Some “through the bible” thoughts from John 6.
Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life” (John 6:35).
Jesus goes on to explain, “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.” (6:51)
Of course, “The Jews began to argue sharply among themselves, “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?” (6:52)
The sixth chapter of John isn’t the easiest to figure out. Volumes have been written about interpreting and applying Jesus’s words. I’m still working it out in my own mind.
The image of eating and drinking is a metaphor for taking something into your innermost being. Other forms of this metaphor sound like
- Drink the Kool-aid
- Hook, line, and sinker
- All in
- Swept up
- Buy-in
- On board
- Jump on the bandwagon
In other words, fully absorbing everything Christ is and does. Manna in the desert? That was about Jesus. Psalm 23’s “A table in the presence of my enemies?” Yep, about Jesus. A land flowing with milk and honey? Ultimately it’s Jesus. Elisha’s abundance of bread for a hundred people (2 Kings 4:42-44). Another image of Jesus.
Food sustains physical life. Jesus nourishes our spiritual lives. Without him you’ll starve. We’re dead in our sins (Eph. 2:1). With him, we have eternal life (John 6:51). With him we’re full – of life.
Jesus spoke of this before he instituted the Lord’s Supper. John wrote about it much later. Is that what Jesus was talking about? Plenty of theologians have written about this, and they don’t all agree.
Having said that, I certainly think Jesus should be more than a snack you read for when you’re worried, sad, or struggling. He ought to be at the bottom of your food pyramid. His word ought to be a the most substantial part of your daily consumption of news and entertainment
Waite for it... 