Bread of Life

 Food has always held a place of honor in my family, for better or for worse. When we go on trips, where and what we eat is half the fun. When we talk about where we went and what we did, we describe in detail what we ate. I realize this isn’t everyone’s love language, but it certainly is one of ours. I’ve rarely gone so far as to take pictures of my meal and post it online, but I know people who do, and so I know I am in good company.

I have a lot of favorite foods, it’s hard to focus in on just one thing. Near the top, however, would have to be breads of any kind. Several years ago when we stayed in Frankfort, Germany, the hotel had a marvelous breakfast buffet. My favorite section was the huge selection of breads – savory and sweet. I went to that area first every morning. Who cares about protein when you can have carbs? Especially carbs in the form of breads. So when I share our Germany adventures, you know that table of breads figures high in my memories.

Bread has been such a staple through history that the word “bread” came to stand for sustenance. When the Israelites were in the wilderness, God provided for their every need, including bread. Everyday God’s special bread, manna, would appear, and the people had enough for the entire day. Of course, they began complaining about the sameness of that provision, and God added quail to their diet, so much they almost suffocated in quail.

Jesus referred to Himself as “the bread of life”.  This statement came about following an amazing event involving bread. John 6 tells how Jesus had been speaking to a large crowd. He noted they’d all been there for some time and He instructed the disciples to find food for them. “How on earth are we going to do that? It would cost more money than we have to find food for all these people.” They were not thinking about all of the great things they’d seen Jesus do; they saw what they lacked.

 Jesus asked, “What do you have?” “Well, a boy gave us his five loaves and two fish.” I’m pretty sure they said this to prove their point that there wasn’t anywhere near the amount they needed to satisfy this large crowd. But Jesus took that little bit of food, blessed it and began handing it out to his disciples to give to the crowd. And the food just kept on coming. When everyone in that crowd had been fed there were 12 baskets left over! One for each of the skeptical disciples.

One time we were meeting up with my youngest sister to celebrate her birthday. We’d stopped by a local barbecue restaurant and picked up food for our sibling and spouses group. When we arrived at her place there were at least 6 other people we hadn’t known would be there. We hurriedly told our husbands to go last and began to share the food with everyone else. People dove right in, loading up their plates. They were not worried about going away hungry, but our spouses were. Amazingly, by the time they’d all been served, there was enough for the original group to each have some. It wasn’t feeding 5,000, but having enough food for 13 out of an original plan for 7 was still pretty amazing. I can only imagine what the disciples were feeling as they passed the food among their crowd. And in case they were worried they wouldn’t get fed – there were 12 full baskets left over.

Following this part of John 6, Jesus went away to pray and the disciples took off in a boat on the Sea of Galilee. Jesus appears to them, walking on the water, and calms the storm. The other gospels speak of their fear, of the storm and the apparition on the water. He’d just fed all those people, but this is a storm. Their faith was still small. And Jesus calms the storm as well. He can turn a handful of loaves and fish into food for thousands. He can speak and calm a storm. What’s not to believe? Upon return, there is an even bigger crowd. Jesus points out they are there primarily because they’d heard about the bread he’d fed the earlier group. They were not seeking him as much as seeking a miracle, or at least a free meal. They ask Jesus for a sign (because feeding 5000 people with a few loaves and fish wasn’t sign enough, but maybe they hadn’t seen for themselves) Someone points out that “Moses gave the people bread.” Jesus corrects them saying “not Moses, God gave, and God gives the true bread.”  Following this, Jesus says, “I am the bread of life.” He is calling Himself the “true” bread.

Later in the chapter, the religious leaders take issue on Jesus’ declared relationship with God and challenge Him. Jesus elaborates on the bread of life, stating that “whoever eats this bread will have eternal life.” Then things digress into the leaders wondering if Jesus was actually offering his body to be eaten. They sought all the more to get rid of him.

What did Jesus mean, His being the “Bread of Life?” If bread is a metaphor for life’s sustenance, then Jesus is saying He is the ultimate sustainer for our life’s needs. Our physical life needs food to live, and so does our spiritual life. In addition to God’s provision of physical sustenance (for which Jesus said to include in our daily prayers, “give us this day our daily bread”), Jesus is the spiritual food we need for the life God intends.

We are told to hunger and thirst after righteousness. Jesus can satisfy our spiritual hunger. He offers a buffet table of spiritual foods for us to indulge on, if only we go to Him for our spiritual sustenance.

Jesus spoke of His “bread” or food - what “fed” Him - as doing the will of the Father. (John 14:34) That’s a good example of spiritual nourishment, which comes by actively seeking to do God’s will, much as the Israelites went out each day and collected their manna. Spending time in God’s Word also feeds us spiritually. The more experiences the disciples had with Jesus the more their faith grew. The same is true for us. This begins with getting to know God through reading His Word and spending time with Him each day. Food is important in keeping us alive. Most of us eat way more than we need for basic survival, but we all need “daily bread”. So it is with spiritual food. We all need daily time with the Bread of Life.

It all begins with putting our faith in The Bread of Life. John 6 shows us that belief in Jesus isn't a given, even with Him there in the flesh, working amazing miracles like feeding the crowd. So if belief was difficult with Jesus right there in their midst, it is a whole lot more difficult for many to believe today. But that is where it starts, believing that the only food that counts is The Bread of Life, and putting our trust in Him. Only He gives us life, and life eternal. (See John 3)

Jesus is the Light of the World. He is also the Bread of Life. He shows us the way and gives us the strength to walk in it. He is our Light and Life, what we desperately need in our troubled world.