ROSCOMMON, MI – I like bread. For real, I like bread! I love how it tastes, how it smells, even how it feels - its texture. I love how you can pull it apart and eat it one piece at a time, or just take a bite right off the roll or loaf. I love all the different types of bread: Italian, French, pumpernickel, banana bread, ciabatta, pita, cornbread, brioche, bagel, potato bread, biscuits - I think you get the picture, and hopefully you are still reading this article and not running to the bakery. I especially love all the different breads that are baked around the Christmas Holiday. The smells are amazing and the tastes are even better, minus the calories, of course. Nevertheless, fresh, baked breads have become synonymous with the Christmas season.
Fresh baked bread at Christmas is an excellent pairing because it can remind us of the “true” reason we celebrate Christmas - the birth of Jesus Christ, the “Bread of Life.” John 6:35 states, “Jesus said to them, ‘I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.”
What an amazing promise! No matter how much cornbread or biscuits I physically eat I will always be hungry for more. In the same way, no matter how much bread of the world I try to fill myself with I will always stay spiritually empty.
All the tempting treats this world has to offer will never compare to the tasty “Bread of Life.” Only Jesus can fulfill the hunger of our soul for truth and lasting nourishment. Jesus came to earth to bring us life - to be the sole supply for all we need.
In John 6:33 Jesus said, “For the bread of God is He who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.”
Jesus is forever asking us to trust Him in every circumstance and need. He is calling us to feast on Him - reading His Word, dwelling in His presence, worshipping Him through every situation - He will not leave us hungry.
Enjoying fresh baked breads at Christmas is also appropriate for a reason you may or may not have known. The Old Testament book of Micah chapter 5 verse 2 reads, “You, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, who are too little to be among the clans of Judah, from you shall come forth for me One who is to be ruler of Israel, whose coming forth is from of old, from ancient days.”
Bethlehem is two words made up in the Hebrew. You are going to love this. Beth-lehem. Bet Lechem. Bet is the Hebrew word for House. Lechem is the Hebrew word for Bread. It is no accident that God sends His Son to a bread factory to be born. Jesus is born in the city called the “House of Bread.” How cool is that? It reminds us that the seemingly insignificant can be hugely significant when God touches it. It reassures us that little is much when God is in it. I think God is sending us a message - His son, Jesus, is the Way, the Truth and the only sustainer of our Life!
This Christmas celebrate with delicious breads, but remember to feast on God’s gift to us - His Son Jesus, the Bread of Life!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Mick Schatz serves on the staff of the Baptist State Convention of Michigan. He is the State Director of Spiritual Enrichment and Retreats and lives at Bambi Lake.