Put Sin Away Via The Feast Of Unleavened Bread

Previously, we talked about Almighty Yahweh’s Passover Festival or Feast of Passover. In today’s study, we are going to discuss about our Heavenly Father’s second spring festival called the Feast of Unleavened Bread which comes immediately after Passover. Through the Passover sacrifice of Yahshua Messiah we are justified, forgiven of our past sins and “made right” in our relationship to Almighty Yahweh. But even though we are now forgiven of our past sins, how will we become “overcomers” and put sin completely out of our lives? Enter the Feast of Unleavened Bread! True Christians symbolically put their sins away through their observance and practice of the Feast of Unleavened Bread by partaking of the true Bread of Life, Yahshua Messiah! They are to totally remove and avoid all types of sin (symbolized by leaven) in all areas of their life. As always, we will let the Bible interpret itself, and Yahweh’s Holy Spirit convict you, so that you may understand to put sin away via the Feast of Unleavened Bread.

From the beginning, Almighty Father Yahweh commanded the Israelites to keep the Feast of Unleavened Bread by removing leaven (yeast) out of their homes for seven days. It calls for Yahweh’s command on His people to eat unleavened bread throughout this week-long holy festival (Exodus 12:17-20; 13:6-7; 23:15; 34:18; Leviticus 23:6). What was the significance of this command to partake of the unleavened bread? As we mentioned, it symbolized Yahshua Messiah, “the true bread from heaven,” “the bread of Yahweh,” the “bread of life” and the “living bread which came down from heaven” (John 6:48-58). The New Testament observance of the Days of Unleavened Bread teaches us about the resurrected Holy Savior of mankind who died for our sins that we may leave a life of sin and have the hope to receive the gift of eternal life through partaking of the true Bread of Life, Yahshua Messiah! It means that by letting Yahshua Messiah live in us, we can receive His promised salvation and be transformed into a holy and spiritual being like Him! Only by taking on Yahshua Messiah’s character and nature can we truly overcome the evil bondage of sin on us!

During His 33 1/2 years of ministry on earth, Yahshua Messiah identified leaven as a symbol of sin (Matthew 16:6-12; Mark 8:15; Luke 12:1). And when Savior Yahshua came to earth as a human being, He observed this seven-day festival as a child and later as an adult (Luke 2:41; Matthew 26:17). The early Christians, imitating our Savior Yahshua in His spiritual teachings and practices, observed it as well. They continued to observe the Feast of Unleavened Bread by putting leaven out of their homes for seven days as a symbol of the clean minds and attitudes Almighty Father Yahweh desires of His people (1 Corinthians 5:6-8). Likewise, the New Testament portrayed leavening as wickedness that Christians strive in their lives to overcome. The apostle Paul connects the Unleavened Bread Festival with the Passover that immediately precedes it, since Passover Feast deals with forgiveness of past sins, whereas the Unleavened Bread Festival deals with our own “follow-through” and determination, with Yahweh’s help, to grow in grace and in knowledge “into a perfect man, in the measure of the stature of the fullness of Messiah” (Ephesians 4:13).

Moreover, many religious leaders, including some Christians, fall on the erroneous belief that we are “saved” when our past sins are forgiven, or the so-called “once saved, always saved” unbiblical doctrine. Nothing is further from the truth! Any human being can still fall away and lose out on salvation (Hebrews 6:4-8; 10:26-31; 1 Corinthians 9:27). Salvation is a process! We are now “being saved” (1 Corinthians 1:18), and ultimately “shall be saved” if we endure to the end (Matthew 24:13). Our observance of the Days of Unleavened Bread helps us realize our crucial need for Yashua Messiah’s help in overcoming our weaknesses. Observing and practicing this Holy Festival reminds us that it is not our own self-generated righteousness that enables us to overcome sins. Rather, it is the righteousness that comes as a result of partaking that Bread of Life, of Yahshua Messiah living His righteous life in the hearts of His people and empowering us to conquer sin. It is a time of personal reflection. We should meditate on our attitudes and conduct and ask Almighty Yahweh to help us recognize and overcome our own faults and shortcomings. The apostle Paul spoke about this much-needed and very important self-reflection by saying: “Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Do you not know yourselves, that Yahshua Messiah is in you?—unless indeed you are disqualified” (2 Corinthians 13:5). He also has this very faithful and powerful message aimed at true Christians: “I am crucified with Messiah; nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Messiah lives in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of Yahweh, who love, and gave Himself for me” (Galatians 2:20).

In closing, the Feast of Unleavened Bread is a holy command that is still in effect to keep today. It is not solely for the Jews, and it’s not practicing “Judaism,” as many religious leaders and some misinformed Christians led you to believe or think. Almighty Yahweh and His Savior Son Yahshua expects all of us to observe and practice this holy festival once a year for a week. True Christians are to observe the Days Of Unleavened Bread by removing leaven or yeast (symbol of sin) out of their homes and property for seven days. The first and last days of this week-long festival were especially set apart as holy convocations (annual Sabbaths), days devoted to rest and assembly to His people for worship. It was also during the Feast of Unleavened Bread that Yahshua Messiah was raised from the grave after being dead in the tomb for three full nights and days, which is a vital factor for each and everyone of us to be led out of sin and on to Almighty Yahweh’s Kingdom! Yahshua Messiah, the Savior of mankind, has already risen from the dead! He is now sitting at the right hand of Almighty Father Yahweh in heaven and is awaiting His second-return to earth as the Master of Masters and the King of Kings! This Holy Feast is certainly a time for rejoicing, as Yahshua, our Redeemer, continues to help us put sin out of our lives by dwelling in us through the Holy Spirit, thereby leading us to regular repentance and empowering us to live in obedience to Almighty Yahweh! Yahshua Messiah is our true Bread of Life that is essential for our spiritual and eternal life! Without Yahshua we do not have and cannot have the gift of eternal life. Therefore, let us put sin away via the Feast of Unleavened Bread. May the blessings of Almighty Yahweh be with you all. Stay in truth and obedience. Shalom, Halleluyah!