Christians Celebrate Unleavened Bread

The Feast of Hag Hamatzah - A Time to Plant

Jesus' Burial

by: Robert (Bob) Somerville

 

The feast of unleavened bread is primarily a celebration of the burial sacrament of Jesus into the heart of the earth. It also commemorates the death process to our own sinful nature. These are the feasts of the LORD, even holy convocations, which ye shall proclaim in their seasons.

 

CELEBRATION MANDATE

"And on the fifteenth day of the same month is the feast of unleavened bread unto the LORD: seven days ye must eat unleavened bread." (Lev 23:4,6)

 

Notice, he did not say these were the feasts of the Jews or the feasts of the Christians, but the feasts of the Lord. They are to be celebrated in honor of our Lord! Jesus was buried on the day of unleavened bread (see chronology below).

 

A TIME FOR BURIAL

To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven: A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted. (Eccl 3:1-2)

 

All of the feast days celebrate Jesus! Jesus had a prophetic (pre-determined) time to die, to be buried and to resurrect The spring festivals of Passover, Unleavened bread and Firstfruits were, in great part, appointed by our God for celebration to identify the timing of three major events in the Messiah's life, death, burial and resurrection. The feast of unleavened bread is a celebration of His burial.

 

Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:

 

Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death. For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection.

 

A TIME FOR BURIAL

Leaven in biblical terms is a type of sin. God required Israel to have an annual week of cleansing of their dwellings from all leaven (yeast etc), to celebrate their separation from Egypt (Ex 12:15). With the new covenant application, God wants us to separate ourselves from sin and the works of the flesh so that we are pure and unleavened. The apostle Paul gave the church these specific instructions:

 

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 Cor 5:8)

 

Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God. (2 Cor 7:1)

 

Then Jesus said unto them, Take heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees. Then understood they how that he bade them not beware of the leaven of bread, but of the doctrine of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees (Matt 16:6, 12).

 

DOCTRINAL PURITY

A Caution from Jesus

 

A major ministerial responsibility of the first century church was to establish doctrinal purity for the people.

 

Let the elders that rule well be counted worthy of double honour, especially they who labour in the word and doctrine. (1 Tim 5:17)

 

Holding fast the faithful word as he hath been taught, that he may be able by sound doctrine both to exhort and to convince the gainsayers. (Titus 1:9)

 

All too often the church emphasizes the idea of personal salvation at the expense of purity in doctrine. While concern for purity in doctrinal teaching is often minimized by the church, teaching the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth was consistently prioritized by our Lord

 

Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth. And for their sakes I sanctify myself, that they also might be sanctified through the truth. (John 17:17,19)

 

Since the time of his downfall, Satan has made every effort to distort, pervert and pollute the truth of the almighty God. The rampant doctrinal disunity within the church today reflects the success of his efforts.

 

Should Christians celebrate the feast of Unleavened Bread? The answer is, yes. More than celebrate, we should live it.

 

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 Cor. 5:8)

 

The Truth Shall Set You Free!