A Call to Purity and Sincerity
When Israel celebrated the Feast of Unleavened Bread, they were commanded to remove every trace of leaven from their homes before the feast began. All products containing leaven (hametz) were discarded, and for seven days they ate only unleavened bread while presenting daily burnt offerings before the Lord (Exodus 12:15–20).
This ancient practice may even be the root of our “spring cleaning” tradition — but its true meaning runs much deeper.
The Significance of Leaven
Leaven in Scripture is more than just a baking ingredient. It is a powerful spiritual symbol.
When yeast is introduced into dough, it works silently, secretly, and gradually until the entire lump is transformed. The Bible often uses this imagery to describe how sin, false teaching, or pride can infiltrate and spread unchecked. As Paul warns, “A little leaven leavens the whole lump” (1 Corinthians 5:6; Galatians 5:9).
The New Testament highlights five types of leaven:
1. The Leaven of Herod (Mark 8:15; 6:14–28)
Herod represents worldliness and compromise. Though he feared John the Baptist’s message, he would not repent. His hunger for power and his pride became a corrupting influence. Jesus warns His disciples to beware this leaven of worldly ambition.
2. The Leaven of the Sadducees (Matthew 16:6–12)
The Sadducees denied angels, the resurrection, and the supernatural. Their false doctrine reduced faith to empty religion. Today, we see their influence in modernism and skepticism that strip away the miraculous from the gospel.
3. The Leaven of the Pharisees (Matthew 16:6; Luke 12:1)
Jesus clearly defines this leaven as hypocrisy. The Pharisees honored Scripture, tithed, fasted, and displayed outward piety — yet their hearts were far from God. They were clean outside but dead inside. It was a warning against doing things just to be seen, like an actor on stage.
4. The Leaven of Corinth (1 Corinthians 5:1–13)
The church in Corinth, though spiritually gifted, had tolerated immorality in their midst. Their wickedness and pridebegan to spread like yeast. Paul urged them to remove the corrupting influence before it ruined the entire body.
5. The Leaven of Galatia (Galatians 5:8–9)
The Galatians, having received Christ by faith, turned to legalism — seeking justification through works. This “leaven of self-righteousness” still tempts the church today, leading believers away from the freedom of the gospel.
The Importance of Unleavened Bread
In contrast to leaven, unleavened bread represents purity, sincerity, and truth. For seven days Israel ate only unleavened bread, symbolizing separation from corruption and a daily feast on the true “Bread of Life,” Jesus Christ (John 6:35).
Unleavened bread carried great weight throughout the Old Testament:
Used in the consecration of priests (Leviticus 8:2, 26; Exodus 29:2)
Part of the Nazarite vow of separation (Numbers 6:1–12)
Offered as food for the priests (Leviticus 2:4–5)
Central to nearly every feast except Pentecost (Exodus 34:18; Leviticus 23:5–8)
Used when the Angel of the Lord appeared to Gideon (Judges 6:11–24)
Each of these moments points to the holiness, separation, and purity God requires of His people.
The Prophetic Symbol of Unleavened Bread
The matzah used during this feast beautifully foreshadows Christ:
Without leaven — sinless, without corruption
Bruised and striped — “by His stripes we are healed” (Isaiah 53:5)
Pierced — “He was pierced for our transgressions” (Isaiah 53:5)
During the Passover Seder, three pieces of matzah are set aside, representing the Father, Son, and Spirit. The middle piece (the Son) is broken, wrapped in cloth, hidden, and later brought out again — a striking picture of Jesus’ crucifixion, burial, and resurrection.
Even His death fulfilled the feast. Though crucifixion usually took three days, Jesus surrendered His spirit within six hours, ensuring He was buried at the beginning of the Feast of Unleavened Bread. The soldiers did not break His bones, fulfilling yet another prophecy (Exodus 12:46; John 19:33–36).
A Reminder For Us Today
Paul makes the connection plain:
“Clean out the old leaven, that you may be a new lump, just as you are in fact unleavened. For Christ our Passover also has been sacrificed. Therefore let us celebrate the feast, not with old leaven, nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.”
— 1 Corinthians 5:7–8
The Feast of Unleavened Bread is not just about ancient tradition — it is a prophetic reminder for us today. We are called to examine our lives, remove the “leaven” of sin, pride, false teaching, and worldliness, and daily feast on Christ, the true Bread from Heaven.
