The Day of Unleavened Bread is a significant observance in the biblical calendar, rooted in the history and religious practices of the Israelites. It is closely associated with the Passover and is part of the broader Feast of Unleavened Bread, which lasts for seven days. This observance is rich in symbolism and holds theological significance within the Judeo-Christian tradition.

Biblical Foundation

The Day of Unleavened Bread is first mentioned in the Book of Exodus, where God commands the Israelites to commemorate their deliverance from Egyptian bondage. In Exodus 12:17-20 , the Lord instructs, "So you are to observe the Feast of Unleavened Bread, for on this very day I brought your divisions out of the land of Egypt. Therefore, you are to observe this day as a lasting ordinance for the generations to come. In the first month, you are to eat unleavened bread from the evening of the fourteenth day until the evening of the twenty-first day."

The unleavened bread, or matzah, symbolizes the haste with which the Israelites left Egypt, not having time to let their bread rise. It also represents purity and the removal of sin, as leaven is often associated with sin and corruption in Scripture.

Observance and Rituals

The Day of Unleavened Bread begins on the 15th day of the Hebrew month of Nisan, immediately following the Passover meal. Leviticus 23:6 states, "On the fifteenth day of the same month begins the Feast of Unleavened Bread to the LORD. For seven days you must eat unleavened bread."

During this period, the Israelites were commanded to remove all leaven from their homes, as described in Exodus 12:15 : "For seven days you must eat unleavened bread. On the first day, you are to remove the leaven from your houses, for whoever eats anything leavened from the first day through the seventh must be cut off from Israel."

The first and seventh days of the feast are designated as holy convocations, during which no regular work is to be done, and special offerings are made to the Lord (Leviticus 23:7-8).

New Testament Context

In the New Testament, the Day of Unleavened Bread is mentioned in the context of Jesus' final Passover. The Gospels record that Jesus celebrated the Passover with His disciples, which is often referred to as the Last Supper. Luke 22:7 notes, "Then came the day of Unleavened Bread on which the Passover lamb was to be sacrificed."

The Apostle Paul also draws on the symbolism of unleavened bread in his epistles. In 1 Corinthians 5:7-8 , he writes, "Get rid of the old leaven, 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 feast, not with the old leaven, the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth."

Theological Significance

The Day of Unleavened Bread serves as a powerful reminder of God's deliverance and faithfulness. It calls believers to a life of holiness, free from the corruption of sin. The removal of leaven from the home symbolizes the believer's call to sanctification and purity.

In Christian theology, the observance points to Jesus Christ as the ultimate Passover Lamb, whose sacrifice delivers believers from the bondage of sin. The unleavened bread represents the sinless body of Christ, broken for the redemption of humanity.

The Day of Unleavened Bread, therefore, is not only a historical commemoration but also a spiritual call to live in the freedom and purity that Christ provides.