiah also spoke of the sufferings and sacrifice of the Messiah, and how that sacrifice would be the ultimate atonement for the sins of GOD’s people (Isaiah 53).

The Spinning Rabbi - Heart & Soul

Next week the Jewish people will celebrate Passover. Passover commemorates their Exodus from 210 years of slavery in Egypt. Jews are commanded to constantly remember their slavery, to remember it as though they were there. There are several very valuable lessons in doing this. One of those valuable lessons of this remembering, is this – G-d freed the Jews so that they were no longer physical slaves, yet they were still slaves. Now they were their own Pharaoh and the slavery was of the self-imposed spiritual and emotional variety. Once physically free, it was up to them to free themselves spiritually and emotionally.

This lesson applies to all people who are blessed to live in freedom today. This means that the only one who can free you now, is you. It’s up to you to free yourself from your personal Egypt.

We all (some more, some less) hold ourselves back…

View original post 144 more words

	On to a baptismal ce… on Get Your Wonderful Disease-pro…
	Reden om kennis in u… on Fundamenten van het Geloof 13…
	What is expected of… on Lovers of God, seekers and lov…
	What is expected of… on Being in tune with God
	Wat wordt er van een… on Wettisch tegenover wet
	Wat wordt er van een… on Fundamenten van het Geloof: 7.…
	Intense conflict in… on A multi-front war between Isra…
	Wat betekent het om… on Kerkzijn in een ik-gerichte…
	What does it mean to… on Being Religious and Spiritual…
	What does it mean to… on Members of the ecclesia unitin…
	What does it mean to… on How do I know if I’m cal…
	What does it mean to… on The Pastor Theologian
	No necessity for fas… on 8 Reasons Christian Holidays S…
	How to find out that… on Lovers of God, seekers and lov…
	How to find out that… on Patriarch Abraham, Muslims, Ch…

1. “Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work” (Ex. 20:9).

2. Only God can make a day holy

Occasional days of public fasting or thanksgiving

3. No one but God has ever appointed a holy day

Purim

The Feast of Dedication (Hanukkah)

Jesus’ presence in Jerusalem during the Feast of Dedication

4. Annual holy days were part of the Ceremonial Law and abrogated with it

5. Jesus Christ has not instituted any other holy day but the Lord’s Day

Holy days in the Early Church

6. Specific dates

7. Even things indifferent, when they are abused and polluted with superstition, ought to be abolished.

8. That which has lawfully been abolished cannot be received and put in practice again

Further reading

Rate this:

Share this:

Additional reading

Related articles

Rate this:

Share this:

Related articles

Rate this:

Share this:

Related articles

Rate this:

Share this:

Kerstgebruiken — Zijn ze christelijk?

Geboortedag en een geboortefeest op een andere dag

Seizoenen, stormen, donkerte, donder en licht

Posada feesten

De posadas, „de drie koningen” en de nacimiento

De kerststaltradities nader bekeken

Geboorte van een kindgod

Viering van Jezus geboorte en de drie koningen

De geboorte van Jezus volgens de bijbel

De astrologen

Wat kunnen we van het verslag leren?

Aanvullende lectuur

Verder interessante aanverwante lectuur

Related articles

Rate this:

Share this:

Related articles

Rate this:

Share this:

Related articles

Rate this:

Share this:

Additional reading:

Related articles

Rate this:

Share this:

Previously

Knowing his place under God

Showing the work of his Father and the way to God

A redeemer for the people coming to Jerusalem

An appeal to be stopped

A name given to be greater

Not own will but the Will of the Father

Pope Francis I on Palm Sunday

14 April 2014 = 14 Nisan and the Holy Week

Form of a slave

Not his will but the Will of his Father

A call to witness

Words of the Trusted One who does not forsake

Remembering tragic events

Where in this world we would like to stand

Night of remembrance

Who do you want to be and what do you want to believe?

What do you want more?

Find also to read:

Additional reading:

Related articles

Rate this:

Share this:

+

Additional reading:

Related articles

Rate this:

Share this: