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By Mike Caton

John 6:51, “I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Whoever eats this bread will live forever. This bread is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.”

Jesus makes things very plain here. He is the living bread that came from heaven. This is the only bread, the only food, the only thing that will allow us to live forever. Later, Jesus will say he is the way, the truth, and the life, that no one comes to the Father except through him. Jesus makes it clear he is not just A way, he is THE way. And the only way to gain that eternal life is by eating the bread the bread he gives, which is actually his flesh.

This statement really upset the Jews, as we will see tomorrow. But Jesus makes it clear he is giving his flesh, his life for the world. Jesus came and died as a sacrifice, the righteous for the unrighteous, the Godly for the ungodly. And the only way we can experience forgiveness is through the sacrifice that he made on our behalf. He has told us before that he will be killed. And whether we like it or not, we all participate in that death, he died for the sins we had committed. We are responsible in the sense that it was for us. And we have to remain in Jesus, we have to remember his death, his sacrifice for us.

One way we remember Jesus’ death is by participating in the memorial he established for us, the Lord’s Supper. Every week, all over the world, Christians gather to remember the death of our Lord and Savior. This is a reminder, but we need to remember every day and constantly feed ourselves on the bread of heaven. You cannot eat once a week and remain healthy. You need daily bread. So ought our commitment to Jesus be, a daily relationship that we strive to make stronger.

Father, thank you for living bread. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Mike Caton is the preacher at Mount Olive Church of Christ in Belhaven. He volunteers at the Ponzer Fire Department and works part time with Hyde County EMS. If you would like to receive daily devotions in your inbox, email mikecaton@centurylink.net.

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