[Steve Myers] The other day we were answering a question in regards to the resurrection
and the Days of Unleavened Bread. But we were happy to find that many people were viewing
that—maybe more than we originally thought, which was a very good thing, but it didn't
exactly come off the way that we wanted. And one of the passages that it reminded me of
was a passage over in James 3:2 it says, "We all stumble in many things. If anyone does
not stumble in word, he is a perfect man." And so, I guess, we're not perfect.
[Darris McNeely] We're not perfect, are we?
[Steve Myers] Not perfect. But we thought we might take a minute to really delve into
the meaning behind the things that we were talking about in regards to the Days of Unleavened
Bread and the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
[Darris McNeely] The question came up and the discussion came out of a program we were
doing on the Holy Days that Christians observe from the Bible and we were talking about those
days, we were talking about the resurrection of Jesus Christ, and really what it comes
down to is that we do observe the Days of Unleavened Bread, which were given by God
to mankind to observe. Those days and the Days of Unleavened Bread have at their center
the life of Jesus Christ because during the Days of Unleavened Bread He was resurrected
after being in the grave for three days and three nights. He was accepted by the Father
as a type of a wave sheaf offering that was a part of that ceremony as well, and so He
was accepted, His sacrifice whole and complete, by the Father. And then as we observe the
seven days of Unleavened Bread according to the pattern—especially with what Paul said
in 1 Corinthians chapter 5, we observe it with the unleavened bread of sincerity and
truth.
[Steve Myers] We remove leaven from our homes that symbolize those things.
[Darris McNeely] …by removing the leaven from our homes. And that unleavened bread
in itself is a picture of a perfect life and the only perfect life that's ever been was
that of Jesus Christ and that's why He was accepted as the wave sheaf offering and it
is His life in us, pictured by unleavened bread that allows us to put out the sin that
so easily besets us.
[Steve Myers] And how are we going to do that? The means of keeping the Feast points to that
fact. It symbolizes the fact it's Christ in us that makes all those things possible. The
whole book of Romans talks so much about that. Romans 6:11 it says, "Likewise, reckon yourselves
to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord." So, we have the
Passover. We certainly commemorate that and recognize His death; we have our sins forgiven. But
yet, if we're going to live a life that is removed from sin, the only way that's possible
is by Jesus Christ living in us and through us.
[Darris McNeely] And it's important to note as well that Jesus, when He was observing
that last meal with His disciples and changing the symbols of Passover from those of the
Old Covenant to that of the New Covenant with the bread and the wine, He said that He would
send a comforter to return and help His followers, His disciples–and that of course is through
the power of the Holy Spirit and that is Christ's life within us, which is again the only means
by which we can have a life without sin. And it's important also to understand that in
Romans 5:10 Paul also mentions that it is by His life that we are saved. And so, again,
that ties beautifully into the message of the Days of Unleavened Bread with the resurrected
life of Jesus Christ living within the believer, a baptized, repentant believer, who is working
against sin, striving against sin, but also understanding that any type of hope in that
way is only with Christ within us.
[Steve Myers] I think it comes a lot down to Galatians 2:20, which you had mentioned
you wanted to read that, that talks about the importance of the sacrifice of Jesus Christ
that we recognize during the Days of Unleavened Bread. That sacrifice that resulted then in
His death and ultimately in His resurrection so that He can be in us.
[Darris McNeely] And Galatians 2:20 says, Paul writes, "I have been crucified with Christ.
It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. And the life which I now live in the
flesh, I live by faith in the Son of God who loved me and gave Himself for me." And so
it is Christ's life within us that is the key and the important matter, and as we observe
the Days of Unleavened Bread, we—and eat that unleavened bread on a daily basis during
that period of time—we are showing that life of Christ within us.
[Steve Myers] Direct instructions, maybe just to conclude, 1 Corinthians chapter 5 where
Paul talked about instructions for Passover, the Days of Unleavened Bread, he said in 1
Corinthians 5:7, "Purge out the old leaven," he says, "that you may be a new lump since
you are truly unleavened." And then he gives a command, "Let us keep the feast," he says,
"not with the old leaven, not the leaven of malice and wickedness, but," he says, "with
the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth"—literally the unleavened, the word 'bread' isn't even
there. Unleavened of sincerity and truth—we're to be unleavened and he said the only way
that's possible is through Jesus Christ who was resurrected and now lives in us and through
us. So he says let us keep the feast.
[Darris McNeely] We will be posting a blog on our ucg.org site later today that will
have some links to some helpful articles that have covered this subject in greater detail
and show exactly the biblical teaching on this important, vital subject. So we hope
that helps to understand and clarify exactly what the biblical teaching is on this matter.
Thanks for listening. That's BT Daily. Join us next time.