Matzo, or matzah, is unleavened bread traditionally eaten during Passover, symbolizing the haste of the Israelites’ escape from Egypt when they did not have time to let their bread rise (Exodus 12:39). Its significance lies in remembering the Exodus and the importance of humility and simplicity in one’s relationship with God.
Scripture
15 Seven days you shall eat unleavened bread. On the first day you shall remove leaven out of your houses, for if anyone eats what is leavened, from the first day until the seventh day, that person shall be cut off from Israel.
16 On the first day you shall hold a holy assembly, and on the seventh day a holy assembly. No work shall be done on those days. But what everyone needs to eat, that alone may be prepared by you.
17 And you shall observe the Feast of Unleavened Bread, for on this very day I brought your hosts out of the land of Egypt. Therefore you shall observe this day, throughout your generations, as a statute forever.
18 In the first month, from the fourteenth day of the month at evening, you shall eat unleavened bread until the twenty-first day of the month at evening.
19 For seven days no leaven is to be found in your houses. If anyone eats what is leavened, that person will be cut off from the congregation of Israel, whether he is a sojourner or a native of the land.
20 You shall eat nothing leavened; in all your dwelling places you shall eat unleavened bread.”
Biblical Meaning and Significance of Matzo
Matzo, or unleavened bread, holds profound biblical significance as it serves as a tangible reminder of the Israelites’ rapid departure from slavery in Egypt during the Passover. In Exodus 12:39, the scripture recounts how the Israelites baked the dough before it was leavened because they were driven out of Egypt in haste, emphasizing their urgent need for liberation. This unleavened bread not only signifies physical escape but also embodies spiritual themes of humility and reliance on God. In accordance with the traditions established in the Law, matzo also represents the purity necessary for the worship of God, distinguishing unblemished offerings from those that are leavened, which often symbolize sin and corruption (Leviticus 2:11).
Beyond its immediate historical context, matzo invites a deeper reflection on the concepts of humility and simplicity in one’s faith journey. This theme is echoed throughout the Bible, where God frequently calls for a heart of sincerity rather than the leaven of pride or self-sufficiency. For instance, in 1 Corinthians 5:6-8, Paul instructs the early church to “cleanse out the old leaven” and celebrate the feast with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth. In this light, matzo transcends its role as merely a ritual food; it becomes a powerful metaphor for the believer’s spiritual state, urging them to rid themselves of sin and embrace a life of simple devotion to God, marked by faith and obedience. Thus, matzo serves not only to commemorate a historical event but also to instruct and inspire the faithful across generations on the essence of humility and purity in their walk with God.
In addition to its historical significance and symbolism of purity, matzo embodies themes of remembrance and covenant within the biblical narrative. The act of eating unleavened bread during Passover serves as a powerful reminder of God’s deliverance and faithfulness to the Israelites. This ritual act helps reinforce the identity of the Jewish people as a community chosen by God, and it serves to transmit key elements of faith across generations. The festival of Unleavened Bread, closely associated with Passover, requires participants to remove leaven from their homes, further reinforcing the significance of separation from sin and worldly influences. In this sense, matzo plays a pivotal role in the formation of communal identity and collective memory, allowing the faithful to connect with their spiritual heritage.
Furthermore, the symbolism of matzo extends into the New Testament, where Jesus, during the Last Supper, used unleavened bread to institute the sacrament of Communion. By breaking the matzo and identifying it as His body, He deepens its significance, transforming it into a symbol of sacrifice and covenant. This reinterpretation provides a link between the Passover and the new covenant that Jesus embodies, highlighting the continuity of God’s redemptive plan throughout biblical history. As such, matzo not only serves as a reminder of past deliverance but also as a symbol of the present spiritual sustenance available to believers through Christ. Thus, its significance is multifaceted, encompassing themes of remembrance, community, sacrifice, and spiritual nourishment, making it an enduring element in both Jewish and Christian traditions.
Symbol of Purity and Unleavened Bread
Matzo, or unleavened bread, serves as a powerful symbol of purity in biblical tradition. The absence of leaven, which represents sin and corruption, signifies a state of holiness and readiness to serve God. In the context of the Passover, matzo embodies the idea of being free from the influences that can lead one away from righteousness. This purity is not just physical but also spiritual, encouraging believers to examine their lives and remove any elements that may hinder their relationship with God.
Reminder of Deliverance and Freedom
Matzo also holds significant meaning as a reminder of the Israelites’ deliverance from slavery in Egypt. The haste with which they left, not allowing time for their bread to rise, symbolizes the urgency of their liberation. This aspect of matzo serves as a poignant reminder of God’s faithfulness in delivering His people from bondage. It encourages believers to reflect on their own experiences of freedom and the importance of trusting in divine providence during times of struggle.
Call to Spiritual Reflection and Renewal
The consumption of matzo during Passover invites individuals to engage in spiritual reflection and renewal. It serves as a catalyst for introspection, prompting believers to consider their own lives and the areas where they may need to seek forgiveness or make changes. The act of eating matzo can be seen as a commitment to live a life that aligns with God’s will, fostering a deeper connection to faith and community. This practice encourages a continual journey of growth and transformation in one’s spiritual life.
How to Embrace Redemption and Live in Freedom
Embracing redemption and living in freedom is a transformative journey that begins with acknowledging our need for grace and forgiveness. As we reflect on the profound love that God has for us, we can let go of past mistakes and the burdens they carry. It’s essential to immerse ourselves in Scripture, allowing the truth of God’s promises to renew our minds and hearts. Surrounding ourselves with a supportive community of fellow believers can also provide encouragement and accountability as we navigate this path. Remember, freedom in Christ doesn’t mean we won’t face challenges; rather, it empowers us to rise above them, knowing that we are no longer defined by our failures but by His unending mercy. So, take a moment each day to pray, seek His presence, and embrace the beautiful reality that you are a beloved child of God, free to live fully in His grace.
Bible References to Matzo’s Meaning and Significance:
Exodus 12:39-42: 39 And they baked unleavened cakes of the dough that they had brought out of Egypt, for it was not leavened, because they were thrust out of Egypt and could not wait, nor had they prepared any provisions for themselves.
40 The time that the people of Israel lived in Egypt was 430 years.
41 At the end of 430 years, on that very day, all the hosts of the Lord went out from the land of Egypt.
42 It was a night of watching by the Lord, to bring them out of the land of Egypt; so this same night is a night of watching kept to the Lord by all the people of Israel throughout their generations.
Exodus 13:3-10: 3 Then Moses said to the people, “Remember this day in which you came out from Egypt, out of the house of slavery, for by a strong hand the Lord brought you out from this place. No leavened bread shall be eaten.
4 Today, in the month of Abib, you are going out.
5 And when the Lord brings you into the land of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites, which he swore to your fathers to give you, a land flowing with milk and honey, you shall keep this service in this month.
6 Seven days you shall eat unleavened bread, and on the seventh day there shall be a feast to the Lord.
7 Unleavened bread shall be eaten for seven days; no leavened bread shall be seen with you, and no leaven shall be seen with you in all your territory.
8 You shall tell your son on that day, ‘It is because of what the Lord did for me when I came out of Egypt.’
9 And it shall be to you as a sign on your hand and as a memorial between your eyes, that the law of the Lord may be in your mouth.
10 You shall therefore keep this statute at its appointed time from year to year.
Leviticus 23:4-8: 4 “These are the appointed feasts of the Lord, the holy convocations, which you shall proclaim at the time appointed for them.
5 In the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month at twilight, is the Lord’s Passover.
6 And on the fifteenth day of the same month is the Feast of Unleavened Bread to the Lord; for seven days you shall eat unleavened bread.
7 On the first day you shall have a holy convocation; you shall not do any ordinary work.
8 But you shall present a food offering to the Lord for seven days. On the seventh day is a holy convocation; you shall not do any ordinary work.”
Numbers 9:9-14: 9 And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying,
10 “Speak to the people of Israel, saying, If any one of you or of your descendants is unclean through touching a dead body, or is on a long journey, he shall still keep the Passover to the Lord.”
11 In the second month on the fourteenth day at twilight, they shall keep it.
12 They shall leave none of it until the morning, nor break any of its bones; according to all the statute for the Passover they shall keep it.
13 But the man who is clean and is not on a journey, and yet fails to keep the Passover, that person shall be cut off from his people because he did not bring the Lord’s offering at its appointed time; that man shall bear his sin.
14 And if a stranger sojourns among you and would keep the Passover to the Lord, according to the statute of the Passover and according to its rule, so shall he do. You shall have one statute, both for the sojourner and for the native.”
Deuteronomy 16:1-8: 1 “Observe the month of Abib and keep the Passover to the Lord your God, for in the month of Abib the Lord your God brought you out of Egypt by night.
2 You shall offer the Passover sacrifice to the Lord your God, from the flock or the herd, at the place that the Lord will choose, to make his name dwell there.
3 You shall eat no leavened bread with it. Seven days you shall eat it with unleavened bread, the bread of affliction—for you came out of the land of Egypt in haste—that all the days of your life you may remember the day when you came out of the land of Egypt.
4 And no leaven shall be seen with you in all your territory for seven days, and none of the flesh that you sacrifice on the evening of the first day shall remain all night until morning.
5 You may not offer the Passover sacrifice within any of your towns that the Lord your God is giving you,
6 but at the place that the Lord your God will choose, to make his name dwell in it, there you shall offer the Passover sacrifice, in the evening at sunset, at the time you came out of Egypt.
7 You shall cook it and eat it at the place that the Lord your God will choose. And in the morning you shall turn and go to your tents.
8 Six days you shall eat unleavened bread, and on the seventh day there shall be a solemn assembly to the Lord your God. You shall do no work on it.
Joshua 5:10-12: 10 And the people of Israel encamped at Gilgal, and kept the Passover on the fourteenth day of the month in the evening on the plains of Jericho.
11 And the day after the Passover, on that very day, they ate of the produce of the land, unleavened cakes and parched grain.
12 And the manna ceased the day after they ate of the produce of the land. And there was no longer manna for the people of Israel, but they ate of the fruit of the land of Canaan that year.
2 Chronicles 30:21-23: 21 And the people of Israel who were present at Jerusalem kept the Feast of Unleavened Bread seven days with great gladness, and the Levites and the priests praised the Lord day by day, singing with all their might to the Lord.
22 And Hezekiah spoke encouragingly to all the Levites who showed good skill in the service of the Lord. So they ate the food of the festival for seven days, sacrificing peace offerings and giving thanks to the Lord, the God of their fathers.
23 And the whole assembly agreed to keep the feast for another seven days, and they kept it for another seven days with gladness.
Ezra 6:19-22: 19 On the fourteenth day of the first month, the returned exiles kept the Passover.
20 For the priests and the Levites had purified themselves together; all of them were clean. So they slaughtered the Passover lamb for all the returned exiles, for their fellow priests, and for themselves.
21 And the people of Israel who had returned from exile, and all who had separated themselves from the uncleanness of the peoples of the land to seek the Lord, the God of Israel, ate.
22 And they kept the Feast of Unleavened Bread seven days with joy, for the Lord had made them joyful and had turned the heart of the king of Assyria to them, so that he aided them in the work of the house of God, the God of Israel.
Matthew 26:17-30: 17 Now on the first day of Unleavened Bread the disciples came to Jesus, saying, “Where will you have us prepare for you to eat the Passover?”
18 He said, “Go into the city to a certain man and say to him, ‘The Teacher says, My time is at hand. I will keep the Passover at your house with my disciples.’”
19 So the disciples did as Jesus had directed them, and they prepared the Passover.
20 When it was evening, he reclined at table with the twelve.
21 And as they were eating, he said, “Truly, I say to you, one of you will betray me.”
22 And they were very sorrowful and began to say to him one after another, “Is it I, Lord?”
23 He answered, “He who has dipped his hand in the dish with me will betray me.
24 The Son of Man goes as it is written of him, but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been better for that man if he had not been born.
25 Judas, who would betray him, answered, “Is it I, Rabbi?” He said to him, “You have said so.”
26 Now as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and after blessing it broke it and gave it to the disciples, and said, “Take, eat; this is my body.”
27 And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, saying, “Drink of it, all of you,
28 for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.
29 I tell you I will not drink again of this fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom.”
30 And when they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.
Mark 14:12-26: 12 And on the first day of Unleavened Bread, when they sacrificed the Passover lamb, his disciples said to him, “Where will you have us go and prepare for you to eat the Passover?”
13 And he sent two of his disciples and said to them, “Go into the city, and a man carrying a jar of water will meet you. Follow him,
14 And wherever he enters, say to the master of the house, ‘The Teacher says, Where is my guest room, where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?’
15 And he will show you a large upper room furnished and ready; there prepare for us.”
16 And the disciples set out and went to the city and found it just as he had told them, and they prepared the Passover.
17 And when it was evening, he came with the twelve.
18 And as they were reclining at table and eating, Jesus said, “Truly, I say to you, one of you will betray me, one who is eating with me.”
19 They began to be sorrowful and to say to him one after another, “Is it I?”
20 He said to them, “It is one of the twelve, one who is dipping bread into the dish with me.
21 For the Son of Man goes as it is written of him, but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been better for that man if he had not been born.
22 And as they were eating, he took bread, and after blessing it broke it and gave it to them, and said, “Take; this is my body.”
23 And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, and they all drank of it.
24 And he said to them, “This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many.
25 Truly, I say to you, I will not drink again of the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God.”
26 And when they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.
Luke 22:7-20: 7 Then came the day of Unleavened Bread, on which the Passover lamb had to be sacrificed.
8 Jesus sent Peter and John, saying, “Go and prepare the Passover for us, that we may eat it.”
9 And they said to him, “Where will you have us prepare it?”
10 And he said to them, “Behold, when you have entered the city, a man carrying a jar of water will meet you. Follow him into the house that he enters.
11 and tell the master of the house, ‘The Teacher says to you, Where is the guest room, where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?’
12 And he will show you a large upper room furnished; prepare it there.”
13 And they went and found it just as he had told them, and they prepared the Passover.
14 And when the hour came, he reclined at table, and the apostles with him.
15 And he said to them, “I have earnestly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer.
16 for I tell you I will not eat it until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God.”
17 And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he said, “Take this, and divide it among yourselves.
18 for I tell you that from now on I will not drink of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes.”
19 And he took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.”
20 And likewise the cup after they had eaten, saying, “This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood.
1 Corinthians 5:6-8: 6 Your boasting is not good. Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump?
7 Cleanse out the old leaven that you may be a new lump, as you really are unleavened. For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed.
8 Let us therefore celebrate the festival, not with the old leaven, the leaven of malice and evil, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.
Rev. François Dupont is a dedicated church minister with a wealth of experience in serving spiritual communities. With a calm and serene demeanor, he has been devoted to sharing the message of love, compassion, and tolerance for over two decades. Through his thoughtful sermons, compassionate counseling, and unwavering support, Rev. Dupont has touched the lives of countless individuals, allowing them to find solace and strength during difficult times. His serene presence and deep understanding of the human condition make him a trusted guide for those seeking spiritual nourishment and guidance.