According to the human calendar of Western civilization, we have now entered the “New Year.” The “holiday” season has just passed, referring to Christmas and New Year’s Day. We know that we are not supposed to be celebrating these man-made holidays because we understand that they are pagan and God never commanded us to observe them. In fact, He commands us not to do so. The world views their New Year as a brand new start. True Christians also experience a brand new start but in a different way and at a different time.
First of all, according to God’s Hebrew calendar and the Bible, we know that God’s New Year doesn’t start in the dead of winter. In Exodus 12:1-2 we have a pretty good indication when the New Year would begin for us. This is when Passover starts, followed by the Days of Unleavened Bread, the start of the Spring Holy Days, usually at the end of March or early April. Notice here that the New Year begins in the Spring, when everything is springing back to life, when everything is in bloom – when a renewal occurs.
We have all heard the saying or heard people say what they will do at the start of the “New Year”; what their “New Year’s resolutions” are; and what their new goals are going to be. A lot of the times however, it is only a mere saying; something that really isn’t taken all that seriously, and before February comes, those “New Year’s resolutions” have been forgotten or broken. And then the next year comes, and those same goals and resolutions are repeated without any positive outcome.
Is this what we do every year? Do we also make goals for ourselves or new resolutions in which we commit to bettering ourselves and learning from our past mistakes? We actually must do this, but not during the same time the world celebrates New Year’s Day. The difference here is that we have to take it seriously, by learning from our mistakes and realizing that we SHOULD accomplish our GOALS – our goals of keeping God’s commandments. We do this during God’s New Year, in the Spring, during Passover when we re-commit to God and reconfirm our covenant with Him; when we repent of our sins; and when we ask Him for forgiveness, by refocusing on the Sacrifice of Jesus Christ. This is the time of reflection as well. When we take the Passover seriously, our slate of sin will be swept clean. Our renewal occurs, so that we can continue striving for perfection. This process is also symbolized by the foot-washing ceremony (compare John 13:10).
Before we took the Passover, we were given a new life when we entered into God’s Family as Spirit-begotten members and we received His Spirit of power. We had to repent from all of our sins and start our new life and live in the way we were commanded to do. This was during our baptism which was necessary for us to be permitted to later partake of the Passover so that we can continue living God’s Way and ultimately inherit eternal life. We were dead and now we are alive (compare Romans 6:1-14). Just like the ways of this world are dead, but the Way of God is life. This world celebrates the New Year in the dead of winter while God’s New Year is in the Spring, picturing renewal and fullness of life.
We know just how tricky Satan can be and how he deceives this whole world. New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day are viewed by many as a time for partying, a day of celebration, but many fail to realize their pagan origin as they party into the night, welcoming a new start of the “New Year.”
Our “New Year’s resolutions” must occur at our baptism when we become a new man, and each year during the Passover season when we reconfirm our covenant with God, repent, and are cleansed of our sins. We are here for a reason; to grow towards God’s perfection and to be good examples to others. This is where our true focus should be.
