Unleavened bread holds significant meaning in the Bible, symbolizing purity, haste, and a fresh start. It is most prominently associated with the Jewish festival of Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread, but it also carries rich symbolism in the New Testament and Christian traditions.
Biblical References
Old Testament
Passover and the Exodus
Unleavened bread is first mentioned in the context of the Passover and the Exodus, where it symbolizes the haste with which the Israelites left Egypt.
Exodus 12:17-20 (NIV)
Celebrate the Festival of Unleavened Bread, because it was on this very day that I brought your divisions out of Egypt. Celebrate this day as a lasting ordinance for the generations to come. In the first month you are to eat bread made without yeast, from the evening of the fourteenth day until the evening of the twenty-first day. For seven days no yeast is to be found in your houses. And anyone, whether foreigner or native-born, who eats anything with yeast in it must be cut off from the community of Israel. Eat nothing made with yeast. Wherever you live, you must eat unleavened bread.
Deuteronomy 16:3 (NIV)
Do not eat it with bread made with yeast, but for seven days eat unleavened bread, the bread of affliction, because you left Egypt in haste—so that all the days of your life you may remember the time of your departure from Egypt.
New Testament
Jesus and the Last Supper
The Last Supper, which Jesus shared with His disciples, was a Passover meal that included unleavened bread.
Matthew 26:26 (NIV)
While they were eating, Jesus took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to his disciples, saying, “Take and eat; this is my body.”
Symbolism of Unleavened Bread
Purity and Holiness
Leaven, or yeast, is often used in the Bible as a symbol of sin and corruption. Unleavened bread, therefore, represents purity and holiness.
1 Corinthians 5:6-8 (NIV)
Your boasting is not good. Don’t you know that a little yeast leavens the whole batch of dough? Get rid of the old yeast, so that you may be a new unleavened batch—as you really are. For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed. Therefore let us keep the Festival, not with the old bread leavened with malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.
Haste and Readiness
The Israelites were commanded to eat unleavened bread during the Passover to commemorate their swift departure from Egypt. This symbolizes readiness and obedience to God’s command.
Exodus 12:11 (NIV)
This is how you are to eat it: with your cloak tucked into your belt, your sandals on your feet and your staff in your hand. Eat it in haste; it is the Lord’s Passover.
A New Beginning
Eating unleavened bread during the Feast of Unleavened Bread also signifies a new beginning for the Israelites as they left their old life in Egypt and embarked on a journey to the Promised Land.
Connection to Jesus
Jesus as the Unleavened Bread
Jesus is often seen as the fulfillment of the symbolism of unleavened bread. Just as unleavened bread is pure and without leaven, Jesus is sinless and pure.
John 6:35 (NIV)
Then Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.”
The Last Supper and Communion
The use of unleavened bread at the Last Supper connects directly to the practice of Communion in the Christian faith. The bread represents Jesus’ body, broken for the salvation of humanity.
Luke 22:19 (NIV)
And he took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me.”
Purity in the Christian Life
Believers are called to live lives of purity and holiness, symbolized by unleavened bread. Just as the Israelites were to remove all leaven from their homes, Christians are to remove sin from their lives.
1 Peter 1:15-16 (NIV)
But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.”
Demonstration of God’s Love
Provision and Protection
The institution of the Passover and the command to eat unleavened bread demonstrate God’s provision and protection for His people. He provided a way for the Israelites to be spared from the final plague and to be delivered from slavery.
Exodus 12:27 (NIV)
Then tell them, ‘It is the Passover sacrifice to the Lord, who passed over the houses of the Israelites in Egypt and spared our homes when he struck down the Egyptians.’ Then the people bowed down and worshiped.
Sacrifice and Redemption
Through Jesus, the ultimate Passover Lamb, God’s love is demonstrated in the sacrifice and redemption offered to humanity. The symbolism of unleavened bread in Communion reminds believers of the purity and sacrifice of Jesus for their sins.
John 3:16 (NIV)
For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
Relevance for Today
Observance of Communion
The practice of Communion, involving unleavened bread, continues to be a central act of worship in Christian communities, reminding believers of Jesus’ sacrifice and their call to live holy lives.
Spiritual Readiness
Unleavened bread serves as a reminder to be spiritually ready and obedient to God’s call, just as the Israelites had to be ready to leave Egypt at a moment’s notice.
Call to Holiness
The symbolism of unleavened bread encourages believers to pursue lives of purity and holiness, free from the leaven of sin.
Conclusion
Unleavened bread is rich in biblical symbolism, representing purity, haste, and new beginnings. Its significance is deeply rooted in the history of the Israelites and is fulfilled in the life and sacrifice of Jesus Christ. For Christians, unleavened bread serves as a powerful reminder of God’s provision, protection, and the call to live holy lives. Through the observance of Communion and the lessons drawn from the Passover, believers are encouraged to embrace the purity and readiness symbolized by unleavened bread, living lives that honor God and reflect His love.