There are several consistent themes that run the course of Jesus' life and ministry. These themes are overarching and speak loudly and broadly to the heart and mission of Heaven through Jesus. One of these themes is of bread and wine.
In the book of John, after Jesus feeds the five thousand, the disciples got into a boat and went to Capernaum. Jesus joined them as they went across the lake by walking on the water. When He stepped into the boat, they arrived immediately on the other side (John 6:16-21). The next morning the crowd realized that Jesus and the disciples were no longer in their midst, so they too crossed the sea in some boats. When the crowd arrived in Capernaum, they found Jesus and asked Him, "How did you get here?". John 6:26 is Jesus' reply; "Let me make this very clear, you came looking for me because I fed you by a miracle, not because you believe in me. Why would you strive for food that is perishable and not be passionate to seek the food of eternal life, which never spoils? I, the Son of Man, am ready to give you what matters most, for God the Father has destined me for this purpose."
This verse is so striking to me. Jesus gives a slight rebuke to the crowd and then says something so very profound. He wonders at them asking how they could be so passionate about perishable food, but not be passionate to seek the food of eternal life? Then He says something that just wrecks me, "I, the Son of Man, am ready to give you what matters most..." We see Jesus doing this kind of thing over and over. He discerns peoples hearts, then cuts to the root of an issue that changes everything. What could Jesus be saying here? I propose this: Jesus is saying that the Father has destined Him to be real food and real drink for the planet, that whoever eats and drinks of Him, would become one with Him even encountering eternal life.
Let's take this idea one step further. Mathew 6:26 tells us the account of Jesus eating the Passover meal with His disciples. Verse 26-27: As they ate, Jesus took the bread and blessed it and broke it and gave it to His disciples. he said to them, "This is my body. Eat it." Then taking the cup of wine and giving praises to the Father, he entered into covenant with them saying, "This is my blood. Each of you must drink it in fulfillment of the covenant. For this is the blood that seals the new covenant. It will be poured out for many for the complete forgiveness of sins. The next time we drink of this, I will be with you and we will drink it together with a new understanding in the Kingdom realm of my Father." Many teach the latter part of this verse as a far off time that has not occurred yet. But I want to propose to you that Jesus is speaking of a moment that was to occur approximately 10 days after His resurrection-Pentecost.
At that moment, when the Kingdom came rushing in with a sound and a wind by the power of Holy Spirit, those in the upper room began to eat and drink, they began to feast on His Body broken and His blood poured out. "The next time we drink of this, I will be with you and we will drink it together with a new understanding in the Kingdom realm of my Father." The new covenant has given birth to a new understanding of the Kingdom realm. In this radically consuming experience of becoming one with Jesus, we eat of Him, we drink of Him, we feast on Him, and in doing so, we truly become one with Him. Whatever we take into our bodies, we become one with. By eating the Bread of Life, we begin to naturally partake in and participate in the Kingdom. In this communion between us and Jesus, heaven and earth come together. In fact, God is going to do for all creation what He did for Jesus! The Kingdom is God's new creation in action. As we consume Jesus, the Kingdom consumes us and begins to transform everything it touches. Through this communion, God is filling everything in every way! His resurrection is an invitation into encounter, an invitation into a revolution that has already unseated the once ruling authority of the powers of darkness. Heaven's provision has now become the earth's possession and we are the ones taking possession of it. We are laying down our lives to partner with Him in an authority that pushes back darkness until His presence fills everything in every way. Scripture speaks of this in Ephesians 1:22-23: "And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way."
They say that seeing is believing but in the Kingdom, EATING is believing. What would our families, our churches, and our cities look like if we gave them "what matters most"? What if we taught our children to feast on Him? The truth is, this is so simple I think that we are missing the issue completely. Jesus is the bread of life that comes (and continues to come) out of Heaven and He is ready to give us what matters most; Himself. He gives us himself so we could feast on Him, so the world could feast on Him and be hungry no more.
When people encounter you, hear your voice, engage your heart; can they eat? Are they able to access real food and drink from your life? Traditional leaders, what about you? Are people that attend your gatherings finding real food? Are they feasting on Jesus? It's what matters most. Our Father destined Jesus for this purpose.
"I am the Bread of Life. Come every day to me and you will never be hungry. Believe in me and you will never be thirsty." John 6:35