Biblical Feast

Chag HaMatzot, the Feast of Unleavened Bread, is a seven-day festival that commemorates the Israelites’ hasty departure from Egypt, during which they had no time to let their bread rise—resulting in the symbolic eating of unleavened bread, or matzah. It begins on the 15th of Nisan, immediately following the night of Passover, and while closely linked to Passover, it is a distinct observance with its own emphasis: where Passover focuses on divine deliverance from oppression, Chag HaMatzot highlights the journey into freedom and the discipline of spiritual renewal. For seven days, no leavened food is consumed, underscoring a rejection of excess, ego, and complacency. The festival's symbolism—humility, readiness, and transformation—resonates beyond a single tradition, speaking universally to themes of liberation, identity, and the struggle to leave behind what enslaves us. 

Instruction: Exodus 12:17 (CJB)

You are to observe the festival of matzah,  for on this very day I brought your divisions out of the land of Egypt.  Therefore, you are to observe this day from generation to generation by  a perpetual regulation.  

Additional verses:

• Exodus 12: 15-20
• Exodus 13: 3-10
• Leviticus 23:6-8
• Numbers 28: 17-25
• Deuteronomy 16: 1-8
• Luke 22:1-20
•  1 Corinthians 5:7-8 
• John 6:4

The Feast of Unleavened Bread was established to remind Israel of their deliverance from Egypt and their call to live in purity before God, but it also prophetically pointed toward Jesus, the sinless Messiah. For seven days, God commanded His people to remove all leaven (yeast) from their homes and eat only unleavened bread. In Scripture, leaven often symbolizes sin, pride, and corruption. This physical act of removing leaven was a prophetic picture of the One who would come without sin—Jesus, the true “bread without leaven.” The feast pointed forward to a time when sin would be fully dealt with, not just symbolically but through the perfect life and sacrifice of the Messiah.

Jesus fulfilled the Feast of Unleavened Bread through His sinless life and sacrificial death. As His body was laid in the tomb during the days of this feast, He accomplished what the festival foreshadowed—removing the power and penalty of sin. Just as the Israelites left Egypt behind with unleavened bread, believers are called to leave behind their old life of bondage. Through Jesus, we are cleansed from sin and empowered to live in sincerity, purity, and truth. The purpose of this feast finds its complete fulfillment in Him, who is the spotless and holy bread of life.

Traditional observation varies between Orthodox Judaism, Messianic Judaism, and Christianity; and these differences should be explored. The following is a simple way to observe at home: 

Before the Festival

• Clean your home/kitchen of leavened products (bread, crackers, pasta, etc.).
• Reflect on what "leaven" represents in your life - pride, bitterness, distraction?

During 7 days

• Eat matzah daily instead of bread. Let it remind you of simplicity, humility, and the Exodus.
• Avoid leavened foods (as much as possible, even just for symbolic discipline).
• Take time for daily reflection: What habits enslave you? Where do you need spiritual freedom? Read Exodus 12-13, Deuteronomy 16, or Luke 22 (Last Supper).
• Light a candle at the beginning and of the end of the festival to mark sacred tme.
• Share a special meal with matzah, bitter herbs, and grape juice/wine.

Spiritual Focus

• Let this be a week of "spring cleaning" physically, emotionally, and spiritually.
• Journal your thoughts on freedom, discipline, and God's provision.

 The appointed time for the Feast of Unleavened Bread is the 15th day of the first month (Nisan), immediately following Passover. It lasts for seven days, during which no leavened bread is to be eaten or found in one’s home. 

2026 observation date:

• Begins: Sundown on Wednesday, April 1, 2026
• Ends: Sundown on Wednesday, April 8, 2026