MESSIAH YESHUA IN THE JEWISH FESTIVALS
"Now his parents went to Jerusalem every year at the feast of the passover. And when he was twelve years old, they went up to Jerusalem after the custom of the feast. And when they had fulfilled the days, as they returned, the child Jesus tarried behind in Jerusalem; and Joseph and his mother knew not [of it]. But they, supposing him to have been in the company, went a day's journey; and they sought him among [their] kinsfolk and acquaintance. And when they found him not, they turned back again to Jerusalem, seeking him. And it came to pass, that after three days they found him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the doctors, both hearing them, and asking them questions. And all that heard him were astonished at his understanding and answers." (Luk 2:41-47)
Let us to read these lines (below):
"And the Jews' passover was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem, And found in the temple those that sold oxen and sheep and doves, and the changers of money sitting: And when he had made a scourge of small cords, he drove them all out of the temple, and the sheep, and the oxen; and poured out the changers' money, and overthrew the tables;" (John 2:13-15)
According to the Jewish tradition before Pesakh Jews clean house. Messiah Yeshua cleaned the temple.
"And Pesakh (the passover), a feast of the Jews, was nigh. When Jesus then lifted up [his] eyes, and saw a great company come unto him, he saith unto Philip, Whence shall we buy bread, that these may eat? And this he said to prove him: for he himself knew what he would do. Philip answered him, Two hundred pennyworth of bread is not sufficient for them, that every one of them may take a little. One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, saith unto him, There is a lad here, which hath five barley loaves, and two small fishes: but what are they among so many? And Jesus said, Make the men sit down. Now there was much grass in the place. So the men sat down, in number about five thousand. And Jesus took the loaves; and when he had given thanks, he distributed to the disciples, and the disciples to them that were set down; and likewise of the fishes as much as they would." (John 6:4-11)
Here we see too the acts of Yeshua had a connection with Pesakh. (Too please read John, 5:1-9)
John 7:37 In the last day, that great [day] of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto Me, and drink.
John 7:38 He that believeth on Me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.
John 7:39 (But this spake He of the Spirit, which they that believe on Him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet [given]; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.)
Hoshana Raba (the last day, the
great day of Sukkot) is culmination of this feast.
In TaNaKh we read: "Therefore with joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation." (Isaiah 12:3)
There was the such tradition: during seven days of Sukkot kohens (the priests) were carring a water in the gold jug from the pool of Shiloakh (Siloam). Then kohens handed over this jug with water to other kohen who poured out it into the vessel near altar. This ritual symbolized a prayer about rain which the eight day began from, Shmini Atzeret, and this ritual pointed out outpouring of Ruach ha-Kodesh (the Holy Spirit) on Jewish people.
In the last day of Sukkot (when water was running, one could hear singing of psalms, the sound of shofars (the trumpets) which kohens blew in etc., Yeshua said the words which we quoted (John, 7:37-39)
The rivers of living water are blessings which we, believers in Messiah Yeshua, had received Ruach ha-Kodesh, have in order to bless people, to share the Good News with them.
Yeshua said in Hoshana Raba too:
John 8:12 Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.
In the courtyard of the Temple there were gold menorahs. People saw shine of the light. Yeshua opened the spiritual sense of this light: "... I am the light of the world..."
Please read these lines of the next chapter:
"And as [Jesus] passed by, he saw a man which was blind from [his] birth. And his disciples asked him, saying, Master, who did sin, this man, or his parents, that he was born blind? Jesus answered, Neither hath this man sinned, nor his parents: but that the works of God should be made manifest in him. I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work. As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world. When he had thus spoken, he spat on the ground, and made clay of the spittle, and he anointed the eyes of the blind man with the clay," (John 9:1-6)
Yeshua was at
Hanukkah:
John 10:22 And it was at Jerusalem the feast of the dedication, and it was
winter.
On Hanukah Yeshua said:
"My sheep hear my voice, and I
know them, and they follow me: And I give unto them eternal life; and they
shall never perish, neither shall any [man] pluck them out of my hand.
My Father, which gave [them] me, is greater than all; and no [man]
is able to pluck [them] out of my Father's hand. I and [my]
Father are one." (John 10:27-30)
"And many resorted unto him, and said, John did no miracle: but all things that John spake of this man were true. And many believed on him there." (John 10:41-42)
- - -
"On the next day much people that were come to the feast, when they heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem, Took branches of palm trees, and went forth to meet him, and cried, Hosanna: Blessed [is] the King of Israel that cometh in the name of the Lord. And Jesus, when he had found a young ass, sat thereon; as it is written, Fear not, daughter of Sion: behold, thy King cometh, sitting on an ass's colt. These things understood not his disciples at the first: but when Jesus was glorified, then remembered they that these things were written of him, and [that] they had done these things unto him." (John 12:12-16)
These good news were before Pesakh.
Yeshua had Pesakh seder with His talmidim and told them about Messianic meaning of Pesakh:
"Then came the day of unleavened bread, when the passover must be killed. And he sent Peter and John, saying, Go and prepare us the passover, that we may eat. And they said unto him, Where wilt thou that we prepare? And he said unto them, Behold, when ye are entered into the city, there shall a man meet you, bearing a pitcher of water; follow him into the house where he entereth in. And ye shall say unto the goodman of the house, The Master saith unto thee, Where is the guestchamber, where I shall eat the passover with my disciples? And he shall shew you a large upper room furnished: there make ready. And they went, and found as he had said unto them: and they made ready the passover. And when the hour was come, he sat down, and the twelve apostles with him. And he said unto them, With desire I have desired to eat this passover with you before I suffer: For I say unto you, I will not any more eat thereof, until it be fulfilled in the kingdom of God. And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and said, Take this, and divide [it] among yourselves: For I say unto you, I will not drink of the fruit of the vine, until the kingdom of God shall come. And he took bread, and gave thanks, and brake [it], and gave unto them, saying, This is my body which is given for you: this do in remembrance of me. Likewise also the cup after supper, saying, This cup [is] the new testament in my blood, which is shed for you." (Luk 22:7-20)