Untitled Sermon (17)

For Christians:

Leaven represents sin — removing leaven is a symbol of removing sin from our lives.

Jesus is our Passover Lamb—He was crucified during Passover (1 Corinthians 5:7).

The unleavened bread represents the sinless body of Christ.

We are called to live holy lives, free from sin.

📖 1 Corinthians 5:7-8: "Get rid of the old yeast, so that you may be a new unleavened batch—as you really are. For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed."

What is Bohag Bihu (Rongali Bihu)?

Bohag Bihu marks the Assamese New Year and the beginning of the sowing season.

It is a spring festival, full of joy, colors, songs, and dances.

It is celebrated by all Assamese people, regardless of religion or caste.

The word "Rongali" comes from "Rong", meaning joy or celebration.

🗓️ When Did It Start and Why?

Origins go back over 2,000 years, even before written history.

It started as a nature-based agricultural celebration:

To welcome spring,

To thank God and nature for the past year,

And to pray for a good harvest in the new year.

It is also believed to have tribal roots, originally practiced by farming communities of ancient Assam.  When is Bohag Bihu Celebrated?

Celebrated in the month of Bohag (April), the first month of the Assamese calendar.

Usually falls around April 13–15, but celebrations can extend up to 7 days or more.

How Long Does It Last?

Traditionally, it lasts 7 days, each with a different name and activity. This is called Xaat Bihu (Xaat = seven):

Goru Bihu – Day for cattle, washed and worshipped.

Manuh Bihu – Day for humans, where people wear new clothes, take blessings from elders.

Gosai Bihu – For worshipping God, offering prayers.

Hat Bihu/Jeng Bihu  – Community feasts, market celebrations.

Senehi Bihu/ Kokai Bihu – Day of expressing love thorough gift Exchange, often celebrated by young people.

Maiki Bihu/Kongseng Bihu – A day for cleaning, decorating, and preparing homes.

Chera Bihu/Toka Bihu – Final day, family get-togethers and resolving past conflicts.

Aspect

Bohag Bihu 🪴

Festival of Unleavened Bread 🍞

Origin

Ancient Assam, tribal and agrarian roots

Given by God to Israelites in Exodus (Exodus 12–13)

Religion/Culture

Assamese cultural festival

Jewish biblical festival (also observed by Christians spiritually)

When Celebrated

Mid-April (Bohag month)

15th–21st of Nisan (March–April, same season)

Duration

7 days (Xaat Bihu)

7 days

Purpose

Welcoming spring and new Assamese year; start of sowing

Commemorating Israel’s escape from Egypt; removal of sin

Key Activities

Singing, dancing, cattle worship, visiting elders, feasting

Removing leaven (yeast), eating unleavened bread, sacred assembly

Main Foods

Pitha, laru (sweet rice cakes), curd, jaggery

Unleavened bread (matzah), lamb, bitter herbs

Spiritual Meaning

Gratitude to nature and blessings for new harvest

Remembering deliverance by God, call to holiness

Community Focus

Strong – involves family, neighbors, and youth

Strong – entire Israelite community participates

Symbolism

New life, love, prosperity, respect for nature

Purity, freedom, obedience, removal of sin

Preparation

Cleaning homes, decorating, preparing food

Removing leaven, preparing for Passover

🧡 Culturally:

It represents the spirit of Assamese identity and unity.

A time to reconnect with nature, family, and community.

Shows deep respect for cattle, elders, and traditions.

🌱 Agriculturally:

Marks the beginning of the sowing season—a hopeful time.

Farmers get ready to start working in the fields again.

💫 Emotionally:

A season of new beginnings, love, joy, and celebration.

Youth express affection, friendships are renewed, and families unite.

✨ Key Similarities:

Both are celebrated in April (springtime).

Both last for 7 days.

Both involve family, food, and community.

Both mark a time of new beginnings—Bohag Bihu for the agricultural year, Unleavened Bread for spiritual journey/freedom.

Both include a call to reflection and renewal.

🚫 Key Differences:

Bohag Bihu is cultural, not tied to a specific religious text; Unleavened Bread is commanded in the Bible.

Bohag Bihu includes joyful dances and feasts, while the Festival of Unleavened Bread is more solemn, focusing on remembrance and purity.

Bihu celebrates nature and the land, while Unleavened Bread focuses on God’s deliverance and a holy lifestyle.

🪔 Spiritual Insight for Christians:

You can even use Bihu as a cultural bridge to share biblical truths:

"Just as Bihu marks a new year and invites people to cleanse their homes and begin afresh, the Festival of Unleavened Bread reminds us that we must also cleanse our hearts from sin and begin a holy walk with God, made possible through Jesus Christ, our Passover Lamb (1 Corinthians 5:7–8)."

According to the Bible, several passages clearly mention the types of people who will not inherit the Kingdom of God unless they repent and turn to Christ. One of the key passages is:

1 Corinthians 6:9–10 (ESV)

"Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived:

neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality,

nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God."

Galatians 5:19–21 (ESV)

"Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these.

I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God."

Revelation 21:8 (ESV)

"But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death."

But there is hope:

Right after 1 Corinthians 6:9–10, Paul writes in verse 11:

"And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God."

This means no sin is beyond forgiveness. Anyone who turns to Jesus in repentance and faith can be forgiven, cleansed, and restored to inherit the Kingdom of God.

Title: "A New Beginning: From Egypt to Assam"

Scripture: Exodus 12:15 – "Seven days you shall eat unleavened bread. On the first day you shall remove leaven from your houses."

Introduction:

As we enter the season of Bohag Bihu, people of Assam celebrate the joy of a new year – cleaning homes, wearing new clothes, mending relationships, and giving thanks for the harvest. It’s a season of fresh starts.

In the Bible, God gave the Israelites a similar command – to observe the Feast of Unleavened Bread after delivering them from slavery in Egypt. For seven days, they ate bread without leaven, a symbol of removing sin, pride, and corruption – a symbol of repentance and renewal.

Let us reflect on three spiritual lessons:

1. Clean House, Clean Heart – Through Repentance

Just as Bihu begins with cleaning homes, God calls us to clean our hearts.

In the Feast of Unleavened Bread, leaven represents sin. Removing it is symbolic of repentance – turning away from sin and returning to God.

Psalm 139:23–24 – "Search me, O God, and know my heart… See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting."

Repentance is not just sorrow; it is a decision to let God cleanse us from within.

2. New Clothes, New Life – With Forgiveness

In Bihu, new clothes symbolize a fresh start. In Christ, God clothes us with forgiveness and righteousness.

Isaiah 1:18 – "Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow."

Through the blood of Jesus, our past is forgiven, and we are made new. This is what the Feast pointed to – the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.

3. Harvest of Joy, Harvest of Holiness

Bihu celebrates the harvest of the land. But through Jesus, we celebrate a harvest of souls – a life set apart, full of peace, joy, and purpose.

Galatians 5:22 – "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace…"

True celebration comes not just from crops, but from a life restored by God’s grace.

Conclusion:

Like Bohag Bihu, the Feast of Unleavened Bread calls us to begin again – but deeper than outward celebration is the inner transformation that comes through repentance and forgiveness.

This season, may we not just clean our homes, but let Jesus clean our hearts.

May we not just wear new clothes, but put on the new life in Christ.

And may we not just enjoy the harvest of the land, but the eternal joy of a forgiven, holy life.

Let today be a true new beginning. Amen.