Rosh Hashanah

JOHN 5:1-15

Pastor Rick Jackson

Rosh Hashanah, according to Wikipeda, is Hebrew and means literally "first of the year" or "head of the year." It is a Jewish holiday commonly referred to as the "Jewish New Year." It is observed on the first day of the seventh month of the Hebrew calendar, as ordained in the Torah, in Leviticus 23:24. Rosh Hashanah is the first of the High Holidays which are days specifically set aside to focus on repentance that conclude with the holiday of Yom Kippur.
Many Jews believe Rosh Hashanah represents the creation of the World, or Universe.


The Mishnah, the core text of Judaism's oral Torah, contains the first known reference to Rosh Hashanah as the "day of judgment." In the Talmud tractate on Rosh Hashanah it states that three books of account are opened on Rosh Hashanah, wherein the fate of the wicked, the righteous, and those of an intermediate class are recorded. The names of the righteous are immediately inscribed in the book of life, and they are sealed "to live." The middle class are allowed a respite of ten days, until Yom Kippur, to repent and become righteous; the wicked are "blotted out of the book of the living."


I. ROSH HASHANAH & THE RABBIS

According to Elwood McQuaid, executive editor for Israel My Glory wrote, "Rabbis identified a number of significant factors reflected in Rosh Hashanah. Four are of particular interest."

1. “Trumpets are sounded at a coronation, and God is hailed as King on this day.”

2. “Zephaniah speaks of the ‘great day of the LORD.’ Judgment day is a day of the horn of alarm” (Zeph. 1:14–16).

3. “Isaiah speaks of the great shofar which will herald the messianic age” (Isa. 27:13).

4. “The shofar will be sounded at the resurrection.”

There can be no question that the prevailing thoughts of Jewry at Rosh Hashanah were caught up in judgment, life, death, and resurrection. and ... readings for new year’s day reflect these themes. Among them are Ezekiel 18:30, “Therefore, I will judge you, O house of Israel, every one according to his ways, saith the Lord GOD. Repent, and turn yourselves from all your transgressions; so iniquity shall not be your ruin.”

II.ROSH HASHANAH & JESUS [Jn. 5]

Many scholars believe Rosh Hashanah is the feast mentioned here in Jn. 5:1 and if so the words of Jesus are even stronger because of the day on which He gave them. Anyone who says Jesus never claimed to be God does NOT understand the Bible and certainly does no understand John 5.

1. The Messiah is God & King. [v. 17-20]

2. The Messiah is Judge. [v. 21-22, 26-29]

3. The Messiah is Lifegiver [v. 21-25]

"No more talk of 'Awesome Days' and a never-sure relationship to God and eternity need ever be theirs. The Son was on the scene, and, for those who would hear His Word, the book of life was a sure thing." - Elwood McQuaid

III. THE MESSIAH & THE WITNESSES [Jn. 5]

1. John the Baptist [v. 30-35]

2. Jesus' Works [v. 36, 8-9]

3. God the Father [v. 37-38]

4. The Scriptures [v. 39-47]