Unleavened Bread
by Jeffrey W. Hamilton
Text: Exodus 12:14-20
I. Sometimes you can’t wait
A. When Lot invited men to spend the night at his home, he didn’t have time wait for bread dough to rise, so his feast was served with unleavened bread - Genesis 19:3
B. When it was time for Israel to leave Egypt, the departure had to be immediate, so there was no time to allow the bread dough to rise - Exodus 12:8-11
1. Sourdough was the typical bread used by families, but on this occasion, the dough wasn’t mixed with the starter - Exodus 12:34,39
II. It was used as a reminder of being freed
A. To commemorated this event, Israel was to have a week each year when they did not use leaven in their bread - Exodus 12:14-20
B. As they left, Moses reminded them again - Exodus 13:3, 6-10
C. It was important to remember their freedom - Deuteronomy 16:3-4
III. It represented holiness
A. Leavened bread could not be offered with sacrifices where blood was offered - Exodus 23:18 (repeated in Exodus 34:25)
B. When priests were consecrated, it was done with unleavened bread - Exodus 29:1-2
C. Grain offerings were unleavened bread - Leviticus 2:3-6, 11
1. The priests ate the unleavened bread in a holy place - Leviticus 6:16-18
2. The unleavened bread was considered holy - Leviticus 10:12-13
D. Only the peace offering, which was shared among family and friends was to have leavened bread - Leviticus 7:11-14
IV. Thus, leavening represented sin
A. Jesus warned the disciples against the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees - Matthew 16:11-12
1. Obviously, false teachings are unholy
2. But it also represents how these false teachings spread - quietly, quickly, and far reaching
3. It only takes a little - Galatians 5:9
B. Paul used the same illustration to say why sin must be dealt with in the church - I Corinthians 5:6-8
V. Christ is our Passover
A. It was during the Feast of Unleavened Bread that Jesus established the Lord’s Supper - Mark 14:1, 12, 22-25
B. Remember the repeated rule that where blood was offered, leavening could not be used?
1. Leavening represented sin and uncleanness
2. Blood is where life is and was offered to ask for forgiveness of sin.
3. The two symbols could not be mixed
4. We use unleavened bread in the memorial of Christ’s shed blood and his broken body
C. Jesus is our Passover
1. He is the Lamb to take away the world’s sins - John 1:29
2. He bought our freedom from sin with his own blood - Ephesians 1:7
3. Like the Israelites, we use unleavened bread to remember our freedom from sin
D. His body was broken for us - I Corinthians 11:24
1. With his blood, he entered the holy place - Hebrews 9:12
2. He was without sin - I Peter 2:21-22
3. We use unleavened bread because it best represents Christ’s sinless life
E. We too are set apart by Christ’s blood - Hebrews 13:12
1. We are God’s priests -
2. Only priests are to eat the consecrated bread - Matthew 12:4
3. And remember those who ate the holy bread were holy - Leviticus 6:18
4. We use unleavened bread to remind ourselves that we are to be holy - I Peter 1:14-16
5. We eat the bread of sincerity and truth - I Corinthians 5:8
