We've recently seen the dramatic contrast that Jesus, the TRUE Light, has from all other insignificant and diminishing lights in the world. Truly, in this respect (and every other), Jesus possesses utter preeminence! In fact, His total and thorough exaltation as the TRUE light leaves all other "lights" burnt out by comparison. It's actually quite embarrassing for those who assume they themselves shine brightly.
The Holy Scriptures also testify that Jesus is the TRUE Bread: "They said therefore unto him, What sign shewest thou then, that we may see, and believe thee? what dost thou work? Our fathers did eat manna in the desert; as it is written, He gave them bread from heaven to eat. Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Moses gave you not that bread from heaven; but my Father giveth you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is he which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world. Then said they unto him, Lord, evermore give us this bread. And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst. " (Jn 6:30-35).
TRUE bread? What can this mean?
The Jews, in these verses, drew a belittling contrast between Jesus and Moses. The force of their objection was this: "What proof do you have that you're indeed better than Moses?" They sought to depreciate the miraculous feeding of the multitudes they had just witnessed on the previous day. It was though they had said, "If you would have us believe on you as the Sent One of God, then you must show us greater works. You have fed five thousand but once, whereas in Moses' day, our fathers ate bread for 40 years!" They seemed to ignore the God who gave such manna; their eyes rested upon (and exalted) Moses, the mere human medium. What an offense this could have been to our Lord! Thankfully, however, "He hath not dealt with us after our sins, nor rewarded us according to our iniquities" (Ps 103:10). Instead of getting angry at their unbelief, Jesus lovingly condescends and answers their rude ignorance with a beautiful and accurate description of Himself, the TRUE Bread, the One so far greater than Moses! Observe:
Jesus being labeled as the TRUE Bread has several significances.
(1) Jesus is the living Bread: "For the bread of God is he which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world" (Jn 6:33). Jesus, as the TRUE and living bread, is able to pass this Divine life onto another - all they must do is willingly partake: "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" (Jn 6:52). The manna that was feasted upon in the wilderness had no such life in it; it had no power to ward off death and the grave! The generation that ate of it died in the desert, how then could it be better than the TRUE Bread from heaven? It could not.
(2) Jesus is the universal Bread! The manna that was sent was only for the Israelites; no other people partook of such provision; it fell only in Israel's camp. But Jesus, the TRUE Bread, "giveth life unto the world" (Jn 6:33). How wonderful that such life is not restricted to one's genealogy! How grateful we are that Jesus asks us ALL to partake: "This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief" (1 Tim 1:15).
(3) Jesus is the satisfying Bread: "...my Father giveth you the true bread from heaven..." (Jn 6:32). The manna provided only a temporal and momentary natural satisfaction to the hunger pains of the Jews. What a sharp contrast this is to the real, genuine, and eternal satisfaction that we have in feasting upon the ever-present body and blood of our Lord Jesus! "I am the Bread of life: he that cometh to Me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on Me shall never thirst" (Jn 6:35). It's remarkable! Such sharp, and potentially devastating, spiritual hunger pains are only quenched as we look to Jesus, the TRUE Bread from heaven! The rotting food of mere religion will never meet such a dire need. May His Bread be the sustenance and daily staple of our diets! Only in Him is the full satisfaction of spiritual life available.
(4) Jesus is the substantial Bread: Only in King Jesus does such an illustration reach its glorious potential. All natural bread must first be grown from grain, cut down, ground into flour, and finally subjected to the fiery process of the oven. Then, and only then, is the bread ready and able to provide sustenance and life. Even so, the experiences of the Lord Jesus are dramatically similar: He grew up before God and men, only to be cut down and "bruised for our iniquities" (Isa 53:5), and was "made a curse for us" (Gal 3:13). His cross was the fierce fires of God's wrath upon sin, and He took our place in judgment. All of this was so that He could rightly become our TRUE Bread of life, and offer His substance to a dead and dying world!
How wonderful Jesus is! How glorious is His sustaining character! Such glories should make us want to feed upon Him all the more!
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