List of Names & Titles
TRUE BREAD
True: from the Greek word Alethinon which means: true (lit: made of truth), real, genuine, factual, authentic. Emphasizes the integrity, certainty, and factuality, of what is true, ("true inside and out"). True to the exclusion of any thing false, or impossibly contradictory, to 'that' which is being declared to be exclusively true.
Bread: from the Greek word Arton which means: bread, a loaf of bread, food. Figuratively: God's divine provision; all the sustenance God supplies to yielded believers to live in His preferred-will. (Bread then was composed of flour mixed with water (and usually leaven) and baked; the Israelites made it in the form of an oblong or round cake, as thick as one's thumb, and as large as a plate or platter ; thus it was not cut, but broken.)
True Bread: Jesus used this title to emphasize that He is the one and only True Living Bread sent down to earth by the Father. He is not the same kind of bread used to feed the 5000, which only satifies hunger for a short time. He is not like the manna from heaven that ceased being provided after 40 years. Nor was manna able to provide eternal life. Jesus is the True Bread given by the Father so the all in the world who believe in Jesus might receive eternal Life!
In Context: Highlights of the events surrounding the use of this Title by Jesus.
Recomended reading prior to study: Matthew 14:14-23; Mark 6:34-46; Luke 9:11b-17; Jonn 6:1-71)- Jesus and the twelve apostles, tired from ministry, sailed accross the Sea of Galilee to be alone and find rest.
- But the people recognized them and outran them by foot and met them at the other side of the lake; they ran there becaue they had seen the miracles of healing He had previously performed, and wanted to see more.
- And Jesus was moved with compassion toward them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd; and He welcomed them; and He began to teach them many things, speaking to them about the Kingdom of God, and He healed those who had need of healing.
- Late in the day Jesus performed the miracle of feeding 5000 men, plus women & children, by miraculusly multipling 5 loaves and 2 fishes.
- Jesus perceived the people intended to make Him King by force, so Jesus went up alone onto a mountain. (they must have known that Jeus was a "son' of David)
- By the next day, when many had returned to Capernaum; the people again sought out Jesus; perhaps with the same intention of seeing more miracles, and forceably making Him King.
- Jesus says the true reason they were seeking Him was because they ate of the loaves and were filled! The multiplied loaves and fishes was sufficient to sastify the hunger of the whole crowd of 5000+ people.
- Jesus tells the people not to Labor for the food which perishes,
- Instead, Jesus tells them to labor for that Food which endures unto everlasting life, which the Son of Man (Jesus Himself) shall give unto them.
- Jesus tells the people that God the Father Himself has 'sealed' the Son of Man (Jesus Himself)!!
Sealed: from the Greek word esphragisen which means: sealed; from sphragizo which means: to seal; to set a seal upon something. properly, to seal something with with a signet ring or other instrument to stamp (a roller or seal), to attest ownership, or authority, and authorizing (validating) what is sealed. "Sealing" in the ancient world served as a "legal signature" which guaranteed the promise (contents, truth, etc.) of what was sealed. Used by Kings to authenticate a message as being from the King. The miracles: of healings, and of the five Loaves and two fishes feeding 5000+ people, were a type of 'Sealing' of the Father that authenticated Jesus as being from the Father; since the miracles were the evidence of the hand and power of God upon Jesus!
- Then the people asked Jesus "What shall we do, that we might work the works of God?"
- Jesus tells the people, 'This is the work of God, that you believe in Him (Jesus) whom He (God) has sent.'
- The people then ask Jesus to perform a 'sign' or some 'work' that they can see, before believing in Jesus. They give as an example the Manna from heaven that God provided their ancestors for 40 years in the wilderness. The people apparently are cosidering Jesus' bread multplication miracle to be similar to the manna bread miracle during the leadership of Moses. (When Moses first was called by God and sent back to Egypt He performed signs for the elders of Israel to prove God had sent him, and the elders believed. See Exodus 4:1-9, 27-31)
- But Jesus had already performed signs that proved He was sent from God; so He tells the people, that it is His Father who gives them the True Bread from heaven. For the Bread of God is that (or The-one - i.e. Jesus Himself) who comes down from heaven, and gives Life unto the world."
- Becase Jesus used the definite article 'that' in equating "True Bread" from Heaven as being Himself, instead of the personal pronoun 'He' (Greek: autos), the people missed the conection.
- Instead they thought Jesus was going to, perhaps, give them manna-like "True Bread from Heaven" so that they could eat it and live forever. So they said to Jesus, 'Lord, evermore give us this bread.'
- Remember also, Jesus perceived the people intended to make Him King by force. Thus He begins to tell them more plainly the Father's true mission for Himself. And He began to speak in statements that were difficult for the people to understand, and accept.
- Jesus tells them plainly that He is "the Bread of Life' - (the True Bread from Heaven given by the Father);
- Jesus also tells them, "and he who comes to Me shall never hunger; and he who believes on Me shall never thirst!"
- These statements were difficult for for many of the people to comprehend. And the people began to grumbled about, or against, Jesus, because of what He said about Himself. (Please read John 6:35-71)
Some questions to consider and meditate on:
* What other statements of Jesus were most likley difficult for some of the people to accept?
* Who withdrew and stopped walking with Jesus?
* Who stayed with Jesus?
* There were others who stayed true to Jesus. Who might these disciples be?
* Peter called Jesus the Holy One of God. How does this title of Jesus relate to the title True Bread, that Jesus applied to Himself?
Just as Jesus called Himself the True Vine, that we must abide in, in order to produce spiritual fruit; so also we must seek and labor for the True Bread from Heaven that endures unto everlasting life, which Jesus, the Son of Man, shall give unto us!
Just as Jesus is called the True Light who enlightens every man who comes into the world, so also we must come to, and partake of (eat), and believe in, the True Bread of Life; and we shall not hunger, nor ever thirst, nor die; but shall have eternal life!
Consider these scripture verses:
"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him; and without Him nothing was made that was made. In Him was life; and the life was the light of men. And the light shines in darkness; and the darkness did not comprehended it." (John 1:1-5) Jesus is the Word! In Jesus is life; and His Life is the Light of mankind! Jesus came in the likeness of human flesh, as Light that shines in darkness! But the darkness of the heart and understanding of humanity did not comprehend who Jesus truly was!
"That (or that-One) was the True Light, who enlightens every man who comes into the world. He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. He came unto His own, and His own did not received Him. But as many as do received Him, to them He gave power to become the sons of God, even to those who believe on His Name; who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of Grace and Truth. (John 1:9-14) Jesus is the Word who became flesh and dwelt among us! Jesus was born into the world that was created through Him; and the world's nations and rulers, and peoples did not know Jesus! Jesus came unto His own chosen people; and His own nation of Israel, and it's rulers, and most of His own people, did not Receive Him! All the people beheld Jesus, and His miracles of Grace! All the people heard His words of truth! All beheld His Glory, glory that was only possible as from the only Begotten Son of God the Father. And they knew not the Fathers promised Messiah Jesus; nor did they receive the Father's Lamb of God, in whom God was well pleased!
But as many as do received Jesus, to them He gave power to become the Sons of God, even to those of us who believe on His name! For us it is that simple! But for Jesus, our adoption into God's Family, meant going to the Cross!
Jesus said,
"Truly, truly, I say unto you, he who believes on Me has everlasting life. I am that bread of life. Your fathers did eat manna in the wilderness, and are dead. This is The Bread which comes down from heaven, so that a man may eat of it, and not die. I am the Living Bread that came down from heaven; if any man eats of this Bread, He shall live forever; and the Bread that I will give is My flesh, which I will give for the life of the world." (John 6:47-51) He who believes and puts their complete faith on and in Jesus has everlasting life! For us it is that simple! But for Jesus, our everlasting salvation, meant enduring the Cross!
Just as Jesus is the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world; so Jesus is also the True Living Bread given for the life of the world. And the True Bread that that Jesus gives is His flesh, for the life of the flesh is in the blood; and without shedding of blood there is no forgiveness, or cleansing of sin! (see Leviticus 17:11-14 & Hebrews 9:22).
Jesus also said,
"Truly, truly, I say unto you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man, and drink His blood, you have no life in you. Whoever eats My flesh, and drinks My blood, has eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day. For My flesh is food indeed, and My blood is drink indeed. He who eats My flesh, and drinks My blood, abides in Me, and I in him. As the living Father has sent Me, and I live through the Father; so he who eats Me, even he shall live through Me. This is the Bread which came down from heaven; not as your fathers did eat manna, and are dead; he who eats of this Bread shall live forever!" (John 6:53-58)Again, these statements of Jesus, were even more of a stumbling block in the understanding of many of the people. So Jesus clarified, by saying.
"It is the spirit that gives-life; the flesh profits nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life." (John 6:63)Remember, Jesus is the Word who was God who was made flesh in the person of the Son of Man, who is the Son of God, who is the Lamb of God who was sacrificed in the flesh on the Cross for the forgiveness of sin. Once we come to Jesus and believe in Him; then the True Living Bread 'who" came down from heaven abides in us and we abide in Him; and His words that He speaks to us are spirit and life in us! Jesus is the True Bread who has words of Eternal Life.
