Significances Of The Three Feasts In The Gospel Of John

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Towards the end of the Gospel of John, John writes his purpose: “Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.” Along with these signs, Jesus fulfilled Jewish Festivals. This paper will look at the three feasts mentioned in John (Passover, Tabernacles, and Dedication) traditional backgrounds and how Jesus is their fulfilling of them in his Gospel.
Passover is the celebration feast, which the Hebrews recall how God had liberated them from their bondage of slavery in Egypt. The Hebrew name for this feast is “Pesach”, which translates literally as “the lamb”. God gives great details to Moses on what needs to be done for the first Passover. It is recorded in Exodus 12:2-11. First, God instructs a family to take a lamb for the household on the tenth day of the first month, Nissan. In addition, another lamb was chosen for the nation of Israel and “it was lead in a huge procession from Bethany to the Temple. During the procession, the people waved Palm branches and sang Psalms, including: ‘O Lord save us (Hosanna)... Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.’” These particular lambs had to “be without blemish, a male a year old” and an individual must “not break any of its bones.” For the next following days, the lamb is kept and examined.
Then on “the fourteenth day of this month, when the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill their lambs at twilight.” At the first Passover, the Israelites are commanded to sprinkle the blood of the lambs upon the door frames of the homes in which they ate their meal with a hys...

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... Hanukkah by saying the Father ‘sanctified’ the Son of God and sent Him into the world… the Greek word "sanctified" was translated into Hebrew, it would be ‘dedication’ or Hanukkah. (Jesus is our Chanukah)” (10:34-36). Then He ends His talk by pointing to his works as a way individuals can tell that the Father and He are one, which this time the Jews try to arrest Him, but He escapes (10:37-39). Jesus fulfills the third festival mentioned in the Gospel of John.
Jesus was the fulfilling of the Old Testament. These three festivals that appear in this Gospel of John are just one area that Jesus fulfilled. This paper looked at these feast traditional backgrounds and how John, the Gospel writer, shows Jesus as the fulfiller. As we draw closer to the Feast of Easter, we are reminded that Jesus’ resurrection, which brought with it the satisfaction of the Old Testament.

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