1205. The Bread of Life
The Bread of Life
"I am that Bread of Life" (Joh_6:48).
1. A needed warning. Before we present the True Bread which came down from Heaven, let us give a word of warning about false foods.
One of the greatest activities of Uncle Sam is discovering adulterated foods and poisoned drugs. The government food administator of Pennsylvania took us through his offices in the Capitol in Harrisburg. We were surprised, astonished at the scope of work committed to his trust. The state has gladly spent her money and her energy in protecting her people against deceptions in food and in drink.
The Lord Jesus has given us full warning along this same line. Have we read, "Why do ye spend your money for that which is not bread, and your labor for that which satisfieth not?" Warning after warning is given us in Jeremiah 23 and in many other Scriptures against men who are passing out for the Bread of Life the concoctions of their own brains. Let us beware of the false doctrines with which the critics are flooding the country. They are clouds without water, trees without fruit, twice dead. They have no food with which to satisfy the longing soul.
2. Christ is the Bread of Life. There are five things said in John 6 that we will briefly notice:
(1) A warning–"Labour not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life" (Joh_6:27). There were some who followed Christ because they saw His miracles, and did eat of the loaves and were filled. The Lord is urging that the spiritual meat should take precedence over the fleshly. We should labor alone for the Heavenly Manna.
(2) The Bread of God is Christ–"For the Bread of God is He which cometh down from Heaven, and giveth life unto the world" (Joh_6:33).
The food which fed the children of Israel in the wilderness was not earthly. It was the manna which came from Heaven. That food was the type of Christ. He was not of the earth. He came down from above, and came into the world.
(3) No more hunger–"I am the Bread of Life; he that cometh to Me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on Me shall never thirst" (Joh_6:35). The woman of Samaria was told of the Living Water of which, if she should drink, she should never thirst. That water would become within her a well of water springing up into everlasting life. The woman of Samaria said unto Christ, "Sir, give me this water, that I thirst not, neither come hither to draw." What a blessed promise! Let us eat of the Living Bread, and drink of the Living Water.
(4) "Shall live for ever"–"This is the Bread which cometh down from Heaven, that a man may eat thereof, and not die. * * If any man eat of this Bread, he shall live forever" (Joh_6:50-51). We need not marvel that from that time, "many of His disciples went back, and walked no more with Him." They said, "It is an hard saying: who can hear it?" Christ replied, "Doth this offend you? What and if ye shall see the Son of Man ascend up where He was before?" It is true that life is in Christ, and in Christ alone. The soul who eats this Bread, shall never die.
(5) No life apart from the Bread of Life–"Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of Man, and drink His Blood, ye have no life in you" (Joh_6:53).
It is more than sad to see saints refuse to eat at the Lord's Supper table. That bread commemorates the life which we have in Christ. When saints refuse to eat the bread, they typify, by their actions, the very acts of the wicked. The table is prepared, the call has gone forth, "My supper is ready, come and eat." The wicked refuse to come. They begin to make excuse. One says, "I have bought a piece of ground;" another says: "I have bought five yoke of oven;" and still another, "I have married me a wife." Thus they will not come. I tell you "none of them shall eat of My supper."
Autor: R.E. NEIGHBOUR