January 17 From Now On

John 6:34-35 “Sir,” they said, “from now on give us this bread.” 35 Then Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty.”  
 
A few lessons back, I wrote that one could title John 6 “The Bread Speaks”. Here’s why. This passage is central to the narrative in this chapter. Remember we have read of Jesus’ miracles to feed the 5,000, to walk on water and to calm the storm on the sea. He also left the crowd to avoid their forcing him into political leadership.
   When Jesus said, “I am the bread of life.” he asserts he is sovereign. He has authority over nature, and he is not the Jews’ earthly leader. He is mankind’s Savior. The eternal “I Am who I Am” (Exodus 3:14) now more specifically defines himself. He is the self-existent, eternal God come to earth to proclaim God’s authority. He is the Creator, who spoke, “Let there be…” to form the universe. He, who spoke to the Jews without form in the desert journey from Mt. Sinai, has come in the form of a man to His chosen people. His will is to form their lives anew in him as they feed on the truth of the Bread of Life.
   The eternal I AM has set a banquet on earth, and his name is Jesus. God’s human form is a means to re-form mankind from Eden’s death to the New Heaven and earth (Revelation 22). The Bread of Life came. The Bread of Life taught. The Bread of Life was broken on the cross, raised and ascended, so you and I could consume his salvation. Jesus fed the 5,000, as an appetizer for the Jews to desire God’s eternal Bread.
   Through Jesus’ life is God’s nourishing forgiveness of sins. We sit in prayer when we eat of the One who taught us to pray. We minister to others because Jesus’ servant life feeds us a servant’s heart. He is Bread who nourishes our love for God and one another. Receiving the Bread of Life, we savor ministry to the broken. Sharing the Bread of Life, we welcome people to our home for a meal and pray with them. Filled with the Bread of Life, we offer to a hungry world the eternal food of God’s blessed commands.
    Hunger for the Bread. Feed your life from now on to become more as Jesus.  
 
Prayer: Lord, from now on give me this Bread. Amen.