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 practice reminded them of their urgent departure from Egypt when they left so quickly that their bread had no time to rise.
The feast became a yearly reminder of Israel’s deliverance from slavery and their new life as a people set apart for God.
Prophetic Meaning
In Scripture, leaven often symbolizes sin or corruption. The removal of leaven during this feast symbolized purification and separation from sin. God was teaching His people that redemption should lead to a life of holiness.
The feast also pointed forward to the perfect, sinless life of Jesus Christ. Just as the bread was without leaven, Christ lived without sin. His purity qualified Him to be the perfect sacrifice for humanity.
Fulfillment in Christ
Jesus Christ fulfilled the deeper meaning of the Feast of Unleavened Bread through His sinless life. Scripture declares that He “did no sin.” Because Christ was without sin, His sacrifice on the cross was acceptable before God.
Through His death and resurrection, Christ not only provided forgiveness but also called believers to a new life separated from sin. Redemption is not only deliverance from judgment but also the beginning of a transformed life.
Application for Christians Today
Christians are not commanded to observe the Feast of Unleavened Bread as part of the Old Testament law. However, the spiritual lesson remains important. Believers are called to live lives that reflect the holiness of Christ.
The Apostle Paul used the imagery of this feast when encouraging believers to remove the “old leaven” of sin and live with sincerity and truth. Salvation leads to a new way of living that honors God.
Summary
The Feast of Unleavened Bread reminded Israel of their deliverance from Egypt and symbolized the removal of 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