The Jewish people still celebrate the sacred feasts, or sabbaths, that Moses prescribed. God himself gave Moses directions on how and when the Israelites were to worship him. The Day of Atonement is the most holy day in the Jewish calendar. On this one day of the year, the high priest would enter the inner sanctum of the Tabernacle to make an offering of blood. This ritual would result in God forgiving the people of sins committed during the year.
The Tabernacle was a tent and its enclosure that the Israelis constructed to the exact specifications given to Moses. The Lord dictated the dimensions, the materials to be used, and how each area of this worship center was to be used. Historians say that the Tabernacle was finished within one year of the exodus of the Israelites from Egypt, while the people were wandering in the desert.
Later King Solomon built a temple, again to exact specifications. As in the Tabernacle, the Temple had an inner room where the glory of God dwelt. Once a year, the high priest - and he alone - could enter this hidden area without dying. He would prepare himself ritually and carry with him the sacrificial blood that would atone for the sins of the nation.
The high priest carried sacrificial blood into the inner room to obtain forgiveness for the people. The priest and the people would spend the week before this annual ritual in repentance, prayer, and fasting. Everything was designed to show reverence for God and obedience to His direction.
The destruction of the Temple meant that the Jewish people no longer had their special place to gather for worship or to offer sacrifices. The annual day for repentance and God's forgiveness could no longer be marked by animal sacrifice. The people continued to prepare for it with a week of prayer and fasting, and to celebrate the day with sabbath rest and reflection.
Christians do not observe this day in the same way. Good Friday is their solemn day to remember when Jesus died for the sins of the world, and the season of Lent is observed by many as a period of self-denial, introspection, and repentance. Jesus, the lamb of God, shed his own blood so sins could be forgiven and sinful man could be reconciled with their holy Father. His resurrection showed His followers that they could have eternal life because He had redeemed them.
Orthodox Jews await the rebuilding of the Temple, so animal sacrifices can resume. Christians believe that Jesus was a perfect and sufficient sacrifice for all time, and therefore no further ritual deaths are required. Those who confess their sin, believe that Jesus paid the price for them, and accept the forgiveness and lordship of God receive eternal life. In Christian theology, any day that a believer does this becomes an atoning one.
Although this special day is mainly a Jewish tradition, there is great significance in it for Christians, too. Knowing that man could not redeem himself, and that God so loved them that he not only allowed but required his son to die for mankind, leads to a deep regret for wickedness and a desire to live a holy life as much as possible.
The Tabernacle was a tent and its enclosure that the Israelis constructed to the exact specifications given to Moses. The Lord dictated the dimensions, the materials to be used, and how each area of this worship center was to be used. Historians say that the Tabernacle was finished within one year of the exodus of the Israelites from Egypt, while the people were wandering in the desert.
Later King Solomon built a temple, again to exact specifications. As in the Tabernacle, the Temple had an inner room where the glory of God dwelt. Once a year, the high priest - and he alone - could enter this hidden area without dying. He would prepare himself ritually and carry with him the sacrificial blood that would atone for the sins of the nation.
The high priest carried sacrificial blood into the inner room to obtain forgiveness for the people. The priest and the people would spend the week before this annual ritual in repentance, prayer, and fasting. Everything was designed to show reverence for God and obedience to His direction.
The destruction of the Temple meant that the Jewish people no longer had their special place to gather for worship or to offer sacrifices. The annual day for repentance and God's forgiveness could no longer be marked by animal sacrifice. The people continued to prepare for it with a week of prayer and fasting, and to celebrate the day with sabbath rest and reflection.
Christians do not observe this day in the same way. Good Friday is their solemn day to remember when Jesus died for the sins of the world, and the season of Lent is observed by many as a period of self-denial, introspection, and repentance. Jesus, the lamb of God, shed his own blood so sins could be forgiven and sinful man could be reconciled with their holy Father. His resurrection showed His followers that they could have eternal life because He had redeemed them.
Orthodox Jews await the rebuilding of the Temple, so animal sacrifices can resume. Christians believe that Jesus was a perfect and sufficient sacrifice for all time, and therefore no further ritual deaths are required. Those who confess their sin, believe that Jesus paid the price for them, and accept the forgiveness and lordship of God receive eternal life. In Christian theology, any day that a believer does this becomes an atoning one.
Although this special day is mainly a Jewish tradition, there is great significance in it for Christians, too. Knowing that man could not redeem himself, and that God so loved them that he not only allowed but required his son to die for mankind, leads to a deep regret for wickedness and a desire to live a holy life as much as possible.
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