Feast of Unleavened Bread: The Completeness of the Cross

Feast of Unleavened Bread:  The Completeness of the Cross

By Rev. Lonnie C. Crowe

Exodus 13:3-8 (NKJV) “And Moses said to the people: "Remember this day in which you went out of Egypt, out of the house of bondage; for by strength of hand the LORD brought you out of this place. No leavened bread shall be eaten. On this day you are going out, in the month Abib. And it shall be, when the LORD brings you into the land of the Canaanites and the Hittites and the Amorites and the Hivites and the Jebusites, which He swore to your fathers to give you, a land flowing with milk and honey, that you shall keep this service in this month. Seven days you shall eat unleavened bread, and on the seventh day there shall be a feast to the LORD. Unleavened bread shall be eaten seven days. And no leavened bread shall be seen among you, nor shall leaven be seen among you in all your quarters. And you shall tell your son in that day, saying, 'This is done because of what the LORD did for me when I came up from Egypt.'

Leviticus 23:4-6 (NKJV):  “These are the feasts of the LORD, holy convocations which you shall proclaim at their appointed times. On the fourteenth day of the first month at twilight is the LORD'S Passover. And on the fifteenth day of the same month is the Feast of Unleavened Bread to the LORD; seven days you must eat unleavened bread.”

Why unleavened bread?

In scripture, leavening (yeast) symbolizes sin.  Just as a tiny bit of leavening affects the entire batch of dough, so a bit of sin in our hearts affects our entire lives.  The unleavened bread of Passover represents the sinless body of Jesus Christ.  2 Corinthians 5:21 (NKJV) “For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” 

Why seven days?

Numbers in scripture have significance.  Seven pictures the completeness or perfection of God.  We find many examples of seven in scripture.  Creation was accomplished in seven days.  The temple lampstand had seven branches. Jesus spoke seven times from the cross.  The book of Revelation contains letters to the seven churches of Asia Minor.  Scripture is replete with additional examples.

The seven days of the Feast of Unleavened Bread signify the completeness of Jesus’ sacrifice on the Cross.  He paid the total price for the sin of the world.  We do not work our way to salvation.  Ephesians 2:8-9 (NKJV) reminds us, “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.”  

When our Lord cried out from the cross, “It is finished,” it was finished.  The wages of sin had been fully paid. 

In John 6:50-51 (NKJV), Jesus declared about Himself, “This is the bread which comes down from heaven,that one may eat of it and not die. I am the living bread which came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever; and the bread that I shall give is My flesh, which I shall give for the life of the world." 

The Feast of Unleavened Bread is a glorious time to meditate of the complete redemption bought by the Lamb of God on the cross. 

Jesus Paid It All

By Elvina M. Hall

I hear the Savior say,
“Thy strength indeed is small;
Child of weakness, watch and pray,
Find in Me thine all in all.”

Jesus paid it all,
All to Him I owe;
Sin had left a crimson stain,
He washed it white as snow.

And when before the throne
I stand in Him complete,
I’ll lay my trophies down,
All down at Jesus’ feet.