Fresh Bread

Our fathers ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written, ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’” Jesus then said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, it was not Moses who gave you the bread from heaven, but my Father gives you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is he who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.” They said to him, “Sir, give us this bread always.” Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst. (John 6:31-35 ESV).

Some of you may have been residents of North Texas long enough to remember the Mrs. Baird’s Bakery just off Interstate 30 shown in the picture here. I certainly remember it. Driving along the highway back in the ‘70’s when they were baking bread and the wind was right, the aroma of fresh baked bread was wonderful. Just the aroma was good enough marketing to make me want Mrs. Baird’s over all the others! Our reading today calls attention to the need for the “bread of life” (v. 6). The branches of the Jesse Tree stretch across Scripture, providing a helpful way to see God’s plan of salvation leading to the coming of Jesus. And the story of Christ’s coming does not end in Bethlehem. Jesus’ ministry and teaching help us grasp the meaning of our Savior’s birth. In the setting of our text for today, Jesus has just miraculously fed a crowd of over five thousand people from a few loaves of bread and some fish (cf. John 6:1-13). Not surprisingly, the crowd wants more of Jesus and his miracles, so they follow him around. Their hungering for physical bread gives Jesus a teaching moment to talk about spiritual life and sustenance. Jesus declares, “I am the bread of life.” In their eagerness for free food, the crowds have missed the spiritual significance of Jesus’ feast in the wilderness. The physical bread that Jesus provided not only gave nourishment—like the bread (manna) God gave the people of Israel long ago—but also pointed to the spiritual bread of Jesus’ body. Through his sacrificial death and resurrection, Jesus provides the bread of eternal life for God’s children. Of course, that staple is one of the difficult ones to get in these days of crisis. Perhaps that makes it even more wonderful when we can get it, but it can’t feed our souls. Only Jesus can do that. Whatever you eat today, remember the one who gives you new life. Celebrate the Bread of Life today… He is never in short supply!