Much Bread

Much Bread, John 6

First, a couple of details in this chapter.

-- In this chapter, the timeframe is near another Jewish Passover.

-- Jesus walks on the Sea of Galilee and the boat that was in the middle "immediately" crosses.

-- 5000 followers deteriorate to 12

-- The belief by Pagans that Christians are cannibals is given words

-- The concept that taking a sacrament can save you is given a proof text.

It is difficult for man in his fallen condition to understand or comprehend God. I know that Paul suggests that all that needs to be known about God is plainly seen in what He has made. I would then tend to think that if anyone was a Christian, a scientist would be. But that is not the case.

Romans 1:18-20 The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness, 19 since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. 20 For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities-his eternal power and divine nature-have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse.

We have all of creation. We have all the Jewish Feasts. We have all scripture. And Jesus spent much of His ministry explaining that the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand. Some get it -- others don’t. I don’t think Satan gets it at all. Judas didn’t, but Peter and Paul did. Jesus plainly explained again and again..

JESUS IS THE BREAD OF LIFE

After Jesus fed the 5000 and walked across the water, the people came to find him. It was still just before the Passover. In the same way that John introduced Jesus as the Lamb of God, a Passover symbol, Jesus presents miraculous bread that is plentiful. And the people saw this and wanted more.

John 6:26-33 Jesus answered, "I tell you the truth, you are looking for me, not because you saw miraculous signs but because you ate the loaves and had your fill. 27 Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. On him God the Father has placed his seal of approval."

28 Then they asked him, "What must we do to do the works God requires?"

29 Jesus answered, "The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent."

30 So they asked him, "What miraculous sign then will you give that we may see it and believe you? What will you do? 31 Our forefathers ate the manna in the desert; as it is written: 'He gave them bread from heaven to eat.'"

32 Jesus said to them, "I tell you the truth, it is not Moses who has given you the bread from heaven, but it is my Father who gives you the true bread from heaven. 33 For the bread of God is he who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world."

MANNA IN THE WILDERNESS

The manna in the wilderness was clearly a supernatural event. Everyday, each person was allowed to gather enough for their daily needs. Any more and it would rot. Except Friday morning when enough would be gathered so that food was not gathered on the Sabbath. That is what takes the potential "natural" out of the equation. Weather cycles don’t seem to be on a 6-day work week.

1 Corinthians 10:1-5 For I do not want you to be ignorant of the fact, brothers, that our forefathers were all under the cloud and that they all passed through the sea. 2 They were all baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea. 3 They all ate the same spiritual food 4 and drank the same spiritual drink; for they drank from the spiritual rock that accompanied them, and that rock was Christ. 5 Nevertheless, God was not pleased with most of them; their bodies were scattered over the desert.

Manna is spiritual food. Yes it was physical -- but it was spiritual.

Moses was instructed to take a golden bowl of manna and put it in the ark. Did it rot? No. And it was in with the Law and the dead rod that bloomed and produced almonds. These three things were in this golden ark where the blood of the lamb was poured on the cover between two golden cherubim. There has to be some symbolism here.

Gold seems to always represent the divine.

Bread seems to have something to do with sustenance of life.

The rod seems to have something to do with resurrection -- it was dead and then bloomed and produced almonds -- all overnight

The law is the Law is the LAW.

TEMPTATION OF JESUS BY SATAN

Jesus was hungry after 40 days. Satan said, "Hey God -- you put yourself in this situation and you made manna for your "chosen ones." You need sustenance and you can do it. Why don’t you take a stone here and turn it into supernatural bread. You need to eat. There is no harm in that. You are just being God -- who you are -- Creator of all things -- and bread." Or something like that.

Jesus quoted Moses. "Man shall not live by bread alone, but by the word of God."

Deuteronomy 8:1-3 Remember how the LORD your God led you all the way in the desert these forty years, to humble you and to test you in order to know what was in your heart, whether or not you would keep his commands. 3 He humbled you, causing you to hunger and then feeding you with manna, which neither you nor your fathers had known, to teach you that man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the LORD.

Matthew 4:4 [Luke 4:4] Jesus answered, "It is written: 'Man does not live on bread alone , but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.'"

Satan does not seem to understand. God became man to redeem physical man. Satan, a created spirit, is only spirit and will always be only spirit. His temptation to Eve and Adam was a spiritual temptation, not physical. He had to ask permission to do physical things against Job, and Job’s spirit could not be broken. He is prince of the power of the air: spirit things only. Man owns the earth -- see Noah’s promise

Ephesians 2:2 Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air , the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience: [KJV]

PASSOVER MEAL

The feeding of the loaves and fishes is just before the Passover Feast with all of its symbolism about redemption. One of the principles of the feast is unleavened bread. Bread that does not have the affect of yeast in it. There is no time for the bread to rise. There is no level of fermentation or corruption in it. The flour is baked within 13 minutes of touching water -- or some number like that.

At the beginning of Jesus ministry, right after John the Baptist [which conference?] introduced him as the Lamb of God and the Passover was celebrated, Jesus took water and made wine. Just before this Bread and Loaves Passover, which I think was two years later, Jesus took bread and multiplied it to abundance. (Jesus is crucified at the next Passover.] We have two important symbols of Passover being used by Jesus around Passover to teach about the nature of who and what He is.

ASIDE When Jesus made the wine and the steward said the best wine was saved for the last, notice which cup of wine Jesus identified as "this is my blood." and then He went to Gethsemane.

In the Passover meal is the symbolism of three loaves of bread in one place. The middle piece of bread is broken in two. The smaller part is returned to the middle pocket between the other two loaves of bread. Some say the three represent Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Others give other meanings. I see it plainly as the symbolism of the Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit. It is the second, the Son, that is broken. The smaller part is returned to the remainder of the divinity. The larger portion is hidden during the Passover meal until the end. It is the children that find it and it is redeemed by the host of the meal. Look at this symbolism in light of scripture, particularly what Jesus said.

Mark 10:14-15 But when Jesus saw it, he was much displeased, and said unto them, Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God. Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child, he shall not enter therein. [KJV]

Luke 18:16-17 But Jesus called the children to him and said, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. 17 I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it."

This children thing is important because of the Passover. It is the children who find the part of the bread that is broken and separated from the rest of the divine. And Jesus explains that unless we as adults go and find that broken off piece of bread, we will not receive the kingdom of God. It is that piece of bread that came down from heaven -- part of the divine, but "hidden" from the divine for the purpose of redemption.

John 6:38 For I have come down from heaven not to do my will but to do the will of him who sent me.

And Jesus picks up that piece of redeemed bread, traditionally found by the children, holds it up to his disciples and declares:

"This is my body -- this specific piece of the symbolism in the Passover meal -- the specific part that was broken away and hidden from the other two loaves -- this is me and I am going to be broken for you.

Now look at how Paul explains this.

1 Corinthians 10:15-17 I speak to sensible people; judge for yourselves what I say. 16 Is not the cup of thanksgiving for which we give thanks a participation in the blood of Christ? And is not the bread that we break a participation in the body of Christ? 17 Because there is one loaf, we, who are many, are one body, for we all partake of the one loaf.

Right there is the formation of the body of Christ: the church. Because we participate, we are the church. How does that participation happen? By eating the spiritual food supernaturally provided by God himself. It is not something that we can do. It can only be done by Him. Like manna in the wilderness. Like wine at the wedding. Like loaves and fishes. Like "this is my body and this is my blood.." Again, Paul explains:

Romans 10:5-13 Moses describes in this way the righteousness that is by the law: "The man who does these things will live by them." 6 But the righteousness that is by faith says: "Do not say in your heart, 'Who will ascend into heaven?'" (that is, to bring Christ down) 7 "or 'Who will descend into the deep?'" (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead). 8 But what does it say? "The word is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart," that is, the word of faith we are proclaiming: 9 That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved. 11 As the Scripture says, "Anyone who trusts in him will never be put to shame." 12 For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile-the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him, 13 for, "Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved."

By saying "Jesus is Lord," it is the admission that you are not a god; you are not the source of your redemption; you cannot through anything you do, earn spiritual life. Manna is from heaven, not your own oven. Loaves and fishes are from Jesus hands, not your own lunch box -- and there is more than enough to go around. Manna was plentiful on the day before the Sabbath and the Sabbath rest seems to be when we should be doing the work of the body of Christ so there is plenty of bread to go around.

"Jesus is Lord" can be seen in the manna that is stored in the golden bowl in the ark. Jesus is the bread that comes from heaven: manna in a golden bowl.

In the ark is yet another symbol the Paul alluded to. The belief that God raised Jesus from the dead. That is Resurrection 101. That is basic Christian distinctives. That is Job saying

Job 19:25-27 I know that my Redeemer lives, and that in the end he will stand upon the earth.

26 And after my skin has been destroyed, yet in my flesh I will see God;

27 I myself will see him with my own eyes-I, and not another. How my heart yearns within me!

Is that symbolized by the dead stick that bloomed and provided almonds. Why did it sprout? To show who had authority.

Numbers 17:8 The next day Moses entered the Tent of the Testimony and saw that Aaron's staff, which represented the house of Levi, had not only sprouted but had budded, blossomed and produced almonds .

Why did God raise Jesus from the dead? To show who has been given ALL -- and I mean ALL -- authority over heaven and earth.

John 17:1-3 "Father, the time has come. Glorify your Son, that your Son may glorify you. 2 For you granted him authority over all people that he might give eternal life to all those you have given him. 3 Now this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.

Matthew 28:18-20 Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."

Because HE has all authority, we are to go and make disciples. Because WE have eaten the bread -- the spiritual bread -- WE have authority to go and make disciples. WE are the church. We are the body of Christ. There is much bread of life available.