Calendar of the Church
- James Collazo
- Jul 24, 2021
- 7 min read
Updated: 4 days ago
Introduction
Many churches decorate their naves with banners and linens in specific colors for each season of the church year. The minister may also wear a stole or other liturgical vestment in the same color. Where do they come from, and what do they mean? Why do some colors remain in use longer than others? Welcome to the church year! For most of Christian history, pastors and theologians have observed and developed this time-honored tradition. This custom is the liturgical calendar, the yearly planner for Christian worship.
"Liturgy" (Greek: leitourgia, G3009) means "work of the people," referring to public service or ministry. The apostle Paul used the word twice in his letter to the Philippians (2:17, 30). In other words, worship is a service in which God expects all of us to participate. In addition to the colors and symbols, church leaders organize their lessons, music, and sermons according to the lectionary—a cycle of public readings that rotates every three years. The lectionary reflects Paul's instructions to Timothy: "Until I arrive, give attention to the public reading of Scripture, to exhorting, to teaching" (1 Tim. 4:13). Both the liturgical calendar and the practice of scheduled Scripture readings were shaped in part by patterns inherited from Jewish synagogue worship. For example, when Jesus read from the prophet Isaiah in the synagogue at Nazareth, he participated in the public reading of Scripture (Luke 4:16–21). Many Jewish communities continue to follow a cycle of Torah readings today.
Calendar for the Life of Jesus
The liturgical calendar helps us remember the life and ministry of Jesus and live it out in our everyday lives! It is a resurrection timeline that reminds us Christ did not remain in the tomb but is risen indeed! The church year begins with Advent, from the Latin adventus ("coming"). Adventus translates the Greek parousia (G3952), which Paul used to describe the "coming" of Jesus at the world's end (1 Thess. 4:15). Therefore, Advent is not just a time when we remember Christ's birth, but also one in which we await his return and prepare to join him in God's kingdom. Of course, the birth of Jesus is when we recall the incarnation—God coming to us in human flesh and blood. The Lord of heaven and earth came to dwell among ordinary people, saving all who repent and know him. We observe this in our celebration of the Nativity, also known as Christmas (lit. "Christ's Mass"). The other primary Christian festival is the Pascha (G3957)—the Greek rendering of the Hebrew word for Passover, Pesach (H6453)—known in English-speaking churches as "Easter."
The Nativity and Pascha stand at the center of the liturgical calendar, as they should. In the forty days leading up to Jesus' crucifixion and resurrection, we observe a time of fasting, sacrifice, and prayer known as Lent (from an archaic English word for "springtime"). We observe Lent in remembrance of Jesus' forty days in the wilderness before his public ministry, which itself echoes Israel's forty years in the wilderness (Exod. 16:35). It also reminds us that Jesus succeeded where Israel failed. He spent forty days in the wilderness before entering his public ministry to Israel (Matt. 4:1–11; Mark 1:12–13; Luke 4:1–13). After Pascha, we celebrate Pentecost, initially a Jewish festival that counts "fifty days" (Greek: Pentēkostē, G4005) after Passover. Christians often call Pentecost the "birthday of the church." Pentecost was the occasion when the apostle Peter stood before the nation of Israel and proclaimed Jesus as their national Messiah, calling them to repentance and baptism (Acts 2:14–41).
Ordinary Time is what it sounds like—a time without significant observances. However, this is the time when we most need to practice the Christian faith—a time of peace. We are not Christians because we can praise God when things are going well and when we feel loved by our friends and family. We are Christians because we endure with the Lord through hardship, ordinary routines, difficult circumstances, and even seasons of boredom. Moreover, this is a time to slow down and appreciate the beauty of nature, the attributes of God, the needs of others, and many other things that escape our notice. Therefore, the church calendar helps us express the full range of biblical faith through every circumstance: joy, peace, strife, war, fear, and lamentation. It also allows the church to teach children and properly catechize adults about the context of traditions and observances, which is one reason God gave Israel a calendar in the first place (Deut. 6:20–25).
Keeping Time with Israel
Today, many Messianic Jews observe the biblical calendar, with commemorations of Jesus added. Our liturgical holy days—the origin of the word "holiday"—loosely correspond with the Jewish calendar. The Christian Gentiles of the late first and early second centuries wanted to continue the Judaic tradition without the legalism of Pharisaic rules. Their answer was to infuse the Hebrew festivals with messianic symbolism. For starters, our winter celebration of the Nativity often falls near Hanukkah (H2597, "Dedication"), the eight-day festival of lights, which marks the dedication of the temple following its desolating sacrilege by Antiochus IV Epiphanes in 165 BC (1 Macc. 4:36–59; 2 Macc. 10:1–8 NRSVA; cf. Dan. 9:27; 11:31; 12:11).
Many Christians have seen the incarnation reflected in the symbolism of the Feast of Tabernacles (Hebrew: Sukkot, H5521). Consider John's testimony: "The Word became flesh and made his dwelling [eskēnōsen, G4637, "tabernacled," lit. "pitched his tent"] among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth" (John 1:14). Jesus came to dwell among us by taking on human flesh and blood. Through his incarnation, Jesus brought God's presence to humanity, fulfilling the deeper spiritual significance many Christians see in the Feast of Tabernacles. His life, death, and resurrection inaugurated a new era in which God's presence would no longer be confined to a physical tabernacle or temple, but would dwell within the hearts of believers through the Holy Spirit. Thus, the Feast of Tabernacles finds its ultimate fulfillment in Jesus Christ, who embodies the true tabernacle of God's presence among us.
Christians are well aware of the connection between Passover and Pascha. Just as the ancient Israelites ate unleavened bread when the Lord "passed over" their homes and saved them from perishing (Exod. 12:27), Jesus took unleavened bread to mark his death as our atonement (Mark 14:21–25). Hence, the Feast of Unleavened Bread (Hebrew: Chag ha-Matzot, H2282 / H4682) now links to Passover, whereas in Scripture it was a separate feast. Jesus rose from the dead three days after the Passover on the day of Firstfruits (Hebrew: Bikkurim, H1061). Paul connected the resurrection to this feast, writing, "But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. . . . But each in turn: Christ, the firstfruits; then, when he comes, those who belong to him" (1 Cor. 15:20, 23). Fifty days later, on the day of Pentecost, the Holy Spirit came upon the apostles in the upper room and anointed them for evangelism (Acts 2:1–6).
The two Jewish feasts at the beginning of the year do not correlate with the Christian liturgical calendar. These are Yom Kippur (H3117 / H3725, "Day of Atonement") and Rosh ha-Shanah (H7218 / H8141, Jewish New Year, lit. "Head of the Year"). We do not observe these feasts because Jesus, the Messiah, became the atonement for our sins, making repentance available throughout the year rather than merely for ten days (see "Lamb of God: Atonement"). Lent reflects Yom Kippur's call to repentance, even though the dates differ.
Rosh ha-Shanah, however, provides a helpful parallel for Christian practice. Just as Jews use this festival to reflect, repent, and begin a fresh year, many Christians mark the start of the calendar year with New Year's resolutions—committing to spiritual growth, letting go of harmful habits, or pursuing a closer walk with God. The lectionary reinforces this theme, offering this reading for New Year's Day:
There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens: a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot, a time to kill and a time to heal, a time to tear down and a time to build, a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance, a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them, a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing, a time to search and a time to give up, a time to keep and a time to throw away, a time to tear and a time to mend, a time to be silent and a time to speak, a time to love and a time to hate, a time for war and a time for peace (Eccles. 3:1–8).
Rehearsing for the Kingdom
Jesus taught the importance of staying alert and spiritually ready for God's kingdom, which will come unexpectedly. Based on Jewish festivals, the Christian liturgical calendar helps believers stay prepared through seasons like Advent, Lent, Easter, and Pentecost. These seasons serve as rehearsals for faith, providing opportunities for reflection, repentance, and renewal. The Hebrew noun mikra (H4744), meaning "sacred assembly" or "rehearsal," highlights this idea. Similarly, baptism and communion act as dress rehearsals for God's ultimate banquet—baptism marks the start of faith, while communion strengthens the bond with Christ. These practices remind believers of God's grace and help them grow spiritually, ensuring they are ready for the fulfillment of his kingdom.
Bibliography
Monographs
Bruce, F. F. New Testament History. Garden City, NY: Doubleday, 1980.
Kasdan, Barney. God's Appointed Times: A Practical Guide for Understanding and Celebrating the Biblical Holy Days. Clarksville, MD: Messianic Jewish Publications, 1993.
Kasdan, Barney. God's Appointed Customs: A Messianic Jewish Guide to the Biblical Lifecycle and Lifestyle. Clarksville, MD: Messianic Jewish Publications, 1996.
Morris, Leon. The New Testament and the Jewish Lectionaries. London: Tyndale, 1964.
Nadler, Sam. Messiah in the Feasts of Israel. Charlotte: Word of Messiah, 2010.
Neel, Douglas E. The Food and Feasts of the Apostle Paul: Inside the Early Church, with Menus and Recipes. Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield, 2024.
Neel, Douglas E., and Joel A. Pugh. The Food and Feasts of Jesus: Inside the World of First Century Fare, with Menus and Recipes. Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield, 2013.
Strauss, Mark L. Four Portraits, One Jesus: A Survey of Jesus and the Gospels. 2nd ed. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2020.
Talley, Thomas J. The Origins of the Liturgical Year. 2nd ed. Collegeville, MN: Liturgical, 1991.
Online Resources
Harper, Michael. "It Is Pascha, Not Easter!"↗ Orthodox Christianity (blog). May 5, 2013.
Liturgical Resources
Boling, Ruth L. Come Worship with Me: A Journey Through the Church Year. Louisville: Westminster John Knox, 2010.
Bratcher, Dennis. "The Seasons of the Church Year."↗ The Voice. Christian Resource Institute. December 1, 2019.
Gamber, Jenifer. "The Liturgical Year Explained."↗ Building Faith. Virginia Theological Seminary. September 28, 2012.
