14 Lessons Toward Passover: What does the Bread Symbolize? (Part 7)

The Passover is rich with meaning and symbolism. It signifies the ultimate sacrifice made by God the Father and Jesus (Yahshua) Christ to save us from our sins. One of the analogies that are used in Passover is the unleavened bread. To fully grasp the meaning of the Passover, we need to understand this analogy.

Why did Jesus command His followers to eat of the bread? What does it symbolize? In this bible study, let us take into consideration the deeper meaning of the Passover bread.

What does the Passover bread symbolize?

  1. The Passover bread is the body of Christ.

“And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to the disciples and said, ‘take, eat: this is My body.’” (Matthew 26:26).

  1. Christ’s body is destined to become the ultimate sacrifice for our sins. In the Old Testament, the sacrificial animals cannot remove sins. For it is written, “It is not possible that the blood of bulls and goats could take away sins” (Hebrews 10:4). The sacrificial animals served as a reminder of the coming sacrifice that will be made by Jesus Christ.

“By that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all” (Hebrews 10:10).

  1. The suffering of Jesus is also intricately associated with our healing. The Passover bread is broken to signify the excruciating pain and suffering that Christ has to endure. Through the suffering of Christ, we also gain the benefit of healing.

“Who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness – by whose stripes you were healed (I Peter 2:24).

“But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed (Isaiah 53:5).

  1. Jesus lived and died to give us the opportunity to have eternal life. Eating the Passover bread shows our faith and belief that God is able to resurrect us at the return of Jesus Christ. Partaking of the Passover proclaims our faith that salvation is a gift that only God can give.

“I am the bread of life… This is the bread which comes down from heaven, that one may eat of it and not die. I am the living bread which came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever; and the bread that I shall give is My flesh, which I shall give for the life of the world” (John 6:48-51).

  1. By partaking of the Passover bread, we are inviting Jesus to live within us. It shows the type of closeness that we should have in our relationship with God the Father and Jesus Christ. The Passover is the renewal of the commitment that we made during our baptism. It is the commitment of allowing Christ to live in us.

“I am crucified with Christ; nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ lives in me: and the life which I now live is in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me” (Galatians 2:20).

Final words

We need to carefully examine ourselves and see if we really know the real meaning behind the symbolisms used in the Passover. Christ died for our sins and gave up His life to give us a new life. He died in order for us to live. The Passover bread is made available to us. It is my sincerest hope that we will not waste this opportunity and come to the Passover with the right understanding of the real meaning of the unleavened bread.

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