Baking your own matzah bread can be a rewarding way of preparing for Passover. It is very labor intensive, but something you might want to try. This project needs to be undertaken by a group with access to a large work area in a synagogue kitchen. The work area (including the oven) must be thoroughly made kosher in the midst of this holiday baking process. [ii]
The Israelites of Bible times didn’t have any of our luxuries in doing the above job. The first Feast of Unleavened Bread is recorded in Exodus 12:14-15, 17(JUB):
“And this day shall
be unto you for a memorial; and ye shall keep it as a feast unto the Lord
throughout your ages… Seven days shall ye eat unleavened bread;
even the first day ye shall put away leaven out of your houses, for whoever
eats leavened bread from the first day until the seventh day. That soul shall
be cut off from Israel…for in this same day have I brought your hosts out of
the land of Egypt; therefore, shall ye observe this day for your ages by an
ordinance forever.”
“Your
purpose is to become a spiritual leaven to permeate the whole world” (Sunday Adelaja)
Jesus fulfills the Feast of
the Unleavened Bread by…
1. His
burial as the sinless Bread of Life:[iii]
“Though mistreated, He was submissive. He
did not open his mouth. Like a lamb led to be slaughtered. Like a sheep silent
before its shearers, He did not open his mouth.” (Isaiah
53:7, CJB)
“Basically, I don't ever move too far
past the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus, because it's of first
importance. And I make sure it's of first importance with anyone I'm talking
to. It all comes down to that, really, when you get right down to it. So it's
not complex. Jesus removed our sins and guarantees we can be raised from the
dead.” (Phil Robertson)
2.
His burial in a rich man’s tomb as the sinless Bread of
Life:
“After all this, Joseph of Arimathea, a
disciple who kept his faith a secret for fear of the Jewish officials, made a
request to Pilate for the body of Jesus. Pilate granted his request, and Joseph
retrieved the body.” (John
19:38, VOICE)
“Following Jesus Christ has always been
dangerous, but it was especially so for Joseph of Arimathea. He was a prominent
member of the Sanhedrin, the court which
condemned Jesus to death. Joseph risked his reputation and his life by standing
up for Jesus, but his faith far outweighed
his fear.”[iv]
3.
By God not allowing His body to see death as the sinless
Bread of Life:
“For You will not leave me among the dead.
You will not allow Your beloved One to rot in the grave.” (Psalm
16:10, TLB)
“The evidence for Jesus' resurrection is so strong that
nobody would question it except for two things. First, it is a very unusual
event…Second, if you believe it happened, you have to change the way you live.” (Wolfhart
Pannenberg)
If you wonder how this post relates to you, the lesson is
this. In gratitude for Christ’s sacrifice, purge sin from your life on a constant
basis:
You know what they
say, “Just a little
yeast causes all the dough to rise,” so
even the slightest detour from the truth will take you to a destination you do
not desire. (Galatians
5:9, VOICE)
“Sinful and forbidden pleasures are like poisoned bread; they may
satisfy appetite for the moment, but there is death in them at the end.” (Tryon
Edwards)[v]
 |
| Matzah Bread |
[ii] Adapted from “Matzah Baking, an 18-Minute Project” by
Richard Siegel
[iii] “Jesus said to them, “I am the Bread of Life. He who
comes to me will not be hungry, and he who believes in me will never be
thirsty.” (John 6:35, WEB)
[iv] “Joseph of Arimathea” by Jack Zavada
[v] Inspired by the sermon
“Fantastic Feasts: The Bread of Life” (Installment two) Sunday, May 21,
2017 Pastor Dave Jansen CenterPoint Gahanna Church Gahanna, OH.
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