"Bread, I Am", says Jesus

~~~ Acts of the Apostles 8:1B-8 ~~~ Psalm 66 ~~~ John 6:35-40 ~~~

Jesus said to the crowds,
"I am the bread of life;
whoever comes to me will never hunger,
and whoever believes in me will never thirst..."

Today's Gospel is part two of the Bread of Life Discourse.
Jesus spoke about himself...
He gave himself seven metaphorical title.
This is how Jesus describes himself for us.

Jesus asked his apostles one day who they said he was...
Who do you say that I am?
This is a question we must also answer.
In John's Gospel, Jesus tells us who he is
from his perspective.

Today he tells us he is the Bread of Life.

Do you think Jesus ever sat down to eat a meal alone?
I can honestly say I do not like to eat alone.

How would you complete seven 'I am...'
statements about yourself?
Try it you might find that as you get to the fourth
or fifth it becomes more difficult.

In order to make bread the grain must be striped from the plants.
The individual grains must be crush until they
become a fine powder...
until they no longer resemble what they were before.

If we believe that Jesus is the Bread of Life then when
we eat of this bread we too must become changed.

We must be willing to be crushed, finely ground,
 to be made into something more wonderful.

Jesus gives himself completely to us.
He satisfies our hunger.
We will no longer be thirsty.
He quenches every parched lips. He feeds the hungry soul.

This certainly no Dr. Seuss book, but Jesus does say,
"Bread, I Am".

Jesus sustains us with the Bread of Life,
not just for this life,
but for our eternal life in heaven with him.
This is truly life giving bread.
We come to receive in good times and in bad times.
He enters into our body to make us whole again,
 one with him in body and soul.

Blessed to be able to frequently receive
 this Bread of Life.
~~~ Peace ~~~

Philip Holds Bible Study Class

~~~ Acts of the Apostles 8:26-40 ~~~ Psalm 66 ~~~ John 6:44-51 ~~~

 

We continue with the message of Jesus being the Bread of Life.

The manna with which God fed the people in the dessert

cannot compare with the food that Jesus himself offers to us.

 

'...this is the bread that comes down from heaven
so that one may eat it and not die.'

 

Believing in this 'bread' requires a leap of faith. 

Both the manna and Jesus come down from heaven.

The people fed in the dessert eventually died,

but the bread Jesus offers is the bread of eternal life.

 

The death of our physical body is actually

what leads one into the land of the living.

Those in the land of the living have fed on the Bread of Life...

the Body and Blood of Jesus...

Eucharist.

 

“Do you understand what you are reading?”
He replied,
“How can I, unless someone instructs me?”
So he invited Philip to get in and sit with him.

 

I never realized that this verse from the Acts of the Apostles

could be used to promote Bible study.

Every Sunday the homily is designed to give us

a better understanding of what we are hearing and reading that day.

 

Learning more about the meaning of the scriptures is something

we should want to be doing on a regular basis.

Today there are numerous resources to help

explain the meaning of the scriptures...

lectures, books, and even podcasts are available.

 

Some people believe the Bible is open

to whatever interpretation you choose.

That is not the same as believing that there is a personal message

within the daily scripture readings.

I have written here before about scripture being the living word of God.

 

To better understand the Bible, however, there needs to be

 a knowledge of the historical period.

A good bible study class can fill in the gaps

and help us appreciate the context of the time.

 

Many things that Jesus says to the officials can only be fully appreciated

 if you have the Old Testament meaning.

 

Context is critical to understanding.

Context is essential to a deeper meaning.

 

We too can be asked,

“Do you understand what you are reading?”

We are in a position to seek understanding...we do not have to wait...

we can take the initiative for ourselves.

 

I pray that you will have the desire

for a better understanding of the scriptures.

If the desire is present then you will be open

 to the resources available to you.

 

The Easter Blessing

 for a deeper understanding today.