[Announcer] (0:00 - 0:35) Think about the Bible like you never have before. You're listening to Christian Questions. Experience more episodes, videos, and Bible study resources at ChristianQuestions.com. Our topic is: "Why is Jesus called The Bread of Life?" When Jesus walked the earth, he was the highest human example of God's love that had ever existed. Yet sometimes he made it difficult to follow him.
When he proclaimed himself as "the bread of life," he also said things that caused anger by many who were listening. Why would he do that? Here's Rick, Jonathan, and Julie.
[Rick] (0:37 - 0:47) Welcome, everyone. I'm Rick. I'm joined by Jonathan, my co-host for over 25 years. Julie, a longtime contributor, is also with us. Jonathan, what's our theme scripture for this episode?
[Jonathan] (0:48 - 1:02) John 6:35: "Jesus said to them, I am the bread of life; he who comes to me will not hunger, and he who believes in me will never thirst."
[Rick] (1:02 - 1:55) When Jesus taught, he made many profound and life-changing statements. Here we are, thousands of years later, appreciating how what he said can daily lift us up and inspire us. As beautiful as this is, it only scratches the surface. Our theme scripture is a classic example of this.
It's awe-inspiring to know that Jesus IS "the bread of life" that vanquishes hunger for all who truly follow him. Now let's think more deeply. Let's ask why.
Why did Jesus say this? What was the deeper meaning that not only inspires but transforms our lives? Let's check the context.
The scriptures that precede this saying tell us Passover was coming. In Jewish culture, this time of year brought anticipation for remembering the greatest deliverance in Israel's history. Jesus would capitalize on this and show them something even greater.
[Julie] (1:55 - 2:17) Jesus had just miraculously fed the five thousand with five loaves of bread and two fish, and that night his disciples departed to cross the Sea of Galilee. Jesus himself went up to the mountain. A life-threatening storm came over the sea.
The disciples' boat was battered by wind and waves. Jesus miraculously walked on water and caught up with them and delivered them safely to the other side.
[Rick] (2:17 - 2:29) You have the context of the before, before he makes this proclamation. As we look at each part of this unfolding, we want to think about Food for Thought and Bread for Life.
[Jonathan] (2:29 - 3:06) The Jewish people of that day had three major pilgrimage festivals: Passover, Pentecost, and the Feast of Booths in the fall. Passover commemorated the passing over of the firstborn from the tenth plague of death while the Jewish nation was enslaved by Egypt. As Passover time was approaching, Jesus had just miraculously fed the five thousand. Many of these people were likely traveling to Jerusalem. They were gathered in a place where there was no food. As he preached, Jesus undoubtedly saw their physical need in light of the connection with Israel's original Passover deliverance.
[Rick] (3:07 - 3:39) You have that context behind us. The next morning after this miraculous feeding of the five thousand, when some of the people who had been fed saw that Jesus wasn't there (he had gone up to the mountain), but it's like, okay, where do you go from there? They boarded several small boats and went across the Sea of Galilee to Capernaum in search for him.
They had seen his disciples get into a boat, figured okay, he's going to go that direction. Upon arriving, they found Jesus and asked him how he got there. Jesus' answer to them sets up this enormous lesson.
[Julie] (3:39 - 4:01) John 6:26: "Jesus answered them and said, Truly, truly, I say to you, you seek me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate of the loaves and were filled." In other words, is your coming here an expression of your faith and my ability to do miracles? Or did you just come here because you got free bread yesterday when you were with me?
He was the Messiah, not a vending machine!
[Rick] (4:01 - 4:32) Well, they kind of looked at him like, that was pretty good! Let's see if he can do it again! You've got this big anticipation here. Now his first words to them pointed this out; his first words pointed out their fleshly objectives. His point was to lift their thinking from their earthly lives to being able to see things in a bigger and eternal way.
He was about to embark on a conversation that would change the way they could look at their lives:
[Julie] (4:33 - 4:46) Continuing with John 6:27: "Do not work for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you, for on him the Father, God, has set His seal."
[Rick] (4:46 - 5:12) Here in one sentence--in one sentence!--Jesus says to them, okay, your focus, it's too self-centered, and it would be to your eternal advantage to set your sights much higher. He tells them, in just one sentence, change the way you're thinking. He also proclaimed that he was the source for this higher thinking, and living as God "sealed," sealed him to that end. What is this "seal?" It's God's spirit.
[Jonathan] (5:13 - 5:50) Well, "seal" is used here in the sense of a thing regarded as a confirmation or guarantee of something. Let's look at Mark 1:9-12: " In those days Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. Immediately coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens opening, and the spirit like a dove descending upon him; and a voice came out of the heavens: You are My beloved son, in you I am well‐pleased. Immediately the spirit impelled him to go out into the wilderness." This was undeniably confirmation from God that Jesus was His son.
[Rick] (5:51 - 6:12) You've got the descending of God's spirit upon him in an outward way to make the point. This "seal" of God's spirit, what did it do? It immediately directed Jesus to the wilderness to fast and pray.
Of course, we know when he went to fast and pray, he wouldn't be all by himself. Satan would come visiting. Matthew 4:1-4:
[Jonathan] (6:12 - 6:39) "Then Jesus was led up by the spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. And after he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he then became hungry. And the tempter came and said to him, If you are the son of God, command that these stones become bread. But he answered and said, It is written (and then he quotes from Deuteronomy 8:3), MAN SHALL NOT LIVE ON BREAD ALONE, BUT ON EVERY WORD THAT PROCEEDS OUT OF THE MOUTH OF GOD."
[Julie] (6:40 - 6:42) It's curious that this first temptation has to do with bread.
[Jonathan] (6:43 - 6:56) Jesus hadn't eaten in forty days, so he would naturally have been hungry. He had the ability to perform miracles, so he could have turned the stones into bread; but he would be doing the will of the devil and not the will of his Father.
[Julie] (6:56 - 7:07) I love that he didn't try to reason with Satan or debate him or even weigh the pros and cons before he answered. He just quotes scripture because he's telling Satan his Father's business is his ONLY objective.
[Rick] (7:08 - 7:29) It's no surprise that the scripture he quoted was Passover- and deliverance-oriented. Jesus went to Deuteronomy to answer the temptation. Turn these stones into bread! No, here's what the scriptures say. We're going to take a look at Deuteronomy 8:1-3. That's the context from which Jesus quoted.
[Julie] (7:29 - 7:48) Yeah, the context is that the people have been liberated from the slavery of Egypt. They've wandered the wilderness for forty years, and the next generation stands ready to enter the Promised Land finally. Moses is now strongly reminding them to be careful, to obey the commandments, and don't forget how God has led them this far.
[Jonathan] (7:48 - 8:05) Then Jesus quoted from Deuteronomy 8:3: "He humbled you and let you be hungry, and fed you with manna which you did not know, nor did your fathers know, that He might make you understand that man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by everything that proceeds out of the mouth of the LORD."
[Julie] (8:05 - 8:10) We have a clue with a direct connection between bread and manna. We're going to need to explore this further.
[Rick] (8:11 - 9:17) What we have is at the very beginning of Jesus' ministry, this reference to deliverance, reference to heavenly bread and Jesus as "the bread of life." There definitely is something that has to be opened up further. Now a side point on this, just to sort of--no pun intended--but to whet your appetite. Israel wandered for forty years while being fed by manna. Jesus fasted for forty days and became the life-saving "bread of life" for humanity. There is going to be a spirituality brought into play by Jesus in this conversation with all of these different people that is going to be built upon the basis of the physical feeding of these people generations before. We're looking at this and Jesus had quoted from Deuteronomy when he was up in the wilderness. Remember he had been sealed by the spirit of God. That same "seal" of God's spirit is what drives all of Jesus' true followers even up to today. That's revealed to us in Ephesians 1:13-14:
[Jonathan] (9:17 - 9:32) "In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy spirit of promise, which is the earnest of our inheritance..."
[Rick] (9:32 - 10:23) When something's the "earnest of your inheritance," what does that mean? It means it's the promise, the earnest. It's like an engagement ring.
An engagement ring is the promise of the future wedding. It's the promise of the future union. The giving of God's spirit is this "seal," this promise of what's to come. Jesus was sealed with that spirit when he was baptized. In John 6:27, he says, "...the food which endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you, for on him the Father, God, has set His seal"--set His promise. You can see that this is powerful. He's not saying something to be poetic. He's saying something to be powerful, spiritually powerful, speaking to a physical nation. Jonathan, we've got Food for Thought and Bread for Life; where are we?
[Jonathan] (10:46 - 11:02) The miraculous feeding of many by providing food in a desolate place provoked some to seek Jesus out. Knowing he had their attention, Jesus sought to elevate their thinking to a level that God's called-out ones would be required to have. His method of teaching them would cause serious discomfort for some but would solidify others.
[Rick] (11:02 - 11:23) We're setting this up because we read ahead, and we know that what Jesus is about to say is going to ruffle feathers beyond ruffling feathers for some, but inevitably it will really, really captivate and bring along others. He is actually about to do a dividing work as he does the unifying work of paying the price. You say, well, wait, how is that possible? Stay with us, because it only gets better. The capacity that Jesus had to respond to any and every question with God's purposes in mind is truly amazing to observe!
[Jonathan] (11:24 - 11:32) Jesus had just presented a wonderful invitation to receive "food" for eternal life. How would this mixed crowd respond?
[Rick] (11:33 - 12:17) Well, as with other examples of Jewish thinking in Jesus's day, their response would be calculated. They would show a desire to comply with the teachings that Jesus was putting before them, but their capacity to move forward would be measured by their own perspective. Even though Jesus had already proven himself to be from God, they would still demand a sign.
Now we're not going to start right out with that, but that's where this is going. They're looking to demand a sign. Before that demanding of the sign, here is what they say to Jesus, talking about being fed in relation to eternal life.
Julie, let's go to John 6:28-29:
[Julie] (12:18 - 12:28) "Therefore they said to him, What shall we do, so that we may work the works of God? Jesus answered and said to them, This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom He has sent."
[Jonathan] (12:28 - 12:36) Jesus' answer was, believe in me. This Jewish audience questioned about the works of God as physical Jews in a physical nation.
[Julie] (12:37 - 12:42) In other words, just tell us what we need to do to please God. Because up to this point, it was just complying with the Mosaic Law.
[Jonathan] (12:42 - 13:04) In Luke 10:25-28, when a lawyer trying to test Jesus asked him what the lawyer needed to do to inherit eternal life, Jesus had him recite specific parts of the Law--that is, to love God completely and love your neighbor as yourself. In verse 28, Jesus "...said to him, You have answered correctly; DO THIS AND YOU WILL LIVE."
[Julie] (13:04 - 13:15) But back in John 6:29, when the crowd asked what they should be doing, Jesus said, "...believe in him who He (God) has sent." It was the same question, but a different answer based on who was asking. Why?
[Rick] (13:16 - 14:01) You have Jesus giving an unexpected answer, because the answer would be, well, we know the Law, just like the lawyer knew the Law and he was looking to test Jesus because that's the answer. Here's the question.
Let me see if this guy knows the answer to the question, because we all know that the answer to the question is the answer to the question. But Jesus is saying, no, there's something different. No, there's something bigger.
That's the key point here. He is actually asked the same question by a rich young ruler who comes to him. The difference in the two is that the rich young ruler is looking for the real answer, while the lawyer, the doctor of the Law, was looking for the acceptable answer on a physical Jewish thinking level. Let's look at Mark 10:17-23:
[Jonathan] (14:02 - 14:38) "...Good teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life? And Jesus said to him...you know the commandments... And he said to him, Teacher, I have kept all these things from my youth up. Looking at him, Jesus felt a love for him and said to him, One thing you lack: go and sell all you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me. But at these words he was saddened, and he went away grieving, for he was one who owned much property. And Jesus, looking around, said to his disciples, How hard it will be for those who are wealthy to enter the kingdom of God!"
[Rick] (14:38 - 15:42) You see the difference between the two conversations. With the lawyer, it was a reciting of the Law. Jesus said, yes, because Leviticus tells us, you abide by the Law and you shall live. Jesus was giving the answer based on the Law. But we all know that the Law couldn't bring them to life, because they were imperfect, trying to fulfill a Law that required more than they could give. Jesus, on the other hand, could bring eternal life.
When this rich young ruler comes to him in sincerity and says, what do I have to do? Jesus, after going over the Law, says, that's good. That's really good.
Now let me show you about a life of sacrifice. It was too much for him. The difference in the answers is going to show us the difference in what Jesus is going to be teaching them with some hard sayings and how he describes himself as "the bread of life." We're seeing two different tiers of thinking going on here. Julie, let's continue with the John account, John 6:30-31.
[Julie] (15:43 - 16:18) Here's where they're starting to ask for a sign: "So they said to him, What then do you do for a sign, so that we may see, and believe you? What work do you perform? Our fathers ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written, HE GAVE THEM BREAD OUT OF HEAVEN TO EAT." In Jewish eyes, the sign that manna came from heaven was an indicator to them that Moses was a genuine leader from God. Here the people are asking for a sign to prove that Jesus is the genuine leader from God as well; and not just any sign. They're asking for this supernatural one that fed millions of people for decades.
[Jonathan] (16:19 - 17:00) Apparently, miraculous feeding of the five thousand which they were a part of, and all the miracles he did up to that point were not "sign" enough! They wanted a massive "miracle on demand!" Now let's talk more about this manna in the wilderness.
This demanding of a sign was prefaced with a direct reference to Israel's Passover deliverance from Egypt as they quoted from the book of Exodus. Exodus 16:4: "Then the LORD said to Moses, Behold, I will rain bread from heaven for you; and the people shall go out and gather a day's portion every day, that I may test them, whether or not they will walk in My instruction."
[Rick] (17:00 - 17:52) The people quote this Exodus scripture to Jesus. We want a sign. You guys had already mentioned he'd already fed five thousand of them with the five loaves and two fish. Go figure. It was beyond comprehension how that could have happened. They're saying, yeah, but Moses gave us the sign of bread from heaven. This is a beautiful thing, and it comes from Exodus. Let's look at that sign, because what Jesus is going to do is, he's going to take that very sign and say, yes, that was a sign from God. That was a physical sign from God.
I am showing you a spiritual sign from God, and the two work incredibly well together. That's where he's going with all of this. Let's look at the meaning of manna. What's the first point that we can get from Exodus 16:4?
[Jonathan] (17:52 - 18:39) Manna was God's daily heavenly provision to miraculously sustain and deliver His people. It was a huge miracle to lead, as some estimates say, over two million people out of slavery in Egypt, but yet another to actually keep them sustained in a wilderness desert for forty years. Exodus 16:14-15: "When the layer of dew evaporated, behold, on the surface of the wilderness there was a fine flake‐like thing, fine as the frost on the ground. When the sons of Israel saw it, they said to one another, What is it? For they did not know what it was... Moses said to them, It is the bread which the LORD has given you to eat." Now it's interesting, in the King James Version they translate "what is it" as "it is manna."
[Julie] (18:40 - 19:02) Studying the origin of this word gets really complicated, but the easiest explanation is that it comes from the Hebrew words for the question, "what is it"-- -"man hu." Exodus 16:31 tells us it was like coriander seed, white, and the taste of it was wafers made with honey. Numbers 11:8 tells us the people ground it or beat it into baked cakes, and it tasted like fresh oil.
[Rick] (19:02 - 19:26) We have this miracle, and they called it, "What is it?" Because nobody knew, because nobody had seen it, because it was completely different. It's manna. It's literally...it's this bread from heaven that God made happen so you will not starve. Getting back to the meaning of manna, what it meant to Israel and how it changed their lives and sustained them, Jonathan, two more points:
[Jonathan] (19:27 - 19:36) Manna was a form of sustenance that had never been seen before, and this form of sustenance had to be clearly defined for them.
[Julie] (19:36 - 19:42) "What is it?" they had to ask. Moses answered, This is your food from God.
This is the bread from heaven.
[Rick] (19:42 - 20:12) It was something they had never seen, but it was something that would be absolutely vital to their survival. It had to be defined because it was too unorthodox for them to be able to just accept it. What are we supposed to do with this?
Would you eat it? Really? You have this whole sense of something brand new that God blessed them with.
Remember that thought. We'll come back to it later. Let's continue in Exodus 16.
Exodus 16:16-18:
[Jonathan] (20:12 - 20:36) "This is what the LORD has commanded. Gather of it every man as much as he should eat; You shall take an omer apiece according to the number of persons each of you has in his tent. The sons of Israel did so, and some gathered much and some little. When they measured it with an omer, he who had gathered much had no excess, and he who gathered little had no lack; every man gathered as much as he should eat."
[Rick] (20:36 - 20:49) You have them gathering this mysterious "what-is-it," and they had to treat it in a very, very specific way. Jonathan, two more important points here on the manna:
[Jonathan] (20:50 - 21:04) Portions of manna for each individual are equal, and they provide a complete sustenance. Everyone weighed out exactly what they needed for their specific day, and some gathered much, some gathered little, but it was all an equal portion.
[Julie] (21:04 - 21:09) Everyone got an omer's worth. How much is that? Well, it's one-tenth of an ephah, of course.
[Rick] (21:09 - 21:11) Oh, okay. I'm good.
[Julie] (21:11 - 21:30) Clears up?! Well, these were traditional Jewish standards of measuring dry goods. Different sources say it's the equivalent to the volume of 43.2 chicken's eggs and thought to weigh anywhere from 2 1/2 to 5 pounds. Regardless of the numbers, it was enough for everyone to feel satiated for just one day.
[Jonathan] (21:30 - 21:55) But there were specific instructions to follow. Exodus 16:19-21: "Moses said to them, Let no man leave any of it until morning. But they did not listen to Moses, and some left part of it until morning, and it bred worms and became foul; and Moses was angry with them. They gathered it morning by morning, every man as much as he should eat; but when the sun grew hot, it would melt."
[Rick] (21:56 - 22:19) They're given this miraculous "what-is-it," and it is enough to sustain them and give them good health; solid, strong health. God said, here's how you do it. Of course, they didn't all listen, and then you have the consequences of not listening. Again, two very important points on what this manna was and how it worked for Israel. What are those two points?
[Jonathan] (22:20 - 22:25) All manna that was gathered each day was to be consumed that day or it would spoil.
[Julie] (22:25 - 22:30) Yeah, "bred worms," "became foul..." Wormy and stinky is definitely going to make you think twice about hoarding it.
[Jonathan] (22:30 - 22:42) The gathering of manna was to be done at the beginning of each day, or it would perish. Gather your bread from heaven first, and you'll have everything you need to sustain you until the next day.
[Julie] (22:43 - 22:57) You couldn't be lazy and not get at it first thing in the morning because it's going to melt in the hot sun. Not having any reserves, the Israelites had to have full faith in God that He would provide for their needs each day. The lesson for us here is obvious.
[Rick] (22:57 - 23:10) That's an important lesson for us to understand; that there's always enough for today because tomorrow is in God's hands. Let's continue with Exodus 16:22-24. Let's go now to verses 22-24:
[Jonathan] (23:11 - 23:38) "Now on the sixth day they gathered twice as much bread, two omers for each one... (Moses explained)... This is what the LORD meant: Tomorrow is a sabbath observance, a holy sabbath to the LORD. Bake what you will bake and boil what you will boil, and all that is left over put aside to be kept until morning. So they put it aside until morning, as Moses had ordered, and it did not become foul nor was there any worm in it."
[Julie] (23:38 - 23:50) Another miraculous provision, no wormy and stinky. If the next day was the sabbath, they hadn't received the formal Mosaic Law yet, but already the sabbath was put in place because God had already instituted it at creation.
[Rick] (23:50 - 24:20) The interesting thing is that this "what-is-it," this manna, would spoil if they tried to keep it overnight during the week until the sabbath day came. Then the day before sabbath, somehow that "what-is-it," that manna, would last because God made it so. You can see the massive provision that God has put in place with this manna.
Jonathan, let's go to the physical manna.
[Jonathan] (24:21 - 24:30) This manna was provided in accordance with the Law God would give to Israel. Additional sustaining providence kept the unused manna fresh until the Sabbath.
[Julie] (24:31 - 24:42) This was heavenly food provided to be used in a very specific way, according to God's guidelines. They would never go hungry. They could even rest on the sabbath, remaining nourished and strong and having "food certainty."
[Rick] (24:42 - 25:05) When the people asked Jesus to give us a sign because, hey, we had bread from heaven from God, that was a pretty big sign, they were right! They were right.
It was a massive, massive sign! Now that we know about manna, let's get back to John 6:32-34, and see how Jesus responds to that request for a sign:
[Julie] (25:06 - 25:32) "Jesus then said to them, Truly, truly, I say to you, it is not Moses who has given you the bread out of heaven, but it is my Father who gives you the true bread out of heaven. For the bread of God is that which comes down out of heaven, and gives life to the world. Then they said to him, Lord, always give us this bread." In other words, we asked you for a sign like manna, but you're saying there's something even better than the original? Oh, give us THAT bread!
[Rick] (25:32 - 26:23) Yeah, they're like, wow, we have really hit the jackpot because this guy can be just a supplier. What they're seeing, what they're thinking is they're still physically oriented, and you can't blame them for being that way. That's what they were used to.
That's what they were getting ready to celebrate when the Passover celebration was coming. You've got them thinking and feeling in a very physically oriented way. They heard Jesus's answer to this "manna as a sign" challenge, and they're like, Cool! This is awesome! This is exactly what we want. We want to take advantage of this because this is great. Look, this can be from God.
This is awesome. They're kind of going along with Jesus, but not for the right reasons, but they don't understand it yet. Oh, they will.
Oh, they will understand, but just not yet. Jonathan, Food for Thought and Bread for Life; what do we have?
[Jonathan] (26:24 - 26:44) The bread from heaven in the wilderness was a lifesaver for Israel. The fact that it was unexpected and yet complete sustenance that came in a miraculous way and always provided just what everyone needed proves its source was God Himself. In some ways, this manna provided a firm foundation of faith for Israel over many centuries.
[Rick] (26:45 - 27:18) When you look at it the way we just did (went through it) you see how specific and dynamic that whole process was, and how important it was for them to have faith every single day, and they would be fed every single day for forty years. That is a sign from heaven, unquestionably so. It's startling to realize just how unusual and significant the manna this "bread from heaven" was in Jewish history and in Jewish faith.
[Jonathan] (27:18 - 27:25) Jesus' audience has presented Him with their high standard of a sign. How would they respond to Jesus' answer?
[Rick] (27:26 - 27:59) Because we know the end results of Jesus' earthly ministry, we can guess what the answer would be. Most of these people would ultimately not follow. But why?
Why would anyone not want what Jesus is offering? As always, the answer has to do with being able to see things differently and having to alter one's own life as a result of seeing those things differently. This is always, without exception, what Jesus requires.
[Jonathan] (27:59 - 28:19) We will be considering the contrast between the physical, ancient Jewish nation, and the call of the true followers of Jesus making up his church. Natural Israel was all about the physical. "Spiritual" Israel, true Christians, are asked to give up concerns about their physical life in exchange for a heavenly one.
[Rick] (28:20 - 28:28) Now we're going to get into the meat of what Jesus is really talking about. As we digest Jesus' answer...
[Julie] (28:28 - 28:29) Oh, you did that on purpose.
[Rick] (28:30 - 28:58) I did that on purpose. Let's take the meaning of manna, all of those things that we talked about that were meant by the manna, and how it worked, and how God's rules and guidelines worked with the manna, and see how all those things apply to Jesus. We're going to just go through those points and look at the scriptures that we're reading through in John 6 and look at how they dovetail, and then how Jesus uses those points to build something bigger, something spiritual.
[Julie] (28:58 - 29:28) Remember how portions of manna for each individual were equal, an omer, and they provided complete sustenance. We're going to go back to John 6:35-37. It continues with: "Jesus said to them, I am the bread of life; he who comes to me will not hunger, and he who believes in me will never thirst. But I said to you that you have seen me, and yet do not believe. All that the Father gives me will come to me, and the one who comes to me I will certainly not cast out."
[Rick] (29:29 - 30:14) Jesus is now calling himself "the bread of life." We just went through that whole manna exercise, and that was the bread of life from heaven, the bread from heaven that fed Israel for forty years. Jesus says, I'm the bread of life. I'm the one you have to come to to be fed. We're seeing Jesus explaining to them that that was then, this is now. "I am the bread of life," and some of you are not believing in me. All that my Father's given me, anyone who comes to me, I won't cast out. He's giving this beautiful, open invitation. When we look at this, we look at what's happening and what Jesus says, we want to consider Jesus as "the bread of life."
[Jonathan] (30:14 - 30:23) Jesus fully and equally sustains all who accept him and follow him. It doesn't matter your background, profession, gender, or race.
[Rick] (30:23 - 30:41) That's important. That's so important, because remember, the point was that portions of manna for each individual were equally provided for everybody. Let's look at what Jesus said to the Samaritan woman at the well, and we're just going to drop in on that account very, very briefly.
John 4:13-15:
[Jonathan] (30:42 - 31:02) "...Everyone who drinks of this water will thirst again; but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him shall never thirst; but the water that I will give him will become in him a well of water springing up to eternal life. The woman said to him, Sir, give me this water, so I will not be thirsty nor come all the way here to draw."
[Julie] (31:02 - 31:25) We just read in John 6:35 that you won't hunger and you'll never thirst. This makes me think of Matthew 5:6: "Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness, for they shall be filled." Even in this example here with this woman, Jesus was teaching such revolutionary concepts that the people had a hard time changing their thinking from physical meanings to spiritual ones.
[Rick] (31:25 - 32:02) When you have this Samaritan woman and Jesus talking to her about living water and never thirsting, you have the same sense with this "bread of life." She's a Samaritan. Remember, Samaritans and the Jewish people did not get along. As a matter of fact, they were archenemies, and yet Jesus treated her in the same way. Each individual was equal and provided complete sustenance, and Jesus didn't leave out others. That's an important point in the big picture of Jesus being this "bread of life." Jonathan, what's our next manna point that we want to compare to the Scriptures in John?
[Jonathan] (32:02 - 32:09) Manna was God's daily heavenly provision to miraculously sustain and deliver His people.
[Julie] (32:10 - 32:47) Let's compare that with what Jesus said in John 6:38-40. He said: "For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will, but the will of Him who sent me. This is the will of Him who sent me, that of all that He has given me I lose nothing, but raise it up on the last day. For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who beholds the son and believes in him will have eternal life, and I Myself will raise him up on the last day." Let's pull that apart. "I have come down from heaven"( just like the manna), which was the will of God (just like the manna), to nourish and protect the people (just like manna).
[Rick] (32:47 - 33:17) Jesus, though, adds a few pieces to this. He talks about bringing people in and raising them up and understanding that everyone who believes in him; it was just like the manna. You had to believe the manna was going to be there. You had to go take care of it first thing in the morning.
There's so many parallels here. This was God's daily heavenly provision back for Israel in the wilderness, and Jesus was God's daily heavenly provision for those who would follow him. Let's look at Jesus as the Bread of Life.
[Jonathan] (33:18 - 33:21) Jesus came from God to call out and deliver God's chosen.
[Rick] (33:21 - 34:42) He did, and we see very clear evidence of what that meant in John 17:6-8:
JONATHAN: "I have manifested Your name to the men whom You gave me out of the world; they were Yours and You gave them to me, and they have kept Your word. Now they have come to know that everything You have given me is from You; for the words which You gave me I have given to them; and they received them and truly understood that I came forth from You, and they believed that You sent me." RICK: You see how Jesus' true followers truly understood that he came forth from God, just like the manna came from God. Jesus says, "I have come down from heaven" to do "the will of Him who sent me." There's the parallel, and it's powerful. For those whom he was drawing to him, they could be sustained because Jesus lived. That's what he's telling them. They're not quite getting the impact of what this means. They're likely still on that physical level: When do we eat? I mean, that's kind of what they're thinking. When do we eat? When's the next meal?
We know you can do it now. When's the next meal? But no, there's much, much more to unfold here.
Jonathan, let's go to the next point from the physical manna back in the time of the Exodus to compare it to today.
[Jonathan] (34:43 - 34:50) Well, the gathering of manna was to be done at the beginning of each day or it would perish. If you didn't get your manna that day, you didn't eat.
[Julie] (34:50 - 35:23) A practical lesson for us, I just wanted to interject, is seeking God and Jesus first. How many times have we had in our busy lives, your head hits the pillow after a long, stressful day, and you realize not only did you forget to pray throughout the day, let alone study, or even stop to be thankful, but now you're just too tired. We're supposed to have God and Jesus at our center and then fit all the cares of life into that center. It's the opposite of being overrun by life and trying to shoehorn spiritual thoughts into the day. Fit your life into Jesus. Don't try to fit Jesus into your life.
[Rick] (35:23 - 35:34) First things first, beginning of the day, what's your first job? Get the manna. What's your first job?
Put yourself into that position of dedication. Let's go back to the scriptures in John 6:41-44:
[Julie] (35:35 - 35:58) "Therefore the Jews were grumbling about him, because he said, I am the bread that came down from heaven. They were saying, is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How does he now say, I have come down from heaven? Jesus answered and said to them, Do not grumble among yourselves. No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him; and I will raise him up on the last day."
[Rick] (35:59 - 37:01) You have people grumbling now. You've got the audience grumbling at what Jesus was saying. Again, if they're in a very physical environment, they're going to grumble, because that's where their thinking is.
He's telling them, look, no one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. If you're going to come to me, you have to be drawn by the Father. Here's the interesting thing.
Jesus is talking to a varied audience. You have the people who were in town, coming to town for the Passover. You had his disciples who followed him, apostles included. These words actually were spoken in and about the synagogue, so you probably had some doctors of the Law hanging around. You have this very mixed audience. He's telling them very plainly, all of them, you can come to me if the Father draws you. If you do come, I will raise you up. There is a qualification, a caveat, if you will, that Jesus is saying--to get this, you want to be coming and working and following with me. Let's look at Jesus as the Bread of Life:
[Jonathan] (37:01 - 37:09) Jesus would be nourishment for those drawn by God, each in their own time to follow in his footsteps throughout the whole age of the gospel message.
[Rick] (37:10 - 37:38) He was performing a very specific mission. He would be nourishment to those whom God would draw. This is a very powerful illustration.
Just as in the wilderness, the people who were delivered by God were nourished. Those who are drawn by God will be nourished on a spiritual level. Let's look at Matthew 28:19-20 as an explanation of this:
[Jonathan] (37:39 - 37:52) "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the son and the holy spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age."
[Rick] (37:52 - 38:28) When Jesus did ascend, because he was talking about, I'm going to be ascending up to heaven. When he does ascend, what's his message? Go make disciples out of all nations. Find the ones that the Father is drawing and essentially He will nourish them. You have this great, great power and great promise that comes as a result of this. The bread from heaven is something much bigger than the bread from heaven in the time of the Exodus. It's much bigger and Jesus is beginning to unfold that. Jonathan, let's go to the next description of manna in the Old Testament.
[Jonathan] (38:29 - 38:35) Additional sustaining providence kept the unused manna fresh until the sabbath.
[Julie] (38:35 - 38:49) Let's go back to John 6:45-46: "It is written in the prophets, AND THEY SHALL ALL BE TAUGHT OF GOD. Everyone who has heard and learned from the Father, comes to me. Not that anyone has seen the Father, except the one who is from God; he has seen the Father."
[Rick] (38:49 - 39:45) Now Jesus continues with his explanation and he now goes back to the prophets as well. They quoted a scripture about a sign. He's now quoting scripture and says they shall all be taught of God.
What's Jesus explaining to them? He's saying that I, Jesus, am the conduit through which you find spiritual nourishment. None of you have seen the Father.
I have. Talk about a remarkable statement! There you have it.
If you think that's remarkable, just wait, because it gets even more graphic as we go. But Jesus is unfolding truths that these people are just not expecting. This is too big for them.
As we realize that this manna had to be at the Exodus, the unused manna stayed fresh until sabbath. Remember, we're talking about that extra miracle. Jesus as the Bread of Life puts things in order. Let's see how he does that. Jonathan?
[Jonathan] (39:45 - 39:55) Throughout this whole age of the gospel message, Jesus keeps all of his followers firmly faithful and attached to their Father, no matter what their conditions or when they lived.
[Rick] (39:56 - 40:27) The point of all of this is the manna would be fresh for each and every individual as they were drawn by the Father. Doesn't matter when, doesn't matter how. When the Father drew them, there would be fresh manna if they made it their priority.
A good example of this is Matthew 20:8-10. This is the Parable of the Vineyard owner and the workers in the vineyard and that eleventh-hour group of workers that came in to work just the last hour of the day. Matthew 20:8-10:
[Jonathan] (40:27 - 40:45) "When evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his foreman, Call the laborers and pay them their wages, beginning with the last group to the first. When those hired about the eleventh hour came, each one received a denarius. When those hired first came, they thought that they would receive more; but each of them also received a denarius."
[Julie] (40:46 - 40:58) A denarius is one-tenth of an omar. No, I'm just kidding! It was a day's wages for a laborer.
These are the times, these correlations. It's thought that the silver content today would be worth around three dollars. But everyone received the same reward.
[Rick] (40:59 - 41:21) Even those who came in at the very end of the day received exactly the reward. The point is they went to work in the vineyard. They went to work along with Jesus.
What happened? They were paid. They were nourished exactly in the same way as everyone else.
You see that it didn't matter if you waited till the very end. They were still nourished. Let's move on to the next point from the manna in Exodus, Jonathan.
[Jonathan] (41:21 - 41:26) This form of sustenance had to be clearly defined for them. "What is it?" they asked.
[Julie] (41:26 - 42:05) We go to John 6:47-51: "Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes has eternal life. I am the bread of life. Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died. This is the bread which comes down out of heaven, so that one may eat of it and not die. I am the living bread that came down out of heaven; if anyone eats this bread, he will live forever; and the bread also which I will give for the life of the world is my flesh." Just a quick note.
When it says, "he who believes has eternal life," that scripture is often misunderstood. Jesus isn't saying just believe who he is and you get a free ticket to heaven. Even Satan knew who he was!
[Rick] (42:05 - 42:27) Jesus is, again, talking about those who are drawn by God. He says, look, your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness; they died. This is bread for eternal life because it will bring you to a spiritual level.
It's different than anything you've ever seen or heard of before. Jesus as the Bread of Life, Jonathan; where are we with that?
[Jonathan] (42:28 - 42:35) Jesus comprehensively defined himself as the sole path to the Father which ultimately leads to eternal life.
[Rick] (42:36 - 42:50) The sole path to the Father. There is no other way. "I am the bread of life." He didn't say I'm one of the loaves of the bread of life. "I am the bread of life." Let's look at John 14:5-6:
[Jonathan] (42:50 - 43:01) "Thomas said to him, Lord, we do not know where you are going, how do we know the way? Jesus said to him, I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through me."
[Julie] (43:01 - 43:20) Just as the manna had to be clearly defined, here Jesus defined himself as the only way to the Father. That applies now to his faithful followers but it's also going to apply to the whole world in God's future kingdom, because he ultimately is the bread of life to the world! He bought the world with the sacrifice of his own life.
[Rick] (43:20 - 43:47) That's an important point. The key point that we are focusing, though, on is that in this time of the gospel, Jesus is "the bread of life" because he keeps saying for those whom the Father draws. We know that the ransom price pays for every single human being, drawn or not. He is focusing (now) on those whom the Father draws in this sinful world-- I will nourish. That's his point. Food for Thought and Bread for Life:
[Jonathan] (43:48 - 44:03) Jesus was clearly showing his audience the undeniable truth that the manna from heaven in the days of Israel's deliverance pictured him as a sustainer of spiritual life. Their privilege was to be living at the time when this "bread of life" first appeared.
[Rick] (44:03 - 44:38) Now remember, it first appeared for forty years, and that meant it appeared to the generation that first received it, and it appeared to the next generation as well. Whomever was born in the wilderness had the same sustenance that everybody else had because they were saved by God from slavery. This is talking about Jesus being "the bread of life" to those who would follow him. Seeing the connections between the manna in the wilderness and Jesus as spiritual manna gives us a profound respect for God's arrangements!
[Jonathan] (44:39 - 44:47) Obviously, Jesus is stirring up the crowd with his teaching. How would all of this end? What would the people think and do?
[Rick] (44:47 - 45:30) Jesus knew exactly what he was doing. He was teaching a profound lesson in a very hard-to-hear way in order to sift through those listening and find those who would truly seek to follow him. For many, Jesus's next statements would be deal-breakers, as the depth of his lesson would require his listeners to adopt a completely new paradigm, completely different way of thinking. This would blow them out of the water, many of them, because it was so dramatic. It was such a big thing. You think coming down from heaven and knowing God and seeing God is big?
Nah-ah! Just wait. Jonathan, the next point of the manna from Exodus.
[Jonathan] (45:31 - 45:35) Manna was a form of sustenance that had never been seen before.
[Rick] (45:35 - 45:48) Okay. This is a form of sustenance.
They're like, "What is it?" Well, Jesus is about to walk into that "what-is-it" category with the things he says next. Julie, let's go to John 6:52-58:
[Julie] (45:48 - 46:41) "Then the Jews began to argue with one another, saying, How can this man give us his flesh to eat? So Jesus said to them, Truly, truly, I say to you, (Here we go...) unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in yourselves. He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day. For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink. He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me, and I in him. As the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so he who eats me, he will also live because of me. This is the bread which came down out of heaven; not as the fathers ate and died; he who eats this bread will live forever." Okay, this seems way over the line! What is he talking about? Flesh is food? Blood is drink? Yuck!
[Rick] (46:41 - 46:45) Yeah, well, and he keeps repeating it. You notice he doesn't just say it once and let it go.
[Julie] (46:45 - 46:46) That's not good.
[Rick] (46:46 - 47:35) He repeats it again and again and again. He's making a point. He knows exactly what he's doing.
He is making a point, and the point is you need to see your life differently, because I, Jesus, am your Messiah. Here's the disconnect; the Jews at that time thought the Messiah would deliver them with an army from Rome. Oh, no, no, no, no. I am going to deliver you by dying and by calling out a select few who become members of the "body of Christ" so that all men can be reconciled, and that's how I'm going to save you. Completely differently than they thought.
In the process, he showed them and told them things that they just couldn't hear. Eat my flesh and drink my blood... It sounds horrid! That's not what Jesus meant, but that's what they began to hear. Let's look at this. Jesus as the Bread of Life; Jonathan, where are we?
[Jonathan] (47:35 - 47:45) Jesus demonstrated the depth of who he was as a man by dramatically giving all of his true followers a clear picture of what his sacrifice accomplished.
[Rick] (47:46 - 48:17) He said it in John 6 in many, many different ways, and then he lived it and gave it to his disciples as a dramatic, solemn, reverent symbol. In Luke 22:19-20, this is after eating the meal with his disciples, and this is just before they go out and he goes into the garden of Gethsemane to pray and then to be taken captive. Here's what he does; he gives them symbols. Luke 22:19-20:
[Jonathan] (48:17 - 48:40) "And when he had taken some bread and given thanks, he broke it and gave it to them, saying, This is my body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of me. And in the same way he took the cup after they had eaten, saying, This cup which is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood." Again, Rick, we realize that the memorial supper is a symbolic picture of Jesus' sacrifice.
[Rick] (48:40 - 49:28) It's a symbolic picture done in a very reverential, quiet, solemn way to say, I am giving my body for you, and I am shedding my blood for you. Through doing that for you, I do it for the whole world. There is this incredible symbolism.
He is not at all referring to eating his physical body and drinking his physical blood. It is showing us the solemnity of Jesus as a ransom for all. It is a beautiful picture.
This manna, Jesus, was a form of sustenance that had never been seen before, and partaking of him was something that had never been done before, but was necessary for his followers. Jonathan, let's move on to the next point of manna from Exodus.
[Jonathan] (49:28 - 49:33) This manna was provided in accordance with the Law that God would give to Israel.
[Julie] (49:34 - 50:18) We'll pick up our John 6:59-63: "These things he said in the synagogue as he taught in Capernaum. Therefore many of his disciples, when they heard this, said, This is a difficult statement; who can listen to it? But Jesus, conscious that his disciples grumbled at this, said to them, Does this cause you to stumble? What then if you see the Son of Man ascending to where he was before? It is the spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing; the words that I have spoken to you are spirit and are life." Instead of apologizing for scaring them with this seemingly crazy talk about eating his body and drinking his blood, he doubled down with talk about his future ascension into heaven. No wonder it's, "what is it?"
[Rick] (50:18 - 50:52) The interesting thing is that his disciples are now grumbling. He doesn't just have, perhaps, the doctors of the Law looking and being all upset, or just the people that are coming into town saying, what is he talking about? His disciples are saying, wait a minute. This doesn't make sense to us. He talks about the words he had spoken are "spirit" and "life." Remember, the Law couldn't bring life to anybody. It never did. Jesus could bring life, and he was bringing life. This is how he was doing it. Jonathan, Jesus as the Bread of Life:
[Jonathan] (50:52 - 50:58) Jesus became the bread of life and proclaimed a new Law for his followers regarding the heavenly call.
[Rick] (50:59 - 51:25) You have this new Law, because remember, the manna was provided in accordance with what the old Law, the sabbath, would represent. But Jesus expanded that. He built on that base, just like he built on the basis of the picture of manna in the wilderness to show himself.
He built and he gave new Laws that were higher, built upon the old Law, for his disciples. John 13:34-36:
[Jonathan] (51:25 - 51:44) "A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another. Simon Peter said to him, Lord, where are you going? Jesus answered, Where I go, you cannot follow me now; but you will follow later."
[Rick] (51:44 - 52:21) This new commandment was to set them apart. Being drawn by God to Jesus IS to set you apart. Jesus saying you'll be nourished by me if you're drawn by God, is to set you apart. The whole point of all of this is to say, those who come to me are set apart and they will be nourished in a very special way, in very special circumstances. It is in accordance with God's highest law of justice, because Jesus paid the price for Adam. All of this came as a result of that. Jonathan, let's move on to the next point from manna and Exodus.
[Jonathan] (52:21 - 52:26) Some gathered much, some gathered little, but it was all equally apportioned.
[Julie] (52:26 - 52:45) Let's go back to John 6:64-65: "But there are some of you who don't believe. For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were who did not believe, and who it was that would betray him. And he was saying, For this reason I have said to you, that no one can come to me unless it has been granted him from the Father."
[Rick] (52:45 - 53:26) Jesus points it out-- OK, I know some of you don't believe because he knew he could read hearts. We can't.
He could. He's saying, because of all of this, because of this turmoil, I'm saying to you that no one comes to me unless it's been granted to him from the Father. Essentially he's saying, for those of you who aren't believing, I get it and it's OK. That's a powerful point. Why would Jesus say it's OK? Because he knew that they would have a place in the resurrection afterwards.
He knew that he was coming to save them as well. His point, though, was to be "the bread of life" for those few who would actually follow him. Let's look at Jesus as the Bread of Life:
[Jonathan] (53:26 - 53:36) Jesus turned the thinking of his day upside down by feeding and leading any whom God had drawn, regardless of their status, education or talents.
[Julie] (53:36 - 53:57) In other words, it doesn't matter what part of society you come from. Are you drawn by the Father? And are you willing to be nourished?
If so, I will take care of you. Eating and drinking of me means symbolically partaking of that nourishment that he gave and reverentially appreciating what he has done for us individually and for the whole world ultimately.
[Rick] (53:58 - 54:52) That's an important point. Reverentially appreciating and to understand that what Jesus was doing in this instance, he was actually saying hard things to be repulsive to some. He was repelling some.
Why? Because he's looking for those who were drawn by God, who saw something higher. Folks, when you think about it, look at not only Christianity, but look at the world in general from then until now. What do we see? We see only a few here and there that truly, truly, truly grab hold of and give their lives in sacrifice to God through Jesus. The point of that is, it is something that doesn't require status or stature or reputation. It requires heart. Let's look at 1 Corinthians 1:26-29; that helps us understand what God is looking for:
[Jonathan] (54:53 - 55:18) "For consider your calling, brethren, that there were not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble; but God has chosen the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to shame the things which are strong, and the base things of the world and the despised God has chosen, the things that are not, so that He may nullify the things that are, so that no man may boast before God."
[Rick] (55:19 - 56:06) That would not be a resume that most of us would say, hey, hire that person, because that's a resume that reads the heart and says, you can have a heart for me. This is God speaking metaphorically; I am going to draw you. It doesn't matter where you come from or where you don't come from. I want those who are humble because they have a lot of brokenness so that no man will boast in themselves. All of their goodness comes from Me, the Father. It's a beautiful picture of what Jesus was drawing and why he was willing to push people away. They weren't looking for what Jesus was looking for. They were on two different levels.
Our last example, Jonathan, from the Exodus manna, what do we have?
[Jonathan] (56:06 - 56:11) All manna that was gathered each day was to be consumed that day or it would spoil.
[Julie] (56:11 - 56:48) Back to John 6:66-71: "As a result (meaning you either partake of this 'bread' or not) of this many of his disciples withdrew and were not walking with him anymore. So Jesus said to the twelve, You do not want to go away also, do you? Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? You have words of eternal life. We have believed and have come to know that you are the holy one of God. Jesus answered them, Did I myself not choose you, the twelve, and yet one of you is a devil? Now he meant Judas the son of Simon Iscariot, for he, one of the twelve, was going to betray him."
[Rick] (56:48 - 57:44) What you have is Jesus looking at his disciples because what he has said has accomplished its work. He has successfully stirred up the crowd. This was purposeful.
He has stirred up the crowd and people are walking away saying, forget it. This is ridiculous. I can't have anything to do with this.
He looks at his disciples. He looks at those who were walking with him and he said to the twelve, he said to his most loyal and important disciples, do you want to go away also? Peter, his answer is remarkably wonderful and it's a great lesson for us. Lord, where would we go? "You have words of eternal life," and that's the point. You are the one who can nourish us. Nobody else can. Therefore, for those who are drawn by God and following Christ, there is no place else to go.
That's what Jesus as the Bread of Life" looks like! Jonathan, let's go with that.
[Jonathan] (57:44 - 57:55) Jesus declared to his followers that to be called of God to discipleship was a life-changing, mind-altering decision that needed clear focus and daily determination.
[Julie] (57:56 - 58:15) That's a great lesson to set our intention right when we wake up. First things first, how will I be a dedicated Christian today? One more good comparison between the physical man and Jesus. The Israelites didn't earn the manna. They didn't have to pay for it. It was a free gift from God.
They just had to bend down, pick it up and eat it. We all have that same opportunity.
[Rick] (58:16 - 58:28) They had to have been amongst the delivered to have the privilege. There they were nourished every single day. Let's look at Luke 9:23-24:
[Jonathan] (58:28 - 58:43) "And he was saying to them all, If anyone wishes to come after me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake, he is the one who will save it."
[Julie] (58:43 - 59:22) There's one last interesting point about the manna and its connection to Jesus and the Passover. When did the manna stop? It stopped when the Israelites were able to eat the crops of the promised land in Canaan.
Joshua 5:10-12 tells us they kept the Passover on the 14th of the Jewish month of Nisan. On the very next day, there was no manna in the morning. It ended.
Nisan 14 is the exact date of the passing over the first born in Egypt and the date that the Passover lamb was eaten in commemoration. From all other studies, we know Jesus is symbolically pictured as that Passover lamb slain on the 14th. It's all about Jesus right down to the tiniest of detail!
[Rick] (59:23 - 1:00:13) The partaking of the crops in the promised land is all about the deliverance that Jesus (Editor's note: "Jesus" should be "God" here) brought them to. The nourishment each and every day for those forty years, and forty in the Bible is a symbol of testing, a time of testing. You can see that the message of the manna in Exodus is very, very straightforward. The bread from heaven is there. Do your work, make it your priority, consume it every day, and I will deliver you until you get to the Promised Land. There will not be a day in between that you will not be able to be nourished. That's the point of Jesus as "the bread of life." It is a complete nourishing in this world of sin and sickness and death to say that you are cared for right up until your ultimate deliverance. Jonathan, finally, Food for Thought and Bread for Life:
[Jonathan] (1:00:25 - 1:00:32) Jesus is THE bread of life for those who follow him. Just like the manna in the wilderness fed Israel, he nourishes God's called out ones through their earthly journey towards faithfulness. Let us find strength in him as we daily seek to honor God through our Lord Jesus in everything we say and do!
[Rick] (1:00:33 - 1:01:52) Honor him in all things. He will nourish you. He says, "Lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." Jesus describes himself. He said these things that were hard and harsh. Yet in Matthew 11:28-30, he says, "Come to me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and YOU WILL FIND REST FOR YOUR SOULS. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light." He doesn't mean easy like, oh, it's a piece of cake. "My yoke is easy." It fits well so you can manage the burden because I am with you in all of this. Be fed by "the bread of life." If you are called by God to follow Jesus, be assured, just like the manna showed up every single morning in the wilderness, so the nourishment from Jesus shows up every single day. Our priority is to first seek his nourishment and then go live our lives as representatives of Christ. Think about it.
Folks, we love hearing from our listeners. We welcome your feedback and questions on this episode and other episodes at ChristianQuestions.com. Coming up in our next episode: "Why Did Jesus Need to Learn Obedience?" Final Notes
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