The tantalizing scents of yeast and baking bread beckoned to me. Still bleary-eyed from sleep, I padded from the guest room to the dimly lit kitchen and surveyed the room. A large silver mixer stood on the counter, its dough attachment spinning vigorously as Gracie rhythmically kneaded a mass of dough. Thrust, turn, thrust. Five tins spanned the counter top, each covered by a white cloth.
Turning her attention toward me, the farmer’s wife dusted flour from her hands. “Good morning, Tammy. Would you like to see the special treat I have for you?”
Nodding, I followed behind Gracie as she stepped toward the oven. “This is for you,” she said, tilting a cookie sheet my direction. Curious, I moved closer to investigate the shiny tray and its promising contents—a loaf of bread carefully shaped to resemble a teddy bear. My stomach gurgled in anticipation as I imagined eating those golden hills of cinnamon-and-sugar laced goodness.
Reaching for a plate, Gracie tugged a round of sweetbread from the loaf and handed it to me. I’d never enjoyed a more delicious breakfast.
The disciples must have shared my sentiment the day they feasted on the bounty Jesus miraculously produced to feed five-thousand men as well as women and children. Food was scarce—until the Master filled baskets to overflowing with heaven-sent bread and assuaged the hunger of a ravenous crowd.
Amazed, the people hunted after the Giver when he quietly slipped away. Finally discovering His location, they demanded more. More bread. More miracles. More of Christ.
But John 6: 25-28 reveals that Jesus knew their hearts.
“When they arrived and found him, they said, “Sir, how did you get here?” Jesus replied, “The truth of the matter is that you want to be with me because I fed you, not because you believe in me.  But you shouldn’t be so concerned about perishable things like food.”
I imagine Christ peering out at those in the group, His gaze penetrating the hearts of the unbelieving before continuing.
“Spend your energy seeking the eternal life that I, the Messiah, can give you. For God the Father has sent me for this very purpose.” John 6:27 MSG)

[bbctt tweet="Jesus spoke plainly; He was the one for whom
Israel had waited.#answeredprayer"]

Jesus spoke plainly; He was the one for whom Israel had waited. But unbelief persisted as the people challenged deity in flesh and demanded proof.
 “What sign then will you give that we may see it and believe you? What will you do? Our ancestors ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written: ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.
Jesus said to them, “Very truly I tell you, it is not Moses who has given you the bread from heaven, but it is my Father who gives you the true bread from heaven.  For the bread of God is the bread that comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.” (John 6: 30-33 NIV)
Christ’s next words stunned the crowd.
Then Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. (John 6:35 NIV)
The carpenter’s son made a radical claim when He spoke the words “I am”. This combination of pronoun and verb equated Christ with God. How? He chose to use the Hebrew words, “Ego eimi” to convey His message—an emphatic word choice referencing Exodus 3:14 when God revealed His character to Moses as YAHWEH, the I AM who always was, is, and will be.

[bbctt tweet="Once we feed on the bread of heaven, He occupies our
spiritual emptiness.#breadoflife"]

Undeterred, Jesus made a distinction between the perishable bread God showered on the Israelites in the wilderness and Himself, “the bread of life”. One was temporary and the other eternal.
As much as I enjoyed the bread Gracie prepared for me when I was a child, it couldn’t satisfy my hunger. A few hours later, I needed to fill the void in my stomach again. Christ is far different. Once we feed on the “bread of heaven”, He occupies our spiritual emptiness and delivers us from always requiring more to storehouses of abundant blessing.
If you haven’t tasted of the joys of heaven, I pray you will. And if you’ve already joined Him at the table, won’t you sit by me? Let’s celebrate and feed on the things of Christ together.
Peace and grace,
Tammy
I often link-up with the following wonderful bloggers:
Mondays   Mandy and Michele, Kingdom Bloggers,
Tuesdays RaRa Linkup /GraceFull Tuesday / Tell His Story/Anchored Abode, InstaEncouragements
Wednesdays   Worth Beyond Rubies, Recharge Wednesday / WelcomWednesday /LetsHave Coffee
Thursdays Heart Encouragement  /  Tune In Thursday  /Salt and Light /  Five Minute Friday
Friday Faith on Fire, Blogger Voices Network, Grace and Truth Linkup