The observance of Good Friday and Easter Sunday are traditions of men, not commandments of God. In fact, for many Believers, Easter is so laden with Pagan roots they cannot conceive of celebrating it. However, God did command His followers to observe His Feasts, which He instructed Moses and instituted forever. The Messiah Himself observed these Feasts, as did His Disciples and the faithful early Christians for hundreds of years. These Feasts were never nullified by any of the Apostles.
In the Spring of the year – such as now – we celebrate God’s “three-in-one”. This is (1.) Passover, which reminds us of how God’s People were passed over in Egypt because they had the blood of the lamb painted on their door posts and, therefore, they did not die the death-of-the-firstborn. Quickly following Passover comes the (2.) Feast of Unleavened Bread, since the Israelites had no time to let their bread raise, so they kept out the yeast and hastily departed Egypt. The Feast of Unleavened Bread reminds us to remove the leavening influence of sin from our lives. Also, during this Passover Season comes the (3.) Feast of First Fruits. These three commanded Feasts all fall under the umbrella of Passover. Perhaps the most misunderstood Feast, most meaningful, and the one mostly unknown to many Christians is the Feast of First Fruits.
Barley and wheat were planted in the fall in Israel. They germinated in the ground through the winter, shot up as soon as the weather got warm, and ripened in the spring. The stalks were cut and stacked in sheaves for the harvesters to collect for thrashing. But harvesting or eating any of the grain was not permitted until a sample sheaf was brought to the Temple at sunrise on the first day (Sunday) after the Sabbath (Saturday) following Passover. (Passover, then comes Saturday, then arrives the first Sunday called the Feast of First Fruits). After God received His portion, the harvest could proceed and the grain could be ground into flour for daily bread. This offering was called a ‘wave offering’ since the sheaf was actually lifted up and waved before the Lord.
At sunrise on the morning of the Feast of First Fruits in 32 AD, as the priests were waving the sheaf of grain before the altar as required, the women arrived at the Messiah's tomb to prepare His body for permanent burial. (There wasn’t enough time before sunset on the day He was crucified and the following two days were both Sabbaths [an extra Passover Sabbath], so no work was permitted and they had to bury the Messiah’s body in haste.)
But the tomb was empty. He had risen, in fulfillment of the Feast of First Fruits. "But now Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who are asleep". (1 Cor. 15:20)
-----Yeshua (Jesus) was the perfect Passover Lamb. Just as the lamb’s blood was painted on the wooden door posts in Egypt, the Messiah’s blood soaked the wood of the cross, and is applied to the door posts of our hearts when we whole-heartedly follow Him as our Savior.
-----Just as His death took place during the Feast of Unleavened Bread, He – the Bread of Life - never knew the leavening influence of sin. And as the Israelites were commanded to get all forms of leaven out of their homes for this Feast, Christians, the "wild branches" grafted in to the olive tree of Israel, also must get the sin leaven out of our lives, and put it far away from us.
-----And just as Jesus the Messiah fulfilled the Feast of First Fruits and became the First Fruit of those who died and rose to live again, His faithful followers inherit this blessing – eternal life.
I submit that Yeshua the Messiah did not die on “good Friday” -- He died on Passover. He did not rise from the dead on “easter” -- He came to life like a sprouting seed in the warm sun, and was lifted up as that first Spring sheaf, our First Fruits offering to God.
These are the set feasts or appointed seasons of the Lord, holy assemblies you shall proclaim at their stated times:
5On the fourteenth day of the first month at twilight is the Lord's Passover.
6On the fifteenth day of the same month is the Feast of Unleavened Bread to the Lord; for seven days you shall eat unleavened bread......
9And the Lord said to Moses,
10Tell the Israelites, When you have come into the land I give you and reap its harvest, you shall bring the sheaf of the firstfruits of your harvest to the priest.
11And he shall wave the sheaf before the Lord, that you may be accepted; on the next day after the Sabbath the priest shall wave it [before the Lord]. “ (Lev. 23:4ff)
