Text: I am the living bread which came down from heaven: If any man eat of this bread, he shall live forever; and the bread I shall give is my flesh, given to redeem humanity ( Euchrist)).
Then the Jews began arguing with each other about what He meant. " how can this man gives us his flesh to eat. So Jesus said it again, with all the earnestness I possess I tell you this: Unless you eat the flesh of the Messiah, (Son of Man) and drink His blood, you cannot have eternal life within you. But anyone who does eat my flesh and drink my blood has eternal life., and I will raise him at the last day. I live by the power of the living Father who sent me, and in the same way those who partake of me shall live because of Me! I am the true bread from Heaven and anyone who eats this Bread shall live forever, and not die as your Fathers did-though they ate bread from Heaven.
People often day dream, and even share their fantasies, about what they would do if they won the lottery, still most people choose to keep their money in their wallet. In response, state lotteries have run commercials reminding us, " You can't win if you don't play. " In sense Jesus is saying something very similar: "unless you eat my flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you" (John 6:53). In these verses, Jesus demands more than intellectual assent, more than fantasies of eternal life. Jesus asks for high stakes, all in participation, here and now.
It was quite interesting to watch my grand children after being in the pool select treats from a variety of cookies of various sizes and ice cream. Each one irresistible, right? They had no trouble what to choose, except my youngest? Mason at the time was four-years old and made a strange choice., it was a piece of buttered bread that was so fresh that it was still warm, soft, and fragrant and truly delicious; This event brings to mind a quotation of Luther. He once said that God is an "oven of Love." That's quite a comparison, isn't it? It would be useful and encouraging if we could recall it the next time we're are in the kitchen waiting to see and to bite into a slice of freshly baked bread or cake. It would also be helpful if we could recall this comparison the next time we are down, depressed, or even angry over our thoughts about God and the role he seems to be playing in our world and in our lives. It might help us to rise above the moment and to return to a better frame of mind, so that we're able again to love him. Our text suggests a slight addition to Luther's statement; God is a oven of Love, and Jesus is the bread he offers.
God has offered good bread before.
We can't help recall the manna which God sent from heaven onto his covenant people as they journeyed through the wilderness of Sinai. To recall what Manna did for them and meant for them is to have a description of what Jesus offers us today.
Jesus, however, is better nourishment and strength than that manna. The ancient manna maintained its strength for one day, or for two at the most, then it failed and spoiled. The strengthening power of our Lord Jesus Christ. His ability to nourish us remains fresh forever, Even though the benefits which Jesus offers us are exposed to spoiling forces similar to those forces in the wilderness; for instance, the force of fiery passion, the force of our parched spirits, the force of our rough pride, he remains fresh, unspoiled, and strong.
The Old Testament people were quite familiar with another bread and it too offers a helpful insight into Jesus and his benefits. This bread used in the"Feast of the unleavened bread. Once a year, at the time of the barley harvest, sevens days were set apart for a time during which all the yeast- filled baked goods must be removed from everyone's home. It was a time for using only unleavened bread.
All this might seemed meaningless to us, but it had great meaning for those people. They had been taught to see in yeast an example of sin in the world. The obvious power of the yeast mysteriously at work in dough was an illustration of the way Satan and all his forces are able to work in us and in our world, in visibly but with awesome results. I recalled reading about a group of ladies who had the experience of making bread from its basic ingredients. There was an elderly lady in the group and someone asked her if she used to work with yeast and dough.
"Only once !" was her quick reply." It was such a mess I never tried it again, she added" Everyone laughed. But, everyone understood her experience. The leaven at work does indeed symbolize the inner, invisible force of our sin. So it was a great relief to have it removed completely from the home-at least for seven days.
But those seven days, were not bread-less days. They were not days of fasting and abstaining. Rather they were days of feasting and sharing good taste of that crispy unleavened bread! This yeast less bread was also powerfully symbolic. It represented the absence of Sin and Satan and the perfect presence of God and all virtue.It was as though they were eating pure bread, bread from heaven, instead of the ordinary sin-filled bread of every day. This unleavened bread itself was pure, and it seemed to have in it a mysterious power that was able to purify everyone who would eat it. all this worked together beautifully to make the week of unleavened bread a gloriously rewarding week for all those who took part in it with awareness and with faith. When we are offered Jesus as we hear the good news of his life , death, resurrection, which he accomplished for our benefit, our place, to remove from us the power of our sin and the sin of the world, we are being offered the unleavened bread of God's grace and and trust. When we receive the good message of Jesus grace, and love with faith and trust we receive the pure and purifying presence of God in our lives. Thus sin and Satan are expelled and we are made holy and right with God. "Remember you must give "Christ" away to keep him
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