As you’ve been reading through the books of the Law, especially Leviticus through Deuteronomy, you’ve probably run across a thing or two that have cause you to ask, “Why do I care?” or “Does this really matter?” That’s a good question, and without oversimplifying it to, “Yes, God said it so it matters” (although that’s 100% true) could I point out just how important some of these small details can be?
What if I told you that a choice of bread could make a difference on your eternity? Would that seem like hyperbole? It might, but it would not be hyperbole at all. Let me show you what I mean, and in order to do that, I need to direct your attention to Matthew 26. When considering the Lord’s table (aka Communion) I have heard people say that it doesn’t matter what kind of bread we use. While you could make the argument that what we are doing is merely “in remembrance,” the bread that Jesus used has eternal implications.
Notice that Matthew 26:17 says that this was the first day of unleavened bread. Coming back to today’s passage, let’s find out what that means. During the feast of unleavened bread, the Jews were not to eat any leavened bread, or anything with leaven (yeast) in it. So during the time where Jesus would have had the “last supper” there would have been no leavened bread allowed anywhere in the house.
So does it matter what kind of bread Jesus used? Let’s extrapolate that choice. If Jesus used unleavened bread (the only kind that would have (or a at least should have) been available, there’s no problem. However, if Jesus used leavened bread, then he would have been in violation of the law. Violation of the law is called sin, and if Jesus had sinned, we would not have a perfect Savior. So it’s safe to say that this tiny detail about bread all the way back in Deuteronomy has eternal ramifications.
If we look at the book of 1 Corinthians 5:6-8, we see more references to the instructions of Deuteronomy 16. We are to get rid of leaven, although in this case, not the leaven that causes bread to rise, but the leaven of malice and wickedness. Christ is referenced as our Passover, another reference back to Deuteronomy 16. Suffice it to say, Deuteronomy 16 plays a significant role in our understanding of the New Testament.
So, next time you find yourself asking, “Does this really matter?” allow that to be your cue to see how this ties into the rest of the Bible. It can be truly perspective changing! Who knew that the choice of bread could be so important!?