We held our monthly Muslim-Christian dialogue event last Sunday.
I was told – fairly last minute – as the month of Mohammad’s birth was upon us, our Muslim friends would like to talk about that. I didn’t have a comparable Christian festival to talk about at any rate and (see below) I’m not sure it helps us think biblically to focus on them at any rate, being as they are ultimately cultural.
So, instead, I thought I would focus on what Christians (and God himself) are to rejoice in. I was hoping to outline – albeit briefly and with scant detail – that there are no special days commanded of believers, but we are to rejoice over sinners repenting and in the Lord because of our salvation. I think went to the parables of various lost things to show how God rejoices over sinners who repent and he continues to welcome repentant sinners.
I spoke a little about communion being a representative meal in which we rejoice each week – something Jesus has commanded us to do – which allowed us to talk about God rejoicing in us, not as a result of law-keeping, but because of his grace to us through his Son.
Below are the slides that prompted any of that.
Galatians 4:10 An alternative interpretation is that “days, months, seasons and years” refer to pagan feasts like Saturnalia as referenced by “those weak and elemental spirits”
Colossians 2:16 Gentiles are free to observe the Feasts of the Lord (Lev 23) The Romans mocked the gentiles for abandoning pagan festivals and following biblical food laws and feasts. https://hallel.info/knowledge/torah-colossians-2/ https://lifehopeandtruth.com/bible/law-and-grace/colossians-2-16/
Romans 14:5 The reference is not specifically to Jewish holidays, but to any days that any believer might have come to regard as especially holy. The Sabbath is not mentioned. The whole context of the passage relates to fasting days – may I suggest lent?
The feasts of the Lord (Leviticus 23) all point to Jesus. The spring feasts his first coming, the autumn feasts His second coming. We have a lot of days that are special.