Christ, The Living Bread
J. Allen Blair
If a person were hungry and you provided a delicious meal, of what value would it be if he or she merely sat and looked at it? Unless eaten, the meal would be worthless. Christ is the Bread of Life. One must partake of this Bread, or be spiritually destitute.
Jesus said, I am the Living Bread which came down from heaven. The fact that Christ came down from heaven means that He is divine. I have heard people say, "Jesus is not God." They say, "He was a good man, possibly one of the best." If He were not God, He would not have been a good man for He would have been a liar. He declared Himself to be God. He said, I and my Father are one (John 10:30).
Before Christ was born into the world, the prophet Isaiah wrote concerning Him, Therefore the Lord Himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call His name Immanuel (Isaiah 7:14). Immanuel means God with us. God came into the world, in the person of His beloved Son, to be with us and to provide eternal salvation for us through His death on the cross and His resurrection from the grave.
We read in Colossians 2:9,10 For in Him [Jesus Christ] dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily. And ye are complete in Him, which is the head of all principality and power. Christ, the Son of God, came from heaven to this earth to die on the cross, shedding His precious blood that we might have salvation. When we receive Him as Lord, God says we are complete in Him. Nothing more is necessary to be saved. Belief in the Lord Jesus Christ is sufficient.
We also read in John 6:51 that Christ gave His flesh (His body) for the life of the world, thus providing the only sacrifice for sin acceptable to God the Father.
We note in Galatians 4:4,5 When the fullness of time was come, God sent forth His Son, made of a woman, made under the law, to redeem them that were under the law. Why did Christ come? The verses just quoted are unmistakably clear-He came to redeem us from sin and to give everlasting life. If you have received Him as your Lord, you are saved. If you are saved, never forget it-He is God who came down from heaven. Because He is God, He can do all things for you. Consequently, we ought to trust Him, twenty-four hours a day for every need.
In Jeremiah 32:27 God asks the question, Behold, I am the Lord, the God of all flesh: is there anything too hard for me? I hope you know the answer to this question. Nothing is too hard for God. Yet, we see professing followers of Christ, worrying and fretting, bogged down with the cares of this life, and failing to trust in their mighty God, Christ Jesus.
We have the blessed promise in Philippians 4:19, My God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus. This does not necessarily include our wants and wishes. Most of us are selfish at heart. If we were to receive all we think we need, life would become a continuous burden with little joy. How wise and faithful the Lord is. Oh, He may permit us to bite the dust of despair at times, or to feel the pinch of hunger. But even then, strange as it may seem, untold riches are bound up in even these circumstances. The Lord is preparing us for something better and training us to rely on Him wholly. He always knows what is best. Since He has promised never to forsake, forget, or fail us, we can count on Him.
Trust in Him at all times; ye people, pour out your heart before Him: God is a refuge for us (Psalm 62:8). David took God at His Word and testified, In my distress I cried unto the Lord, and He heard me (Psalm 120:1).
Christ is the Bread of Life. Physical bread supplies our physical needs, but Christ supplies all of our needs. We have the privilege in Christ of coming to Him with every burden and heartache, with the assurance that He will meet the need. But most of us, with little faith, neglect to trust Him.
Although there is no written document, it is said of William Penn that his integrity so won the confidence of the Indians that they promised to give him all the land his feet could cover in one day. He set out and walked nearly 30 miles, encircling and thereby gaining possession of a very large area. When learning about it, one of the Indians is said to have wisely remarked, "Paleface make very long walk today."
God has outlined innumerable promises for us, documented in His Word. He invites us to step out on faith and claim them. Accept them by trusting Him. Why not lay your burden at His feet right now? He is the Bread of Life. He will abundantly provide.
And then, an even more glorious thought from our text, Christ says if any man eat of this Bread, he will live forever. All who desire to be saved must eat of Him; that is, believe on Him; believe that He died for our sins. The very moment we believe, we are saved for eternity.
Yet, God desires also that we grow in the Christian experience. We are saved, but He wants us to advance in the Christian life as well. There must be a daily feeding on Christ. Born into this world, we did not stop eating after the first meal. We have been eating ever since. So we must feed on Christ daily, through the study of God's Word and prayer. Do not neglect the quiet time with Him. This is a daily must for growth in Christ.
Regrettably, there are many Christians who become dissatisfied with Christ because they spend little time in fellowship with Him. They are saved, but they turn to the shallow and sinful pleasures and amusements of the world, vainly seeking satisfaction for their empty hearts. They know little of real fellowship with Christ.
What would you think of someone invited to a turkey dinner that, with everything spread before him on the table, excused himself to go and pick out a few scraps from the garbage? Many Christians are doing this. Relinquishing all that God has, they are relishing the scraps of sinful pleasure rather than the abundant provision of the Bread of Life.
Be assured, Christ can satisfy. Have you discovered this? I hope so. And if you don't know Him, believe on Him right now. Take Christ into your life by faith.
I am satisfied in Jesus,
What a sweet soul rest I feel;
When life's greatest burdens press me,
He doth all my sorrows heal.
I am satisfied,I am satisfied;
If by simple faith in Jesus I abide,
Then my soul is fully satisfied.
-- Barney E. Warren
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