Finding Jesus in the old testament
(Finding Jesus in the Old Testament)

Scripture: Numbers 28:26-31

C.I.: Pentecost

During the month… - Today we will begin looking at the 2nd major feast of the Jews –
and see how this one also continues to the Jews about a coming Messiah (quote Gal. 3:23-25).

I. Pentecost: A Celebration of the Goodness of God

A. The Names and Events of Pentecost

1. The names given to this feast day show its purpose and its significance
a. “Feast of Weeks” – (Ex. 34:22), “You shall celebrate the Feast of Weeks. That is, the first fruits of the wheat harvest.”
1) This feast was called the “feast of Weeks” – because it was celebrated 7 complete weeks – after the Passover.
2) (Lev. 23:5, 16), “In the first month, on the 14th day of the month at twilight – is the Lord’s Passover … You shall count 50 days to the day after the seventh Sabbath; then you shall present a new grain offering.” – Pentecost = 50th (7 x 7 + 1 days from Passover)

b. “Feast of the Harvest” – (Ex. 23:16), “You shall observe the Feast of the Harvest of the first
fruits of your labors from what you sow in the field.”
1) Only Jewish holy day – not memorializing an event – just celebrates the goodness of God.

c. “Day of first fruits” – (Num. 28:26), “Also on the day of the first fruits, when you present a new
grain offering to the Lord in your Feast of Weeks, you shall have a holy convocation.”
1) On this day the 1st loaves from the new harvest were offered.
2) It was a sin to eat of this harvest before this day

2. The various events of that “holy convocation” - reminded the Jews of God’s goodness.
a. “First Fruits” – (Lev. 23:10-11), “When you enter the land which I am going to give you and reap its harvest, - then you shall bring in the sheaf of the first fruits of the harvest to the priest. – And he shall wave the sheaf before the Lord for you to be accepted.”
b. “Bread Offering” – (Lev. 23:17), “You shall bring in from your dwelling places - two loaves of
bread for a wave offering … they shall be made of fine flour, baked with leaven as 1st fruits to L.
c. “Sacrifices” – (Lev. 23:19-20), “You shall also offer one male goat for a sin offering – and two
male lambs one year old for a sacrifice of peace offerings.”
d. Tribute – (Deut. 16:10-12), “Then you shall celebrate the Feast of Weeks to the Lord your God –
with a tribute of a freewill offering of your hand, - which you shall give just as the Lord your
God blesses you; - and you shall rejoice before the Lord your God, - you and your son and your
daughter and your male and female servants and the Levite who is in your town and the stranger
and the orphan and the widow who are in your midst. – And you shall remember that you were a
slave in Egypt.”

B. The Elements of Pentecost are Fulfilled in Jesus and His People (Emphasis: Goodness of God)

1. The “First Fruits” represent the very first & the very best of the harvest!
a. This finds its ultimate meaning in Jesus.
1) (I Co. 15:20), “Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who are asleep”

b. But because we belong to God through Jesus, - it also refers to believers.
1) (Jms. 1:18), “In the exercise of His will – He brought us forth by the word of
truth, - so that we might be, as it were, - the first fruits among His creatures.”

2. The Bread Offering represents God’s people, the church.
a. This bread was “…baked with leaven as first fruits to the Lord,” (Lev. 23:17).
1) As we saw in last week’s lesson (Passover) – leaven is typically symbolic of sin.
2) (I Cor. 5:6-7), “Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump of dough? – Clean out the old leaven, - that you may be new, - just as you are in fact unleavened. – For Christ our Passover has been sacrificed.” – We are NOW clean because of what Jesus did!

b. It came “…in from your dwelling places” (Lev. 23:17), representing each family of God.
1) God ordained and established the home (Gen. 2:24; Psa. 127:3; I Peter 5:7), “For this
cause…” – “Children are a gift of the Lord.” “…casting all your cares upon Him because…
2) Thus, the bread offering symbolizes each family – bringing itself with its sin – to God!

3. The Free-Will Offering: (Not like the tithe that was commanded – but a free-will gift given to God.)
a. Fulfilled in Jesus gift – (Jn. 10:17-18), “…the Father loves Me, because I lay down My life that I may take it again. – No one has taken it away from Me, but I lay it down on My own initiative…”
b. This is what God desires of us – (II Cor. 8:3, 5; 9:7), “I testify that according to their ability and
beyond their ability they gave of their own accord … they first gave themselves to the Lord. – Let
each one do just as he has purposed in his heart; not grudgingly or under compulsion; for….”
c. Thus, our lives should be offered up to God – as a cheerful tribute for His goodness unto us!!!

4. Is it any wonder then – that God used Pentecost Feast - to bring forth a harvest unto Himself?
1) (Acts 2:1, 5), “And when the Day of Pentecost had come, they (the apostles, 1:26) were
all together in one place … Now there were Jews living in Jerusalem, devout men from every
nation under heaven …
2) God chose a time when His people would be present – (Ex. 23:14-17), “Three times a year
you shall celebrate a feast to Me. – You shall observe the Feast of Unleavened bread… Also
you shall observe the Feast of the Harvest [feast of weeks – 50 days after Passover. – Thus,
many of the people who were present when Jesus was crucified were still there for Pent.!].” 3) (Acts 2:14), “Peter, taking his stand with the 11, raised his voice and said, ‘Men of
Judea, and all you who live in Jerusalem & give heed to my words’”
4) On this day – God did some incredible Harvesting … – (Acts 2:36-38, 41)!

CONCLUSION:

1 . Another harvest day is pictured by our Lord. It will be the day of the last harvest. (Matt. 13:39-43),
“…the harvest is the end of the age – and the reapers are His angels … – The Son of Man will send
forth His angels and they will gather our of His kingdom all stumbling blocks and those…!”