The Feasts of the Bible, Jesus, and the Church Today
Introduction: Why This Series? (and how to use it without pressure, fear, or division)
How to Use This Series
This series is written for everyday believers—whether you’ve never studied the biblical feasts, you’re curious because you love Scripture, or you’ve been introduced to or influenced by online Hebrew Roots–related teaching.
- Read with an open Bible and a calm heart.
- Expect clarity, not pressure.
- Use the “What this is / isn’t” as guardrails to keep you objective not argumentative or defensive while studying.
- Feel free to pause, reflect, and discuss—without turning disagreements into division.
Table of Contents
- Why This Series?
- Why This Matters Right Now
- What This Series Is Not
- What This Series Is
- Our GPS for the Journey
- A Final Word Before We Get Started
Why This Series?
I’ll never forget the cold, snowy morning a brown puppy wandered up to me at the church office. My wife and I had talked about getting a dog for the kids, but we hadn’t made a decision. That day, though, the decision found me. Like any dad with a soft spot for a shivering animal, I loaded the little boxer puppy into the truck, stopped at Walmart for supplies, and brought her home. The kids were thrilled. My wife was surprised. And for a season, that puppy—eventually named Sandy— was warm, cared for, and no longer out in the brutal cold.
I share that because I didn’t wake up that morning looking for a puppy. I woke up intending to do the ordinary work God had given me to do. But in the everyday faithfulness of ministry, a need found me.
In a similar way, this blog series on the Feasts of the Lord, Jesus, and the Church today found me.
Over the years, people have asked sincere questions like:
- “Why don’t we celebrate the feasts if Jesus did?”
- “Should Christians celebrate the feasts instead of Easter and Christmas?”
- “If the feasts are in the Bible, are we disobeying God by not keeping them?”
Those questions are not strange. They often come from believers who love the Lord, want to honor Scripture, and are hungry to understand the Bible more deeply. And it’s true: these ancient celebrations can teach us a great deal about God’s redemption story—and about our Savior.
Why This Matters Right Now
In recent years, many of these questions have become more intense because of social media and the growing influence of Hebrew Roots–related teaching online. Some voices encourage Christians to observe the feasts of Leviticus 23 while rejecting Easter and Christmas as “pagan.”
Some go further and claim that ignoring the feasts is sinful or a sign of spiritual immaturity. I’ll be honest: some arguments can sound persuasive at first glance. They can make you pause. They made me pause.
As a pastor, I asked: If this causes me to pause, what might it cause the people I’m called to shepherd to feel? Confusion? Pressure? Fear? Division? That’s one reason this series exists—to replace heat with light, and anxiety with clarity.
What This Series Is Not
- Not a set of posts commanding Christians to observe the biblical feasts
- Not a set of posts shaming believers who do observe the feasts
- Not a test of salvation, spiritual maturity, or faithfulness
- Not an attempt to create suspicion, division, or “us vs. them” Christianity
What This Series Is
- A clear look at what Scripture teaches about each feast
- An exploration of how Jesus fulfills the meaning and direction of the feasts
- A careful study of Scripture and history to answer modern questions about the feasts and the church
- A pastoral guide for living with Christian love, unity, and freedom when believers have different convictions
Our GPS for the Journey
- Why This Series? (this post)
- The Feasts in Scripture — each feast in context (and we’ll also address Purim and Hanukkah)
- Jesus and the Feasts — how Christ fulfills and completes the story
- The Church Today — Sabbath, Sunday worship, Easter/Christmas claims, and common historical questions
- Key Passages Often Debated — the “proof texts” handled carefully and fairly
- A Final Pastoral Word — how to walk in freedom without condemning others
A Final Word Before We Get Started
This series is not an argument for or against observing the feasts. It is an honest, thorough, Christ-centered examination of what God gave Israel, how those feasts point to Jesus, and what Christian freedom looks like as we seek to honor the Lord today.
Let’s begin with open Bibles, humble hearts, and a commitment to love one another well.
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