THE BREAD OF LIFE

“I AM the bread of life.” (John 6:35,48 and see also v. 50)

Jesus,Yeshua in Hebrew, taught us to pray, “Father, … give us this day our daily bread.” (Matthew 6:11)

BREAD

Bread is a basic food. We eat bread and our bodies use it for energy, growth, health and repair. How long can you go without food before your stomach growls? Usually, people need to eat several times every day! Human bodies NEED food to live.

But people are more than just bodies. Each human person is a spirit-being, with a soul (your mind, your feelings, your will) living in a physical body. You are spirit, soul and body.

Therefore, each person NEEDS spiritual food also!

Yeshua said quoting from the Book of Deuteronomy (8:3), “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God.’” (Matthew 4:4)

Yeshua is the WORD of God but He is also “the bread of life.”

Yeshua called Himself “bread” three times in just one speech! (John 6:35,48 and see also v. 50) He did not mean that He is literally a piece of matzoh or a slice of wheat bread or a little communion wafer.

Jesus was teaching that He is spiritual food! Without Him, your spirit CANNOT live! We need Yeshua for spiritual life just as people need bread for their physical life. One must spiritually “feed” on Jesus even as you must physically feed on food.

COMMUNION

If you spend time with Yeshua, that is communion with Him.   Spending time in His Presence makes us spiritually stronger and spiritually healthier for He imparts to us His life, His Spirit, His grace, His wisdom and His love.  

How great is that?!  But that’s not all!

One of the many blessings God gave to us is the enjoyment of eating. Who doesn’t like to eat? Isn’t it good of God to make something we NEED to do, also ENJOYABLE? Just as it’s enjoyable to eat tasty physical food, it’s enjoyable to spend time with God! Communion, time spent with God, is enjoyable! Worshipping God should be a delight!

“You make known to me the path of life;
in Your Presence there is fullness of joy;
at Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.” (Psalm 16:11)

YOU ARE WHAT YOU EAT

They say, “You are what you eat”. If you eat good healthful food, you will be healthy. If you eat only junk food, you may get sick in your body.

Just as your body needs healthful foods to be healthy, your spirit and soul NEED good spiritual food to be spiritually healthy.

You can’t get any more healthful food than the WORD of God! It’s GOOD for you! Christians are supposed to be growing to become more Christ-like. We must feed on the WORD of God to become like the Living WORD, Yeshua!

God, who is a gracious Giver, also imparts health even to our physical bodies through His WORD and Communion.

“For they are life to those who find them, and healing to all their flesh.”  (Proverbs 4:22)

“JUNK FOOD”

On the other hand, if we take in spiritual “junk food” into our souls, we will become spiritually weak. That is why the Scriptures encourage us:

“Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.” (Philippians 4:8)

God’s people are to be different in what they spiritually “eat” or take into their minds and hearts. God wants us to be reading and watching and listening to things that are true and pure.

Sadly, what our fallen society offers in the way of books and shows is not always good for our spirits. We should choose wisely the “food” our souls eat and avoid the “junk food”. Often, those things that the world puts in books, video games, movies, music and television shows are coming from spirits that are not of God, and actually are against God. The spirits behind these things encourage people to sin. They encourage lust, greed, selfishness, rebellion, witchcraft and idolatry. (See Galatians 5:19-20) These things are against God’s way.

So you have a choice. God gave yo a free will to choose what you eat. But He encourages us to “Choose life” (Deut 30:19).  Yeshua is Life. His ways are life and peace.

If you choose, to “eat” the junk food that the fallen, sinful world and the devil offers, although it may taste good and be fun for a bit, know that in the end it will cause you harm.  You will also grow spiritually weak. If you are spiritually weak, it is harder to resist temptations of the devil and so will lead to sin.   Sin leads to more sin and soon you will find yourself in a sinful lifestyle contrary to the Word of God.    If you find yourself in sin, ask God to forgive you and turn away from sin.  Turn back to your heavenly Father.

God our Father offers us something much better than anything the world can offer!  We are invited to feast at the table of the LORD!  You can “eat” the lovely things of God, His wonderful WORD, and the things that glorify Him and become more Christ-like, growing in wisdom and grace. You can enjoy the Bread of Heaven, Yeshua.

“Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good! Blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him!” (Psalm 34:8)

NEXT LESSON:  THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD