“From Bethlehem “The House of Bread” Came the True Living Bread of Heaven”
“From Bethlehem “The House of Bread” Came the True Living Bread of Heaven”
John 6: 32–35
Jesus then said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, it was not Moses who gave you the bread from heaven, but my Father gives you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is he who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.” They said to him, “Sir, give us this bread always.” Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.”
In Jesus life on earth, He did not speak in riddles to trick and deceive people but rather He being true bread of heaven that God gave that whosoever believes in Him shall not perish but have life eternal. Those that Jesus interacted with many times were seeing and believing things that were in the physical and temporal realm. Whereas, Jesus in His teachings and parables was speaking from a spiritual and eternal realm and speaking to the heart, the heart of the matters.
It is awesome to reflect on Jesus equating Himself to being the true living bread of heaven that those who would and have truly experienced and tasted of Him would experience a lasting sustaining power through repentance and faith and being found new creations in Him.
In verse 35, Jesus declares in the first of seven “I AM” statements in the Gospel of John that “I am the bread of life”, and that he who comes to Him shall never hunger and he who believes in Jesus will never thirst.
The approximately 700 year prophesy of the Prophet Micah as recorded in Micah 5:2 “But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, who too little to be among the clans of Judah, from you shall come forth for me one who is to be ruler in Israel, whose coming forth is from of old, from ancient days.” was fulfilled in the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem as recorded in Matthew 2:1–6 “Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the east came to Jerusalem, saying, “Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.” When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him; and assembling all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born. They told him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for so it is written by the prophet: “And you, O Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for from you shall come a ruler who will shepherd my people Israel.”
Coming full circle in looking at the meaning of words, we look at the word “Bethlehem”. The word Bethlehem means “House of Bread”..
Wow so incredible! In Hebrew, Beth-lehem is two words and means “house” (Beth as in Beth-el, “house of God”) and “bread” (lehem). Lest we not despise the day of small things, as in this little town known as Bethlehem, just south of Jerusalem that the Messiah and Savior of the World Jesus would be chosen to be born in a feeding trough in a manger there.
What a coming of the King of the Universe!
Have you tasted in this living bread, which came down from heaven?
I hope and pray you have.
In closing as a prayer, I leave with you the 4th and last stanza of “O Little Town of Bethlehem”
O holy Child of Bethlehem, descend to us, we pray, cast out our sin and enter in, be born in us today. We hear the Christmas angels the great glad tidings tell; O come to us, abide with us, our Lord Immanuel!
Written By Mark Burns
Sunday, August 6, 2022
