God's holy days, as outlined in Leviticus 23, were faithfully observed by Jesus Christ and the apostles, establishing a clear precedent for the New Testament church. From His childhood, Jesus kept the Passover and the Days of Unleavened Bread, as recorded in Luke 2:41-43, and continued to observe the Passover during His ministry, as seen in Luke 22:14-16, where He instructed His disciples to prepare for the traditional observance. Jesus also taught that the Passover would be kept in the Kingdom of God, changing only the symbols to bread and wine as a memorial of His death, a practice affirmed in Luke 22:17-20 and across all four gospels. Additionally, Jesus observed the Feast of Tabernacles, as detailed in John 7, attending secretly due to threats but still participating and preaching powerfully during the feast. His dedication to these holy days, including the weekly Sabbath, underscores their importance for His church, which continues to keep the Feast of Tabernacles with inspired preaching services. The early church, following Christ's example, observed these festivals, with the book of Acts documenting their adherence to the Days of Unleavened Bread, Pentecost, and other holy days. Paul, in Acts 20 and I Corinthians 16:8, referenced Pentecost to Gentile converts, indicating their familiarity with and observance of these days. Paul also urged the Corinthians in I Corinthians 5:6-7 to keep the feast of Unleavened Bread, using the symbolism of leaven to address spiritual sin, and affirmed Christ as the Passover sacrifice. In I Corinthians 11:23-26, he provided instructions for the annual Passover memorial on the 14th day of the first month of God's sacred calendar. Furthermore, Luke records Paul's awareness of the Day of Atonement in Acts 27, and even the Feast of Trumpets is indirectly referenced in Colossians 2:16, showing the early church's commitment to all of God's festivals. Jesus Christ, as the Head of the true church, set the example for observing these holy days, commanding His disciples to follow suit, as seen in Luke 22:8 and John 7:8. The apostles, including Paul, Peter, and John, taught and practiced these observances, passing them on to the church, as evidenced by Paul's instruction to Timothy in II Timothy 3 to continue in the teachings of the Old Testament Scriptures. These seven annual holy days—Passover, Days of Unleavened Bread, Pentecost, Feast of Trumpets, Day of Atonement, Feast of Tabernacles, and the Last Great Day—form a complete picture of God's plan of salvation, intended to be kept by His church continually to maintain true worship and understanding of His purpose.

God has established a deliberate plan to build children in His image, and each of His holy days highlights a specific step in this work. Leviticus 23 lists the festivals and holy days He gave His people, beginning with the weekly Sabbath, which reminds us of His purpose. These holy days are kept to ensure we never forget His plan for mankind and pass it on to future generations. Jesus and His disciples observed these Old Testament holy days even after He returned to His Father, with new meanings assigned to them. Jesus changed the symbols of Passover to bread and wine, representing His body and blood given for our forgiveness. The days of Unleavened Bread signify the need to come out of the world and conquer sinful natures, while Pentecost marks the founding of the New Testament church and the giving of His Holy Spirit. The Feast of Trumpets represents Christ's return at the last trumpet, when He will gather His elect, both living and dead, to enter God's Kingdom and rule with Him for a thousand years. The Feast of Tabernacles, in the fall, symbolizes a thousand years of peace and prosperity after Christ's return, during which those alive and children born in that time can be saved. The Last Great Day of the Feast foreshadows the Great White Throne Judgment, a time when those who died in ignorance of God's way will be resurrected to physical life and given the opportunity to learn and accept His way. God gives us His feast days so that we might remember His plan and strive for a better resurrection.

Finally, we must consider the joyful experience of God's holy days. Completing the yearly cycle of God's feasts brings satisfaction and assurance, along with new knowledge of God's Plan for His creation. In contrast, man-made holidays often leave people with dissatisfaction and no new understanding of God or His Plan. Jesus, as our example, lived a life of obedience to God's commands, which included observing God's holy days. By examining how He lived and what He taught, we can discover the way of life He leads us to follow. When He returns, He will recognize those who have built a relationship with Him on His terms, which includes worshipping the Father according to His instructions through these holy days.

The first day of Unleavened Bread, beginning on the 15th of Abib or Nisan, holds profound significance as a memorial of key events, including the Israelites' exodus from Egypt, and remains a vital observance for Christians. Despite its importance, this day and other festivals of God face ongoing attacks, both from outside and within the Church of God, challenging their relevance. Scriptural evidence, such as Leviticus 23:4-7, clearly distinguishes Passover on the 14th as a separate festival from the Feast of Unleavened Bread, which starts on the 15th and lasts seven days, with the first and seventh days designated as holy convocations where no servile work is to be done, indicating their status as Sabbaths. Numbers 28:16-18 further confirms this separation, stating that the 14th is the Passover and the 15th marks the beginning of Unleavened Bread with a holy convocation. Additionally, Numbers 33:3 specifies that the Israelites departed from Rameses on the 15th, the day after Passover, reinforcing the distinct timing of these events. Deuteronomy 16:1 notes their departure occurred by night on the 15th, underscoring the separation of these two festivals by a full 24 hours. In the New Testament, I Corinthians 5:6-8 urges the keeping of the feast with unleavened bread of sincerity and truth, clearly referring to the Days of Unleavened Bread as distinct from Passover, though both are to be observed. Historical accounts, such as those from Josephus in the first century, also affirm that Passover on the 14th and the Feast of Unleavened Bread on the 15th are separate, with the latter continuing for seven days. Moreover, John 19:31 and 19:40-42 describe Passover as a preparation day, not a Sabbath, contrasting with the high day Sabbath of the 15th, further evidencing that these are distinct observances with unique spiritual significance.

The New Testament clearly shows that Jesus Christ, the disciples, apostles, and early church observed the signs of the Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread as significant appointed times. These holy days, kept by Them, embody crucial signs of obedience and salvation. The Passover, with the blood of the lamb as a sign, represents salvation from God's wrath, while the Feast of Unleavened Bread, through the act of eating unleavened bread for seven days, serves as a sign on the hand, ensuring God's law remains in our mouths and commemorates His deliverance from darkness. However, mainstream Christianity has belittled these appointed times, replacing them with pagan traditions, thus undermining the importance of these divine signs. Even among some who observe the Feast of Unleavened Bread, the sign is weakened by claims that daily consumption of unleavened bread is not mandatory, raising questions about the reverence for God's Word. God's signs, including these holy days, are vital for spiritual Israel, propelling us toward the highest goal when kept with diligence, yet becoming judgments against us if ignored or despised.

The holy days observed by Jesus and the Apostles hold significant importance, as they are recorded in both the Old and New Testaments. In Acts 20:6, it is noted that the early church sailed from Philippi after the Days of Unleavened Bread, joining others at Troas. Additionally, Paul hurried to be in Jerusalem by the Day of Pentecost, expressing his intent to keep the feast there. These holy days, though often considered merely Jewish by many, were faithfully observed by the earliest Christians, including Gentile churches, indicating a deeper reason for their continued practice. God's appointed times, referred to as moed in Hebrew, meaning "appointment," are detailed in Leviticus 23:2 as the feasts of the Lord, proclaimed as holy convocations. These festivals and holy days commemorate significant events in Israel's history and reveal God's plan of salvation for mankind. From a New Testament perspective, as Paul wrote to the Colossians in 2:16-17, these days are a shadow of things to come, with their substance found in Christ. They look back to miracles God performed and forward to the work of our Lord Jesus Christ during the spring and fall harvests. The Hebrew calendar, a lunar-solar system, aligns these appointed times with the phases of the moon, ensuring that events like Passover occur on the 14th day of Abib, the first month, coinciding with a full moon. Historical evidence also confirms that Jesus observed His last holy days on the Sabbath, with the preceding Passover falling on a Wednesday, as calculated within the Hebrew calendar's cycles, including leap years. These appointed times, established from creation as seen in Genesis 1:14 with the term moed for seasons, suggest that God marked out special times for significant events in history, not just for Israel, but for all of humanity.

The observance of Holy Days by Jesus Christ and the apostles remains a significant aspect of their adherence to God's law. Evidence from Scripture clearly shows that the apostle Paul continued to keep the Days of Unleavened Bread and Passover, providing instructions on their observance, such as removing leaven, as noted in I Corinthians. This practice was not abandoned but maintained with a renewed understanding, reflecting a deeper spiritual intent. Even Protestant commentators acknowledge that Paul kept these Holy Days, underscoring their continued relevance in the early church. Furthermore, testimony from James, the brother of Christ and pastor of the Jerusalem church, confirms that Paul walked orderly and kept the law, including these observances, long after key decisions regarding other aspects of the law were made. This consistent practice demonstrates that the Holy Days were not done away with but remained an integral part of the faith and conduct of the early Christian community under the guidance of the apostles.

The early apostolic church observed the same festivals as the Jews, a practice that continued for a considerable time, especially among Christians of Jewish birth. These Holy Days, including the Passover, were celebrated with a deeper spiritual significance, commemorating the blessings bestowed through the death and resurrection of Christ. Evidence from I Corinthians 5:7-8 indicates that Paul wrote during the Passover season, using terms like leaven, lump, paschal lamb, and feast, which align naturally with this observance. Both Gentile and Jewish Christians participated in these celebrations, such as abstaining from leaven during the Days of Unleavened Bread, as seen in their actions of removing leaven from their homes. Acts 20:6 further confirms that Paul continued to observe the Days of Unleavened Bread. The Scriptures clearly show the early New Testament church adhering to the Holy Days outlined in Leviticus 23. Additionally, I Thessalonians 2:13-14 reveals that the Gentile church in Thessalonica imitated the practices of the Jewish Christian churches in Judea, following the same Scriptures and way of life out of faith in God. Paul's teachings, as noted in II Thessalonians 2:13-15, urged believers to stand fast and hold to the traditions taught, which encompassed the totality of apostolic doctrine, including the keeping of God's commandments, the Sabbath, and the Holy Days as integral parts of their way of life.

The book of Acts clearly demonstrates that Paul consistently observed the Sabbath and holy days, reflecting a continuity in practice among early followers. In Acts 13:13-16, Paul and his company entered a synagogue on the Sabbath day in Antioch in Pisidia, engaging with both Jews and Gentile proselytes. This pattern continued as Acts 13:43-47 notes that on the next Sabbath, nearly the whole city gathered to hear the word of God, showing Paul's commitment to teaching on this day even among Gentiles. Acts 16:13 records Paul using the Sabbath for evangelistic purposes in Philippi, by a riverside where prayer was customarily made. Further, Acts 17:1-2 describes Paul's custom of reasoning in the synagogue on the Sabbath for three consecutive weeks in Thessalonica, and Acts 18:4 confirms he did so every Sabbath in Corinth, persuading both Jews and Greeks over a period of a year and six months. Additionally, Paul's adherence to holy days is evident in Acts 18:21, where he expresses the necessity to keep a feast in Jerusalem, likely the Feast of Tabernacles, indicating his personal commitment to these observances. Acts 20:6 also mentions his journey after the Days of Unleavened Bread, further aligning his actions with these significant times. These accounts in Acts illustrate that Paul not only kept the Sabbath and holy days himself but also integrated them into his ministry among both Jewish and Gentile communities in various regions, including Galatia.