Jesus, the Bread from Heaven

“Jesus answered them and said, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Ye seek me, not because ye saw the miracles, but because ye did eat of the loaves, and were filled.

Labour not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life, which the Son of man shall give unto you: for him hath God the Father sealed. Then said they unto him, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God? Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent. They said therefore unto him, What sign shewest thou then, that we may see, and believe thee? What dost thou work? Our fathers did eat manna in the desert; as it is written, He gave them bread from heaven to eat.

Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily I say unto you, Moses gave you not that bread from heaven; but my Father giveth you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is He which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world. Then said they unto him, Lord, evermore give us this bread. And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to Me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on Me shall never thirst.” John 6:26-35

The people here made reference to the history of ancient Israel and how they were fed by Moses in the wilderness. Jesus, reading their hearts said, “It wasn’t Moses that gave you that bread, but the Father that gives you true bread.” Jesus Himself was the true bread – He was the One alone who could sustain the life, physically, mentally and spiritually. They were focused on just the outward, physical life. Jesus was trying to get them to see life in a completely different and fresh perspective.

The Jews remembered their history and how God had miraculously sustained them in the middle of a desert. Can you imagine: Being in this large wasteland of nothing but hot sun and sand – it would really take faith to believe that God could take care of you and your family out there, wouldn’t it? And what was the bread called at that time?

Yes, manna, which means literally, “what is it?” Isn’t that how man often responds to the providences of God? What is it? We don’t understand how God can intervene to take care of us, because we so often think that we are taking care of ourselves.

Now what is the best food for the body? Live food because it contains all of the enzymes, vitamins and minerals. The enzymes are necessary to digest the food more efficiently and the vitamins and minerals act like catalysts to help the body with all kinds of different functions.

The Lord’s Supper is like that, because we feed on Him, who is the living Bread. His spiritual food is very much necessary for all of the functions of the mind, body and soul. For example: how can man live without hope, joy or peace? These are some of the things He imparts to us through the gift of Himself in His sacrifice upon the cross of Calvary.

At the close of World War II, there were many little children who were left without parents, guardians or anyone to care for them. Many of them were very near to death from starvation when the Allies came with food, clothing and shelter for them. So these little children were put into orphanages where they were cared for and given food.

But the nurses and guardians noticed that they children were not thriving as they should. They were clean, clothed and eating plenty, but so many of them were crying themselves to sleep every night.

So the nurses asked the children, “Why are you crying so much, don’t you think that we love you and will look after you?” And one little child said, “Oh yes, it is good to have all of these things for today, but I am not sure about tomorrow. How do I know that you will still give me enough to eat tomorrow?”

So the nurses consulted with the other guardians and devised a plan. Every night, when the children were put to bed, they got to hold a piece of bread in their hand to let them know that they would have enough for tomorrow and then they stopped crying themselves to sleep. Moses at one time told the people, “Look and live.”

And as we see Jesus hanging upon the cross for our sins, what can we do but become a part of that sacrifice, by taking Him into our own minds, hearts and spirits to become one with Him? Isn’t that also what the Last Supper was all about? He gave His life so that we may become one with Him. And through the power of the Holy Spirit dwelling right with us today we can become one with Him Who is the Way, the Truth and the Life. The disciples were looking for their Master to be exalted over their enemies, put to flight the opposition and take the throne of Israel. What they didn’t know was that He would do all of that through hanging on a cross.

Now of course, He didn’t come to do that in merely a physical way – He came to do exactly this in a spiritual way. He who was the bread from heaven came to feed His people and care for them beyond just the physical needs. But that would take faith to believe, wouldn’t it?

Our own wills have to be swallowed up in His will and not stubbornly held on to or we are part of Satan’s kingdom and not truly our own. In Christ alone do we find ourselves free: to serve God, others or even to have the best of all gifts – peace of mind. Isaiah 32:15 Peace sought in the pathways of selfishness is only temporary. But Christ’s peace lasts forever.

The symbols of Christ in the bread and wine are very appropriate, don’t you think? What do you have to do to wheat to make the flour in order to make the bread? Mill it, grind it to pieces and apparently destroy those little grains of wheat, but then it simply reappears to make something much finer and more useful – a loaf of bread. The same thing with the little grapes. And it’s only when they are together and united that these little grains of wheat and grapes become something worthwhile and impressive.

It is only when our own individuality is merged with Christ that we can truly be free. If we selfishly insist on our own way, when God has shown us that we must give up that way, then we could be said to have selfish individuality. If there is any remnant of individual conceit left, it always says, “I can’t.”

Personality never says, “I can’t,” but simply absorbs and absorbs the love of God. Personality always wants more and more of the person and work of Christ. It is the way we are built. We are designed with a great capacity for God; and sin and our selfish individuality are the things that keep us from getting at God. God delivers us from sin; we have to deliver ourselves from individuality, i.e., to present our natural life to God and sacrifice it until it is transformed into a spiritual life by obedience.

God does not pay any attention to our natural individuality in the development of our spiritual life. His order runs right across the development of our spiritual life. His order runs right across the natural life, and we have to see that we aid and abet God, not stand against Him and say – “I can’t do that.” God will not discipline us, we must discipline ourselves. God will not bring every thought and imagination into captivity; we have to do it.

Do not say – “O Lord, I suffer from wandering thoughts.” Don’t suffer from wandering thoughts. Stop listening to the tyranny of your individuality and get freed into personality. “If the Son shall make you free….”Do not substitute ‘Saviour’ for ‘Son.’ The Saviour sets us free from sin; this is the freedom of being set free by the Son. It is what Paul means in Gal. 2:20 when he said, ” I am crucified with Christ, nevertheless I live,” his natural individuality had been broken and his personality united with his Lord, not merged but united.

“Ye shall be free indeed,” free in essence, free from the inside. We will insist on spiritual energy and direction instead of waiting to be energized by others. “.. Jesus gave sanction to the authority of His organized church and placed Saul in connection with His appointed agencies on earth.

Christ had now a church as His representative on earth, and to it belonged the work of directing the repentant sinner in the way of life.

“Many have an idea that they are responsible to Christ alone for their light and experience, independent of His recognized followers on earth. Jesus is the friend of sinners, and His heart is touched with their woe. He has all power, both in heaven and on earth; but He respects the means that He has ordained for the enlightenment and salvation of men; He directs sinners to the church, which He has made a channel of light to the world.” AA 122

The Lord’s Supper as a ceremony only is becoming a means of uniting all of the Christian world in outward things, because all of the fallen churches are taking the Lord’s Supper together with one another. But when the inward service to the truth is lacking, this going through the motions in a ceremony together, would mean nothing. Our ministers in different places have had pressure put on us to unite with other denominations though the Lord’s Supper service being practiced together with ministers from other churches. The reason why we practice closed communion is because we believe the Lord’s Supper to be a very holy thing and not to be taken lightly. Only those who rightly discern the Lord’s body, (His church) can partake of the symbols of His shed blood and broken body. And what does belonging to the church mean? Being separate from the world and all of the worldly denominations that are so rapidly uniting behind the Pope and the United States to form one world church and one world government.

Remember: Jesus was the bread from heaven. How did He symbolize Himself in the Old Testament? The Manna that fell from heaven which fed God’s people in the wilderness. Are we in a wilderness today? Yes, very much so – a spiritual wilderness. And what did the people have to do every day except the Sabbath with the manna? Pick it up and store it up. That is exactly what we have to do with Jesus, the Word of God, isn’t it? Pick Him up in study and store Him up in our minds, hearts and wills. Now many people only have a Sabbathkind of religion. You know what I’m saying? It’s like
they put it up on a shelf after Sabbath and then only take it down when the Sabbath is getting close again. Exactly the opposite of the Manna, do you notice? The Sea of Galilee is a fresh body of water – it has an inlet, and an outlet, but the Dead Sea is stagnant and dead because it only has an inlet and no outlet.

So if we study, fast and pray with no one to receive this benefit and blessing but ourselves – what happens to us? It’s like trying to eat without exercise. If we will eat the true Bread from heaven, we will have peace, hope and joy. We many not have outward peace or merely material happiness, which is just temporary, but we will have inner direction, love and hope. May the Lord ever more feed us with this bread is my prayer.
Amen

Jerry Eaton