Bread has to be eaten...

Today bread does not hold the same weight as it used to. Now we just use it to hold our sandwiches, subs, hot dogs, or our burgers together. Very seldom do you ever see a commercial for restaurant that talks about all the good bread they have, they always want to talk about what's in between the bread.

But not too long ago things are very different. When dinner was announced, everyone knew when they said “come and get it” what “it” was… bread. That’s the way it was in Jesus time. Now bread might have not been the only thing on the table, there might have been some fish for some vegetables around, and if they had any fruit it was normally dessert. Poor people may have ate barley bread, olives, and fruit. They even ate locust as a substitute for meat.

Of course it back then bread was a very labor intensive task, the grain had to be grounded into meal, then mix with water and salt to make the dough, then add the yeast to make it rise.

People knew that the bread that they ate was a very important part of their diet. That's why they all thought Jesus was a little crazy when he told them in john 6:35 “I am the bread of life he who comes to me will never go hungry”

The funny thing about bread is though is it no good if you don't eat it. Wither is wheat, rye, dare I even say white it does you absolutely no good if you don't eat it. If you stare at it for too long it will go stale.

This is where Jesus got into a little bit of trouble when he said that he was the living bread. How many of his listeners probably thought he was crazy. It even says in verse 66 that some of his disciples turned back and no longer follow him. Jesus had a good way with words, and a good knack at getting people to scratch their heads in wonder. Bread is one of the most common things but at the same time something vary important. Bread was honored in the Old Testament tabernacle and in the temple in the Holy Place and the Holy of Holies.

Jesus was connecting the lines between them; bread: common and yet uniquely holy, Jesus: human yet uniquely divine.

“I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. This bread is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world." John 6:51