The third of God's annual festivals is the Feast of Weeks, or Pentecost (Leviticus 23:16-21; Acts 2:1). This festival was also the day God first granted His Spirit to the New Testament Church of God (Acts 2).

Pentecost portrays God as the Lord of His harvest, choosing and preparing the firstfruits of His coming Kingdom by giving them His Holy Spirit (Matthew 9:38; Luke 10:2; Romans 8:23; James 1:18). The preceding festival of Unleavened Bread pictures our commitment to come out of a sinful life and live our lives by God's perfect laws. But we can't do this on our own. Pentecost pictures God's willingness to give His Holy Spirit to provide the power those He has called need.

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The Days of Unleavened Bread are commanded by God (Leviticus 23:6) and observed by the early Christians (1 Corinthians 5:6-8). This holy time teaches us to put sin (represented by leavened items such as bread and cake) out of our lives. It teaches us that we must overcome sin with the help of God's Spirit and live righteously.

Easter was derived from pagan origins to make Christianity more accommodating to converts who wanted to hold on to their own traditions. In doing so, they imposed on this festival a Christian meaning—to celebrate Christ's resurrection.

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Leaven includes yeast, a biological leavening agent that produces fermentation, and chemical leavening agents such as baking powder, baking soda (sodium bicarbonate), and potassium bicarbonate.

Items such as bread, cake, crackers, cookies and prepared cereals and pies that contain leavening must be put out. Doing this is symbolic of putting both the visible and hidden sins out of our lives.

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God commanded the Israelites to keep the Days of Unleavened Bread by removing leaven (a rising agent, which for them was yeast) out of their homes for seven days and to avoid eating leavened bread during this time. The first and last days of this weeklong festival are set apart as holy convocations, annual Sabbaths, days devoted to rest and meeting for worship and learning.

The early Christians continued to celebrate this festival by putting leaven out of their homes for the week as a symbol of the sinless lives and attitudes God desires of His people. Paul, who was apostle to the gentiles, even exhorted Church members, “Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth” (1 Corinthians 5:8).

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How can we fit "three days and three nights" (Matthew 12:40) between a Friday afternoon crucifixion and a Sunday morning resurrection? This traditional view allows for Jesus to have been entombed for only a day and a half.

When we carefully examine the details from the Gospels, we uncover the real story of how Jesus' words were fulfilled precisely.

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The New Testament Passover is a memorial of Jesus’ suffering and death. It’s a time for baptized members of God’s Church to renew our agreement to follow Christ, recommitting to turn from sin, relying on His sacrifice for forgiveness.

God commands that Christians observe this festival, which focuses on the redeeming work of Jesus Christ. It’s one of the seven annual festivals God revealed to ancient Israel to be His feasts (Leviticus 23:1-2, 4). The early Church continued to observe these, as will all nations in the future (see, for example, Zechariah 14:16-19).

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