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WesleyF
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The True Bread From Heaven
In the Old Testament, when Moses led the Israelites out of Egypt from the Red Sea, they passed through the wilderness of Shur and a place called Elim. After they set out from Elim, they came to the wilderness of Sin, where they began to complain to Moses because they were extremely hungry and without food. So the Lord gave them food from heaven to eat (Exodus 16:15), which the Israelies called “manna” (Exodus 16:31). For forty years, the Israelites ate manna, till they came to the border of the land of Canaan (Exodus 16:35). The apostle Paul calls manna “spiritual food” (1 Corinthians 10:3). However, the spiritual food was given to the Israelites in a physical form, so that they, being physical creatures, could eat it. The Israelites also cried out for water and God miraculously provided them with water from a rock (Exodus 17:16). Paul calls this water “spiritual drink” (1 Corinthians 10:4) and once again, the spiritual drink was given in a physical form so that the Israelites could drink it. In fact, Paul explains that Jesus himself, who was the source of this spiritual drink, the **spiritual rock **(1 Corinthians 10:4), was present in the form of the physical rock that the Israelites drank from. So we see that spiritual realities like spiritual food and drink were given to the Israelites in a physical form, so that they could consume them.
In the New Testament, Jesus said, “I am the bread of life” (John 6:35). He said to the Jews, “Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died. This is the bread which comes down from heaven, that a man may eat of it and not die. I am the living bread which came down from heaven; if any one eats of this bread, he will live for ever; and the bread which I shall give for the life of the world is my flesh” (John 6:51).
The Jews then disputed among themselves, saying, “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?” (John 6:52). But Jesus reintensified his stance by saying, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of man and drink his blood, you have no life in you; he who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. For my flesh is food indeed and my blood is drink indeed. He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me, and I in him. As the living Father has sent me, and I live because of the Father, so he who eats me will live because of me. This is the bread which came down from heaven, not such as the fathers ate and died; he who eats this bread will live for ever.” (John 6:53-55).
Many of his disciples were perplexed at this teaching saying that it was a “hard teaching” (John 6:60) and they no longer walked with him (John 6:66). But Jesus let them go and in fact turned to his apostles and asked them if they too wanted to leave (John 6:67). It was difficult for many of his disciples to accept his teaching, because they did not have enough faith in him. They should have considered that if he can multiply five loaves and two fish to feed five thousand men (John 6:10-13), then he can also give them his flesh and blood to drink in a way that does not violate the laws of Moses or their aversion to eating human flesh. Peter displayed this kind of faith when he said, “Lord to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life; and we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God” (John 6:68-69).
Just as in the Old Testament, the spiritual food and drink were given to the people of God in a form that they could consume, so in the New Testament, the flesh and blood of Christ are given to us in a form that we can consume. We obviously are not capable of eating the actual human flesh or drinking the actual human blood of Jesus because of our aversion to eating human flesh and blood. So in order to give his flesh and blood to us, Jesus gave it to us in the form of bread and wine. On the night he was betrayed, Jesus took bread and blessed it, broke it, and gave it to the apostles saying, “Take, eat; this is my body” (Matthew 26:26). In the same way, he took the chalice filled with wine, gave thanks and gave it to them saying, “Drink of it, all of you; for this is the blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins” (Matthew 26:27-28).
So while we receive what we perceive with our senses to taste like bread and wine, we are actually receiving the body and blood of Jesus Christ under the species of bread and wine, just like the Israelites received what they perceived to be physical food and drinl, when in fact they were receiving spiritual food and drink. It is because of this understanding of the bread and wine that Paul says, “Whoever, therefore, eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of profaning the body and blood of the Lord. Let a man examine himself, and so eat of the bread and drink of the cup. For any one who eats and drinks without discerning the body eats and drinks judgment upon himself” (1 Cor 11:27-29).
Jesus is indeed, the “true bread from heaven” (John 6:32), given to us in the form of bread and wine, so that we can eat his flesh and drink his blood, and so have eternal life. How blessed we are to receive this gift! Amen! And I am going right now to mass to receive it!
In the Old Testament, when Moses led the Israelites out of Egypt from the Red Sea, they passed through the wilderness of Shur and a place called Elim. After they set out from Elim, they came to the wilderness of Sin, where they began to complain to Moses because they were extremely hungry and without food. So the Lord gave them food from heaven to eat (Exodus 16:15), which the Israelies called “manna” (Exodus 16:31). For forty years, the Israelites ate manna, till they came to the border of the land of Canaan (Exodus 16:35). The apostle Paul calls manna “spiritual food” (1 Corinthians 10:3). However, the spiritual food was given to the Israelites in a physical form, so that they, being physical creatures, could eat it. The Israelites also cried out for water and God miraculously provided them with water from a rock (Exodus 17:16). Paul calls this water “spiritual drink” (1 Corinthians 10:4) and once again, the spiritual drink was given in a physical form so that the Israelites could drink it. In fact, Paul explains that Jesus himself, who was the source of this spiritual drink, the **spiritual rock **(1 Corinthians 10:4), was present in the form of the physical rock that the Israelites drank from. So we see that spiritual realities like spiritual food and drink were given to the Israelites in a physical form, so that they could consume them.
In the New Testament, Jesus said, “I am the bread of life” (John 6:35). He said to the Jews, “Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died. This is the bread which comes down from heaven, that a man may eat of it and not die. I am the living bread which came down from heaven; if any one eats of this bread, he will live for ever; and the bread which I shall give for the life of the world is my flesh” (John 6:51).
The Jews then disputed among themselves, saying, “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?” (John 6:52). But Jesus reintensified his stance by saying, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of man and drink his blood, you have no life in you; he who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. For my flesh is food indeed and my blood is drink indeed. He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me, and I in him. As the living Father has sent me, and I live because of the Father, so he who eats me will live because of me. This is the bread which came down from heaven, not such as the fathers ate and died; he who eats this bread will live for ever.” (John 6:53-55).
Many of his disciples were perplexed at this teaching saying that it was a “hard teaching” (John 6:60) and they no longer walked with him (John 6:66). But Jesus let them go and in fact turned to his apostles and asked them if they too wanted to leave (John 6:67). It was difficult for many of his disciples to accept his teaching, because they did not have enough faith in him. They should have considered that if he can multiply five loaves and two fish to feed five thousand men (John 6:10-13), then he can also give them his flesh and blood to drink in a way that does not violate the laws of Moses or their aversion to eating human flesh. Peter displayed this kind of faith when he said, “Lord to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life; and we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God” (John 6:68-69).
Just as in the Old Testament, the spiritual food and drink were given to the people of God in a form that they could consume, so in the New Testament, the flesh and blood of Christ are given to us in a form that we can consume. We obviously are not capable of eating the actual human flesh or drinking the actual human blood of Jesus because of our aversion to eating human flesh and blood. So in order to give his flesh and blood to us, Jesus gave it to us in the form of bread and wine. On the night he was betrayed, Jesus took bread and blessed it, broke it, and gave it to the apostles saying, “Take, eat; this is my body” (Matthew 26:26). In the same way, he took the chalice filled with wine, gave thanks and gave it to them saying, “Drink of it, all of you; for this is the blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins” (Matthew 26:27-28).
So while we receive what we perceive with our senses to taste like bread and wine, we are actually receiving the body and blood of Jesus Christ under the species of bread and wine, just like the Israelites received what they perceived to be physical food and drinl, when in fact they were receiving spiritual food and drink. It is because of this understanding of the bread and wine that Paul says, “Whoever, therefore, eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of profaning the body and blood of the Lord. Let a man examine himself, and so eat of the bread and drink of the cup. For any one who eats and drinks without discerning the body eats and drinks judgment upon himself” (1 Cor 11:27-29).
Jesus is indeed, the “true bread from heaven” (John 6:32), given to us in the form of bread and wine, so that we can eat his flesh and drink his blood, and so have eternal life. How blessed we are to receive this gift! Amen! And I am going right now to mass to receive it!
