For whatever reason, Christianity long ago relegated the Festivals of God, such as the Passover, to the dustbins of Old Testament Judaism. In their place, Christians celebrate other holidays such as Good Friday and Easter.
Holidays symbolically rehearse past events or revered principals so that future generations will not forget their heritage and lose their way. For instance, all Christendom as a reminder or rehearsal of Jesus' death observes the Lord's Supper until he comes. Long ago, however, Christians stopped "rehearsing" the larger context in which the Lord's supper took place. When we forget the Passover of God and its significance, we abandon the original prophetic "shadow" which Jesus death, burial and resurrection fulfilled. What happened to Passover? Was it really just an old Jewish tradition, best left for historians and scholars or is it a central component of the Gospel message?
The rendition of the last week of Jesus' life you are about to study is not framed within the context of Good Friday or Easter Sunday, but within the original context of the Hebrew Passover Festival. This "expanded" contextual viewpoint has been around for two thousand years, but is generally ignored because of its theological implications.
Why is this study important?
The Gospel story is the foundational backdrop against which we perceive ourselves as Christians. For more than 1700 years, the majority view within the Christian church has been that Jesus was crucified on Friday and raised from the dead on Sunday morning. Many of our practices and prejudices are derived from this rendition of events.
What motivates this study is the fact that the traditional view of the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus is not consistent with the Gospel record itself at any level of detail. Commentators, advocating the traditional view constantly find themselves saying "What the text really meant was...". I am inspired to share this minority view because it requires no such "device."
So why, you may ask, is the minority view not the majority view? There must be something wrong with it. One of the main reasons Christians reject "non-traditional" views is that they are simply not traditional. Reactions such as the following are not uncommon. "This view has come up before and has never won wide acceptance." "This view suggests that the church may be mistaken. Such arrogance!" "This view does not automatically support Christian worship practice and doctrine as we have received it from our fathers. This is dangerous!" And so it has been for centuries. People were no different yesterday than they are today. However, fear and stubbornness do not a correct doctrine make. Every sincere student of the scriptures values truth over tradition and is not afraid to "search the scriptures daily" to be sure the teachings he has received are accurate.
I hope that as you review this version of events, the LORD will give you a blessing. It may challenge and stretch your "assumptions" and "preconceptions" at times. I can not bring myself to apologize for that. The scriptural foundation for this view is laid out in detail so you can make up your own mind based upon substance. Even if, in the end, you decide against its conclusions, the exercise will give you a glimpse at the other side of the story and help you understand your own position with clarity.
"I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. All of us who are mature should take such a view of things. And if on some point you think differently, that too God will make clear to you." Philippians 3:14-15 The Passion Week Table of Contents |
