2020 Daily Devotion - Day 113
John 6:48-59 NRSV
“I am the bread of life. Your ancestors ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died. This is the bread that comes down from heaven, so that one may eat of it and not die. I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Whoever eats of this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh." The Jews then disputed among themselves, saying, "How can this man give us his flesh to eat?" So Jesus said to them, "Very truly, I tell you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood have eternal life, and I will raise them up on the last day; for my flesh is true food and my blood is true drink. Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood abide in me, and I in them. Just as the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so whoever eats me will live because of me. This is the bread that came down from heaven, not like that which your ancestors ate, and they died. But the one who eats this bread will live forever." He said these things while he was teaching in the synagogue at Capernaum.
This is a very bold statement Jesus is making. What is He teaching? Some theologians believe He is speaking of Holy Communion, and could be one of the lessons. At Mount of Olives Church, we believe Holy Communion is more than a symbol. After all, Jesus said “on the night in which He was betrayed” and it instituted the Lord’s Supper with the words “this is my body”; “this is my blood”. He didn’t say it is like my body and blood. He didn’t say this represents my body and blood. Rather, He said it IS His body and blood. Some would argue that He did say “do this in remembrance of me”, which means Holy Communion is only a symbol. We should receive Holy Communion for many reasons, including to remember Jesus, but those words do not reduce Holy Communion to a symbol. It doesn’t take away from the fact that He said it is His body and blood.
This becomes important because it means we are having an actual encounter with Jesus. Somehow, He is present in the bread and cup. Martin Luther said He is present “in, with, through and under the bread and wine”. It also means that as God took on human flesh and revealed Himself as this down to earth God, He is still coming to us in down to earth ways. He is not tucked away in heaven unaware of our condition. He is the down to earth God who knows what it is like to be a human being.
Jesus mentions the Mana in the wilderness of which the children of Israel ate in the desert, but still died. With Jesus as the “bread of life”, when we eat of Him, we will live. Bread is a basic food. It is foundational to many cultures. It is a staple. So too, Jesus is foundational to every aspect of our lives. With so many things changing all around us, He is the one who never changes. He is “the Bread of Life”.
Pray with me:
Jesus, we thank You for coming to us in such down to earth ways. You are not far away and removed. Through Your body and blood, we can actually have an encounter with You. You are the bread of life. Fill our souls with this bread. In Your Holy name. Amen.
Yours because of Him,
Pastor John R. Steward
Senior Pastor
Mount of Olives Church
“I am the bread of life. Your ancestors ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died. This is the bread that comes down from heaven, so that one may eat of it and not die. I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Whoever eats of this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh." The Jews then disputed among themselves, saying, "How can this man give us his flesh to eat?" So Jesus said to them, "Very truly, I tell you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood have eternal life, and I will raise them up on the last day; for my flesh is true food and my blood is true drink. Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood abide in me, and I in them. Just as the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so whoever eats me will live because of me. This is the bread that came down from heaven, not like that which your ancestors ate, and they died. But the one who eats this bread will live forever." He said these things while he was teaching in the synagogue at Capernaum.
This is a very bold statement Jesus is making. What is He teaching? Some theologians believe He is speaking of Holy Communion, and could be one of the lessons. At Mount of Olives Church, we believe Holy Communion is more than a symbol. After all, Jesus said “on the night in which He was betrayed” and it instituted the Lord’s Supper with the words “this is my body”; “this is my blood”. He didn’t say it is like my body and blood. He didn’t say this represents my body and blood. Rather, He said it IS His body and blood. Some would argue that He did say “do this in remembrance of me”, which means Holy Communion is only a symbol. We should receive Holy Communion for many reasons, including to remember Jesus, but those words do not reduce Holy Communion to a symbol. It doesn’t take away from the fact that He said it is His body and blood.
This becomes important because it means we are having an actual encounter with Jesus. Somehow, He is present in the bread and cup. Martin Luther said He is present “in, with, through and under the bread and wine”. It also means that as God took on human flesh and revealed Himself as this down to earth God, He is still coming to us in down to earth ways. He is not tucked away in heaven unaware of our condition. He is the down to earth God who knows what it is like to be a human being.
Jesus mentions the Mana in the wilderness of which the children of Israel ate in the desert, but still died. With Jesus as the “bread of life”, when we eat of Him, we will live. Bread is a basic food. It is foundational to many cultures. It is a staple. So too, Jesus is foundational to every aspect of our lives. With so many things changing all around us, He is the one who never changes. He is “the Bread of Life”.
Pray with me:
Jesus, we thank You for coming to us in such down to earth ways. You are not far away and removed. Through Your body and blood, we can actually have an encounter with You. You are the bread of life. Fill our souls with this bread. In Your Holy name. Amen.
Yours because of Him,
Pastor John R. Steward
Senior Pastor
Mount of Olives Church
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