Feasts are such a great way to remember important events. Not only do you take some time to slow down and actually meditate on a special occasion, but it’s almost always done together (like the Lord’s Supper in 1 Corinthians 11:17-34). The addition of food gives you something tangible to activate all the senses.
There are three Jewish feasts on the calendar that supersede nearly all the others. They’re outlined in Exodus 23:14-19 (and expounded on in Leviticus 23), and happen mostly in the Spring and Fall months.
Those feasts, in order, are the Feast of the Unleavened Bread, the Feast of Harvest, and the Feast of the Ingathering. You might know them by their other names, though: The feasts of Passover, Pentecost, and Tabernacles. Today, Jews call Pentecost “Shauvot” and the feast of the Tabernacles as Sukkot.
(Technically speaking, Passover is just a meal on the first night of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, but the two are used almost interchangeably so it makes sense to use one to refer to both.)
These three feasts aren’t the only ones on the Jewish calendar, however. In fact, if you look at Leviticus 23, there are actually seven major feasts, in addition to the dozen or so major (and minor) Jewish holidays sprinkled throughout the year.
Let’s be honest, though: Most Jews don’t celebrate every single holiday. If so, there would probably be a festival every single week. Most Jews (especially orthodox Jews), celebrate Passover, Pentecost and Tabernacles though, at the very least. And looking at their origination in Exodus 23, it’s not hard to see why.
God designed these three feasts specifically as odes to Himself. Passover, for instance, outlines God’s deliverance of His people from Egypt. Pentecost celebrates the first fruits of their labor (and commemorates the giving of the Law on Mt. Sinai), whereas Tabernacles recalls the temporary dwellings the Israelites lived in during the Exodus.
These feasts highlight one of the primary themes of the entire Bible: remembrance. The last thing God wants anyone to forget is what they came from or how they got to where they are now. For Jews, that’s out of Egypt and into Canaan. For Christians, that’s out of sin and into life.
Outside of Communion, we don’t have any feast days stated in Scripture. As a matter of fact, Galatians 4:9-11 specifically argues against them.
Instead, our whole life should be lived with this in mind. To remember Him through our life, our prayers, our worship, our service, our sacrifices, and our struggles. Instead of taking deliberate thought a few times a year, let’s push for a constant remembrance of all the blessings that God has given us.
