Christ in the Biblical Feasts — Week 3
Key Scripture
“Seven days shall ye eat unleavened bread; even the first day ye shall put away leaven out of your houses.”
— Exodus 12:15 (KJV)
“Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness; but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.”
— 1 Corinthians 5:8 (KJV)
Historical Background
The Feast of Unleavened Bread followed immediately after Passover and lasted for seven days. During this time, the people of Israel were commanded to remove all leaven from their homes and eat bread made without yeast. This was a reminder of their rapid departure from Egypt, when they left in haste and their bread did not have time to rise.
This feast marked a transition from deliverance to a new way of living. Israel was no longer a people in bondage, but a people set apart for God.
Prophetic Meaning
In Scripture, leaven often represents sin or corruption. The removal of leaven symbolized the need for purity and separation from sin. God was teaching that redemption should lead to a changed life.
This feast pointed forward to Jesus Christ, who lived a completely sinless life. Just as the bread was without leaven, Christ was without sin. His purity made Him the perfect sacrifice for sin.
Fulfillment in Christ
Jesus Christ fulfilled the meaning of the Feast of Unleavened Bread through His sinless life. Scripture declares that He “did no sin,” making Him the only perfect sacrifice acceptable before God.
Through His death and resurrection, Christ not only provided forgiveness but also made it possible for believers to live a new life. Redemption is not only about being saved from judgment, but also about being set apart to live for God.
Application for Christians Today
Christians are not required to observe the Feast of Unleavened Bread as part of the Old Testament law. However, the spiritual lesson remains important. Believers are called to turn away from sin and live lives marked by sincerity and truth.
Just as Israel removed leaven from their homes, believers are called to remove sin from their lives. This is not done in human strength, but through the work of Christ and the guidance of the Holy Spirit.
Summary
The Feast of Unleavened Bread reminded Israel of their deliverance and called them to a life set apart from sin. It pointed forward to the sinless life of Jesus Christ and the new life believers receive through Him.
In Christ, believers are called to walk in purity, sincerity, and truth as they follow the One who lived without sin.
Next Week: Firstfruits — Christ’s Resurrection and the Promise of New Life