#John6 - The Most Wonderful Bread

Click here to read John 6:

1. What stood out to me from this chapter?

Almost the entire chapter was about bread. First Jesus feeds the 5,000 with five loaves and two fish. Then when the crowds find him again on the other side of the lake, they ask for more bread. Jesus calls them out on their fickle dependence on him for actual food, when they should be seeking him for eternal life. Jesus says, in essence, "God sent bread down from heaven to keep you alive from day to day, but now he has sent me so that you can be alive for all eternity. Get your eyes off the ground and your stomachs, and look up to see what God is really doing here. Even WonderBread still spoils eventually despite the added preservatives. Get some of the most wonderful bread, that will never spoil - me."

2. How does this relate to any other Scripture I know?

When Jesus talks about eating his flesh and drinking his blood, it sounds a little creepy and weird. It seems at first like symbolism, and then he keeps using the same language and carries it to a point where it has to still be symbolism, but doesn't sound much like it anymore. But it did make me think of Holy Communion and the Last Supper. Jesus broke the bread and said, "Take and eat, this is my body given for you." He also took the cup of wine and said, "This cup is the new covenant sealed in my blood...drink of it." It sounds very similar, and reminds us that we need Jesus at every turn.

3. What does this mean for my life?

For this question, I look at the scene at the end of the chapter where many disciples desert Jesus. He then turns to the twelve remaining and asks why they haven't left yet. Peter (often the first to reply) said, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We have come to believe and know that you are the Holy One of God." As I have experienced more of life and simultaneously become more acquainted with the Bible, I find myself thinking the same thing. "Where else am I going to go? God is the only thing that actually makes life make sense. Life as revealed in the Bible is the only one worth living."

4. What questions do I have about this passage?

How do the two concepts Jesus teaches about those who believe have eternal life, and that God is the one who draws them in make sense together? It sounds a little contradictory, but I'm just curious how they really fit together.

Those are my thoughts for this chapter. I'd love to hear yours. God's blessings to you and KEEP DIGGING IN!

In Christ,
Dan

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#Mark8 - It's All About The Bread...Or Not

Click here to read Mark 8:

1. What stood out to me from this chapter?

Within a short span of time (at least as the gospels read) Jesus feeds a crowd of 5,000 men (plus women and children) and then a crowd of about 4,000 with only a few loaves each time. After the second miracle, Jesus starts to teach about the yeast of the Pharisees. Because the disciples had forgotten to bring bread, they thought Jesus was just "rubbing it in" in a way. This was a point in time when Jesus was on a whole different plane of thought than the disciples. They were worried about physical bread, and Jesus was using bread and yeast as a metaphor. The teaching and self-righteousness of the Pharisees is kind of like yeast that works itself throughout the loaf of bread. The wrong teaching can also work itself through a person until their hearts are hard towards repentance and surrender to God.

2. How does this passage relate to any other Scripture I know?

I thought first of how God provided manna or "bread from heaven" for the Israelites when they were wandering in the the desert. Every day he provided enough for them to eat, but commanded them not to store up extra or it would spoil. This also connects with the Lord's Prayer, when we say, "Give us this day our daily bread." We are not asking for silos full of bread, but enough to sustain us for that day. I believe this is a similar concept to what Jesus alludes to as he asks the disciples about the feeding incidents. He reminds them that there were 12 and 7 baskets left over. Both of those numbers in the Jewish culture indicated a meaning of being complete or full. Jesus seemed to be saying, "Don't worry about bread, I will provide enough. Focus more on your heart, your life, your teaching, and your faith in me."

3. What does this mean for my life?

Verses 34-36 of this chapter have always struck a chord deep inside of me. It seems like backward thinking on the surface. The more we surrender our lives to God, the more we will actually discover true life. I have a tendency to try and do things myself, to create and control my circumstances, to be the master of my own fate and captain of my soul. The truth is that I have found the most purpose, joy, freedom, and adventure in life when I let go of that control and trust God to lead and guide me.

4. What questions do I have about this passage?

Jesus uses yeast as an analogy for both the good (the kingdom of heaven in Matthew 13) and the bad (teaching of the Pharisees here in this chapter). I'm just curious if yeast had any inherent good or bad connotations for the Jews at that time. I know that they celebrated a feast of unleavened bread to remember how they left Egypt in such a hurry that they didn't have time to let their bread rise. It's a silly, almost insignificant question, but one I wondered about anyway.

Those are my thoughts for the day. I'd love to hear yours. God bless and keep digging in.

In Christ,
Dan

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