We come asking the question that most churches do not dare to go near, "Does God still require the sabbath and the festivals?" This is a potent enough question that it can cause division among 'churchgoers', cause splits in the church, or even get someone charged with various misdemeanors because it is so offensive to the ruling class.
Growing up, I heard multiple times that the Old Testament was obsolete and was just a cautionary tale. Where do you stand?
Does the Old Testament still matter in our day and age?
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zaafergaso
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Re: Does the Old Testament still matter in our day and age?
To answer Frederik Kosteck's question: is the Old Testament and the Torah valid and applicable for Christians today - my answer is yes, most definitely. Here is what I am learning from God's word regarding the importance of obedience to the commandments given in the Torah today. I'm going to start with what Jesus said regarding the commandments. In John 14:15-31, He said: "If you love Me, keep My commands...whoever has My commands and keeps them is the one who loves Me."
If we ask: which commandments? Jesus says in John 10:30-38: "I and the Father are one...believe the works, that you may know and understand that the Father is in Me and I in the Father." Referring to Jesus, the apostle John writes in John 1:1-3: "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through Him all things were made, without Him nothing was made that has been made." In the context of these verses, "My commands" would seem to mean all the commands given in the Torah.
Additionally, we can look at Jesus' life to determine which commands He wants us to keep. During His life here on earth Jesus consistently honored the Sabbath (which was never changed to Sunday, but was always the seventh day, which is Saturday). He also always kept the Jewish Feasts also known as "Appointed Times."
Jesus also stated in Matthew 5:17 "Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets. I have not come to abolish them, but to fulfill them." No where in the New Testament does Jesus say that the Torah is no longer applicable or that the Sabbath was changed to Sunday.
The churches today have made their own traditions and have put those traditions above God's law. Jesus pointed out that the Pharisees at that time had done the same thing. He said: "You have let go the commands of God and are holding onto human traditions." Mark 7:8-13
How do the modern Christian church organizations justify this? It is an echo of what the snake said to Eve in the garden: "Did God really say you must not eat from any tree in the garden?" Genesis 3:1
I've had professed believers say to me: "We don't have to keep the Jewish Festivals, they're just for the Jews in the Old Testament." I would like to briefly cover the meanings of the Appointed Times or Feasts.
Passover - Messiah Crucified
Unleavened Bread - Messiah Buried
First Fruits - Messiah Risen
Shavuot - Holy Spirit given
Day of Trumpets - Second Coming
Day of Atonement - Day of Judgement
Feast of Tabernacles - Millennial Reign of Jesus
The entire gospel is encompassed in the Seven Festivals or Appointed Times. If God sets an appointment to meet with us - why would we want to look for an excuse to not honor that time - a time set apart to spend with Him? Furthermore, we read in Zechariah 14 which discusses events during the Millennial Reign of Jesus. In verse 16 it says: "Then it will come about that any who are left of all the nations that went against Jerusalem will go up from year to year to worship the King, the Lord of Hosts and to celebrate the Feast of Booths (Tabernacles also known as Sukkot).
I don't know about you, but I am eagerly looking forward to Jesus' Second Coming and His Millennial Reign here on earth. Why would we not want to prepare now and be found faithful? In Luke 18:8 Jesus says: "However, when the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on the earth?" We do not receive salvation through keeping the law - salvation only comes through faith in Jesus Christ. But obedience is evidence of that faith. I love what James has to say about this in James 2:18: "But some will say, 'You have faith, and I have works.' Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works."
After we have accepted Jesus, obedience becomes possible through the power of the Holy Spirit. "For it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill His good purpose." Philippians 2:13. Because God gave us the Holy Spirit after Jesus ascended, we now have the ability through the Holy Spirit to obey the commandments. We read in 1 John 2:27: "As for you, the anointing which you have received from Him abides in you, and you have no need for anyone to teach you, but as His anointing teaches you about all things, and is true and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you abide in Him."
Jesus said in John 15:5: "I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing." Paul writes in Philippians 4:13: "I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength."
Ever since the garden, before the fall, the goal has been the same - our God wants to dwell among us. Since He is a holy God, He says we must become holy also.
Peter writes in 2 Peter 1:2-4: "Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our God; seeing that His divine power has granted us everything pertaining to life and godliness through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence."
If we ask: which commandments? Jesus says in John 10:30-38: "I and the Father are one...believe the works, that you may know and understand that the Father is in Me and I in the Father." Referring to Jesus, the apostle John writes in John 1:1-3: "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through Him all things were made, without Him nothing was made that has been made." In the context of these verses, "My commands" would seem to mean all the commands given in the Torah.
Additionally, we can look at Jesus' life to determine which commands He wants us to keep. During His life here on earth Jesus consistently honored the Sabbath (which was never changed to Sunday, but was always the seventh day, which is Saturday). He also always kept the Jewish Feasts also known as "Appointed Times."
Jesus also stated in Matthew 5:17 "Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets. I have not come to abolish them, but to fulfill them." No where in the New Testament does Jesus say that the Torah is no longer applicable or that the Sabbath was changed to Sunday.
The churches today have made their own traditions and have put those traditions above God's law. Jesus pointed out that the Pharisees at that time had done the same thing. He said: "You have let go the commands of God and are holding onto human traditions." Mark 7:8-13
How do the modern Christian church organizations justify this? It is an echo of what the snake said to Eve in the garden: "Did God really say you must not eat from any tree in the garden?" Genesis 3:1
I've had professed believers say to me: "We don't have to keep the Jewish Festivals, they're just for the Jews in the Old Testament." I would like to briefly cover the meanings of the Appointed Times or Feasts.
Passover - Messiah Crucified
Unleavened Bread - Messiah Buried
First Fruits - Messiah Risen
Shavuot - Holy Spirit given
Day of Trumpets - Second Coming
Day of Atonement - Day of Judgement
Feast of Tabernacles - Millennial Reign of Jesus
The entire gospel is encompassed in the Seven Festivals or Appointed Times. If God sets an appointment to meet with us - why would we want to look for an excuse to not honor that time - a time set apart to spend with Him? Furthermore, we read in Zechariah 14 which discusses events during the Millennial Reign of Jesus. In verse 16 it says: "Then it will come about that any who are left of all the nations that went against Jerusalem will go up from year to year to worship the King, the Lord of Hosts and to celebrate the Feast of Booths (Tabernacles also known as Sukkot).
I don't know about you, but I am eagerly looking forward to Jesus' Second Coming and His Millennial Reign here on earth. Why would we not want to prepare now and be found faithful? In Luke 18:8 Jesus says: "However, when the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on the earth?" We do not receive salvation through keeping the law - salvation only comes through faith in Jesus Christ. But obedience is evidence of that faith. I love what James has to say about this in James 2:18: "But some will say, 'You have faith, and I have works.' Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works."
After we have accepted Jesus, obedience becomes possible through the power of the Holy Spirit. "For it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill His good purpose." Philippians 2:13. Because God gave us the Holy Spirit after Jesus ascended, we now have the ability through the Holy Spirit to obey the commandments. We read in 1 John 2:27: "As for you, the anointing which you have received from Him abides in you, and you have no need for anyone to teach you, but as His anointing teaches you about all things, and is true and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you abide in Him."
Jesus said in John 15:5: "I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing." Paul writes in Philippians 4:13: "I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength."
Ever since the garden, before the fall, the goal has been the same - our God wants to dwell among us. Since He is a holy God, He says we must become holy also.
Peter writes in 2 Peter 1:2-4: "Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our God; seeing that His divine power has granted us everything pertaining to life and godliness through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence."