JESUS CHRIST- THE BREAD OF LIFE

John 6: 22-63

 

John 6:51 Jesus is saying: "I am the living bread, which came down from heaven. If anyone eats of 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."

 

The disciples had no clue what Jesus was talking about. He had just performed a miracle by feeding 5,000 people with five loaves of barley bread and two fish. (John 6:1-14). But when Jesus made this statement a little later they did not understand. Sometimes even Christians have a hard time understanding this, but it has to be understood in the spirit and not the natural mind. Verse 63 in this text states : "It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life." We must understand scripture in the spirit, we can not understand it in our own natural mind. Jesus wasn't talking about literally eating His flesh and blood, and even when we take communion- it is a reminder of what He went through on the cross shedding his blood and delivering up his fleshly body. But communion is just a reminder of that- we certainly are not taking into our bodies the literal body and blood of Christ. No- it must be understood spiritually.

 

In  the wilderness God provided manna for the children of Israel. It was a substance that sustained and nourished them during their 40 years of wanderings. But it stopped when they entered into the promised land. Even when they had it and ate it- some died. It was to sustain them for that period of time. But Jesus now is talking about eating bread that will give them life forever!

 

One way to eat of this bread is to obey His Word. As we read His Word- the Bible, as we pray and ask Him how to relate it to our daily lives- we are communing with Him. We are having fellowship with the Resurrected Christ! All of Christianity exists in a living relationship with Jesus Christ. That is why it is NOT a religion-- but it is a relationship with Jesus Christ. It is praying, seeking Him, reading His Word and doing what He asks us to do.

 

In Matthew 26: 26-30 Jesus, after His resurrection, is with His disciples. They are taking bread and wine and having what we would call communion. But in verse 29 Jesus makes a profound statement: "But I say to you, I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you in My Father's kingdom."  Jesus was bringing the elements of communion over into New Testament thought. They were now representing His body and blood that was shed for our sins and when the Holy Spirit was poured out at Pentecost and indwelt the disciples and as many as believe- He was setting up His Father's kingdom in the spirit of each person who believed! Many scriptures tell us that we are the temple of God (1 Cor. 3:16; 6:19; 2 Cor. 6:16 and Eph. 2:21) In a believer who is filled with His Spirit-- the kingdom of God lives inside of us! Our bodies are the temple and the King should be there! Where there is a King there is a kingdom.  Colossians 1:27 states that Christ is in us- "the hope of glory." Galatians 2: 20 states that "it is no longer I who live,, but Christ lives in me:"  Christ lives inside of His spirit filled believers therefore we can have communion with Him at any time- day or night! I just think this is such an amazing and awesome aspect of the Christian life! Think of it! We don't have to wait until some supper in the sky to have communion and fellowship with Christ. We should be having it on a daily if not moment by moment basis. Christ is alive within His believers! We should be the most joyful people on earth! Even when we go through trials and heartaches- we have immediate and continual access to the Living Christ! He dwells within each of His believers- in the spirit- and we can have communion and fellowship with Him at any time! His Kingdom is now. We should be eating and drinking with Him now- in His kingdom- in our spirits.

 

There is a daily continual communion available to the Christian. Christ is alive inside of us and we can be partakers of Him continually. His kingdom is within us. As we allow ourselves to be changed, transformed into His image, from glory to glory- we feed on His presence as the priests were fed the bread in the tabernacle. We have that spiritual communion with Christ. His Presence becomes ever increasingly real and alive to our spirits as we seek Him and endeavor to life a holy life, pleasing unto Him. The original meaning of "showbread" which was in the Holy Place in the tabernacle means "the bread of His Presence, the bread of His face." We can feed on the bread of His Presence within the temple.

 

Psalms 34:8- “O taste and see that the Lord is good.” 

Dear Lord, I desire to have that communion with You- the Bread of Life. Help those of us who truly want that fellowship with you. Reveal Yourself to those who are far away from You- reveal Your love and Your grace to them in order to draw them to You. And as we draw close to You, we believe the promise that You will draw close to us. In Jesus Name, Amen.