Jesus the Bread of Life: Communion and Remembrance

Luke 22 places Jesus at the table with bread in his hands and a cup before him, and Jesus says, “This is my body given for you” and “this cup is the new covenant in my blood.” Bread becomes the picture of nourishment, because the physical body needs food pretty much daily, and the spiritual side of a born again person also needs nourishment. Jesus himself says, “I am the bread of life,” and that means he is not talking about a stomach that never growls again, but about the spirit that can finally be satisfied.

John 1 takes that further and says that Jesus is the Word who was with God and was God. Genesis shows God creating by speaking, with the Spirit hovering, and John says that all things were made through the Word. Sin then entered the world and caused a separation between God and mankind. That separation left some kind of void, an empty space inside humanity, and people have tried filling it with money, possessions, houses, farms, trucks, women, alcohol, drugs, and all kinds of things. None of it has been able to satisfy that deep craving. The Word became flesh, and Jesus says that he is the one who fits that empty space.

Faith becomes the starting place. Jesus says whoever believes in him will never be thirsty, and the stories of healing show that faith makes people well. A person does not need to know a whole lot of Scripture before putting faith in Jesus, but once faith is there, the living Word must be taken in. Jeremiah says, “When your words came, I ate them,” because God’s words become joy and the heart’s delight.

The cup points to the new covenant in Christ’s blood, and wine often serves as a picture of the Holy Spirit. Fermented wine can make the spirit happy for a little while, but the Holy Spirit gives peace and joy that do not fade away like that. Acts 2 shows people acting different and talking different when the Spirit comes, and those on the outside may think it is strange. Ephesians says not to get drunk with wine, but to be filled with the Holy Spirit.

Isaiah 53 shows why this new covenant is possible: Jesus was pierced for transgressions, crushed for iniquities, and the punishment that brought peace was on him. Communion therefore remembers what Jesus has done. First Corinthians also calls each person to examine the heart, not the person in the next row. Communion is not for people who have everything perfect, but it does call for a heart that honestly asks, “Where’s my heart at?” and looks back with gratitude at what Christ has done.

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Key Takeaways

• 1. Jesus fills the empty space Sin caused a separation between God and mankind, and that separation left a real emptiness inside people. Money, houses, possessions, pleasure, alcohol, and other things may promise satisfaction, but they cannot touch the place that was made for God. Jesus identifies himself as the bread of life, the one who satisfies the spiritual hunger beneath all the other cravings. [43:38]
• 2. Faith starts the new life Faith is not treated as a reward for people who already know a whole lot. Faith is the starting place where a person believes Jesus is solid, true, and able to make well. The living Word is then taken in like food, not as information only, but as the nourishment of the spirit. [48:36]
• 3. The Spirit gives lasting joy Wine can stir up a temporary happiness, but that happiness fades when the drink is gone. The Holy Spirit brings a different kind of joy and peace, one that changes how a person talks, acts, and lives. From the outside, that change may look strange, but spiritually it is the mark of God’s own presence dwelling within. [50:13]
• 4. The cross heals sin’s plague The new covenant rests on Jesus taking the punishment that belonged to sinners. Isaiah’s words show that Christ was pierced, crushed, and wounded so that peace and healing could come. Sin is not treated as a small mistake, but as a plague that only the suffering of Christ could answer. [55:28]
• 5. Communion requires honest self-examination The table does not demand perfection, because perfection would leave no reason for the cross. The table does call for a person to look at the heart honestly before God and ask what needs to be made right. Self-examination is not looking down the row at someone else, but standing before Christ with gratitude and truth.
  
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Youtube Chapters

• [00:00] - Welcome
• [36:16] - Bread as Spiritual Nourishment
• [37:10] - Jesus, the Bread of Life
• [38:32] - Jesus as the Living Word
• [40:53] - Sin Creates the Empty Space
• [43:09] - The Word Became Flesh
• [45:40] - Faith Is the Starting Place
• [48:36] - Eating the Word of God
• [49:04] - The Cup and the Holy Spirit
• [52:50] - New Life Through the Cross
• [55:28] - The New Covenant in Christ’s Blood
• [57:39] - Examining the Heart Before Communion
• [61:17] - Remembering What Jesus Has Done
• [66:40] - Taking the Bread and Cup

Bible Reading

Luke 22:19-20
“And he took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to them, saying, ‘This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.’ And likewise the cup after they had eaten, saying, ‘This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood.’” [11:51]

John 6:35
“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.’” [37:10]

John 1:1-4, 14
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.” [38:48]

Isaiah 53:4-5
“Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed.” [55:00]

1 Corinthians 11:28
“Let a person examine himself, then, and so eat of the bread and drink of the cup.” [58:20]

Observation questions

1. In Luke 22:19-20, what two things does Jesus give to his disciples, and what does he say each one represents?
2. In John 6:35, what two promises are connected to coming to Jesus and believing in him? [43:56]
3. According to John 1:1-4, 14, what is said about the Word at the beginning, and what later happened to the Word? [39:18]
4. What are some of the things people use to try to fill the empty place caused by separation from God? [42:00]

Interpretation questions

1. Jesus calls himself the bread of life. If physical bread nourishes the body, what does it mean for Jesus to nourish a person spiritually? [36:40]
2. John says the Word became flesh. How does that help explain why Jesus is able to meet the deepest need in people, not just teach them from a distance? [43:05]
3. Faith is the starting place, and then the Word is to be taken in like food. Why is that order important for understanding the Christian life? [48:09]
4. First Corinthians 11:28 says a person should examine himself before taking communion. What kind of heart check does that call for, and why is it important that the focus stays on oneself rather than on others? [57:47]

Application questions

1. Many people try to fill the empty place with money, comfort, pleasure, relationships, or escape. What has most often competed for that place in real life, and what tends to reveal that it is not enough? [41:41]
2. Faith starts with believing Jesus is true and able to make a person well. Where does trust in Jesus feel strong right now, and where does it still feel hesitant or thin? [45:52]
3. God’s Word is not just information but nourishment. What helps the heart actually “eat” the Word instead of only reading it quickly and moving on? [48:29]
4. Temporary things can lift the mood for a little while, but the Holy Spirit gives lasting peace and joy. What is the difference between those two in personal experience? [49:54]
5. The Holy Spirit changes the way a person talks, acts, and lives. Where has that kind of change already begun, and where is more change still needed? [50:44]
6. Communion calls for honest self-examination, not perfection. If the heart were searched today, is there anything that needs to be confessed, made right, or brought into the light before God? [01:00:27]
7. Jesus told his people to remember what he has done. Looking back over life, what are some clear ways Christ has met, carried, forgiven, or changed a person? [01:01:17]