About 90 percent of my days begin with Bread. I get up and within the first ten minutes of waking I usually pop two slices of Dave’s Killer Whole Grain bread in the toaster—the only variety in the process is the type of Jam I use on the bread—strawberry being my favorite. Bread is the most universal of all foods. It’s commonality unites most of the civilizations of the world. Prepared in a thousand different forms for thousands of years, in very different and distant parts of the world, it is a staple of the human diet across all cultures. There are thousands of types of bread, all different according to the ingredients used, the techniques of their processing and cooking, forms, contexts of use, and so forth.
Its most interesting to me that Jesus offered—“I am the bread of life. No one who comes to me will ever be hungry again” John 6:35
Historically the grain to bread process was a very demanding one. The seed must be planted before it can grow. When the grain is ripe, it must be cut down and ground into flour. Before it can become bread, it must pass through the oven. Bread is the end result of planting, harvesting, and heating.
If you think about it Jesus endured a similar process. He was born into this world. He was cut down, bruised, and beaten on the threshing floor of Calvary. He passed through the fire of God’s wrath against sin for our sake. He “suffered because of other’s sins, the Righteous One for the unrighteous ones. He went through it all—was put to death—then made alive—to bring us to God.” (1 Peter 3:18)
Bread of Life? Jesus lived up to the title. We know that an unopened loaf does us no good nutritionally speaking. Receive the bread, open the bread, and partake of the bread. God does not treat us as our sins would have us deserve. He has given of His divine grace. A divine grace that knows no limits—that empowers us to live this life. The God of grace is a God of second chances, like a soup kitchen offers meals to everyone in line—so God offers the Bread of Heaven to all who will eat it. As a faith building or gratitude enhancing exercise I challenge you—the next time bread is laid before you think about the Bread of Heaven, Jesus Christ. Gladly receive the physical bread as you meditate upon Jesus the mystical “living bread” and allow yourself to be drenched in His life giving grace.
John 6:51 “I am the living bread which came down from heaven. If anyone eats this bread, he will live forever; and the bread that I shall give is my flesh which I shall give for the life of the world.”