The Bread of Life
The bread of life 10/14/07 a.m.
Lk 22:19 19 And He took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, “This is My body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of Me.”
“This is My body – the bread represents His body – for this study; His person
Jesus explains
Jn 6:47-51 47 Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me has everlasting life. 48 I am the bread of life. 49 Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and are dead. 50 This is the bread which comes down from heaven, that one may eat of it and not die. 51 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.”
I am the bread of life – the source of physical & eternal life
I am the living bread – spiritual bread, food
If anyone accepts this bread, this food, accepts Me, he will live forever
and the bread that I shall give is My flesh – My life
My flesh, – My life I give for the life of the world.”
Jn 6:53-58 53 Then Jesus said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in you. 54 Whoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. 55 For My flesh is 2food indeed, and My blood is 3drink indeed. 56 He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him. 57 As the living Father sent Me, and I live because of the Father, so he who feeds on Me will live because of Me. 58 This is the bread which came down from heaven—not as your fathers ate the manna, and are dead. He who eats this bread will live forever.”
W/o Me you have no life
W/o Me you have no eternal life
Because My flesh, My life is true food – spiritual food
My blood is true drink – spiritual, living water
He who accepts and partakes of Me is in Me and I in him
He who accepts and partakes of Me will live because of Me
I am the life-giving bread which came down from heaven
He who accepts and partakes of Me will live forever.”
Do you find this hard to understand?
Jn 6:61,63-64 61 When Jesus knew in Himself that His disciples complained about this, He said to them, “Does this offend you? 63 It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life. 64 But there are some of you who do not believe.”
In observing the Lords’ Supper we are taking part with Christ – fellowshipping with Him
1 Co 10:16-17 16 The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the 5communion (fellowship or sharing) of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion (fellowship or sharing) of the body of Christ? 17 For we, though many, are one bread and one body; for we all partake of that one bread.
In taking part with Christ – fellowshipping with Him, we come to know Him better
Lk 24:35 He was 9known (recognized) to them in the breaking of bread.
He speaks of himself under the similitude of bread,
and of believing under the similitude of eating and drinking;
the eating of his flesh and drinking of his blood,
Christ speaks of himself as the great gift of God, and the true life-giving bread
He shows that he is the true life-giving bread;
As Bread-corn is bruised (Isa. 28:28), so was Christ;
He was born at Bethlehem, the house of bread, and typified by the show-bread.
As bread is to the body Christ is to the soul,
As bread nourishes and supports the bodily life;
Christ nourishes and supports the spiritual life
He is the bread of God (v. 33),
Divine bread; He is of God (v. 46),
Bread which my Father gives (v. 32),
Which he has made to be the food of our souls;
The bread of God’s family, his children’s bread.
The Levitical sacrifices are called the bread of God (Lev. 21:21, 22),
And Christ is the great sacrifice; the bread of God
He is the bread of life
Alluding to the tree of life in the midst of the garden of Eden, eat and live.
Christ is the bread of life, for he is the fruit of the tree of life.
He is the living bread (so he explains himself, v. 51): I am the living bread.
Bread is itself a dead thing,
and nourishes by the help of the faculties of a living body;
but Christ is himself living bread, and nourishes by his own power.
Manna was a dead thing;
if kept but one night, it putrefied and bred worms;
but Christ is ever living, everlasting bread, that never moulds, nor waxes old.
The doctrine of Christ crucified is now as strengthening and comforting to a believer as ever it was, and as valuable and efficient as ever.
He gives life unto the world (v. 33),
Spiritual and eternal life;
The life of the soul in union and communion with God
here, and in the hereafter;
A life that includes in it all happiness, the abundant life
The manna only reserved and supported life,
Did not preserve and perpetuate life, much less restore it;
But Christ gives life to those that were dead in sin.
The bread of God (ὁ ἀρτος του θεου [ho artos tou theou]). All bread is of God (Matt. 6:11). The manna came down from heaven (Numb. 11:9) as does this bread (ὁ καταβαινων [ho katabainōn]). Refers to the bread (ὁ ἀρτος [ho artos], masculine). Bernard notes that this phrase (coming down) is used seven times in this discourse (33, 38, 41, 42, 50, 51, 58). Giveth life (ζωην διδους [zōēn didous]). Chrysostom observes that the manna gave nourishment (τροφη [trophē]), but not life (ζωη [zōē]). This is a most astounding statement to the crowd. [1]
The manna was ordained only for the life of the Israelites,
But Christ is given for the life of the world;
None are excluded from the benefit of this bread,
except those that exclude themselves.
He is the mediator between God and man,
He is our peace,
He is our righteousness,
He is our Redeemer;
He is the source by which we live.
Our bodies could easier live without food than our souls without Christ.
He is the bread which came down from heaven;
This phrase shows the;
The divinity of Christ’s person.
As God, he was a being in heaven,
From there he came to take our nature upon him:
He was in the beginning with God;
It shows His ability, for heaven is the firmament of power;
And his authority, he came with a divine commission.
Secondly, This phrase shows the divine origin of all good which flows to us
He comes, not only katabas—that came down (v. 51),
but katabainoµi—that comes down;
He is descending,
denoting a constant communication of light, life, and love,
from God to believers through Christ,
as the manna descended daily; see Eph. 1:3.
Bread – food supplies our bodies with nourishment – the things necessary for life;
Christ is the bread that;
Provides for growth – Christ gives the things of God & eternal life
Knowledge, wisdom, understanding
Provides for Sustaining life – supplies the things to maintain spiritual health & fight the diseases of sin,
Christ teaches us how to live righteously and avoid undue harm to ourselves and obtain salvation
Provides for Strength – the ability to perform our assigned duty,
Christ gives the will, desire, strength and ability for obedience
Provides for endurance – the ability to perform duties for an extended time & under difficult circumstances,
Christ is our source of hope of better things to come
The manna was a type and figure of the bread that He is (v. 58),
the true bread, v. 32.
As the rock that they drank of was Christ,
so was the manna they ate of spiritual bread, 1 Co. 10:3, 4.
Manna was given to Israel; so Christ to the spiritual Israel.
There was manna enough for them all; so in Christ a fullness of grace for all believers;
Manna was to be gathered in the morning; and those that would find Christ must seek him early.
Manna was sweet, and, and to those that believe Christ is precious.
Israel lived upon manna till they came to Canaan; and Christ is our life.
There was a memorial of the manna preserved in the ark; so of Christ in the Lord’s supper, as the food of souls.[2]
Do you want this bread of life this morning?
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2 NU true food
3 NU true drink
5 fellowship or sharing
9 recognized
[1]Robertson, A.T.: Word Pictures in the New Testament. Oak Harbor : Logos Research Systems, 1997, S. Jn 6:33
[2]Henry, Matthew: Matthew Henry's Commentary on the Whole Bible : Complete and Unabridged in One Volume. Peabody : Hendrickson, 1996, c1991, S. Jn 6:28