Things the Messiah Said on First Fruits

First Fruits is probably the Biblical holiday that gets the least amount of attention. Which is surprising because significantly this is the day the Messiah was resurrected on! What better holiday to rejoice in and learn more of? The Messiah himself had a lot to say on this particular holiday and I want to draw attention to some of what he said on First Fruits.

Things the Messiah Said at the Festival of First Fruits:

"Tell my Israelite brothers that they shall see me in Galilee." -Matthew 28:10
The Messiah wants you to know this promise today: you shall see him.

"O fools, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken. Did not the Messiah have to suffer all these things, in order to enter into his glory?" -Luke 24:25-26
Did you know the famous walk to Emmaus happened on First Fruits? Wouldn't you love to get to listen in on this full discussion of the Messiah explaining how the writings of Moses and the prophets speak of him?! I imagine every question they listeners had was answered beautifully. And isn't it funny that even 2,000 years ago people were slow to believe what Scripture had to say?

"Peace be upon you. Do not be afraid." -Luke 24:36
The Messiah spoke fearlessness and complete peace over his followers. Don't miss that this happened to those who showed up to celebrate First Fruits. Talk about benefit and blessing from keeping the Biblical holidays!

"Why are you troubled? See my hands and my feet, that it is I myself. Touch me and understand and see, for a spirit has no flesh and bones, and you can see that I do." -Luke 24:39
Whatever is troubling us today, we know he is alive and will care for us. Give your worries to him.

"Have you any food?" -Luke 24:41
I love that he would ask his. This is First Fruits, right after Passover, and in the middle of the Feast of Unleavened Bread. This is feast time. And our Messiah? "Hey guys, can I get a snack over here?" I think it so humble of him to ask. I'm sure he knew that if they saw him eat they wouldn't wonder if he was a vision or whatever. But I think he also just wanted to take part in the set apart times and, perhaps, gently remind his followers what they should be doing at these times as well. Let's not make him ask. Let's keep the feasts.

"All things must be fulfilled which are in the Torah of Moses, and in the Prophets and Psalms, concerning me." -Luke 24:44

Calling attention to the importance of Scripture, he didn't write off the Torah or its commandments. He could have taken this opportunity to start fresh or begin a new church like many people say...but he didn't. When we celebrate his resurrection we need to remember the great weight the Messiah believed the Old Testament proclaimed.

"So it is written, and it was necessary that the Messiah suffer, and rise from the dead on the third day, and that repentance and forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations." -Luke 24:46-47
May we never forget this great charge we have, to proclaim the forgiveness of sins to all those who repent. The hope of this promise is indeed something to celebrate on this glorious holiday of First Fruits!

"Madam, why do you weep?" -John 20:15
The first words we know of Yahusha speaking after the resurrection are to offer comfort to a woman mourning. Isn't that beautiful and so like him? He had things to do that day; he certainly could have spoken about weightier matters. But he stopped to comfort someone who was hurting. I hope that we never forget that he is there to comfort us when we mourn.

"Miriam." -John 20:16
When he spoke her name Miriam instantly realized it was the Messiah. Have you ever had one of those moments where you hear something from YHWH and even if it's simple it sheds so much light?

"Shalom alecheim: as my Father has sent me, even so I send you." -John 20:21
Peace be upon you. He speaks so much of comfort and courage during these set apart times. The Biblical holidays are a chance for us to have our capacities for peace and bravery fortified, so that we would be prepared for wherever he is sending us to spread his good news. Real empowerment and encouragement happen when we take part in these set apart times!

"Receive the Holy Spirit." -John 20:22 
And then he literally breaths the Holy Spirit onto his followers that were there with him, taking part in First Fruits! Isn't that amazing? Who doesn't want more of the Holy Spirit's wisdom and joy and comfort in their life? You have an opportunity during First Fruits and the Feast of Unleavened Bread to receive more of the Holy Spirit in your life!

"If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven." -John 20:23
What a testament that our actions are so powerful. Never forget that what you choose to do truly does matter, and impacts those in your life. You are not the only one that benefits when you are obedient to the Scriptures that tell us to keep First Fruits and the other feasts of YHWH.

More on First Fruits:
How To Celebrate First Fruits
First Fruits Celebration Photos

Kids Crafts for Passover, Unleavened Bread, and First Fruits

Here are kids crafts and activities for the Biblical holidays of Passover, Unleavened Bread, and First Fruits. Since I am a believer in the Messiah, many of these crafts relate to his death and resurrection, which happened on Passover and First Fruits. Others teach children about the Exodus story when YHWH brought his people out of slavery. Making crafts like these can be fun and memorable ways for kids to learn about these times and celebrate the Biblical feasts!

Please note that I am recommending the craft, and not necessarily every detail of the lesson that goes with it. The crafts are great starting points, and I'm sure we can come up with appropriate Biblical lessons to go with them if you wish. If you're not sure what that lesson could be - please reach out!

Spring feast kids crafts:

Paper Plate Sheep from Crafting the Word of God

Burning Bush Craft from Mrs. Jones' Creation Station

Ten Plagues Against Egypt Wheel from Crafting the Word of God

Red Sea Crossing Craft from Jesus Without Language

The Last Supper Craft from Crafting the Word of God

DIY Toilet Paper Roll Frog from I Am Creative

Resurrection Empty Tomb Craft from Meaningful Mama

Ten Plagues Story Craft from Torah Sisters

Blood on the Doorpost Craft from Crafting the Word of God

DIY Clay Matzah Jewelry from Land of Honey

Red Sea Parting Craft from Meaningful Mama

10 Plagues Dominoes from Jesus Without Language

Plague of Hail Mobile from Crafting the Word of God

He is Risen from Crafting the Word of God

If you're struggling to come up with a lesson regarding a certain craft, please comment below and we can all share ideas to encourage each other!

Other resources:
Spring Feast Gift Ideas for Kids
Tips to Help Kids Get the Most from Passover Seder
Feast Activity and Coloring Pages from Bible Pathway Adventures

What C.S. Lewis Was Wrong About

I want to preface this by saying that I have tremendous respect for the writings of C.S. Lewis. He is an excellent teacher of faith. He explains complex truths simply, and I pray that my own generation will produce works that help children understand the truth of the Gospel the way that The Chronicles of Narnia have done. That said, his teachings are not flawless, and I want to address one particular thing today.

Are you familiar with The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe? It is the most well-known and probably most beloved book in The Chronicles of Narnia series. The premise is that the Pevensie siblings enter a land called Narnia through a wardrobe, where they discover that this wonderful place is under a curse where it is "always winter and never Christmas." There is an act of betrayal when one of the siblings aligns with the witch who has cursed this place, and Aslan - the Lion who created Narnia - must die in order to redeem the people and animals from the curse. Even if you're not familiar with this book, I'm sure just from this you can see the parallels to the story of the Messiah's redemption of Israel.

I grew up in a Christian home and I loved celebrating Christmas, so "always winter and never Christmas" did indeed seem like a curse to me. However, there was one thing that never quite made sense to me about this story. When the spell begins to break it is signified by the winter thawing, and Aslan (the savior of Narnia) is said to be on the move. The weather turns to spring and Father Christmas arrives and then the spring flowers are coming up. I always found that disconcerting because who associates Christmas with spring weather? In fact, that kind of weather would have been a disappointment to myself, siblings, cousins, and peers growing up. So why did he tell the story like this?

I can see the logical sense of it. Springtime exemplifies like no other season the Creator making all things new. There is tangible joy when the earth thaws and flowers and food crops make their first appearances. Lewis's transition from the land being stuck in the darkness of Winter finally into the warmth of Spring is a superb analogy of what accepting the Messiah is like. We know this is the parallel Lewis intended because once it is Spring Aslan willingly allows the witch to kill him because of humanity's betrayal.

Lewis painted this analogy beautifully and was correct about this in every way except one: he was wrong about the holiday.

Christmas doesn't happen in the springtime, but there is a holiday that does. Unlike Christmas, it wasn't a creation of man, but an ancient set apart time made by the Creator himself.

The holiday that happens in the spring when the winter freeze has been lifted is Passover. Passover is first described in the book of Exodus when the Living God freed his people from slavery. It is perhaps better known as the day the Messiah was killed for the sins of mankind. At the end of winter we celebrate this set apart time, remembering the Savior who was killed to redeem the curse against us and those who aligned themselves with the witch of our world. Like Yahusha, Aslan was resurrected from the dead and returned to help his people destroy the works of the enemy. We would indeed be under a curse if there was no Passover sacrifice of the Messiah.

I believe that C.S. Lewis used the example of Christmas because it was all he knew at the time. Now that we know better we are called to remember and celebrate the amazing significance of the death and resurrection of the Messiah when he was killed and resurrected - on the Biblical holidays of Passover and First Fruits. These are not just for those with Jewish ancestry - they are for all of us who would align ourselves with the Savior. These holy days are placed in Scripture for a reason, and we can rejoice that we are made able by the blood of the Messiah to truly rejoice in what he did for us at these times.

Related posts:
The Beginner's Guide to the Biblical Holidays
Five Reasons Believers Should Keep Passover
Why I Stopped Celebrating Christmas
Preparing for Passover
Why I Started Celebrating the Biblical Holidays

Questions and Answers about Passover, Unleavened Bread, and First Fruits

Recently I took some questions about the upcoming Biblical holiday of Passover, Unleavened Bread, and First Fruits. I wanted to share them here for others wondering the same things!

What can I do to start preparing?

Get the dates put on your calendar and free yourself up from work! Be intentional about how you want to spend this time.

Make plans to celebrate with others if you can. Look into gatherings that are a doable distance for you to travel to or start making plans to host something yourself.

Check out these posts on what you can do to start preparing now, and how to host a Passover Seder.

Why should Christians keep Jewish holidays?

These holidays are Biblical! They were given to ALL the tribes of Israel (not just Judah, or the Jews) and everyone who chooses to follow YHWH and to be grafted into his people. There is absolutely nothing in Scripture about Passover and the rest of the set apart times being only for Jewish people.

The Messiah kept the Biblical feasts, and they were a significant part of his life. New Testament believers kept them and Apostle Paul expressly told us to keep them!

So Can one take part in the feasts without the ceremony or do you have to have a Haggadah? 

A Haggadah or formal ceremony is not at all necessary to participate in Passover! Most of the elements of a traditional Passover Seder are man-made. While those can be meaningful, they are not Biblical requirements. If you want to keep it simple you could do foot washing, communion, and Scripture reading.

My husband is not familiar with the Biblical feasts...would it be the right thing to do to celebrate for the first time this year?

This year is a great time to start! Keep it simple and focus on doing what you can without worrying about man-made traditions or getting everything "right." You will learn so much by studying the feasts and participating in them!

When do you begin the process of getting leaven out of your home?

About a month or so before the feast I start taking note of how many leavened products I have on hand to start using them up before Passover. I try to keep them in certain places in my kitchen and freezer to make it easier to gauge how much I have and to have fewer surprises later. Last year I used up/removed the last of my leavened products the day before Passover. You can do it sooner if you want to, but you don't get extra points for it!

What's the difference in celebrating Passover/First Fruits vs Easter?

This is such an important question!

We are commanded to keep Passover and told not even to utter the name of Easter.

The Messiah was killed on Passover and resurrected on First Fruits. Neither event happened on Easter.

Passover is in the Bible, Easter is not.

Many Easter traditions are expressly prohibited by Scripture.

See this post for more!

Can we eat rice during Unleavened Bread? No grains, right?

Unleavened Bread doesn't mean going grain free! Unleavened bread/matzah is made with grain. What you want to avoid is leaven, which is mainly taken to mean yeast and sourdough starter for bread.

Some people avoid mixing all grains with water (such as cooking rice), but I don't really see that in Scripture. Most people believe that rice is okay to eat during Unleavened Bread.

Do I need to remove never been opened yeast packets?

My understanding of the Scripture on this is that we should remove things that have been leavened, but are not required to remove leavening agents themselves.

The Israelites removed natural sourdough starter/leaven, but they would have kept their flour and water - which is what leaven is made from. In my opinion, if it's not something that's leavened and you won't be using it to leaven anything then it can stay.

Of course I always encourage people to study what Scripture says instead of focusing on man's traditions.

There are always debates about the dates every year - do you go by when the barley is harvested in Israel?

Personally I go off of Leviticus 23:11 which says First Fruits is the Sunday after Passover.

What are you supposed to do on First Fruits? I have never quite understood this.

First Fruits is the day the Messiah was resurrected so it is a wonderful opportunity to celebrate that! It is also when the counting of the fifty days to Shavuot begins.

Blessing your spiritual leaders, as well as foreigners, orphans, and widows is appropriate for this day. As is giving an offering, recognizing the provision of YHWH in your life, worship, and feasting!

See more on how to celebrate First Fruits in this post.

How do you make it fun and meaningful for the family?

Ask older kids what they think. Including them in the planning can help them to get on board. If they haven't celebrate before explain the significance of these times and ask what they think they can do to honor them.

Make it meaningful by talking about all the amazing ways YHWH has provided, and if you can, share ways that you have seen YHWH provide in your life as well as theirs to help them feel more connected to the exodus and the works of the Messiah.

Make this time memorable for kids- take time off from school and work to be together, travel to a group celebration, do a volunteer project, give gifts, have a formal meal, make lots of good food, invite others to join you, play games, read the pertinent Bible stories, and watch cinematic versions of them.

Maybe let each child pick a family activity to do during Unleavened Bread - it doesn't necessarily have to be spiritual, just something fun for them to look forward to!

What books do you recommend to learn more about these?

Edward Chumney's The Seven Festivals of the Messiah was very helpful when I was first learning about the set apart times.

How would you explain to a newbie in short what to do and how to honor this time?

Remember the awesome sacrifice of the Messiah as our Passover lamb, his resurrection, and the miracles YHWH performed when he freed his people from slavery.

Honor that with a Passover meal and/or communion. By removing the leaven from your home during Unleavened Bread, and bringing an offering on First Fruits. As well as remembering and sharing the work YHWH has done in your life.

Related posts:
A Beginner's Guide to the Biblical Holidays
How to Celebrate First Fruits
Preparing for Passover
Six Things You Can Do Now to Get Ready for the Spring Feasts