Jews continue to celebrate the religious festivals found in Lev. 23 today. The Jewish calendar is different from our Christian calendar. We celebrate the New Year on Jan. 1 while Jews celebrate Rosh Hashanah (the New Year) either in September or October. It is important for us to understand these "appointed feasts" so that the we can better understand our Christian heritage. As Gentiles (non-Jews), we must never forget that we have been "grafted in" or allowed access into God's kingdom (Romans 11:11-24).
In Lev. 24, we see a man stoned to death for blaspheming "the Name with a curse." It seems today that cursing God has become the in thing to do. Leviticus teaches us that God is Holy and that we should always approach His Name with reverence.
In Mark 1, it is ironic that John prepares the way for Jesus to come by preaching a "baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins" (v. 5) yet when Jesus comes, he basically preaches the same message (v.15). What is even more ironic, however, is that once Jesus ascends back into heaven, Peter preaches the same message that John preached before Jesus came (Acts 2:38). I think it is a fair statement to say that "repentance" is at the heart of one's salvation and that "repentance" is at the heart of John, Jesus, and Peter's teaching. Have you come to a point in your life where you repented of your sins and trusted Christ as your Savior?
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