The Feast of Unleavened Bread: What It Is, How Jesus Fulfilled It, and Why It Still Matters

Ashley Breanne
Jul 2
4 min read

Updated: Jul 22

“Therefore you shall observe this day, throughout your generations, as a statute forever.”— Exodus 12:17

The Feast of Unleavened Bread is a biblical feast many Christians have never been taught about—yet it’s rich with meaning and fulfillment in Jesus. In this post, we’ll explore what the Bible says about this appointed time, how it connects to the Passover, how Jesus fulfilled it perfectly, and why we can still honor it today, not through legalism, but in sincerity and truth.

📖 What Is the Feast of Unleavened Bread?

The Feast of Unleavened Bread is a 7-day festival that begins the day after Passover, on the 15th day of the first biblical month (Leviticus 23:6). During this time, God commanded His people to:

Eat only unleavened bread
Remove all leaven from their homes
Rest and gather on the first and seventh days (holy convocations)

Exodus 12:15–20 –“Seven days you shall eat unleavened bread. On the first day you shall remove leaven out of your houses… On the first day you shall hold a holy assembly, and on the seventh day… no work shall be done… You shall eat nothing leavened; in all your dwelling places you shall eat unleavened bread.”

This feast commemorates the night Israel left Egypt in haste, without time for their bread to rise:

Exodus 12:39 –“They were thrust out of Egypt and could not wait, nor had they prepared any provisions for themselves.”

🍞 What Does Leaven Represent in the Bible?

In Scripture, leaven is often used symbolically to represent:

Sin
False teaching
Hypocrisy

1 Corinthians 5:6–8 –“A little leaven leavens the whole lump… Let us therefore celebrate the festival, not with the old leaven… but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.”

Matthew 16:6, 11–12 –“Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees… Then they understood that he did not tell them to beware of the leaven of bread, but of the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees.”

Luke 12:1 –“Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy.”

While leaven is not always portrayed as evil (e.g. Matthew 13:33), in the context of this feast and these teachings, it symbolizes something corrupting or impure.

✝️ How Jesus Perfectly Fulfilled the Feast

Many know that Jesus died as our Passover Lamb (1 Corinthians 5:7), but fewer realize that He also fulfilled the Feast of Unleavened Bread—perfectly and prophetically.

Here’s how:

1. He Was Sinless—Like Unleavened Bread

Hebrews 4:15 –“[He] was tempted as we are, yet without sin.”

John 6:35 –“I am the bread of life.”

Jesus is the unleavened bread from heaven—sinless and pure.

2. He Was Buried During the Feast

Jesus was crucified on Passover (14th) and buried just before sunset, as the Feast of Unleavened Bread began (15th).

Luke 23:52–54 –“It was the day of Preparation, and the Sabbath was beginning…”

His burial took place right as the feast began, and His body—without leaven—was laid in the tomb.

3. His Body Saw No Decay

Psalm 16:10 –“You will not let your Holy One see corruption.”

Acts 2:31 –“He was not abandoned to Hades, nor did his flesh see corruption.”

Just as unleavened bread doesn't rise or rot like leavened dough, Jesus’ sinless body did not decay in the grave.

4. He Delivered Us from Slavery

Just as Israel left Egypt during this feast, Jesus delivers us from slavery to sin.

Romans 6:6 –“Our old self was crucified with him… so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin.”

🔍 Summary Chart: Jesus & the Feast Fulfillment

Feast Symbol	Meaning	Jesus Fulfilled
Unleavened Bread	Sinless, pure, undefiled	Jesus was without sin (Heb. 4:15)
No Leaven in the Home	Remove sin and corruption	He cleanses us (1 Cor. 5:7–8)
No Decay or Rising	Unleavened bread doesn’t rise/spoil	Jesus’ body saw no corruption (Acts 2:31)
Exodus from Egypt	Freedom from bondage	Jesus frees us from sin (Rom. 6:6)

🙋‍♀️ Should We Still Celebrate It?

I think, yes—not out of legalism, but in light of Christ.

1 Corinthians 5:8 –“Let us therefore celebrate the festival, not with the old leaven… but with sincerity and truth.”

Exodus 12:17 –“You shall observe this day, throughout your generations, as a statute forever.”

There’s no New Testament verse that cancels this feast. In fact, the early disciples continued to recognize it:

Luke 22:7–8 –“Then came the day of Unleavened Bread… And Jesus sent Peter and John, saying, ‘Go and prepare the Passover for us…’”

Jesus kept it. His disciples kept it.And we can too—not to earn salvation, but to honor the One who fulfilled it.

📝 Short Summary

The Feast of Unleavened Bread is a 7-day biblical festival that begins the day after Passover (Leviticus 23:6). God commanded His people to eat only unleavened bread and remove all leaven from their homes (Exodus 12:15–20). In Scripture, leaven often symbolizes sin, false teaching, and hypocrisy (1 Corinthians 5:6–8; Matthew 16:6,11–12; Luke 12:1). The feast commemorates Israel’s hasty departure from Egypt, when there was no time for their bread to rise (Exodus 12:33–34, 39; Deuteronomy 16:3). Jesus fulfilled this feast by being sinless—like unleavened bread—and His body, buried during this feast, saw no decay (Hebrews 4:15; Acts 2:31; Psalm 16:10). Now, through Him, we are called to keep the feast not with old leaven, but with sincerity and truth (1 Corinthians 5:8).

💬 Final Thoughts

God’s appointed times are not just for the past—they reveal His plan, His character, and His Son. The Feast of Unleavened Bread points us to Jesus: the sinless One who removes the leaven from our lives and leads us out of slavery into freedom.

Let’s celebrate the feast—not in bondage, but in gratitude. Not by tradition, but by truth.