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The Bible refers to Jesus as the Word.

When Jesus lived on earth, he described himself as the Bread of Life that came down from heaven (John 6:48-51)


REAL LIFE FOR NOW MINISTRIES

We read in John 1:1 In the beginning the Word was, and the Word was with GodÖSo the Word became flesh and resided among us, and we had a view of his glory, a glory such as belongs to an only-begotten son, from a fatherÖ(John 1:14). When Jesus lived on earth he fed everyone he encountered Living Bread. Indeed, Jesus was the direct personification of God's Word and fed people spiritually. Jesus, as a mentor, was exemplary in applying Godly principles in his daily life.


48 "I am the bread of life. 49 YOUR forefathers ate the manna in the wilderness and yet died.

50 This is the bread that comes down from heaven, so that anyone may eat of it and not die.

God's son, Jesus, also demonstrated to the multitudes of people how God's Kingdom will in the future rule in peace and righteousness. Jesus fed people spiritually, so as to enable receptive people to grow to spiritual maturity in their walk with God. Jesus displayed fruits of the spirit perfectly, such as joy, righteousness, kindness and love. Jesus, through God's power and by Holy Spirit, performed wonderful miracles by healing the sick, removing people's disabilities and resurrecting the dead thereby giving onlookers a foretaste of God's Kingdom. Truly, most individuals who witnessed these miracles believed Jesus to be the Son of God and thereby placed implicit faith in God.

51 I am the living bread that came down from heaven; if anyone eats of this bread he will live forever; and, for a fact, the bread that I shall give is my flesh in behalf of the life of the world."


When Jesus was speaking to the Pharisees here he was describing himself as the manna to which the Jews were able to relate. Jewish history relates how their forefathers had left Egypt, led by Moses, into the wilderness and were fed manna from God daily. This prefigured the living bread, Jesus, who was foretold as coming to feed mankind God's Word. In the Wilderness the Israelites, who had been freed from bondage to Pharaoh under the influence of God Jehovah, were fed manna daily (which was described as a type of sweet bread, flake) and which reminded them of their complete reliance on God for their daily sustenance. The Israelites could not toil and purchase food in the wilderness but were literally fed physical food for their nourishment by God. In Exodus 16: 4-5 4 Then God said to Moses: "Behold, I am raining down bread for YOU from the heavens for you; and the people shall go out and gather each a day's portion every day, that I may prove them, whether they will walk in my law or not. 5 On the sixth day they shall prepare to bring in twice as much as they gather daily." And in Exodus 16: 31 & 35 we read: 31 And the house of Israel began to call its name "manna." And it was white like coriander seed, and its taste was like that of flat cakes with honey. And the Israelites ate manna forty yearsÖ..(Amplified Bible)

Centuries later, Jesus became the living bread on which his followers fed in order to keep themselves spiritually alive. Jesus reaffirmed that 'man does not live by bread alone but by every saying coming from God's Word'. For our own spiritual survival in this world alienated from God, we depend on the spiritual food that Jesus feeds us daily, if we partake of this spiritual bread.

Therefore, Jesus symbolized the living bread from heaven, sent by God, providing to all believers spiritual nourishment and everlasting life.

In John 6 we read: 35 Jesus said to them: "I am the bread of life. He that comes to me will not get hungry at all, and he that exercises faith in me will never get thirsty at all. 36 But I have said to YOU, YOU have even seen me and yet do not believe. 37 Everything the Father gives me will come to me, and the one that comes to me I will by no means drive away; 38 because I have come down from heaven to do, not my will, but the will of him that sent me. 39 This is the will of him that sent me, that I should lose nothing out of all that he has given me but that I should resurrect it at the last day. 40 For this is the will of my Father, that everyone that beholds the Son and exercises faith in him should have everlasting life, and I will resurrect him at the last day."

While Jesus lived on earth he became the manifestation of God's Word, for every spoken word, every action brought the Word of God to life. In heaven, Jesus had witnessed Biblical events which had taken place long ago as well as the prophecies which had been foretold. Jesus quoted from the old testament and in so doing affirmed that God's Word is true. But more importantly, Jesus offered Life to all those who put faith in him. We read in Revelation 2:17 "He who is able to hear, let him listen to and heed what the Spirit says to the assemblies. To him who overcomes (conquers), I will give to eat of the manna that is hidden, and I will give him a white stone with a new name engraved on the stoneÖÖ" In Vine's Complete Expository Dictionary, it is stated that "The Lord speaks of (manna) as being typical of Himself, the true Bread from Heaven, imparting eternal life and sustenance to those who by faith partake spiritually of Him."

Therefore, may we feed on the living bread, God's Word, daily for our spiritual nourishment. Let us all endeavour to eat of the manna from heaven and thereby grow to spiritual maturity until we will finally inherit everlasting life, at Jesus' Second Coming. This is a real prospect for all those who choose to live daily by the sayings and teachings of Jesus, the Living Bread.