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Jesus Christ Is Our Hope

Sermonette by Ted E. Bowling

Rahab considered the red cord a symbol of her faith and hope that she and her family would be rescued from destruction. Her faith was not wasted but rewarded.

Jesus in the Feasts (Part Five): Tabernacles

Feast of Tabernacles Sermon by Richard T. Ritenbaugh

We human beings feel nostalgic by nature, longing for "home," a place of warmth, belonging, and permanence which the world never allows us to have. Nostalgia reflects our spiritual homesickness for something we have lost in the past and can no longer retrieve. While we are in the habit of romanticizing history and memories, Scripture reveals that our true Golden Age lies not behind, but ahead-in God's Kingdom. At the Feast of Tabernacles, we learn that Almighty God alone provides true dwelling, identity, and presence during the wilderness journey. The Feast should not evoke a feeling of deprivation, but a joyful remembrance of a faithful God sheltering and sustaining His people. Spiritually, we should consider the temporary dwellings as a foreshadowing of Christ as our ultimate Tabernacle—the divine presence with and within His people. John 1:14 teaches us that the word "tabernacled" (Greek eskenosen) among us—or God pitching His tent with humanity in Christ. John 15:1-8 summons believers to abide in him, just as Israel once abided in God's presence by means of the Tabernacle. Throughout the Scriptures, Almighty God is depicted as our dwelling place, and in Christ, we now have intimate, personal fellowship, not distant worship from afar, but indwelling communion. The Feast of Tabernacles celebrates far more than temporary booths; it points us to the eternal reality that Christ Himself is our true home. Nostalgia forces us to look backward for comfort, but faith looks forward to fulfillment. Our true home is not a memory, but rather a Person, namely Jesus Christ, our everlasting Tabernacle and eternal dwelling with God.

The Bride of Christ (Part One)

Feast of Tabernacles Sermon by Mark Schindler

God's called and chosen people are being prepared, under Christ's direction, to become His perfect and faithful helpmate for eternity.

The Eighth Day (2019)

Sermonette by David C. Grabbe

The Eight Day (or Last Great Day) has little written about it, but the patterns of Scripture reveal much about the abundance of this holy day.

Jesus in the Feasts (Part One): The Bread of Life

Sermon by Richard T. Ritenbaugh

Jesus Christ stands as the central focus of the holy days, embodying their deepest spiritual significance. These sacred observances are not primarily about outlining the prophetic timing of God's plan for salvation, but rather about revealing the character and work of the Son of God, our Redeemer, High Priest, and King. When Jesus opened the minds of His disciples, He directed their understanding to all things concerning Himself in the Scriptures, emphasizing His pivotal role over mere prophetic fulfillment. In the context of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, Jesus is identified as the true bread of life that came down from heaven. This feast underscores the necessity of consuming Him spiritually every day, paralleling the command to eat unleavened bread for seven days. By ingesting His character, teachings, and examples through diligent study, we are nourished, sustained, and transformed spiritually, fostering inner purity and outward righteousness. This ongoing practice, reminded annually through the feast, aids in developing sincerity and truth, helping us grow into His image and cultivate the mind of Christ. Passover also centers on Jesus, as He is explicitly named our Passover, sacrificed for us. His death fulfills the type of the Passover lamb, securing our redemption, justification, and forgiveness by grace. Beyond this, the Unleavened Bread type extends to our state of being unleavened, cleansed of corruption through His sacrifice, urging us to keep the feast with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth, reflecting both inward holiness and outward manifestation of Christian character. Across all holy days, the focus remains on something Christ does, highlighting His agency, mercy, love, blessings, and providence. As the bread of life, He leads us in a walk of faith and righteousness toward the Kingdom of God, doing the heavy lifting in preparing us for glory. His role as the Head of the church is to teach us how to be like Him, a process initiated at our calling and reinforced through these annual observances. Thus, the holy days serve as a training mechanism, emphasizing spiritual growth through study, contemplation, and living out His example in good works, with Jesus Christ as the perfect Model at the core of it all.

The Feasts of Tabernacles and Unleavened Bread

Feast of Tabernacles Sermon by David C. Grabbe

In this message, we learn the divine wisdom and unity within Almighty God's festivals (Leviticus 23) showing how each feast reveals His character, plan, and purpose for humankind. The speaker, using the method of comparison and contrast, exposes a chiastic structure or mirrored design connecting the spring and fall festivals, particularly Unleavened Bread and Tabernacles, both centering on deliverance, dwelling, and dependence on God, forming a complete picture of salvation through Christ. The pattern of one day followed by seven (Passover/Unleavened Bread) and seven days followed by one (Tabernacles/Last Great Day) symbolized the perfection and symmetry of His redemptive plan. Unleavened Bread focuses upon cleansing, sincerity, and feeding on Christ, the Bread of Life. Consequently, when we remove food from our dwellings, we purify every sphere of authority under God, thereby building a stable spiritual house upon Christ. Tabernacles, in contrast, emphasizes impermanence and humility, dwelling in temporary booths, reminding us of our dependence on God's daily provision in the wilderness. Together the permanence of houses and the transience of booths teach us that true security lies not in possessions or comfort but in Almighty God's sustaining presence. The physical symbols of food and dwelling illustrate some divine paradoxes. During Unleavened Bread, food lacks leaven—self-sufficiency and sin—but during Tabernacles, housing lacks permanence—worldly security and control. Through abundance and lack, permanence and transience, God's people learn to dwell in His presence, feed on His Word, and trust His timing.

Jesus in the Feasts (Part Two): Firstfruits

Sermon by Richard T. Ritenbaugh

The central figure of Scripture is God Himself, particularly the Son, Jesus Christ, the Word. The real subject of the Word of God is our Savior and soon-coming King, Jesus Christ, and everything in the Bible revolves around Him. He is the focus of the Old Testament and New Testament alike, appearing in specific prophecies, symbols such as sacrifices and Tabernacle furnishings, and as the anti-type of many historical figures who prefigure Him. The holy days on God's sacred calendar hold a vital spiritual purpose beyond prophetic outlines. Their most important aspect is their incisive focus on Jesus Christ. God desires our eyes to be on Christ first, as the feasts reveal the character and work of the Son of God, our Redeemer, High Priest, and King. He is everything, the Head without whom we do not function or exist. In the context of Pentecost, Jesus Christ is the Firstfruits, the preeminent firstfruit both chronologically and in quality. As the first of the spiritual harvest, He is the model and standard for the elect to emulate. On wave sheaf day, He is the beginning of God's spiritual harvest, the firstborn from the dead. On Pentecost, He is the Firstfruit par excellence, the One whom others must follow to attain the same glory. Christ's call to His disciples to follow Him sets the tone for discipleship, urging them to imitate His actions and walk as He walked. Whether serving others, suffering without complaint, or keeping God's commandments, the instruction remains to do as He did. He never strayed or sinned, providing an unerring example for us to follow on the path to the Kingdom of God. As the trailblazer, Jesus Christ has forged the path through this world, showing the way to glorification. He is the way, the truth, and the life, the sole path to the Father's house. Following His trail, adhering to His example, ensures that we reach the same destination. His life is the unique way that leads to becoming a firstfruit in the Kingdom of God. On Pentecost, Christ remains the center and focus. He is the dispenser of the Holy Spirit, given to those who repent and are baptized, enabling them to walk the path to God's Kingdom through His leadership and example. Without Him, there is no understanding, overcoming, growth, or production of fruit. Abiding in Him, emulating Him in everything, is essential to becoming firstfruits. The goal is to be exactly like the Firstfruit, the Head, by forsaking the human way and embracing the godly way. The truth is in Jesus Christ, and we must put on Christ, living as God created us through salvation to live in true holiness and righteousness. As our Passover, our Unleavened Bread, and our Firstfruit, He leads and guides us in our walk of faith to the Kingdom of God, providing the example, instruction, gifts, help, and strength that make everything possible.

Jesus in the Feasts (Part Six)

Feast of Tabernacles Sermon by Richard T. Ritenbaugh

In this concluding message of the Jesus in the Feasts series, we reflect on the profound spiritual meaning in the Eighth Day, the final festival in God's annual cycle, revealing Christ as "our all in all." Drawing on the late Charles Whitaker's teaching on merism, a figure of speech in which opposites express totality, this sermon illustrates how the Eighth Day encapsulates the fullness and completeness of God's divine plan through Christ. Scripture gives few details about this day (Leviticus 23:33-36), but its Hebrew term Atzeret denotes closure, restraint, or retention, marking it as the capstone that concludes the Feast of Tabernacles and the entire festival season. Spiritually, it focuses upon Christ, who embodies and fulfills every lesson, hope, and promise depicted in the holy days-our Passover, Bread of Life, King Atonement, and Tabernacle—now summed up in Him who "fills all in all" (Ephesians 1:23). Through passages, including Ephesians 1 and Revelation 2, this message teaches that God's chosen saints as Christ's Body, share in His divine fulness. He is everything we need in every way, our power, holiness, and hope. In Revelation, Jesus declares Himself to be the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, reassuring His people not to fear, but endure faithfully for He reigns and will return soon. Ultimately, the Eighth Day celebrates the completion of God's redemptive work, a vision of eternal unity with Christ, Who fills and perfects all things.

The Temptations of Christ: Behold, the Lamb of God

Sermon by Mark Schindler

Within the abundance of gifts God desires to bestow upon us, both physically and spiritually, He has established the annual holy days to be among the most satisfying and enjoyable times of the year. However, we must not allow the days themselves to become the sole focus of our attention, lest we forget their significance in God's plan and purpose, along with our own duties and responsibilities within them. Without Jesus Christ as the central focal point throughout these days, we risk merely taking time off and falling into the traps set by satan. The Father and Son never cease Their work, and neither can we, as God's planning and execution to bring us into an eternal relationship with Him are carried out with precision in every detail. As we observe these holy days, particularly the Memorial of Shouting, which stands as a pivot point among God's holy days, we must focus on the powerful work of the Word of God, who became Jesus Christ, the perfect Lamb of God. This memorial looks both backward and forward, emphasizing His role in God's plan. Jesus Christ, as the Son of God and the Lamb of God, accomplished what no other could, perfectly overcoming the lying temptations of the ruler of this world with truth, providing the ultimate answer to the deepest questions of faith. The holy days are vital tools given by God to deepen our appreciation for His meticulous planning and to fulfill our responsibilities in service to the Body of Christ with diligent care and thanksgiving. We must stand behind the shield of faith in Jesus Christ, learning to live as He lives, and uphold the Word of God in the face of challenges.

Gratitude for Deliverance and God's Word

Sermonette by David C. Grabbe

Even though we have heard that the Feast of Unleavened Bread signifies coming out of sin, the principal focus is that we remember God as our Deliverer.

Why Are We Here and What Is Our Focus?

Feast of Tabernacles Sermon by Mark Schindler

God has a plan to bring all to Christ, but each in his own order. We cannot have a proper understanding of the plan if we do not keep Christ as the focus.

John 7:37 Examined (Part One)

Feast of Tabernacles Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh (1932-2023)

The Eighth Day (or Last Great Day) is a separate festival from the Feast of Tabernacles, which can only derive its significance in the New Testament.

Teachings From Tabernacles (2021)

Feast of Tabernacles Sermon by David C. Grabbe

If we neglect our cultivation of spiritual fruit during the year, the harvest will reflect that. The fruit of one's labors will be evident at harvest time.

Teachings from Tabernacles

Feast of Tabernacles Sermon by David C. Grabbe

The temporary dwellings remind us that nothing earthly is permanent nor our true inheritance, and that our focus must be on what God is doing.

The Way, The Truth, and the Life

Sermonette by Clyde Finklea

The Feast of Unleavened Bread is a remembrance of the release from bondage. We eat unleavened bread as a sign that the Lord's law may be in our mouths.

The Handwriting Is on the Wall (2021)

Feast of Tabernacles Sermon by Mark Schindler

When comparing the Jewish Disneyland Succoth Extravaganza with the Holy Days kept by Israel, it is obvious that the veil still bars their understanding.

Unleavened Bread Basics

Sermon by David C. Grabbe

The Feast of Unleavened Bread memorializes God's deliverance from the environment of sin rather than our coming out of sin. Christ embodies sincerity and truth.