A Note On . . .

 

PASSOVER

 

From "Hope For Today"

www.davidhocking.org

 

 

 

PASSOVER AND UNLEAVENED BREAD
This coming weekend is Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread, and Jews from all over the world will be celebrating the redemption and deliverance which the LORD GOD of ISRAEL brought to His people over three thousand years ago!  Jewish and Gentile believers in Yeshua (Jesus) as their Messiah and Lord will also be celebrating this coming week.  One of the features of this time of year in Jewish families is the use of matzo or unleavened bread.  The instructions were clearly given in Exodus 12:15-20 and Exodus 13:6-7.  It was commanded, "Seven days shall ye eat unleavened bread," says Exodus 12:15, and Exodus 23:15 adds, "Thou shalt keep the feast of unleavened bread, as I commanded thee."  The consequence of not obeying the LORD in this matter was pretty severe.  Exodus 12:15 says "for whosoever eateth leavened bread (made with yeast) from the first day until the seventh day, that soul shall be cut off from Israel."  Interestingly, Exodus 12:19 adds: "whether he be a stranger, or born in the land."  This was to be celebrated forever.  Exodus 12:17 says: "therefore shall ye observe this day in your generations by an ordinance forever."  Deuteronomy 16:3 tells us why, "that thou mayest remember the day when thou camest forth out of the land of Egypt, all the days of thy life."

In Ezra 6:22 it remind us that they "kept the feast of unleavened bread even days with joy: for the LORD had made them joyful."

 

BUT, WHY UNLEAVENED BREAD, AND NOT REGULAR BREAD?

Leaven (yeast) is a substance that affects all that it touches, a process of fermentation.  The New Testament tells us that fact in I Corinthians 5:6: "your glorying is not good, Know ye not that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump?"  The same thing is said in Galatians 5:9.   The Jewish Talmud (Berechot 17a) says that "leaven represents the evil impulse of the heart."


Leaven was a symbol of that which is sinful.  It represented the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees (Matthew 16:5-12), hypocrisy (Luke 12:1), and malice and wickedness (I Corinthians 5:8).  Unleavened bread is, therefore, the symbol needed to teach us about our Lord Yeshua (Jesus).  The "unleavened bread" (matzo, matza) at Passover represented the following things about Him:

  1. It POINTS to His physical body, "This is My body"

  2. It PROCLAIMS His death, "My body, which is broken for you"

  3. It PROMOTES the fellowship of believers (I Corinthians 10:16), "the bread which we break is the communion (fellowship) of the body of Messiah (Christ)"

  4. It PRESENTS the need of faith, "as often as ye eat this bread"

  5. It PROPAGATES the truth of His sinlessness, II Corinthians 5:21 says ... "Him who knew no sin" and Hebrews 4:15, "yet without sin"

  6. It PICTURES His suffering for us, the stripes of unleavened bread that are caused by the griddle that cooks it, remind us of Isaiah 53:5, "with His stripes (whip lashes) we are healed" and the piercing of His side is seen by the piercing of the bread.  Zechariah 12:10, "they shall look upon Me Whom they have pierced" (cf. John 19:36-37).

I Corinthians 5:8 tells us: "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."  Our LORD YESHUA (Jesus) is the BREAD OF LIFE!

 

Please remember . . .

 

The Kingdom of Heaven is available to every man, woman, boy, and girl in this world.  It is freely offered to any and all who will receive it.  Simply learn of Jesus Christ (Yeshua Ha'Mashiach in Hebrew), invite Him into your life as Lord, believe He died on the Cross for all of your sins and rose from the grave (proving there is life in Heaven).  Learn of Him and believe in Him ... for He was the only one who has ever loved you enough to substitute Himself for you on the Cross (which represents Hell).  He shed His blood, suffered, and died on the Cross as the 'Passover Lamb of God' to save you from the utter torment and darkness of Hell, if you will accept it.  That is why Jesus (Yeshua) is called Savior.  He now lovingly and graciously offers you life in His Kingdom of Heaven ... yet, it is a "take it or leave it" proposition.  If you sincerely admit you have sinned (which means you will need a Savior) and sincerely believe (trust) in Jesus-Yeshua, who lovingly paid for all of your sins on the Cross, and honestly try to turn away from and stop doing those things God says are wrong, you will go to Heaven  ...  It's God's Promise!!!

 

The only unpardonable sin is to reject God's love and His free offer of life in Heaven by rejecting Jesus Christ (Yeshua Ha'Mashiach in Hebrew), who stepped forth from Heaven ... not to condemn the sinner, but to save the sinner (from Hell) and who willingly and lovingly shed His blood on the Cross so we can be washed clean of all of our sins.  The Bible warns there will be no peace in our hearts until we make peace with God through His Son, the Messiah, Lord Jesus Christ . . .  

 

 "Therefore being justified by faith, ('justified' means 'just as if all our sins had never happened')

   we have peace with God

   through our Lord Jesus Christ"

   (Romans 5:1)

 

And with open arms and with tears of joy He will welcome any and all into the Kingdom of Heaven who willingly come to Him through the One He sent forth to save us sinners ... Jesus Christ  (Yeshua Ha'Mashiach in Hebrew) ...'LORD OF LORDS AND KING OF KINGS"... our Savior!!!

Grace and Shalom

 

 

 

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