Bread and Wine (John 6:41-59)

Today's scripture: John 6:41-59

We followers of Christ regularly celebrate the Lord's Supper or communion. During this solemn ritual, we often hear the words Jesus spoke to His disciples on Passover, just before His betrayal and arrest. He told them to eat the bread and drink the wine as a memorial to Him (see Luke 22:17-20).

This certainly wasn't the first time Jesus described Himself as bread and wine. In today's verses, He calls Himself "the living bread." He continues, "... if anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever; and the bread also which I will give for the life of the world is My flesh.”

We read these words, and sometimes, we just skim over them. But perhaps it's wise to (pardon the pun) chew on them a bit.

We have few true needs in life. We don't need iPhones or iPads. We don't need fancy cars or big homes or the latest trendy clothes. We do need food, liquids, and shelter. Jesus provides both spiritual food and liquid.

Now one might argue that wine isn't the preferred beverage, but in His time, water wasn't always safe to drink, so they would drink wine. So when Jesus spoke of bread and wine, His listeners understood he was talking about sustenance.

Our souls need Jesus. We need Him in our lives, in our hearts. We need to be His temple and learn from Him. We need to eat the bread He offers. And when we do this, we can be confident that He will draw us to Him. In fact, He promises to "abide" in us. Without Him in us, we have "no life." With Him, however, we have eternal life.

Spend time each day having a spiritual meal. Chew on God's word. Listen to His voice. Drink the goodness of grace.

Abide in Jesus today.