Jesus Offered the Way Out with Out of This World Bread

What Did Jesus Do?

“I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger.”
John 6:35

If it had not been for manna, all Israel would have starved to death and perished in the wilderness long before the day came to enter the Promised Land. What is Manna? Well, let me see, it’s, uh, um, it’s… The truth is the Israelites were at a loss for words to describe God’s daily provision of food in the form of the flake-like thing that lay upon the ground as frost in the morning. Exchanging puzzled looks, they gestured to the fine blanket of white all about them and said, “Manna,” which, roughly translated, means, “What the heck is this stuff?” But when all the Israelites had gathered up the manna and returned to their tents and prepared it, they all understood that it was out of this world, bread unlike any they had ever before eaten, and it was sufficient to fill their bellies and keep them alive, like daily bread. So, though the name always begged the question, manna it was. And, for forty long years, no one who ate the manna went hungry.

Many years after the Exodus a group of hungry Jews came to Jesus and asked him why they should believe in him. “How about a sign, Jesus? You know, our ancestors ate manna for forty years; can you produce some manna for us?” (John 6:31-31) Jesus replied, “Every one of your ancestors who ate the manna in the wilderness eventually died. I have come to offer you something different, something better than manna which keeps you alive for a day. I offer you the true bread of heaven. And all who eat this bread shall live forever.” (John 6:49-50) But, looking about, the Jews saw neither manna on the ground, nor anything else that in the least resembled bread. “Look at me,” Jesus said, “I am the living bread come down from heaven…the bread I give for the life of the world is—me.” (John 6:51)

If the ancient Israelites had been somewhat confounded by the appearance of the manna that offered daily sustenance in the wilderness, their First Century descendants were downright stupefied, if not outright offended, by Jesus offering himself to them as the Bread from Heaven which promises eternal life. (John 6:61, 66)

Here’s the thing. As mind-bending as it is, we who are Christ’s disciples have nothing to offer the world but the same Bread from Heaven which was offered to those First Century Jews. As troubling as the lesson is, we who are the Lord’s disciples have nothing to teach Jews who seek after signs and Gentiles who pursue wisdom, other than Christ himself, and him crucified. (1 Corinthians 1:22-24) If we’ve received what Christ has offered, if we’ve got it/Him, then ours is but to share with others what we have, even Jesus, the One who offered the way out with out of this world bread.

S.D.G.

Jim
www.jimwilkenministries.org
Marion, NC
PS 37.4