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The First Day of the Christian Feast of Unleavened Bread
April 9, 2020

Today we observing the first day of the Christian Feast of Unleavened Bread. While many Christians are looking forward to Easter, we instead observe this feast and today we will review Biblical reasons for our observance of the Christian Feast of Unleavened Bread. Many think that when Jesus died, so died the commandments and the Holy Days, but the New Testament provides evidence that the church believed otherwise. Paul in his first letter to the Corinthians, reminds them to keep the feast with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.

1 Corinthians 5:1-8
It is reported commonly that there is fornication among you, and such fornication as is not so much as named among the Gentiles, that one should have his father's wife. And ye are puffed up, and have not rather mourned, that he that hath done this deed might be taken away from among you. For I verily, as absent in body, but present in spirit, have judged already, as though I were present, concerning him that hath so done this deed, In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, when ye are gathered together, and my spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ, To deliver such an one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus. Your glorying is not good. Know ye not that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump? Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for 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.

We know from Leviticus 23:5-8 and other passages from the Old Testament, that Paul was writing about the Feast of Unleavened Bread, and this verse shows the early church observed this festival as they did all of God’s Holy Days. Today is the first day of the feast which will continue for seven days. During this time we will not eat leavened bread and will instead eat unleavened bread. We will also have no leaven such as baking soda, baking powder, and yeast in our homes. What was Paul referencing by the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth? Let’s look at a passage from Matthew.

Matthew 16:1-4
The Pharisees also with the Sadducees came, and tempting desired him that he would shew them a sign from heaven. He answered and said unto them, When it is evening, ye say, It will be fair weather: for the sky is red. And in the morning, It will be foul weather to day: for the sky is red and lowring. O ye hypocrites, ye can discern the face of the sky; but can ye not discern the signs of the times? A wicked and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given unto it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas. And he left them, and departed. And when his disciples were come to the other side, they had forgotten to take bread. Then Jesus said unto them, Take heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees. And they reasoned among themselves, saying, It is because we have taken no bread. Which when Jesus perceived, he said unto them, O ye of little faith, why reason ye among yourselves, because ye have brought no bread? Do ye not yet understand, neither remember the five loaves of the five thousand, and how many baskets ye took up? Neither the seven loaves of the four thousand, and how many baskets ye took up? How is it that ye do not understand that I spake it not to you concerning bread, that ye should 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.

Jesus warned his disciples to beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the Sadducees. Leaven causes bread to become puffed up, and the doctrine of the Pharisees and Sadducees had caused them to become puffed up. They became arrogant because in their mind they had the knowledge and truth. As we study the Bible, we must be careful to examine what is in the Bible without any bias thrown in by our personal beliefs or life experiences. We must be careful to not fit the Bible into our world view, but to fit our thoughts and practices into the expectations of the Bible. When we get this wrong, we end up worshipping ourselves. Instead of developing an ego about our knowledge of the Bible, we are to spiritually grow in faith as mentioned by Peter

2 Peter 1:5-11
And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity. For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins. Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall: For so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.

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

All verses are from the King James Version.
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