I like bread. White bread’s the best, and dinner rolls. My wife makes wheat bread from scratch. There’s nothing like fresh bread right out of the oven.

The Israelites had a bread problem after they left Egypt. They had none. They had nowhere to get it, no way to make it. But they wanted it. So God sent bread from heaven. It showed up on the ground. The Israelites had no idea what it was, so they called it manna, which in Hebrew means: “What is it?”

Jesus is the Bread of Life. That’s what He tells us in today’s reading. You eat Him and you go from eternal death to eternal life. But how can you do that? I don’t see Him physically standing here. We’re not cannibals or vampires. Jesus, how am I supposed to eat You?

Jesus also said whoever looks at Him and believes has eternal life. That’s how we eat Jesus. It’s not a physical eating. It’s a spiritual eating. How do you do that? You’re doing it right now! You hear His Word. When you hear it, you believe it. That’s the eating Jesus is talking about.

What’s so special about that Word? The Israelites ate the manna bread from heaven and still died in the wilderness. Jesus said whoever eats His flesh and drinks His Blood has eternal life. He’s pointing to His Death and Resurrection. His Word tells you about it. It declares to you Jesus died and rose for you.

You are a sinner. You can’t please your dear Father in heaven without His help. He gave you the best help ever: Jesus, His Death. Now you please Him because His Blood covers all our sins. Believe it! It’s yours!