Lesson 3 – Highlighting the Bread of Life

John 6:26-58

 

I.  Into Our History:

 

A.    Preparation for the Evening - Have communion set up for your group.

 

·         Have different types of bread set up at your table. If you cook a meal for your group, have sourdough bread bowls filled with soup.

·         Have a plate with bread or crackers on it.  Also, small cups with wine or grape juice for each person.

 

B.      Suggested Ice-Breakers:

 

·         What is your favorite kind of bread?  Why?

·         Did you in the past, or do you now, have a household that always has bread at the dinner table?

 

II. Into The Bible:

           

     A.  Read John 6:26-58:

 

i.        Bread from a Cultural Perspective: 

 

In the Jewish culture of Christ’s day, bread was very important to meal time.  It was a person’s bowl for food and their utensil for eating.  If someone didn’t have bread, typically that person did not eat. Also, withholding bread was an effective punishment for a disobedient child.

           

            ii. Bread from a Scriptural Perspective: 

 

Bread was important to the Passover feast[1]in that it illustrated the haste with which the Jews left Egypt, as well as illustrating the removal of sin.  As to the latter, all yeast or leaven was to be removed from the household.  Given that yeast represented sin, this gesture symbolized the removal of sin in our lives.  The bread which they ate during that week was “unleavened.”  Exodus 13:3-10

 

Jesus took this same bread a broke it, saying: "This is My body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of Me." (1 Cor. 11:24)

 

iii. Question:  Given the cultural and scriptural perspective on bread, what was Christ saying when he declared himself to be the “bread of life?”

 

·         Just as eating bread provides sustenance for one’s body, likewise, it is through believing in Jesus that we are given spiritual sustenance.

 

·          Just as the Jews would have perished in the wilderness if they refused to eat the manna, we will perish if we do not believe in Jesus.

 

·         Just as the bread used during the Passover meal was unleavened (symbolic of being without evil), likewise Jesus is sinless.

 

·         Just as the bread used during the Passover was broken, the sinless body of Jesus would be broken in crucifixion for us. 

 

B.      Read 1 Corinthians 11:23-34: 

 

  i. Question:  Why do we do communion?

 

·         To Commemorate the Lord’s Sacrifice for us.

 

1 Corinthians 11:24: “This is My body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of Me."

 

1 Corinthians 11:25: “This cup is the new covenant in My blood; do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me."

 

·         To Celebrate the Lord’s forgiveness of us.

 

1 Corinthians 11:26: “For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until He comes.”

 

·         To Anticipate the Lord’s coming for us.

 

1 Corinthians 11:26: “For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until He comes.”

 

ii. Question:  How do we prepare and partake of communion?

 

·         Sober Self-Examination: 

 

1 Corinthians 11:27-29: 27 “Therefore whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner, shall be guilty of the body and the blood of the Lord.  28 But a man must examine himself, and in so doing he is to eat of the bread and drink of the cup.” 

 

     By this, Paul seems to mean that some people may enter into this solemn occasion with an improper evaluation of themselves.  Perhaps they minimize the immorality in their own lives, or they are over-confident of their own spiritual state.  Whatever the case, Paul calls us to reflect on our own spiritual state, much like David of old: 

 

Psalm 139:23-24:  23 “Search me, O God, and know my heart; Try me and know my anxious thoughts; 24 And see if there be any hurtful way in me, And lead me in the everlasting way.”

 

·         Serious Christ-Examination:

 

1 Corinthians 11:29-31:   29” For he who eats and drinks, eats and drinks judgment to himself if he does not judge the body rightly.  30 For this reason many among you are weak and sick, and a number sleep.  31 But if we judged ourselves rightly, we would not be judged.”

 

     By this, Paul seems to mean that some people enter into this solemn occasion with an improper evaluation of Christ.  Perhaps they minimize his importance in their own lives; or approach the communion elements trivially.  Whatever the case, Paul calls us to reflect deeply on the reality symbolized by the elements:  Christ’s atoning sacrifice for our sins.            

 

 

III. Into Our Lives:

 

A.    Partake of Communion: You can either take the communion elements, bread and

wine or grape juice together or “as they feel led,” it all depends on your emphasis for your group.

 

Suggestions: Have worshipful music playing to create a mood of reflection.  Have your group spend time forgiving others that have sinned against them (Matt. 6:15) and asking for forgiveness (1st John 1:9), along with reflecting on the fact that Christ died for them. (Col. 3:13)

 

     B.  Questions to end with.

 

·         What do you think God wants us to know by revealing that he is the Bread of Life?

·         What are some ways that we can practically rely on God as our Sustenance?

·         How can you help make your appetite for God stronger?  Matthew 5:6

 

 

 


[1] Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread. References to the Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread include Ex 12:1-13:16; 23:15; 34:18-20,25; Lev 23:4-14; Num 28:16-25; Deut 16:1-8; Josh 4:19-23; 5:10-12; and 2 Chron 30:2,3,13,15. The Passover was the first of the three great festivals of the Hebrew people. It referred to the sacrifice of a lamb in Egypt when the people of Israel were slaves. The Hebrews smeared the blood of the lamb on their doorposts as a signal to God that He should "pass over" their houses when He destroyed all the firstborn of Egypt to persuade Pharaoh to let His people go.

    Passover was observed on the 14th day of the first month, Abib, with the service beginning in the evening (Lev 23:6). It was on the evening of this day that Israel left Egypt. Passover commemorated this departure from Egypt in haste. Unleavened bread was used in the celebration because this showed that the people had no time to put leaven in their bread as they ate their final meal as slaves in Egypt.

     Several regulations were given concerning the observance of Passover. Passover was to be observed "in the place which the Lord your God will choose." This implied the sanctuary of the tabernacle or the Temple in Jerusalem.

     Josh 5:10-12 refers to the observing of Passover in the plains of Jericho near Gilgal. Second Chronicles 30:1,3,13,15 describes a Passover during the reign of Hezekiah. Messengers were sent throughout the land to invite the people to come to Jerusalem to observe the Passover. Many refused; some even scorned the one who carried the invitation. Because the people were not ready to observe the Passover, a delay of one month was recommended. That year the Passover was on the 14th day of the second month. Even after the delay many still were not ready to observe the Passover.

     In New Testament times, Passover became a pilgrim festival. Large numbers gathered in Jerusalem to observe this annual celebration. Jesus was crucified in the city during one of these Passover celebrations. He and His disciples ate a Passover meal together on the eve of His death. Like the blood of the lamb which saved the Hebrew people from destruction in Egypt, His blood, as the ultimate Passover sacrifice, redeems us from the power of sin and death.

(from Nelson's Illustrated Bible Dictionary, Copyright (c)1986, Thomas Nelson Publishers)