Give Us This Day

When Jesus was teaching his disciples to pray and said “Give us this day our daily bread,” the disciples understood what that meant. They understood that bread, in their culture as well as in many cultures today, was the giver of life. Many ancient cultures revered bread as a symbol of life. In less prosperous cultures, people often survive literally from day to day on bread. The importance of bread under those circumstances cannot be understated. To receive daily bread, therefore, is to receive that which you need to sustain you through today – until you once again receive that bread tomorrow. In our overweight culture, we have lost the sense of that metaphor. I admit that I am part of that culture. We typically don’t worry about what we are going to eat tomorrow because our cupboards (and refrigerators and freezers) are full.

As a result, when Jesus said in John 6:35 that “I am the bread of life,” we are at risk of underestimating the importance of the metaphor. However, Jesus Christ is the spiritual manna from heaven that I need every day in order to be spiritually satisfied. Without him, I will try to fill my cravings with all the temporary pleasures this earth has to offer – none of which will bring happiness. His is the bread that will eternally dispel my hunger and my thirst.

In this week’s sermon, we explore the fact that Jesus truly is the daily bread. To hear it, click on the link below.

Jesus Says “I AM” – The bread of Life
http://www.box.net/shared/30w0gw1kw0