The teaching emphasizes the contrast between the forbidden fruit in the Garden of Eden, representing the human pursuit of knowledge of good and evil, and the true spiritual nourishment that comes from Jesus, described metaphorically as the "bread of life" that offers everlasting life. Christians are encouraged to focus on the enduring sustenance of faith through Jesus rather than temporary, worldly knowledge or gains.
Jesus refers to Himself as the "living bread" offered for the world's life, signifying His sacrifice on the cross, where He became sin for humanity, paralleling ancient animal sacrifices, so believers, by symbolically consuming His flesh and blood through faith, can attain eternal life. This teaching emphasizes choosing the path of love and humility, following Christ's offering on the cross, rather than judging with worldly knowledge, aligning with the grace symbolized by the second Adam, Christ.
Humility, gratitude, kindness, longsuffering, patience, and mercy are essential qualities, emphasizing that the focus should be on Jesus rather than doctrine or being right. Many disciples turned away from Him because His teachings require self-denial and dependence on Him, which can be daunting for some.
A New and Improved Christian Diet
Understanding the Trees in the Garden of Eden
The Garden of Eden – a forbidden tree. It was called the tree of KNOWLEDGE of Good and Evil. God told Adam and Eve NOT to eat of it. NOT TO EAT OF A TREE OF KNOWLEDGE OF GOOD AND EVIL. Funny, huh? You would think that God would want His creations to FEAST on the fruit from a tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. But he said, no. Do not eat of it. In the day you do you will surely DIE.
Interestingly, Christianity has become a faith that claims itself to be full of knowledge of good and evil. All of its forms claim “correct knowledge,” “correct doctrine,” “correct practice” and the authority to be able to teach what is good and what is evil. It stands on what they determine to be good and evil. It’s based on its knowledge. I think that today we could almost say that Christians love eating the fruit from the tree of KNOWLEDGE of GOOD and EVIL more than any other food. They run to that tree, the gorge on its fruits and they turn and use the wisdom gained from this diet on the world.
The Bread of Life
But did you know that there is another fruit from another tree that Jesus said His followers ought to eat? It’s not food that provides Knowledge of Good and Evil but it is another fruit from another tree, from another garden scene – we might call it (for lack of a title) the bread fruit of the faith. Most of us are aware of the miracle of the loaves and fishes as it is recorded in John 6. So, there was a mass of people gathered to hear Jesus and it grew late and Jesus had compassion on them and multiplied two small fish and loaves to feed them all.
This act so impressed the crowd that they wanted to make him their earthly King and we read at verse 15:
John 6:15 When Jesus therefore perceived that they would come and take him by force, to make him a king, he departed again into a mountain himself alone.
This response to Jesus continues on to this very day doesn’t it – people seeking to make Jesus king over a material Kingdom. We then read that the masses pursued him the following day, ostensibly for more physical blessings from his hand and Jesus says to them (at verse 26)
26 Verily, verily, I say unto you, Ye seek me, not because ye saw the miracles, but because ye did eat of the loaves, and were filled. (And He adds) 27 Labor not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endures unto everlasting life, which the Son of man shall give unto you: for him hath God the Father sealed.
The True Bread from Heaven
In other words, the food you are working to receive from me is perishable – you will need a refill of it within hours. It’s temporal, vapid – seek for the food that endures unto everlasting life. After some dialogue between them the Jews said
31 Our fathers did eat manna in the desert; as it is written, He gave them bread from heaven to eat. 32 Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Moses gave you not that bread from heaven; but my Father giveth you the true bread from heaven. 33 For the bread of God is he which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world. 34 Then said they unto him, Lord, evermore give us this bread. 35 And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.
Jesus then gives a discourse on His purpose of being sent by the Father. Then we read at verse 41 the Jews murmur because He said that He was the bread that came from heaven. It’s a good read – check it out. But at verse 47 Jesus adds
Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life. 48 I am that bread of life. 49 Your fathers did eat manna in the wilderness, and are dead. 50 This is the bread which cometh down from heaven, that a man may eat thereof, and not die. 51 I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man
The Bread of Life
"Eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world."
52 The Jews therefore strove among themselves, saying, How can this man give us his flesh to eat? 53 Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you. 54 Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day. 55 For my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed. 56 He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him. 57 As the living Father hath sent me, and I live by the Father: so he that eateth me, even he shall live by me. 58 This is that bread which came down from heaven: not as your fathers did eat manna, and are dead: he that eateth of this bread . . . shall live for ever.
Now I want you to notice something that he says at verse 51 – it's an important clarification. He says:
51 I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.
Did you catch that? The bread which will give, which if any man will eat will live forever, “was his flesh, which he said that He would give for the LIFE of the world.”
The Offering of Jesus' Flesh
How and why and when would His flesh give life to the world? What flesh was it? His baby flesh? His teenage flesh? His adult ministry flesh?
It was the flesh that would be OFFERED on the cross. Remember what Paul said about Him and His flesh?
Galatians 3:13 Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree:
Romans 8:3 For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sinMissing the mark of faith and love—no punishment, just lost growth or peace., condemned sin in the flesh:
2nd Corinthians 5:21 For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.
So just like the animal sacrifices offered up for sin in the Old Testament, Jesus offered Himself up, on the cross, being made sin for us, and a curse for us, and we eat of that flesh that was offered, and drink that blood that was shed, symbolically, spiritually through faith, ingesting Him and His offering into our minds and hearts and fortifying our souls through it, knowing that He became what we were so that we might live.
Faith and Love
Paradoxically, that is the bread of life that Jesus told His disciples to eat, because it would be through “his flesh, which he said that He would give for the LIFE of the world.”
And when and where exactly did He do this? When He was hung on a tree. All the way back in Deuteronomy we read that under the Law:
22 And if a man have committed a sin worthy of deathSeparation from God—now overcome. Physical death remains, but it no longer separates us from life with God., and he be to be put to death, and thou hang him on a tree: 23 His body shall not remain all night upon the tree, but thou shalt in any wise bury him that day; (for he that is hanged is accursed of God;) that thy land be not defiled, which the LORD thy God giveth thee for an inheritance.
Therefore, we can look to the Father of Flesh, Adam, and live on His diet – fruit from the knowledge of Good and Evil, or we can choose to be believers who eat of the breadfruit offered by Christ unto eternal life which comes by faith and humbly exhibits love to all.
In other words, we can walk around telling people we know this, and we know that, that what they believe and how they live is either good or its evil because we have knowledge of such things OR we can eat from the tree of the second Adam, the tree of eternal life, and of the fruit of THAT tree upon which He was hung, that says: Love.
Key Virtues
Humility. Gratitude. Kindness. Longsuffering. Patience. Mercy.
Folks, it's not about doctrine and being right. It’s always been about Jesus.
Reflections from John
It’s interesting that after presenting this teaching to the disciples John concludes
66 From that time many of his disciples went back and walked no more with him.
The Challenge of Following Jesus
Why? Because what He demands requires a death to self and a reliance on Him. And for them it was just too much.
Something to think about. Love YOU.
