Bread from Heaven

Many churches take steps to make certain that visitors feel comfortable. The greeting at the door, the music during the service, and the illustrations used in the sermon are all especially designed to make people curious about faith feel at home, in the hope that they will consider the gospel.

Jesus’ interaction with the crowd that came seeking Him after the miraculous feeding of thousands of people took a radically different approach. First, Jesus rebuked the multitude for their motives in seeking Him out. When they demanded that He provide a miraculous sign to back up His claims, Jesus pushed back by saying that He was the bread from heaven (v. 48).

In one of the most staggering statements of His entire ministry Jesus said, “I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Whoever eats this bread will live forever. This bread is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world” (v. 51). These words were not intended to make those who heard it feel comfortable. If anything, they were designed to disturb.

When the crowd asked for clarification, Jesus did not say that He was trying to make a spiritual point by using a figure of speech. Instead He answered, “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. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day” (vv. 53–54). These words were so shocking that even His disciples balked at them (v. 60).

Instead of marketing appeals, Jesus used inflammatory language. His aim was not to make people feel good about the experience but to awaken them to the truth.

Pray with Us

Join us in prayer for Jim Elliott, vice president of Stewardship. Ask God to encourage him every day, as he serves Moody and our donors across the country. Also, please include in your prayers today his executive assistant, Audrey Gross.

BY Dr. John Koessler

John Koessler is Professor Emeritus of Applied Theology and Church Ministries at Moody Bible Institute. John authors the “Practical Theology” column for Today in the Word of which he is also a contributing writer and theological editor. An award-winning author, John’s newest title is When God is Silent: Let the Bible Teach You to Pray (Kirkdale). Prior to joining the Moody faculty, he served as a pastor of Valley Chapel in Green Valley, Illinois, for nine years. He and his wife, Jane, now enjoy living in a lakeside town in Michigan.