The Bread Winner!
I like Togo’s. It's funny each time I go there, which is at least once a month, they ask what kind of bread to make the sandwiches. I didn’t realize how many kinds of bread there are! There’s tons. Since we just passed Father’s Day, when we honor dads and tell them how much we appreciate what they do and how they work to put bread on the table. I was reminded that in the old days, dad’s were called the breadwinner— a term we don't use much any longer. But Jesus is the true bread winner! Yes, He said in John 6:51, “I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. This bread is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.”Jesus makes a big claim after he fed more than 5000 people in the wilderness. He said, "I am the Living bread from heaven." He is the true Bread of Life. You know, we can eat a lot of bread. Cake and cookies are so sweet. Sourdough is really good with soup. Then there's chapatti, pita, bammy, barbari, focaccia, injera, lavash, lefse, matzo, naan, and tortilla. Yum! And there's Coburg, Epi, Pumpernickel, and Rye breads. Makes me hungry! Jesus said, "I am the living bread!" Not I give you living bread.
If you think about delicious bread, He is the bread that comes from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. Eating bread takes care of our hunger for a few hours, but Jesus is forever. To eat of this bread is a figure of speech for believing, for no one eats something they're scared of eating, like, "What's that? Ee-yu!" Eating a meal implies that it is wholesome, nourishing, and good--trustworthy.
Jesus said, "This bread is my flesh which I will give for the life of the world." Jesus gave Himself as bread so that the world could live. Not only had the Father given the bread, but the Bread gave Himself. He is truly God and truly man. “Flesh” refers to His human nature. He offers His humanity, for the life of the world. Jesus looks forward to the cross where he paid the penalty for sin. In effect, He becomes the bread for poor starving souls to feed upon and live forever. Like eating bread, we trust in Him to find life. When we eat our natural bread it becomes part of us and gives us new strength and life. In the same way, when we take Jesus at His word by faith, we receive life and strength. But this life qualitatively different, because it is eternal life. Eternal life is not just life that is really long, but that which is close and intimate with God. He’s better than any pretzel you could eat, better than any pasta, better than any cake. He gives Himself freely for those would take and eat and believe. He’s the breadwinner! We become breadwinner’s when we trust in Him and eat.
posted by Dwain Fairweather @ 10:57 PM
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