As a Christian, one who is dedicated to following Jesus Christ, I want to observe, do and emulate the things He did. Not the least of these things are the days that Jesus observed. For starters, every week Jesus kept the Sabbath day, which no one denies falls on Saturday, the seventh day of the week. But Christ also kept the Feasts of the Lord that are mentioned throughout the Bible. To begin with, they're all listed in the 23rd chapter of Leviticus. The names of these Feasts of the Lord are all listed, along with the date of their observance.

Here's where it begins:

"And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 'Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them: "The feasts of the Lord, which you shall proclaim to be holy convocations, these are My feasts"'" (Leviticus 23:1-2, emphasis added).

These observances weren't limited to any ethnicity. Rather their authority proceeds from the Lord God, who takes ownership of them.

First God tells His people about the weekly Sabbath festival:

"Six days shall work be done, but the seventh day is a Sabbath of solemn rest, a holy convocation. You shall do no work on it; it is the Sabbath of the Lord in all your dwellings" (Leviticus 23:3).

Next it goes to the festivals that Jesus, along with the apostles and the early Church, kept without any question throughout His life:

· The Passover and Days of Unleavened Bread
· The Feast of Weeks (called Pentecost in the New Testament)
· The Feast of Trumpets
· The Day of Atonement
· The Feast of Tabernacles
· The Eighth Day

These are the days observed by the early New Testament Church both in Judea and everywhere else. They are days of observed without question in Corinth, far away from Jerusalem and the Jews. These are the days that I and the rest of the United Church of God faithfully observe.

Starting next Wednesday evening, Oct. 8, 13,000 members of the United Church of God in more than 50 locations around the world will be observing the Feast of Tabernacles, the largest group observance of the festivals ordained of God. They are days intended to bring greater understanding of the workings of our Savior in our life. The Feast of Tabernacles specifically celebrates Jesus Christ's coming 1,000-year rule on the earth. It is also a time when families and friends gather together and strengthen one another's faith in loving fellowship.

I have observed the Feast of Tabernacles for almost 50 consecutive years, and can truly say that it has helped me to get to know much better Jesus Christ and what He has in store for me. You can also see what He has in store for you.

I invite you to find out more about these clear observances from the Bible, consistently taught in the Old and New Testaments. We have two study aids about these festivals and what they mean for Christians today: God's Holy Day Plan: The Promise of Hope for All Mankind and Holidays or Holy Days: Does It Matter Which Days We Observe?

Sign up for the Good News email to get this in your inbox!