Ten Ways to Find Messiah in the PassoverPrimjer

The Messiah Was Broken, Striped, and Pierced

Matzah, so central to the Seder, also symbolizes the nature of the Messiah’s death. At the Seder that Yeshua celebrated with His disciples, He broke matzah and said, “This is my body which is given for you” (Luke 22:19). The imagery is striking. Yeshua’s body was broken to pay the price for our redemption. He allowed the unrighteous to take His life, for as God in the flesh, no one had the power to take His life from Him. He willingly endured death on our behalf. He paid the penalty for our sin so that we could enjoy eternal life with God (Romans 6:23). As the apostle Paul wrote, the Messiah “loved you and gave Himself up for us” (Ephesians 5:2).

Though we do not precisely know what the unleavened bread looked like at the Last Supper, the appearance of matzah today reminds us of what Yeshua endured for us. This bread is primarily pale, with some tan-colored lines where the dough was more cooked. The pattern gives matzah a striped look, which reminds us of how Yeshua was beaten and whipped (Matthew 27:26–30). Matzah also has rows of small perforated holes, illustrating how Yeshua was pierced with nails to die on a tree (Luke 23:33; Psalm 22:16). Matzah is genuinely an amazing symbol of the Messiah’s sacrifice.