True and Real Bread

 True and Real Bread

John 6:22-34

   A little lad fed the people literally thru the miracle Jesus creation of food from such a small amount.  5 barley loaves and 2 small fishes.  Now the people had wanted to make him a king but Jesus resisted that. 6:15 The crowd followed again in small ships but Jesus says to them that they were only following him because of the bread they received.  They according to Jesus did not follow Him for spiritual reasons, “ Ye seek me, not because ye saw signs, but because ye ate of the loaves and were satisfied.” 6:26

    People come to church for different reasons , so it has not changed much.  I am glad when people come for whatever reason they do come.  Jesus said we should not be so worried about work and the money we get from it as if that was all there was to life.  Certainly that is important.  We all need bread so to speak.  Jesus says “ work not for the food that perishes, but for the food which abides unto life eternal, which the Son of man will give to you.”6:27

     Jesus makes it very clear when they ask him , “  What do we do that we may work the works of God?”  6:28 “ This is the work of God, Jesus answered,  that ye should believe on him whom He sent.”  That is where we must begin as well.  Holy Communion is very important in the life of the Church and the individual Christian. But we cannot come to it apart from belief in the eternal Son of God whom the Father has sent, Jesus Christ.   I am sorry that is not apparently now always the case in a lot of places at least in my experience.  Of course we are all unrighteous and our best days have sins.  We cannot ever be perfect in this life, but look forward to that day when if we are believers, those who are justified by God , we will be completely sanctified , that is made holy .  That happens at the moment of death when we are glorified and see God face to face.  That is why I say the Comfortable Words every Holy Communion.  It gives the assurance that God if for us despite ourselves.  “ Come unto me, all ye that travail and are heavy laden, and I will refresh you.”  ST Matthew 11:28

       The people saw the miracle but they did not come to see Jesus for who He was.  They came for the bread .  They liked the miracles He did. But as we know the word John uses for miracle is sign and a sign points to something. It points to His purpose for coming and that purpose is to give us eternal life.  So Jesus gives them an illustration from the Old Testament. I like that.

        Moses was blamed for a lot of things.  The people were complaining and murmuring (Exodus 16) because of hunger.  Remember this was after their deliverance from the Egyptians and the miracle of the parting of the Red Sea!  How we quickly forget our salvation do we not as well?  So in Exodus the LORD sends from “bread from heaven” that “ I may prove them , whether they will walk in my law or no.”16:4  The Lord sends us bread from heaven in the person of our Lord Jesus Christ.  “ My Father gives you the bread out of heaven, the true bread.” Jn  6:32

         Jesus says something which we should always carry with us in the 35th verse.  The people now understand .  Jesus is the one “ who gives life to the world.” They said therefore to him, “ Lord, always give to us, this bread.”   Jesus said to them and to us, “ I am the bread of life; he that comes to me in no wise may hunger, and he that believes on me in no wise may thirst at any time.”   In our salvation we have this kind of spiritual everlasting life.  It will never dry up or go away.  We may struggle with many things in this life but in Christ who is our Real Bread we will never have lack of anything.  This life is temporary.  It cannot satisfy us.  But Christ can. And wherever we are and whoever we are with and whatever situation we are in we can trust Jesus to be our Ever living Bread.

      As we take Holy Communion today we should be joined with Christ by faith first.  Then in the bread we spiritually remember His great sacrifice on our behalf and in our stead.  “ This do in remembrance of me”  Praise Be to His Holy Name for ever and ever.  Amen.