Feast of Unleavened Bread - (Chag Matzot)

by Jesma O'Hara

This feast is held to commemorate the fact that the Israelites were in such a hurry to leave Egypt that they didn't have time to let their bread dough rise.

At a deeper level of course it speaks of the the need to remove sin (leaven) from our lives. A tradition practised by jewish families today provides us with a beautiful picture of the need to constantly be searching our hearts for evidence of wrong attitudes and actions which contaminate our lives and relationships.

In the leadup to this feast time, everything which contains leaven is removed from the home. It is impossible to buy leavened bread in Israel at this time. The house is also cleaned from top to bottom to make sure it is spotless.

On the night before the Feast of Unleavened Bread, the father takes a candle and a feather and leads the children through the house searching for any leaven hidden away. The mother has hidden a small amount for them to find and when it is discovered it is swept up with the feather and burnt.

We must continually allow the light of God's spirit to search our hearts and lives showing us what is not pleasing to Him. It is also vitally important that we watch our homes and our relationships with those who shre our lives and remove anything that hinders the harmony which should be there, for our homes to mirror God's grace to those closest to us.

Yeshua fulfilled this feast as He who knew no sin became sin for us. This is most beautifully illustrated in the Passover Seder.

During the meal, 3 pieces of unleavened bread are placed in matzah cover which is like a cloth envelope with three compartments. The middle piece of matzah (unleavened bread) is taken out, broken in two and half of it is wrapped in a linen cloth and hidden until the end of the meal when it is then shared amongst the family.

It was this iafikomeni that Yeshua took in Luke 22:19 when he said,

“This is my body given for you. Do this in remembrance of me”

This unleavened bread had to be striped and pierced so that light could be seen through it. Isaiah 53:5 says, “He was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed.”

Yeshua also prefigured His fulfilment of this feast by telling the crowds that He was the bread of life (John 6:47-51). His body was taken down from the cross and wrapped in a linen cloth before being placed in the tomb, just before the start of the feast of unleavened bread on the fifteenth. Remember that the Jewish day starts in the evening. Yeshua had celebrated the Passover Seder with His disciples the evening which began the fourteenth of Nisan (most probably a Thursday) fulfilling His calling as Passover Lamb. His body was hidden in the tomb for three days until He was resurrected early Sunday morning.

1 Corinthians 5:7-8, tells us...

Get rid of the old yeast that you may be a new batch without yeast - as you really are. For Christ our Passover Lamb has been sacrificed. Therefore let us keep the Festival, not with the old yeast, the yeast of malice and wickedness, but with bread without yeast, the bread of sincerity and truth.

The above Scripture encourages us to get rid of the leaven of sin in our lives. Having accepted the atoning redemptive work of Yeshua on the cross, it is then our responsibility to make the changes necessary to ensure that our lifestyles, relationships and attitudes reflect God's principles shown through scripture.

Many people see sanctification as separating themselves from the world and unsaved people, rather than in it's true meaning of being separated or set apart unto God for good works.

As we separate ourselves unto God, as Yeshua was so completely, we are free to go out into the world to love those he came to reach (Matthew 9:9-13), living our lives in accordance with His word.

Events which occurred on the Fifteenth of Nisan

Introducing John & Jesma O'Hara John, a businessman & Jesma have five children, and two grandchildren, Isabella and Asher. Both serve on the Eldership of Hesed Fellowship and are board members of International Christian Embassy, Jerusalem, Australian Branch and Jesma has also been the Editor of their magazine for the past 12 years. Hesed Ministries is involved in supporting a number of projects : Field workers in Israel, Orr Shalom Children's Homes, Kesher Friends of WIZO and Mercy International in Thailand. They also support orphanages and schools for AIDS affected children in Malawi and Kenya. Jesma is Chairman of the Board of Nambour Christian College, co-educational inter-denominational college of over 1200 students, from preschool to year 12. They are also the Australian Representatives of Orr Shalom Children�s Homes. Jesma's Qualifications Masters in Early Judaism and Early Christianity. B A major in Religious Studies Studied in Jerusalem at AMI Jerusalem Centre For Biblical Studies and Research and Educator�s From Abroad Study Course at Yad VaShem.