The Bread of Life - Longing and Light Advent Bible Study Episode 2

Jesus is the Bread of Life. This week as we dig into Advent, we recognize our longing for all to be made right in this world and we celebrate that God is not just our provider; IN CHRIST, HE IS OUR PROVISION.

As we study at Christmas and all year, may we be reminded that Jesus, our Messiah, is the Bread of Life.

Take a few moments and read John 6:22-59; well, really all the way to verse 65! Let’s look at a few takeaways from this passage.

God wants us to work, but to seek Him, not “stuff,” even good stuff from Him (see verses 26-27). We tend to seek ever more human, fleshly, earthly fulfillment, often missing the spiritual provision God has for us. But always, God has been calling His people to seek HIM first.
- See also Isaiah 55:1-3 – “Come, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and he who has no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without price. Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread, and your labor for that which does not satisfy? Listen diligently to me, and eat what is good, and delight yourselves in rich food. Incline your ear, and come to me; hear, that your soul may live…”
Our “work” is to believe in Jesus (v. 29).
God’s earthly provisions are short-term and He often uses them as examples of eternal truth (look at the comparison of Moses v. Jesus, v. 32-33).
The life God offers us in Christ is eternal – we can’t lose it once we have it (v. 39-40, 58). God created us and gave us life, but through sin we became spiritually dead. In Christ, we have LIFE, and that life cannot be taken from us!
Our salvation, our life, comes from God; it is nothing we choose or work to earn (v. 44).
Jesus is the fulfillment of the Old Testament promises of God (v. 45, 65).
Jesus does not mince words – He is the ONLY way to receive life and to be in relationship with God (v. 54-57). In a world that says, “all roads lead to God,” we can be sure that only the road of Christ leads to salvation and eternal life from God! (See this sermon from Pastor Josh Tompkins for more on this!)

Let’s look at some places in scripture where we can gain more context of Jesus as the Bread of Life.

Jesus is the Bread of Life | The Passover (Exodus 12)

God always has a bigger plan than what we can see. (in verses 1 and following, He tells them it will be an ongoing practice to remember His work, before He even does the work!)
Blood = life. So eventually when Jesus sheds His blood for the forgiveness of sin, we see this concept realized fully!
We are all dead without Christ (see Exodus 12:33 and the Egyptians – “we shall all be dead!”)
Jesus is the ONLY WAY to life. Only those who have been made righteous (by His sacrifice, not anything we do to try to earn it!) can partake of life in God/eternal life (see verses 43-49).
God’s holiness and our obedience are fiercely protected. God gave chance after chance for Pharaoh. But in the end, He deserves and rightfully demands our response to His sovereignty and command.
God wants us to REMEMBER, and TELL OF His works (v. 14-20). No matter what season we are in, we are CALLED TO TEACH others of His works. We’re called to remember who He is and what He’s done.
God gives way more than He expects. He takes the firstborn from Egypt only after giving chances over and over and over to obey. And ultimately, He GIVES HIS FIRSTBORN for the sin of the whole world and the provision of Life.

Jesus is Ultimately our Manna (Exodus 16)

Manna showed in a fresh, tangible way, God’s provision. The word man-hu means “what is it?!” This food itself was foreign to God’s people, and God’s way of providing it to them is foreign. This is significant:
- The word “Lechem” is used in Genesis 3:19 – by the sweat of your brow you will eat bread; you’ll have to WORD to get what you need. In Exodus 16 the word is used again. The Israelites complain they have no food, and God literally rains it down, but they still need to work to gather it. The Israelites had to participate in getting their “daily bread.” They had to work for it. He provided just enough for every morning, and it was not enough to last, EXCEPT the 6th day, when He referenced the need to rest and wait for Him (and if they did not, it was swarming with maggots).
God’s provision is so that we can obey Him, and it is linked with His discipline when we do not.
- “Manna was simple food, a basic necessity. It was not decadent or particularly delicious but it sustained them and it was to help them realize that truly surviving did not mean consuming edibles, it meant relying on YHWH and all the promises that He made.” Manna was ‘food for the strong’ ( lechem abbirim ). God provided it so they could have strength to obey Him. – source
Manna gave nourishment, daily provision, despite their sin – so they could keep moving forward toward the freedom, the Land, He had for them. Read Psalm 78:9-25. What do you see here about God’s provision and our obedience?
Manna was a physical provision representing a spiritual truth. Read Deuteronomy 8:1-3. Jesus quotes this same passage in Matthew 4, when He is being tempted in the wilderness by Satan. What connections do you see? Take a moment to look up “showbread,” or “bread of the presence,” in scripture. This sacrifice placed in the tabernacle and eventually in temple was a reminder of God’s presence and was also eaten by the priests. “The Old Testament showbread placed on the table in the tabernacle provides a wonderful picture of Jesus, the Bread of Life. Jesus is holy before God, He provides true sustenance, and He is always present.” (source) Remember this when you hear the words “I AM with you always…”

Christ is Master Over Creation and He Does Care for Our Physical Needs: (Feeding the 5,000 John 6 & the Disciples)

Read John 6:1-59, especially 22-59. This is one of many examples of How Jesus – God in the flesh – provides for our physical needs, and shows us His mastery over creation. Did you know this is the only miracle besides the resurrection in all four gospels!

God provides ABUNDANTLY. Look back at another miracle of food multiplication; read 2 Kings 4:42-44. Elisha took 20 loaves to feed 100. In the gospels, we see Jesus took 5 loaves and 2 fish, and feed over 5,000;my brain hurt doing this math! But let’s look beyond the surface here – there’s a deeper meaning. Shortly after this they come back enough to share! Both stories involve leftovers. God gives us at times even than we need. He doesn’t want us to hoard – He wants us to share Him with those around us. God feeds us so we can feed others. When we are in Christ, He expects us to tell others about Him.
We want God to meet our earthly needs; God promises to BE WITH US through them. In John 16:25-33 Jesus told followers to expect trouble – but He has overcome the world.

Look For Jesus in the Marriage Supper of the Lamb (Matthew 26:27-29

Read Matthew 26:27-29.

I believe, and other scholars seem to indicate, Jesus may be referring to the “Marriage Supper of the Lamb” in Revelation 19:6-8: “Then I heard what seemed to be the voice of a great multitude, like the roar of many waters and like the sound of mighty peals of thunder, crying out, “Hallelujah! For the Lord our God the Almighty reigns. Let us rejoice and exult and give him the glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and his Bride has made herself ready; it was granted her to clothe herself with fine linen, bright and pure”—for the fine linen is the righteous deeds of the saints.”

Why does this matter?

God is calling us to be nourished by Him in the here and now, looking forward to the promised fulfillment of what is to come! Just as the Israelites were called to believe Him for his present provision AND live for His future covenant-fulfillment, we are called to look back at what He has done, live in obedience and worship now, and believe in what He will do that He has promised!
We remember Christ as our Provision when we practice communion. The Bible tells us communion is proclaiming our salvation, not somehow getting it (See 1 Corinthians 11:26). We are practicing a physical reminder of the real, spiritual, eternal work God did for us in Christ.

This Advent season, let’s look at Jesus – our Bread of Life – our provider and our PROVISION. Jesus is the Bread of Life we celebrate at Christmas in our Advent study! Let’s feast on His word, celebrate the life we have in Him, share with others, and keep remembering the work He has done, is doing, and will do.

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