Feasting On the Bread of Life

Food is a big part of Christmas celebrations with different cultures and families having their own traditions centered around the holiday meals and gatherings. I grew up in The Netherlands, where my Dad owned a bakery. I remember Christmas day brunches featuring delicious pastries such as stollen, kerstol (similar to fruit cake) and other fancy breads.

Later Christmas day, we gathered for a wonderful type of communal meal called gourmetten. It was a rich family time with everyone sitting around the table laughing and talking while each person cooked bite-size pieces of meats and vegetables. And of course, there was always fresh bread from my dad’s bakery on the table. I remember that bread as being so tasty, but I have since come to know and appreciate the greatest bread in the world: The Bread of Life, Jesus. Have you ever wondered why Jesus referred to Himself as the Bread of Life?

What Is The Bread?

In John, Chapter 6, Jesus refers to Himself three times as bread (verses 35, 48, and 51). Early in the chapter, He had turned five loaves into enough bread to feed more than 5,000 people – with leftovers! So as word spread about the miracle of the feeding of the multitude, it’s almost comical how the people chased Jesus from place to place in order to get free food.

It’s evident that those chasing after Jesus did not perceive Him with spiritual eyes, because they addressed him as Rabbi, meaning Teacher, instead of Lord. His pursuers wanted to know what miraculous signs this Rabbi could give them. They knew about the miracle of manna that was daily provided to the children of Israel in the desert (v. 31) and were ready for some miracle bread. And it was miracle bread he provided, just not the type they were chasing after. Jesus said “This bread is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world” (John 6:51c).

They were in the presence of Jesus, giver of life, but because they could not spiritually perceive and believe who Jesus was, they pestered the Bread (Jesus) for merely flour and water baked into a loaf. Jesus description of Himself as Bread speaks of His origin, His purpose and His sufficiency. First let’s explore Jesus’ origin.

The Origin of Jesus

In John, chapter 6, the Jews grumbled that the Jesus, whom they knew to be from Nazareth, claimed to be from heaven; “I am the bread that came down from heaven” (John 6:51a). John 1:14 refers to Jesus as “the One and Only, who came from the Father.” By saying that He was from heaven, he was both asserting that He had come from God and was also building on the miracle of the manna. The book of John opens with the statement: In the beginning was the Word (Jesus), and the Word (Jesus) was with God, and the Word (Jesus) was God. He (Jesus) was with God in the beginning. The significance of Jesus being in heaven with God is summarized in Colossians 2:9: “For the entire fullness of God’s nature dwells bodily in Christ” (HCSB).

By saying he was the Bread of Heaven, Jesus was also building on the knowledge of the original bread of heaven, manna. Jesus is our practical, yet miraculous sustenance, daily present to meet our needs. In Matthew 6:11, Jesus taught his disciples to daily request and rely on God’s provision: “Give us this day our daily” bread (Matthew 6:11).

In Jesus, the Bread of Heaven, we have provision for our spiritual and physical needs. But Jesus’ purpose was more fundamental than meeting needs. His purpose was to do the will of the Father.

The Purpose of Jesus

And the Father’s will was incomprehensible from a human standpoint. Jesus said, “For I have come down from heaven not to do my will but to do the will of him who sent me.” Jesus speaks throughout the gospels of the purpose of his coming to earth. It’s a study in itself, including saving, serving, testifying, destroying the devil’s works, fulfilling the law, giving life, proclaiming favor, and bringing judgment.

And how did Jesus doing the Father’s will play out in His day-to-day life? “Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and sickness among the people” (Matthew 4:23). And from Acts, ” How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him.” (Acts 10:38). The will of the Father set Jesus apart as sufficient for every need.

The Sufficiency of Jesus

Bread was the primary source of nourishment in Jesus’ time, but Jesus is the complete and all-sufficient source for all of our needs, both spiritual and physical. First and foremost, the breaking of the bread of Jesus’ body provided forgiveness of our sins and reconciliation with the Father. His willing act of sacrifice and obedience fulfilled God’s law and provided us with the supernatural empowerment to do the will of the Father.

But the breaking of the bread of Jesus’ body also provided for our physical well-being: “Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed” (I Peter 2:24). And “But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed “(Isaiah 53:5).

Whatever your need, Jesus is sufficient! If you haven’t done so, begin by accepting the Bread of Life as your Lord and Savior. To receive Jesus’ free gift of salvation, pray this simple prayer with all your heart: “Dear God – I know Jesus is Your Son and that He died for me and rose from the dead. Forgive me for all my sins. I receive Jesus into my life right now. Help me to follow You always. Amen.” If you prayed this prayer, please let me know, so I can direct you to more resources.

To Sum It Up

In the coming days, as you sit down to enjoy your Christmas meal, pay attention to the bread. Let it remind you of the bread of Jesus’ broken body. But don’t stop there. It is truly something to celebrate that Jesus, left heaven and its perfection, to carry out a purpose that only He could. And that He also finished what He set out to do, among other things, bringing us salvation, empowering us to live for Him, and healing our bodies. Hallelujah, what a Savior!

Jesus Has Some Questions For You

The story of Jesus transforming a boy’s lunch of five loaves and two fishes into a meal for 5,000 men plus women and children is well-known. In fact, it is the only story that is told in all four gospels.

Large crowds had been following Jesus, intrigued by the miracles He had performed. Out in the middle of nowhere, it was meal time and His disciples reported that the people were hungry. The account in the gospel of John includes a question-answer exchange Jesus initiated with Philip about how the crowds were to be fed. Jesus’ question to Philip tells us much about His heart toward us and how questions can help us grow. Yes, questions can be a powerful tool to point us to Jesus.

About Questions

Have you ever noticed that when someone asks you a question, you’re internally driven to answer it? At least that’s how I usually respond. And I think other people respond similarly. Granted, there are some questions that don’t take much thought. However Jesus tends to ask us simple, yet deeply thought-provoking questions that require our self-examination. Many of His questions may take our entire lives to answer.

Questions have long been a fundamental method of teaching. God must like questions, too, since there are 2,272 questions in the Old Testament and 1,022 questions in the New (KJV). For teachers or Rabbis, asking questions was a part of long-established traditions. So, it’s not surprising that Jesus frequently used questions as a way to lead the respondent to new insight. His questions will always give us insight about our relationship with Him.

The Question Jesus Asked of Philip

“When Jesus looked up and saw a great crowd coming toward him, He said to Philip, ‘Where shall we buy bread for these people to eat?'” John 6:5 (NIV). This seems like a straightforward easy-to answer question, doesn’t it? But Jesus had a lesson plan in mind and it was designed specifically for Philip.

Jesus Singled Out Philip

All the other disciples were present. Why do you think Jesus singled out Philip to ask this particular question? Bible commentaries observe Philip was from that area and would have first hand knowledge of where to acquire provisions. But Andrew and Peter were also from the same area. I think that Jesus singled out Philip to build his faith – to lead Philip into knowledge of who Jesus was. John 6:6 says “He (Jesus) asked this only to test him (Philip), for He (Jesus) already had in mind what He was going to do.” The way the word test is used here means to ascertain quality. Jesus wanted to not only determine how Philip viewed Him, but also challenge Philip to test his own perception of who Jesus was. It was a moment that Jesus had designed especially with Philip in mind.

He does the same for us. Questions may come from a Bible verse or may initiate from an inward witness of the Holy Spirit. A question that often engages me is “Simon (Peter), lovest thou me?” I can hear Jesus asking “Olga, lovest thou me?” I pause and think about the reasons I love Him. My love for Him is reinforced and I am challenged to love Him ever more deeply and completely.

Another question that causes me to think is the one Jesus posed to the invalid at the Pool of Bethesda, “Wilt thou be made whole?” (John 5:6). It’s a very simple question, yet requires deep self-examination. And I also must ask myself: Do I truly want to be made whole? But Jesus’ question to Philip was somewhat different than these: On the surface, it was totally framed in the natural.

Jesus’ Question Was Framed In the Natural

What do I mean by saying that Jesus’ question was framed in the natural? When Jesus asked “Where can we buy bread for these people to eat?” the words he used meant exactly that. There is no hidden or deeper meaning in the words themselves. Jesus asked where physical bread could be purchased with money for the people’s physical sustenance. It was not posed as a spiritual question.

And so Philip answered the question considering the natural factors: availability of such a large amount of bread and the means to pay for it. And his proposed solution would have yielded a meager portion for those in the crowd.

But natural questions don’t necessarily have natural answers. Philip was focused on the “how” of solving this problem that Jesus had posed in His question. Jesus saw the opportunity to solve this natural dilemma in a supernatural way. Jesus wanted Philip to know Him as the “Who” – the answer to every need of mankind.

“How” Versus “Who”

Jesus wanted to lead Philip to recognize Him as the Bread of Life; the Supplier; the giver of all good things. Jesus could have supplied the food, yet Philip hadn’t yet understood Jesus’ divinity. Jesus could have rained down manna, or money or any other number of things to solve the problem. He wanted Philip to discern that when Jesus is present there is no lack. He is our Provider.

I wonder what Philip made of Jesus’ question when he looked back on that incident. I would imagine that he marveled when he compared his “how” response to Jesus’ miraculous feeding of the multitude. How about you? Are you trying to workout the “how,” when the “Who” is tenderly calling you to rely on His infinite creative power to bring forth your miracle?

To Sum It Up

Jesus teaches us through questions, both throughout the scriptures and through the ministry of the Holy Spirit. If we’ll listen and reflect, His questions are customized to bring about deeper revelation of Who He is, which will help us grow. As Believers we have the privilege of knowing Jesus personally – we know Who He is and that covers the “how” of our circumstances.