We are fast approaching the Passover season and Days of Unleavened Bread. It’s a very inspiring time of year for God’s people as we are reminded that “we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life” (Romans 5:10).

The Days of Unleavened Bread picture putting sin out of our lives—just as we put leavening out of our homes. But we also put unleavened bread into our lives during this season—picturing us taking in the unleavened bread of a sinless life that Jesus represents. And so, we make a point of eating unleavened bread, the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth (1 Corinthians 5:8), each day of the festival week.

I always find it interesting that the apostle Paul wrote his first letter to the Corinthians during the Days of Unleavened Bread—discussing leavening as representing sin in chapter five. But then, as he finishes off the letter, Paul speaks of Jesus’ and our resurrections in the well-known resurrection chapter, chapter 15.

It was during the Days of Unleavened Bread, in the context of encouraging Christians to properly observe the Feast, that Paul drew a direct link between Jesus’ resurrection and leaving sin, stating: “And if Christ is not risen, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins!” (15:17).

Christ must be risen for us to be free of sin. He was raised from the dead during the Unleavened Bread festival. Coming out of sin has an element that requires Jesus’ resurrection. Chapter 15 contains some of the most important understanding about Christ’s resurrection in the entire New Testament.

Our sins are forgiven and we are reconciled to God through the death of His Son. And beyond that, we are thankful that our faith is not in vain—that Christ is risen that we may be saved by His life.

In April of 2008 I actually spent the Passover and First Day of Unleavened Bread in Corinth, Greece, as part of a Greece biblical education tour. Footage of Corinth that was shot during the Days of Unleavened Bread can be seen in a sermon on the subject: http://tinyurl.com/ucg-corinth.

May we thank our Father in heaven for the Passover and Holy Day season that lies directly ahead of us.