Jesus Did Not Eat Leavened Bread at Passover

We are responding to an e-mail that I received challenging keeping the Passover with unleavened bread. The article seeks to prove, among other ideas, that the Greek word, "artos" (Strong's 740) which is a generic word for bread, proves that Jesus ate leavened bread at the Passover. This is a totally incorrect and a dangerous idea. It is believed that the idea that Jesus ate leavened bread at the Passover was arrived at by only considering some of the meanings of "Artos" in order to try to prove an incorrect assumption.

Artos is a Greek generic word for bread. Just as during our Passover services, the minister sometimes refers to "the bread", it does not mean that the bread is leavened. According to Thayer's and other Lexicons, "artos" can mean a word for leavened bread, but it is also used to represent "shewbread' which was only supposed to be eaten by the Priests and which was definitely unleavened.

Artos can also mean food of any kind (Acts 20:7), loaves consecrated to the Lord and bread at the Lord's Table. The Greek-English New Testament Lexicon, lists these definitions for "artos", bread, loaf, food; and figuratively, spiritual nutriment as well as shew bread. It would be a grave spiritual error to believe that our Lord ate leavened bread at the Passover. What would be the point of that? He died for our sins and led a sinless life. Why would he partake of leavened bread which was considered during the Holy Day season to represent sin? See I Cor5:8.  He did not partake in sin.

Clarke's Commentary, recognized as one of the most authoritative commentaries, and was written by an expert in biblical Greek and Hebrew, states that Jesus could not have used leavened bread because it was not available.  See his comments on Matt 26:26. Jesus could not have found any leavened bread in Jerusalem even if he wanted to during the time of the Passover. The Jewish people made a through search for all leaven prior to this date (after rigorous cleaning) and in actuality had at least eight days of unleavened bread.  See Matt 26:17 and you will note that this preparation time for the Passover was also already considered part of the unleavened period.

I Cor 11:19 warns that heresies will exist in our day and that we should be on guard against them.  Paul then goes on to explain that in the 'same night' that Christ suffered vs.. 23 he gave this set of instructions for all his followers.  See also John Chapter 13.  Paul taught these Passover symbols and services to Gentile followers in Corinth 30 years after Christ death.  Combine this section with earlier comments of Paul in I Cor 5:6-8 and it is clear that these people were instructed to be unleavened at this time of the year. 

Paul explains that we are to be spiritually unleavened as we are physically unleavened.  Note in verse I Cor5:7 'as you are unleavened' meant that Paul knew that when his letter arrived during the Passover season that the church he founded and taught would be physically UNLEAVENED. 

Remember Jesus did not change the Passover he completed it with a set of services to commemorate his final night on earth with his disciples since he would die the next day as the real Lamb of God at the precise time the Jews were killing the physical lambs. Christ is the true spiritual fulfillment of the Passover.  This is not altering a law or commandment it is filling or living out the full meaning of the Passover as God always intended.  Moses predicted that Christ, our savior would come to Israel, as did much of the Old Testament.  Christ ministry was never in contradiction of the Old Testament.  Some people are ignorant of this truth.

Another concern is that this attack upon the Lord's Supper is dangerous to us spiritually.  Paul warns that the people (I Cor 11: 24-29) are in danger if they neglect this solemn IMPORTANT SERVICE.  Some died early because of this neglect!  Why risk this over an outsider's article.  Remember Acts 20: 29-30.  Remember the burden of proof is on the challenger.  He is challenging and trying to change a tradition that the church has been following for many centuries.  I believe the tradition goes all the way back to Christ in 31 A.D.  Changes like this should never be made hastily based primarily on a doubtful semantic argument.