"I am the bread of life… I am the living bread which came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever; and the bread that I shall give is My flesh, which I shall give for the life of the world." John 6:48, 51
This Christmas we are thinking (and singing) about the sleepy little town of Bethlehem. We know it as the place where Jesus was born. We also know that just as there is no room in many hearts for the Savior, there was no room at the inn for Mary and her newborn baby Jesus. Ironically, it is Jesus, for whom many have no time or energy to give, who is the very source of life for all.
All that we crave, all that we hunger for (personal fulfillment, fame, fortune) can really only be satisfied by Jesus, the bread of life, the one rejected by the innkeeper and modern man. Also, ironically, the very name of the city, Bethlehem, foretold in the prophecy of Jesus’ first coming (Micah 5:2) means “house of bread.” Jesus, the bread of life, born in the house of bread, gives to all who believe eternal bread. Remember that the next time you take communion.
Pray: “Lord Jesus. We remember that you sacrificed so much for our purchase. Keep us grateful and close to you in this season. May our lives be a living testimony of you so that all may be drawn to you and be saved.”