Our Multifaceted Relationship to Food... and to the Savior
God uses food to teach many truths... the Passover meal, manna from heaven, the Lord's Supper... and ultimately and wonderfully: Jesus as the bread of life!
Exodus 16
John 6:25-70,2:23-25,7:7,1:29
But if he gives no record of the institution, he does give us in this discourse of Jesus something which fills the Lord’s Supper with a deep wealth of meaning for the believer. Our Lord in this discourse is not indeed speaking directly of the Lord’s Supper, but He does expound the truth which the Lord’s Supper conveys. F.F. Bruce The Gospel of John
...the language is sacrificial... 'the Lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world' (John 1:29). To give one's flesh can scarcely mean anything other than death, and the wording here points to a death which is both voluntary ('I will give')and substitutional ('for the life of the world'). Leon Morris The Gospel according to John
Eating and drinking thus appear to be a very graphic way of saying that people must take Christ into their innermost being. The words, then, are a cryptic allusion to the atoning death that Christ would die, together with a challenge to enter the closest and most intimate relation with Him. Leon Morris The Gospel according to John
Sermon discussion questions for parents to use with their children:
What are the various ways people relate to Jesus?
What are examples of God using food to teach us truths?
Why did Jesus call Himself the Bread of Life?
How do we eat of this bread?
Which of the three persons who were addressed in the application are you?
