As we edge closer to the day set aside to celebrate the coming of Christ, we peek into the manger and wonder, “Who are you, Jesus?” And He answers us. All through the Scripture we are told who He is, but most powerful are the words of Jesus Himself. Today we are pondering a second emphatic statement He made:

“I am the bread of life.
He who comes to me will never go hungry,
And he who believes in me will never be thirsty.” 
John 6:35

Bread. Yes, please. Give it to me sliced. Whole. Buttered. Jammed. Toasted. Swirled with cinnamon. Alone or as the parenthesis for a variety for delicious content. For centuries, across cultures, bread represents sustenance for life. 

And what’s better than bread? Free bread. This is the context in which Jesus made the claim, “I am the bread of life.” Folks were anticipating Him providing literal bread for them. They just witnessed Jesus feeding a crowd of 5,000 plus, and devoured more than their fill of free, no-work-attached bread.

As He often did, Jesus took something people encountered every day, bread, and taught a spiritual lesson. “You’re wanting physical bread, but I’m telling you about spiritual bread. I am that bread. Anyone who comes to Me and believes in Me will be given eternal life. I am the life giver, and the life sustainer. If you align yourself with Me, you will never hunger or thirst again.” 

Hunger and thirst are metaphors for our innate need to know God. As we come to Jesus, with belief, He brings us into relationship with God and our hunger and thirst to know God are satisfied.  The heart finds what it has searched for. In this new relationship, where God becomes an intimate friend, we are now at home with the One we feared, or never knew. In that moment of knowing God, we begin our journey of life with Him. The offer of Christ, though lasting for eternity, is a new life that begins now.

After He gives this gift of life, He becomes our sustenance and source of strength, for each day. He nourishes our soul with solid promises, gentle teaching, and unconditional love, while pouring a steady stream of grace and mercy over us.

Just as a piece of bread cannot sustain us forever, so we must draw sustenance from Jesus day by day. He directs us to do this by keeping sharp the spiritual disciplines, working-out daily with exercises in study, prayer, worship, solitude, meditation; keeping our spiritual muscle strong so when we hit a wall or are caught in a storm, we aren’t already weak and depleted, but nourished from the Bread of Life, spiritual muscles taut and ready for battle. That spiritual muscle will serve us well when times get tough.

But, when we are in the grips of despair, and our spiritual workouts are laid aside because all of our focus and energy are needed just to breathe and move, He stays right with us. He is always just a whisper away. Jesus will sustain us day by day, sometimes moment by moment, through the hard.

For whatever reason, if this is a difficult season for you, know this: The babe is no longer in the manger. He is a powerful Redeemer and Savior. Reach out to Him, your Bread of Life, and He will give you exactly what you need in each moment. He is your sustenance (nourishment; means of sustaining life). And He will sustain you in the hard (support, bear, keep, provide for).

Take a moment to soak in and latch on to these truths:

“You give me your shield of victory, and your right hand sustains me.” 
(Psalm 18:35)

“Surely God is my help; the Lord is the one who sustains me.” 
(Psalm 54:4)

“Cast your cares on the Lord and he will sustain you.” 
(Psalm 55:22)

“I have made you and I will carry you; 
I will sustain you and I will rescue you.” 
(Isaiah 46:4)

Photo by Wesual Click on Unsplash