Dear Good News Magazine Subscriber,
A few weeks ago in the United States we celebrated Labor Day with a three-day weekend to cap off the summer. As soon as that was over the stores readied for the next holiday, Halloween, hawking masks, costumes and candy to get as much money as possible out of this custom.
Cultures around the world have a lot of holidays. Some have grand national significance, while others seem virtually meaningless. But some, like Halloween, find their meaning deeply rooted in paganism and witchcraft. What are we to make of that?
In the midst of all this, it’s interesting to consider the question: What holidays would Jesus celebrate? Would He be looking forward to Halloween and organizing parties for little witches and ghosts? Or would He be more interested in promoting holidays that come from a different source—God’s message and His activity?
We don’t really have to guess. All you have to do is see what He celebrated when He lived here on earth.
Many Christians have been intrigued by the mentions of little-known festivals throughout the New Testament. For example, Jesus went to Jerusalem with His parents at age 12 for the Passover, and a number of other Passovers are highlighted in the Gospels, especially the one that marked His crucifixion.
The apostle John also notes that one year Jesus went to Jerusalem for the “Feast of Tabernacles” even though His life was threatened (John 7:1-2, 8-10).
The Church was founded on another festival, Pentecost (Acts 2:1), and the apostle Paul celebrated the Feast of Unleavened Bread (1 Corinthians 5:6-8) and the Day of Atonement (Acts 27:9).
What were these festivals and why did Jesus Christ and the early New Testament Church celebrate them? The September/October issue of The Good News examines these questions in the article, “The Biblical Festivals That Reveal God’s Plan of Salvation.” It is a fascinating, thought-provoking study that has great relevance to our lives today! You can have even more information from our booklet God’s Holy Day Plan: The Promise of Hope for All Mankind.
You will be amazed by the Christ-centered concepts behind these neglected Holy Days. But I’m sure you won’t be surprised that Jesus Christ would choose meaningful occasions over meaningless ones—or ones with dark and sinister origins. (For a historical and biblical study of Halloween, see “Halloween: A Celebration of Darkness.”)
Thanks for your interest in The Good News magazine. If you have any suggestions or input for these newsletters or the magazine, we are happy to hear from you.
Warm regards,
Clyde Kilough
President
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