March 2017 – Bread
Here we are in that season approaching the Passover once again. A couple of weeks ago, I heard a really good sermon on The Blood. It really made some things clear for me regarding blood – in animals and humans, for life, sacrifice, cleansing, the covering and washing sin, and for our salvation. It is that symbol we take during the Passover ceremony that has always made me a little uncomfortable – even more than footwashing. Maybe a bit of discomfort is OK, but only for the right reason. I imagine discomfort being acceptable if one is considering one’s worthiness and reflecting on the year and self examining as the Blood of our savior is being drunk… That seems natural and healthy… But the discomfort I needed to get rid of was that which came from the gore and violence that my mind associated with blood. I guess we can thank our society and culture for that. I read that the horror movie industry rakes in $400M each year. Certainly there is another perversion that the adversary has laid on us. So I am grateful to the pastor who gave a good sermon on the blood of Jesus.
But, I gave this letter a subject of “bread.”
“I am the living bread that came down out of heaven; if anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever; and the bread also which I will give for the life of the world is My flesh.” (John 6:51)
‘For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it to you on the altar to make atonement for your souls; for it is the blood by reason of the life that makes atonement.’ (Leviticus 17:11)
So Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you,unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in yourselves. (John 6:53)
I love these promises that we have been given. Bread and blood give life. Life is our goal, isn’t it? Our salvation leads to Eternal Life.
I think we’ve all heard some of the amazing things about blood with respect to biology and medical discovery. Those points help us to bridge the chasm between understanding our physical existence and the limitless complexity of God and Eternity. So, I find myself saying, “wow, blood is awesome in my body and Jesus shed His blood for me, and my sins are forgiven and I can inherit eternal life… wow.” And, I am not trying to be funny here – that’s been a conversation in my mind many times.
But, the bread. What about the bread?
Leviticus – The life of the flesh is in the blood.
John – Eat the flesh and drink the blood.
The symbol of the bread always seemed obvious to me. I always linked it with “‘you are what you eat…” Simple. Eat Jesus and you become like Him in a sense. But there is certainly a spiritual component that weighs much more than the physical that I feel like I am missing. Our inheritance will not be a physical one – where moth and rust destroy. So, what is with this “flesh” or bread? For me, it is easier to make a comparison between physical and spiritual with respect to blood. But the bread is escaping me.
So, that is what I am thinking about these days. Do you have any ideas that might help me understand this better?
I pray that you are all being blessed by the Father and that you are standing firm against the enemy with all courage and endurance.
John 6:32 – Jesus then said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, it is not Moses who has given you the bread out of heaven, but it is My Father who gives you the true bread out of heaven. For the bread of God is that which comes down out of heaven, and gives life to the world.” Then they said to Him, “Lord, always give us this bread.”
Peace to you…
-Nate