Don't misunderstand me: yes of course, He is our Messiah, Redeemer, and Lord. Yes, He is the Son of God, and yes, He is God manifest in the flesh. Of these things there has never been any doubt.

But what about the other things you have been led to believe about Jesus: that He was essentially a blond-haired, blue-eyed Norwegian, who grew up in the Vatican, was the son of "Mr. and Mrs. Christ," and had a British accent in every full length feature film. Any accuracy in that?

Not even close.

In the last 20 years, the Christian world has seen a vast resurgence of interest in discovering the Jewish roots of its faith. We have come to realize that Jesus was Jewish, as were His disciples, and also virtually all who were inspired by God to pen the books of the Bible. The setting was a Jewish land, in a Jewish culture and context, and the language spoken then, surprisingly, was not King James English but Middle-Eastern Hebrew.

For more than ten years, the Church of the Nazarene has been involved in the planting of Messianic Congregations, where the emphasis has been on carrying out the mission of Romans 1:16, and bringing the Gospel to Jew and Gentile alike. In part, these congregations have been an answer to an age-old question: one of the spouses in the marriage is Christian, the other Jewish. How do we raise the children? How do we observe the holidays? Should we put a Star of David on top of the Christmas tree this year, maybe? Should we attend a Jewish synagogue on Saturdays and a church on Sundays?

This time of year is particularly significant, because it is when the fall festivals of Leviticus are celebrated. Before you conclude that these are Old Testament observances that have no relevance anymore, it may surprise you to learn that Jesus Himself celebrated them, and for one obvious reason: these feasts were never meant solely to be "Jewish feasts." Indeed, Leviticus 23 never says such. Instead, it refers to these as the "Lord's Feasts," since they have pointed to Jesus from the very beginning.

Here are some examples of how:

The first fall feast is "The Feast of Trumpets" and is found in Leviticus 23:23-25. On that day in ancient Israel, Jews would rest from all work, come together to worship God, bring an offering of fire, and blow a ram's horn. The sound of that ram's horn, or shofar, was to remind the people of their future—one day the day of the Lord would come, and the people would be judged for their sins. The shofar sound was thus a reminder to the people to turn away from their sin and get right with God, before that day arrived. But the blowing of the ram's horn also reminded people of their past. One that in Genesis 22 told the story of a ram that was provided as a substitution sacrifice for Isaac, so that Abraham's beloved son's life would be spared.

Today, that feast is also known as "Rosh Hashanah," two Hebrew words which mean, "The head of (or beginning of) the year." And the ram's horn is still blown, but for us as believers, the significance is even greater: we are reminded of our future in 1 Thessalonians 4, that Jesus will come in the clouds at the blowing of the shofar! Will we be ready for Him? Will we have gotten right with God and truly turned from our sin? And the shofar reminds us also of an even greater past—one where Jesus himself was the lamb of God provided as a substitution sacrifice for us, so that all who believe would be spared a Christ-less eternity and instead reap the blessings and promises of eternal life.

After Rosh Hashanah comes Yom Kippur, or the Day of Atonement. Traditionally, this was and still is, when Jewish people spend the entire day fasting, and most of that time they are in their synagogues asking God's forgiveness for their sins. Jews believe that since the Temple was destroyed and thus, animal sacrifices could no longer take place, this is all that now needs to be done to receive atonement for sin.

But that's not what the Word says:

Leviticus 17:11 reminds us that blood from a sacrifice made atonement for the people, and nowhere did God change His mind. Am I saying we should start sacrificing animals again? Of course not, the penalty of the Law is obsolete. But the principle of the Law is eternal. We still need blood from a sacrifice to make atonement for us, only now that sacrifice is not a temporal, annual one, but an ongoing forever one in Jesus! Should not the Day of Atonement therefore hold some importance for us in that regard?

Finally, the third fall feast is known as the "Feast of Booths." The Word tells us that while the Israelites were wandering in the desert, God provided them booths to dwell in. In that beautiful scene, the people felt God's presence dwelling among them, as they dwelt with God. And when they entered the Holy Land, they were required on this feast to go to the Temple in Jerusalem to bring offerings to the Lord. Would Jesus have done the same? In fact, He did! John 7 is the story of Jesus celebrating this all-important festival.

We understand the great significance here is found in Revelation 21:3, where the fulfillment of this festival will come as God once again dwells with us, and we with Him. While the four preceding feasts in the spring are reminders of what Jesus has already fulfilled, the three remaining feasts are rehearsals for what is yet to come. Let them be for you, signposts of God's plan of salvation, through His Son Jesus, and as we say in Hebrew, "Hag Sameach!" Happy holiday!