Bread is served around the world in a variety of shapes, sizes, textures and flavors. Every culture uses bread as a base for some of their most popular dishes like pizza or dumplings! For sandwiches, plain white bread has taken a back seat to more interesting kinds of breads like rye, sourdough or pumpernickel. Italian words like ciabatta and focaccia can be found on menus alongside French words like brioche and baguette. There are a lot of different kinds of bread!
No matter the culture, bread is universally considered a staple food providing nutrition and the word “bread” is so prominent in daily life that it has come to have special meaning. Bread is often used to express what we need for life. People can live on “bread and water” and in the Bible, Jesus taught us to pray, “Give us this day our daily bread” meaning what we need today. Jesus also used the words “living bread” to describe his life-giving purpose.
Bible Reading
A major theme of the Bible is love, sacrifice, life and death. Jesus explained these deeply profound subjects in words we understand. Bread is one of them.
I am the bread of life. Jesus said, 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 6:48 & 51
Jesus knew he would give his life by dying on the cross. He was not a victim of his circumstances, rather he was a victor. He gave his life so that we can have eternal life. So in terms we can understand like bread which means things that are necessary for our physical life, Jesus was saying that his death on the cross for our sins is living bread necessary for our spiritual life.
Discussion
- What does it mean if a person has “no bread”?
- Why would Jesus use “bread” – a common word – to describe himself?
- What do you think Jesus meant when he said, “I am the bread of life”?
- What is your understanding of the difference between normal bread and the bread of life?
Word List
to take a back seat – a place or position of lesser importance
staple food – in your office, a staple is a piece of bent metal to hold paper together; but it can also mean the basic or main part of something
sacrifice – a personal loss made for someone else’s benefit
victim – a person who has no control over being harmed
victor – a person conquers or defeats someone who opposes them
Read more: John 6
