From Freedom to Fullness: The Journey of the Spring Feasts

Read the transcript below, or watch a video of the teaching by Yves Perriard.

My friends, shalom from Jerusalem.
Let me ask you: what does Shavuot mean practically for you today?

It's crucial that we not only know the Bible, but that it concretely transforms us. As Rabbi Hillel said,

"knowledge without action is like a bird with only one wing—it will not fly."

Now, if we take the first feasts of the spring, the Passover celebration it's not difficult to see how practical it can be. The whole Passover meal is always a very tangible experience that can draw us closer to God and to each other.

Now, the same is true for the Feast of Unleavened Bread, which comes right after Passover. If for one whole week you're not allowed to eat any bread, any pastries, any pasta, anything that is yeast, you will finally understand what the Apostle Paul wrote to the Corinthians:

"Get rid of the old yeast so that you may be a new unleavened batch—as you really are. For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed."

In other words, if you are willing to make a serious examination of your hearts, then this feast will certainly have a practical application for you.

Now, what about the last two biblical feasts of the spring: the Feast of Firstfruits and Shavuot?

If you want to strictly follow what the Bible says, can they really be applied to us today?

Well, not really—and let me explain to you why.

At the Feast of Firstfruits, the Israelites went to the Temple to bring the first sheaf of the barley harvest. Then they would return home, and exactly 50 days later at Shavuot, they would come back to Jerusalem to bring to the priests two breads from the wheat harvest. At that point, they would make a declaration of faith: that however bad the past had been, God would always turn things in their favor.

In both feasts they expressed the same fundamental message:

"God, we are thankful for our harvests, for our Temple, and this wonderful land that You have given us."

But in 70 C.E., the Temple was destroyed. And after the Bar Kokhba revolt, the majority of Israelites were driven out of their land. So with no land, the Feast of Firstfruits faded into the background. Today, it is not really celebrated—neither by the Jews nor Messianic believers.

And since Shavuot lost its connection to the Temple, the rabbis decided to transfer to it a spiritual meaning. They said that since the Torah had been given to the Israelites exactly 50 days after they had left Egypt, then logically Shavuot could become a celebration around the giving of the Torah.

So, is it unbiblical to spend a whole night studying the Torah, as many Jews do today at Shavuot?

Personally, I see nothing wrong with this tradition.

Is it okay that, similarly to what Jews did in ancient times, we thank God for the beautiful land that He has given us? That we make special offerings to our spiritual leaders out of appreciation and love for them? That we specifically look for ways to help the poor, just like the Israelites left part of the harvest for the needy to gather from the fields?

Personally, I believe these are all excellent and very practical things that we can do at Shavuot.

Now, I would like finally to share one thing that I have personally experienced with the four feasts of the spring. But for this, I have to ask you the following question:

Why do you think God has compacted four feasts into only 50 days?

In fact, why did God specifically command the Israelites to count 49 days from Passover to Shavuot?

Why not, let's say, 77 days? Why not spread the four feasts smoothly over eight months?

Is there something here that God wants to show us?

My conviction is that God put the four spring feasts close together to take His people on a fast, powerful, intense journey—from freedom to fullness.

By having them come to Jerusalem twice in just a few weeks, He showed them that His story isn’t just remembered—it’s meant to be experienced, deeply and intensely.

And this is exactly what Jesus did with His disciples. Within the 50 days right after Passover until Shavuot, He brought them together through a very condensed time of teaching and prayer, which not only changed their lives but revolutionized the entire world.

Both Scripture and modern psychology clearly prove that through constant and intense repetition, people can change their behaviors and form new habits within six to eight weeks. So 50 is almost a magic number to reshape a life.

So—would you like to radically change something in your behavior, in your thoughts, or even your marriage?

Well, follow the spiritual pattern of the four feasts over a period of exactly 50 days. Whether you do this in full harmony with the Jewish calendar or separately, there’s a divine design that can deeply change your life.

Start with the whole idea of redemption that begins at Passover.
Then continue with the Feast of Unleavened Bread, and for an entire week let God show you the sins that you need to get rid of.
Then, sometime later during the Feast of Firstfruits, set a special time aside to express your thankfulness and help people who are in need.
And finally, after spending exactly 50 days in prayer, in the Word, and maybe even in fasting—together with a group of friends—possibly finish with a final declaration of faith at Shavuot, and expect the Holy Spirit to descend on you and empower you.

Such an intense time set aside with the purpose of experiencing God will definitely impact your life.

It did for me years ago, and it’s my sincere hope that you too will discover the wisdom and the life-changing power that is hidden in the spring feasts.

Shalom to you all.