Bread

I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Whoever eats this bread will live forever. This bread is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.”

John 6:51 (NIV)

Jesus wasn't talking about transubstantiation, the strange Roman Catholic doctrine that the bread of the mass magically becomes his literal body. He was using bread as an illustration. Just as bread was the staple diet of his society, essential to sustain life, so his body broken for us is essential for us to believe in spiritually.

As Jesus said elsewhere, 'blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled'. Jesus is righteousness personified. Yet his body was broken in our place, so that unrighteous, hell deserving people that we are can become the righteousness of God.

Nothing in this life can satisfy us spiritually. Attempting to keep ten commandments, five pillars, or whatever else, cannot earn God's acceptance. Only Jesus's broken body and shed blood are the way we can be justified by God.

We preach Christ crucified, as the Apostle Paul said. This idea is foolishness to secular people, who prefer to eat, drink and be merry. Christ crucified is a stumbling block to religious people, who prefer to attempt to pull themselves up by their bootstraps as it were; yet Jesus and his death on our behalf are the only way to eternal life.

'Heavenly Father, we praise you for sending the Bread of life for our spiritual sustenance. May we ever live for him, now and for eternity, amen'.

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