The Bread of Life: What Is It?

by Robin S. Wilson

Ronny Cammareri: They say bread is life. And I bake bread, bread, *bread*. And I sweat and shovel this stinkin' dough in and out of this hot hole in the wall, and I should be *so* happy! Huh, sweetie? 

Here at the Holidays no matter what your religion is, every culture has special Holiday breads. These breads can be cultural, festive, ceremonial or just plain delicious. For all of human history "bread" has been a very important sustain-er of life. There are so many references to bread in the Bible and it's importance.

In the movie "Moonstruck" Nicolas Cage plays a bread baker angry at life. Years ago I won a trip to the South Pacific Islands of Tahiti, Moorea, and Bora Bora in a cost savings contest run by the hospital I worked at. I developed a computer program alert system that warned of duplicate blood tests being ordered on the same patient saving the hospital and patients thousand of dollars a month. It was a great trip. My hubby is a city boy and was a bit homesick we were staying in grass huts on two of the islands but on Tahiti we stayed in a hotel with an "American Movie Channel" which played 3 movies over and over again all day 24/7 "Paint Your Wagon", "A Cry In The Dark" and "Moonstruck". When I think of bread I can't help but remember the above picture and quote.

Jesus used everyday life and elements of everyday life to teach important lessons. Bread was often the topic. Bread was an essential dietary item of daily life. After having feed the five thousand plus people Jesus was faced with the same dilemma we find today in churches .... people began to follow Him for the wrong "bread".... not the Bread of Life but for free food. These people just like people to day were seeking the WRONG bread. Just like the bread Ronny Cammareri was baking... there is no life in it nor happiness.

John 6:26-4 (NASB)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. 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.” 28 Therefore they said to Him, “What shall we do, so that we may work the works of God?” 29 Jesus answered and said to them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He has sent.” 30 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? 31 Our fathers ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written, ‘He gave them bread out of heaven to eat.’” 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. 33 For the bread of God is that which comes down out of heaven, and gives life to the world.” 34 Then they said to Him, “Lord, always give us this bread.”
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. 36 But I said to you that you have seen Me, and yet do not believe. 37 All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will certainly not cast out. 38 For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him whosent Me. 39 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. 40 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.”

What also strikes me is that these people were following Him due to the miracle of the loaves and fishes seeking bread and then they ask Him: "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? " Not unlike people today that go to church to "get" the fleshly needs met and totally miss the Spiritual needs they have in lacking the Bread of Life... Jesus. It appears that the "Health and Wealth" gospel is nothing new under the sun.

Earthly bread keeps our flesh alive, but Jesus the Bread of Life keeps our spirit and soul alive for all eternity. Jesus is just as essential to Eternal life as food/bread is to earthly life. So this Christmas season as I eat my favorite Christmas bread, German Stollen,  I will focus on my Savior Christ Jesus who gave Himself for me.

Luke 22:19 (NASB)19 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.”

"Let us now go even unto Bethlehem and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us." (Luke 2:15)

CHRIST WAS BORN IN BETHLEHEM, "THE HOUSE OF BREAD" (the literal meaning of the city’s name) Bethlehem, the “house of bread”! In Hebrew Beth-lehem is two words and means “house” and “bread” (lehem). The Hebrew Language is read from right to left, and so Bethlehem is written like this:

  bread           house

By Robin S. Wilson