Summer Sunday School 2020 - Unleavened Bread Scripture: Exodus 26 & Matthew 26:17-30 Isn’t there something special about sharing a meal together? Whether it is a get together with friends or a special dinner with family, food just completes the circle. In scripture, we see so many meals being held together by Jesus and his followers, as well as many banquets and feasts in the Old Testament. Today we wanted to see what happened before Jesus broke the bread, who made it? How did they make it? What did this bread mean to the people eating it? In our day and age, we go to the store and buy what we need, but have you ever tried to make bread? Unleavened bread is a bread used in the Jewish Passover meal to celebrate the deliverance of the Israelites from Egypt (Exodus 12). Passover, which Jesus was celebrating at what we now know call the Last Supper, is a festival celebrated in the 15th month, Nisan, and lasts for 7 or 8 days. (for more information click here!) Since leavening agents are not allowed during Passover, Jesus and his disciples in Matthew 26 would have broken, blessed, and eaten unleavened bread or matzo. According to the Hebrew lexicon, the term unleavened bread is derived from the word matzoh, which means "bread or cake without leaven." God required His people to eat unleavened bread for eight days to remind them that they were to be separate from the world!
Today, we’ll be attempting some unleavened bread at home. It is very simple and only takes about 15 minutes. Watch this short video to try it out!!
Making Unleavened Bread (recipe in description)
While eating your fresh bread, ponder on these of questions: Why, do you think, people always gather together for meals? What is your favorite meal? Who do you love to share it with? How does your family celebrate special occasions? What kind of food is involved? If you made bread, how did it make you feel taking part in a tradition that dates back to even before Jesus? Read Exodus 12 and then Matthew 26:17-30 - What do you think about the difference between the two passages? Can you see how Jesus came to fulfill the law of Passover?
When you look at the scriptures next time and see them talking about or eating unleavened bread imagine the taste, smell, and texture of the bread you made. Use this connectional experience to put yourself in the Biblical story.
*If you made some bread we’d love to see the results. Shoot us a text or email with a picture!