"Observe the month of Aviv and celebrate the Passover of the Lord your God, because in the month of Aviv He brought you out of Egypt by night. Sacrifice as the Passover to the Lord your God an animal from your flock or herd at the place the Lord will choose as a dwelling for His name." (Deuteronomy 16:1-2) On the first Passover before the exodus from Egypt, the blood of the Passover lambs was applied to the door posts of the homes of the Israelites so the death angel would pass over them when he saw their faith displayed by the blood. Only the Egyptians suffered the loss of their firstborn sons. The Israelites are to forever commemorate being spared loss and being rescued from Egypt by observing Passover each year.
In preparing the first Passover meal there was no time to wait for dough to rise so no yeast was added to it. The people ate unleavened bread on Passover night and for several days afterwards because the dough they took out of Egypt with them contained no yeast. Yeast (leaven) is often used in the Bible as a symbol for sin; its removal from a person's house symbolizes consecrating their hearts to the Lord, so the Lord gave these instructions regarding yeast and Passover: "This is a day you are to commemorate; for the generations to come you shall celebrate it as a festival to the Lord---a lasting ordinance. For seven days you are to eat bread made without yeast. On the first day remove the yeast from your houses, for whoever eats anything with yeast in it from the first day through the seventh must be cut off from Israel." (Exodus 12:14-15) Eating bread with yeast during this time brought with it the penalty of excommunication from the congregation of Israel. Moses reminds the congregation of the rule regarding having only unleavened bread at Passover. "Do not eat it with bread made with yeast, but for seven days eat unleavened bread, the bread of affliction, because you left Egypt in haste---so that all the days of your life you may remember the time of your departure from Egypt. Let no yeast be found in your possession in your land for seven days." (Deuteronomy 16:3-4a)
Christians observe the Lord's Supper instead of Passover. Jesus kept Passover with His disciples and in this meal He used the cup of wine and the unleavened bread as symbols of the blood He would shed and the body He would offer as a sacrifice for our sins. But although Christians don't observe Passover, we could make a comparison to the removal of yeast from the home to the searching of our hearts we must do before taking part in the Lord's Supper (also known as taking communion). The Apostle Paul instructs us, "Everyone ought to examine themselves before they eat of the bread and drink from the cup." (1 Corinthians 11:28) We must pray and examine our hearts before participating in the Lord's Supper, therefore removing the leaven of sin from the house of our hearts. Like a person searching and sweeping their house for leaven before Passover, we are to be searching and sweeping our hearts for sin and we are to repent of anything the Lord brings to mind. Only then do we eat the bread and drink the cup.
None of the meat from the Passover lamb is to be saved as leftovers. "Do not let any of the meat you sacrifice on the evening of the first day remain until morning." (Deuteronomy 16:4b) Worship is not to become stale. True worship is always going to be refreshing and renewing. Any meat left over was to be burned, not kept and allowed to grow stale or dry or spoiled. Also I think there could be some symbolism here that parallels the one-time sacrifice of Christ. Just as the Passover lamb didn't need to be kept and eaten on multiple days, the sacrifice made by Christ only had to be made once. He only died once and we are only saved by faith in Him once. We are not required to be "resaved" over and over again because He is continually refreshing and renewing us. Our salvation is just as valid today as it was on the day we accepted Christ as Lord.
Passover will be observed at the central location of worship. "You must not sacrifice the Passover in any town the Lord your God gives you except in the place He will choose as a dwelling for His name. There you must sacrifice the Passover in the evening, when the sun goes down, on the anniversary of your departure from Egypt. Roast it and eat it at the place the Lord your God will choose. Then in the morning return to your tents. For six days eat unleavened bread and on the seventh day hold an assembly to the Lord your God and do no work." (Deuteronomy 16:5-8) Passover is to be a community event. The first Passover was observed by the entire congregation in their community in Egypt and the people are always to observe it together as a congregation.
It is very important for believers to gather together in the name of the Lord. We gather together to learn about Him, to remember all He has done for us, and to thank Him for His blessings and mercy on us. This encourages us in the faith as a community and as individuals. As the saying goes, there is strength in numbers, and this is never truer than when believers are gathered together in the name of the Lord.
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