Matthew 4:4 Bread of Eternal Life
“Jesus answered, ‘It is written: “Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God”’” (NIV).
My wife and I were fortunate one day while we were hiking, to see this butterfly feeding. God provided this plant for the butterfly for food, and he provided the process by which the butterfly turns this plant into vibrant animal life.
God has done the same for us. He provided all the food we need. And he provided the processes by which our bodies turn the food into vibrant life. But that speaks only of the physical food and the physical life. Satan tempted Jesus by telling Him to turn the stones into bread that He could eat. Jesus’ answer to satan, “Man shall not live by bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God,” is the solid rock on which our spiritual lives grow. We can grow physically by eating the physical food provided around us, but that provides only for the physical life, the life we live here on earth. Our bodies can survive for a limited time on those foods. Then life is done—not really, we do live forever after we leave this earth. Where we live forever depends upon the spiritual food we have consumed during our physical lifetime. Jesus tells us in John 6:35, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty” (NIV). Jesus provides us a constant supply of spiritual food that is available through the written Word, through prayer, and through the Word taught by God’s ministers. The spiritual food we consume during a day provides for the spiritual needs of that day, but also for all the days of eternity to come.
I like to think of the spiritual food that I consume as ingredients for my daily spiritual bread. That daily spiritual bread can be “whole wheat,” “sourdough,” “rye,” “pumpernickel,” or even “cinnamon-raisin” bread.” Whatever it is, it is right for that day. I also like to think that all the spiritual food I consume is being gathered into one grand recipe that will be baked on the day I leave this earth and will be available for me when I reach heaven. I don’t know what that glorious food will look like, but I can’t wait to taste it. If it were a bagel, I suppose it could be called an “everything” bagel.