To Live is Christ — my Bread for Life

When God became flesh and walked this earth, He could have compared Himself with diamonds or other precious stones. Instead, He used the basics of life, familiar to every person: bread and water.

We can survive with bread and water. The idea spells hope for the destitute and those without any other resource. At the same time, knowing this humbles the wealthy. What good is money or position or possessions without the basics, food and water?

The bread in Jesus’ days was different from the bread eaten by most people in North America these days. Back then, most bread was made from starter dough like sour dough. It needed fresh flour and water to keep it alive. As long as it was alive, it could sustain life. This is like Jesus in that He is life, eternal life.

Their bread needed to “die” in the oven before it could be of use to them. Jesus, the Bread of Life, was put to death on a cross, which we needed before our sins could be forgiven and we could receive His life. But unlike bread, He didn’t stay dead. He rose to live forever, offering us Himself and His eternal life.

Several times He used bread to symbolize that offer. The symbolism is used in several ways. 

But He answered and said, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.’” (Matthew 4:4)
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. (John 6:51)
And Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst.” (John 6:35)

Jesus is the living Word of God that speaks to me about my needs. He shows me that bread may sustain my physical life, but I need Him, the bread of life, for spiritual life. He is also the Bread of life that I need every day for spiritual sustenance, even every moment of the day. As I rely on Him, I am fed — not just sustaining spiritual truth, but that deep and lasting contentment, a sense of satisfaction that nothing else can give me.

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.” (Luke 22:19)

Not only is He my Bread of Life, but each time we celebrate communion or the breaking of Bread in our church, I am reminded of what Jesus did when He offered Himself as a sacrifice for my sin. His body was broken for His Body, the church, that we might have forgiveness and eternal life. We eat that bread with thankful hearts just as we received Jesus Christ with great gratitude. This church ordinance reminds me that He is my life, my sustenance, the Word that refreshes, instructs, rebukes, disciplines and teaches, the Bread that keeps me from spiritual starvation and empty discontent. His brokenness reminds me of my brokenness. As part of His Body, I too am broken, humbled and pliable in His hands.

Jesus is also my life. Without Him, I would be doomed to eternal death and separated from God forever. Yet with Him I have life everlasting and a never-ending, satisfying feast. He compared Himself to bread so I could understand all this. In the simplicity of the comparison, I also see that a loaf of bread, or even diamonds, could not come close to describing the wonder of who Jesus is or what He has done.