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Receiving God’s Amazing Grace by Relating with Him
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God desires that people place trusting faith in Him so He may reveal His awesome love and amazing grace. Moses was faithful to receive God’s law and commandments; however God revealed the fullness of His grace and truth through our Lord and Messiah Yeshua—Jesus Christ. The Lord has granted free access to the wonderful gift of God’s awesome grace and peace to those who place trusting faith in Him. In fact, the Bible reveals how “God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work.” (2 Corinthians 9:8) In order to help us understand the full value of His grace and partake in its richness, God designed a series of appointed feasts to serve as ways to interact and relate with Him. Messiah Jesus came to reveal the full meaning and relevance of these feasts. The more you engage and relate with Him and see what He accomplished on your behalf, the more you will be blessed by His truly amazing grace! |
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Crucifixion
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Summary
The LORD was crucified the same day the Passover lamb was slaughtered. He became the permanent sacrificial substitute to redeem mankind from the curse of the law, heal us from the effects of our tendency to sin, and reconcile us back to a right-standing relationship with God.
In this, He fulfilled the prophecy recorded in Isaiah 53:5. “But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed.”
In receiving the work of His crucifixion, we appropriate the punishment He suffered for our sins, which separated us spiritually from God. As we personally identify with the LORD, we also identify with the new life He lives in us by the Holy Spirit, which is the source of our grace in Him. In that grace, we are no longer under the power of the curse of the law.
When the Messiah was executed on the stake as a criminal, I was too; so that my proud ego no longer lives. But the Messiah lives in me, and the life I now live in my body I live by the same trusting faithfulness that the Son of God had, who loved me and gave himself up for me. 21 I do not reject God’s gracious gift; for if the way in which one attains righteousness is through legalism, then the Messiah’s death was pointless. (Galatians 2:20-21 JNT)
Life Application Questions
Have you fully identified with the LORD’s crucifixion, receiving His total grace for the forgiveness of your sins?
Are there any areas in which you still condemn yourself, and have not fully received His grace?
Scripture References
Romans 6:1-14; Galatians 5:24
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Burial
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Summary
The LORD was buried after being crucified, but something miraculous was going on during the three days His body lay in the tomb. Ephesians 4:7-11 discusses how He descended (into hell), then ascended to lead “captivity captive.”
His spirit, therefore, descended into hell where he battled with the devil, and led the forces of darkness which had held mankind into captivity into their own captivity. In addition, as Revelation 1:18 records, He took the keys of hell and death—Satan’s authority, away from him; therefore absolving him from his authority over mankind. As Scripture says, “He wiped away the bill of charges against us. Because of the regulations, it stood as a testimony against us; but he removed it by nailing it to the execution-stake. 15 Stripping the rulers and authorities of their power, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by means of the stake.”
(Colossians 2:14-15 JNT)
Satan had won a position of spiritual authority over mankind when Adam and Eve believed the lie of the serpent (the devil personified) and disobeyed God’s command to not eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. The LORD won back that authority.
Believers, therefore, benefit from His authority over the power of sin and death. Those who have not put their faith in the LORD have not appropriated His authority over the devil, leaving them under the jurisdiction of the powers of darkness.
Life Application Questions
Do you understand how the LORD defeated the devil, and made a way of escape from the bondage of hell for you?
Have you fully received His exchange for your sins and attempts to justify yourself?
Are there things in your life—attitudes, ways, habits, values, material possessions—you may need to “bury” and put behind you so you can receive God’s grace and advance forward?
Scripture References
Colossians 2:8-23; Romans 8:2
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Resurrection
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Summary
The feast of First-fruits marks a time of giving back to God in gratefulness—and in faith—for His bountiful provision. It also marks a time to examine the first fruits of our labors to test the quality of the harvest. If the first crops are good—and therefore blessed—the following fruits are likewise blessed.
Interestingly enough, Yeshua the Messiah, Jesus Christ was also “inspected” by the religious leaders to test His claim to be the Messiah. Many false Messiah’s have attempted to claim Messiahship. His point was made and His claim proved, however, after His resurrection from the dead!
The feast of First-fruits is, therefore, a shadow pointing forward to the LORD’s resurrection as the first soul arisen in the newness of eternal life.
But the fact is that the Messiah has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have died. 21 For since death came through a man, also the resurrection of the dead has come through a man. 22 For just as in connection with Adam all die, so in connection with the Messiah all will be made alive. 23 But each in his own order: the Messiah is the firstfruits; then those who belong to the Messiah, at the time of his coming; 24 then the culmination, when he hands over the Kingdom to God the Father, after having put an end to every rulership, yes, to every authority and power. (1 Corinthians 15:20-24 JNT)
Through immersion into his death we were buried with him; so that just as, through the glory of the Father, the Messiah was raised from the dead, likewise we too might live a new life. 5 For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we will also be united with him in a resurrection like his. (Romans 6:4-5 JNT)
In identifying with the LORD’s death and resurrection, we resist the temptations of sin, and allow the Holy Spirit to arise within and empower us to overcome.
The more we yield to this gift of grace—the true gift of the empowerment of the Holy Spirit—the more we experience the real sufficiency of God in our life. Paul discovered that this grace gift became the true source of his strength.
And we have such trust through Christ toward God. Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think of anything as being from ourselves, but our sufficiency is from God, who also made us sufficient as ministers of the new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life. (2 Corinthians 3:4-6)
Life Application Questions
None of us will ever be perfect in our mortal frames. We are just asked to seek first His kingdom, and earnestly allow the Holy Spirit to transform us, and conform us—into His image until He is revealed in us.
In what areas would you like to see God’s nature reflected in you?
Scripture References
Romans 6; Philippians 3:7-16; 1 Peter 1:3-9
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Glorification
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Summary
Shavuot—the Feast of Weeks or Harvest (Pentecost) was originally celebrated to mark the fullness of the harvest. It also has become the celebration of the giving of God’s Word, for Moses was given the law during this time.
On the day the disciples were celebrating this feast, they experienced the glorification of the LORD in a new way—through the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. In His final great prayer, the LORD declared to the Father:
“I glorified you on earth by finishing the work you gave me to do. 5 Now, Father, glorify me alongside yourself. Give me the same glory I had with you before the world existed.” (John 17:4-5 JNT)
He knew His resurrection would glorify the Father. Even more, He knew the release of the power of the Holy Spirit would glorify the Father. He declared to the disciples:
“Yes, indeed! I tell you that whoever trusts in me will also do the works I do! Indeed, he will do greater ones, because I am going to the Father. 13 In fact, whatever you ask for in my name, I will do; so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 If you ask me for something in my name, I will do it.” (John 14:12-14 JNT)
Over the course of time, believers have collectively done more. The LORD still desires for His servants to do greater works in His name by the power of His Spirit.
Life Application Questions
How can you reflect the gift of God’s word, Holy Spirit and nature in your life?
Scripture References
John 15-17; Acts 2-4; Romans 8; 1 Peter 4
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Triumph
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Summary
In celebrating the Feast of Trumpets (celebrated as Rosh Hashana; Head of the Year), the ram’s horn was blown to call the people to alarm, and raise the level of one’s consciousness to self-examination, in preparation for the coming Day of Atonement. Trumpets were also sounded to call the people to battle.
On one notable occasion, the Angel of the LORD instructed Joshua to have the priests sound the trumpets seven times—which would call the army of the Lord to fight the spiritual battle which would result in the walls of Jericho falling.
The LORD was crucified, taking our sin upon Himself. He was buried and resurrected from the dead—arising with the keys of hell and death—to serve as our High Priest and triumphant King of Glory—who always goes before us and leads us into His victory! “But thanks be to God, who in the Messiah constantly leads us in a triumphal procession and through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of what it means to know him!” (2 Corinthians 2:14 JNT)
We celebrate His glorious triumph with genuine heartfelt praise and worship expressed from a truly grateful heart. We also celebrate His victory when we walk in the grace of His liberty, having been delivered from the power of sin and death. We affirm over and over His triumph as we believe in our heart and are fully convinced of His eternal victory.
“No, in all these things we are superconquerors, through the one who has loved us. 38 For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor other heavenly rulers, neither what exists nor what is coming, 39 neither powers above nor powers below, nor any other created thing will be able to separate us from the love of God which comes to us through the Messiah Yeshua, our Lord.” (Romans 8:37-39 JNT)
Furthermore, we celebrate His triumph as we walk as free children of God exhibiting the fruits and gifts of the Spirit in serving one another in love and in His name.
For you, brethren, have been called to liberty; only do not use liberty as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this: "You shall love your neighbor as yourself." But if you bite and devour one another, beware lest you be consumed by one another! I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.” (Galatians 5:13-18 NKJV)
Life Application Questions
In what ways do you actively celebrate the LORD’s triumph?
Are there additional ways you believe you can appropriate His victory in your life and celebrate His triumph?
Scripture References
Romans 8:31-39; 1 Corinthians 15:50-58; 2 Corinthians 2:14-17; 1 John 5:1-5; Revelation 12:11; Revelation 15:2
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Substitution
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Summary
The Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur) was established as a sacred day to afflict the soul and confess sins before God. It was the one day of the year when the high priest would go into the tabernacle, behind the veil into the Holy of Holies, and sprinkle the blood of the covenant sacrifice over the Mercy Seat. From within the cloud of God’s glory over the ark, God would see the sacrificial blood as evidence of man’s atonement of sin; reversing His judgment, and transforming it to one of mercy.
It has become apparent, however, that the daily, weekly, and monthly animal sacrifices made to atone for sin were insufficient to satisfy God’s wrath and judgment of sin and establish one’s right standing before Him.
Therefore, this feast points forward to the LORD’s sacrifice; the permanent substitute sacrifice for the sins of mankind.
The writer of Hebrews in 10:5-7, therefore, quoted Psalm 40:6-8, which speaks prophetically about the LORD’s sacrifice:
Sacrifice and offering You did not desire, But a body You have prepared for Me. In burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin You had no pleasure. Then I said, 'Behold, I have come --In the volume of the book it is written of Me --To do Your will, O God.’
This feast, therefore, served as a shadow pointing forward to the LORD’s eternal atonement for sin.
Life Application Questions
Have you settled the issue in your heart that the LORD’s single sacrifice has permanently established your position of right-standing, or justification before God?
Are there any works you believe you have to accomplish to “earn points” with God… or earn His approval?
Scripture References
Leviticus 23:26-32; Numbers 29:7-11; Hebrews 10:1-10;
Colossians 2:13-17
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Peace
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Summary
The week long Feast of Sukkot, Tabernacles, marks a special time for resting in God’s peace. It was established to, “rejoice before the Lord for eight days.” (Leviticus 29:40 NKJV)
It was a Sabbath’s Sabbath! On the one hand, it marked the time to rest from enduring the work of gathering in the harvest. On the other hand, it served to remind the people of God’s favor and care extended through the long wilderness journey before crossing into the Promised Land.
The feast also pointed forward to the permanent peace the LORD offered to those who would believe in Him, and accept the yoke of His righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. As He declared, “Come to me, all of you who are struggling and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, because I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28-30 JNT)
Paul further encouraged believers to be strengthened in faith, for it is by faith that we have access to the LORD’s grace and gift of peace.
So, since we have come to be considered righteous by God because of our trust, let us continue to have shalom (peace) with God through our Lord, Yeshua the Messiah. 2 Also through him and on the ground of our trust, we have gained access to this grace in which we stand; so let us boast about the hope of experiencing God’s glory. (Romans 5:1-2 JNT)
Many seek God’s peace. Paul illustrated how seeking God will result in finding the God of peace… who offers the peace of God!
Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy -- meditate on these things. The things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me, these do, and the God of peace will be with you. (Philippians 4:6-9 NKJV)
Life Application Questions
How do you celebrate the peace the LORD has settled for you and offered to you?
Have you truly received God’s peace?
Are there things that bring anxiety into your life?
Do you find yourself striving to find peace?
Scripture References
Leviticus 23:33-44; Hebrews 3-4; Luke 1:68-80;
John 14:25-31; Romans 5:1-5
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