Jesus and the Feast of the Tabernacles

The gospel of John records Jesus taking part in the Jewish eight-day festival called The
Feast of the Tabernacles. He applied two traditional elements of this festival to Himself and His
work on earth: water and light. Jesus fulfills this symbolism since He is God who is the fountain
of life and the light that remains and cannot be quenched. Jesus work on earth provides
everlasting life to all who believe in Him just like the rains give cause the crops to grow. Jesus
was an answer to prayer just like the rains during harvest. Jesus is also filled with Gods glory
and is the light that shone not only in the temple during the festival but shines to give light to the
world.
For the Jews, festivals served as commemorative and instructive occasions and were a
way of understanding Gods plan of salvation.1 The Feast of the Tabernacles is a harvest festival
and has a historical emphasis on the remembrance of the forty years Israel spent wandering in the
wilderness living in tents.2 A significant feature of this festival was the pouring out of water on
the last day. This ritual is not found anywhere in the Old Testament but it was practiced during
Jesus time. This pouring of water served as a symbolic prayer for rain. It is important to notice
two things about this custom: 1) it was not instructed by God but was started by man and 2) it
was a prayer for water, which was vital for crops and the preservation of life.
The Pharisees are known for implementing their own rules and being proud of how
closely they followed the law. In fact, the law was very important for all Jews. However, Jesus
taught that observance of the law alone cannot bring salvation; salvation is offered only through
1 Ryan S. Gardner, Christ in the Feast of the Tabernacles, Jews for Jesus, Accessed 31 March 2015,
http://www.jewsforjesus.org/publications/newsletter/october-1998/tabernacles.

2 Walter A. Elwell, ed., Evangelical Dictionary of Theology, 2nd ed. (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2001),
443.

Him (Romans 8:3). Jesus fulfilled this symbolism by providing everlasting life to those who
believed in Him. In John 7:3739 He proclaims, If any of you is thirsty, come to Me and drink.
If you believe in Me, the Hebrew Scriptures say that rivers of living water will flow from within
you. Jesus invites everyone to Himself and promises that not only will they receive water, but it
will also flow from within them. John clarifies this in verse 39 saying, Jesus was referring to
the realities of life in the Spirit made available to everyone who believes in Him. But the Spirit
had not yet arrived because Jesus had not been glorified. The coming of the Holy Spirit after
Jesus resurrection is symbolic of the rain that falls and causes the crops to grow and makes life
possible.
Another element of the Feast Jesus used to point to Himself was light. After the first day
of the festival, large candelabras were lit that subsequently filled the temple with light. The
temple was on a hill above Jerusalem and its light was so brilliant that it lit the entire city.3 The
light served as a reminder of the cloud and fire that led Israel through the desert as well as Gods
glory that once filled the temple. To the crowds that were gathered Jesus declared, I am the light
that shines through the cosmos; if you walk with Me, you will thrive in the nourishing light that
gives life and will not now darkness. (John 8:12) Here, Jesus is making a claim to His deity. The
cloud and fire that led Israel was a manifestation of God Himself and Jesus is claiming to be God
and since He is God, Gods glory is once again shining at the temple. Also, in the Old Testament,
the word light is used in reference to the Messiah (Isaiah 9:2; 42:6; 49:6; 60:13; Malachi 4:2).4
At the Feast of the Tabernacles, Jesus draws two parallels between Himself and two
major elements of the feast, water and light. Jesus also makes a claim to His deity. Since He is
3 Elmer Towns, The Gospel of John: Believe and Live, [Rev. ed. (Chattanooga, TN: AMG Publishers, 2002), 87.
4 Ibid.

God, the Scriptures affirm that He is the fountain of life (Psalm 36:9). All life is dependent upon
Him while He is self-existent.5 Jesus also explains His light as one that nourishes and gives life.
We have no light in ourselves but are dependent on God for the light that gives life. John also
begins his gospel explaining Christs deity, affirming that He is God and that, His breath filled
all things with a living, breathing light A light that thrives in the depths of darkness, blazes
through murky bottoms. It cannot and will not be quenched. (John 1:45) In these two ways,
Jesus fulfilled the symbolism of The Feast of Tabernacles.

References
Elwell, Walter A., ed. Evangelical Dictionary of Theology. 2nd ed. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker
Academic, 2001.
5 Leon Morris, Jesus Is the Christ: Studies in the Theology of John (Leicester, England: Wm. B. Eerdmans
Publishing Co., 2012), 105.

Gardner, Ryan S., Christ in the Feast of the Tabernacles,. Jews for Jesus. Accessed 31 March
2015. http://www.jewsforjesus.org/publications/newsletter/october-1998/tabernacles.
Morris, Leon. Jesus Is the Christ: Studies in the Theology of John. Leicester, England: Wm. B.
Eerdmans Publishing Co., 2012.
Towns, Elmer. The Gospel of John: Believe and Live. [Rev. ed. Chattanooga, TN: AMG
Publishers, 2002.