Christian Churches of God
No. 12z
Summary:
One Bread, One Body
(Edition 2.0 19940402-19991125)
Examines the concept of Christ as the Bread of Life and the Bread of God commencing from
John 6:24-63.
Christian Churches of God
PO Box 369, WODEN ACT 2606, AUSTRALIA
E-mail: secretary@ccg.org
(Copyright  1994, (Edited 1999 Christian Churches of God)
(Summary edited Wade Cox)
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Summary: One Bread, One Body
One Bread, One Body
The concept of Jesus Christ being the bread of
life and to be eaten was difficult for the people
to understand, as they thought on a physical
level (Jn. 6:24-63). Many people followed
Christ for the physical benefits he offered.
Christ’s life was given for the reconciliation
of the whole creation to God the Father. By
eating Christ’s body spiritually at Passover we
retain the Holy Spirit that ultimately leads to
eternal life.
Our food too must be doing the will of the
Father (Jn 4:34). If we drink in the mind of
Christ and live a life reflecting this, we too
can take on that divine nature of God (2Pet.
1:4 ff). Our spiritual lives are bound to the life
of the Messiah as a chosen people, a
priesthood to offer up spiritual sacrifices
acceptable to God (1Pet. 2:4).
Our human existence is a transient thing,
existing only to educate us in the
responsibilities of the kingdom of God. God
desires that we focus on the spiritual (Rom.
8:6-13).
Christ laid down his life to obey God. We
must put to death our carnal attitudes to
overcome sin. To live for righteousness often
involves suffering (1Pet. 2:24).
Ancient Israel was brought out of Egypt as a
unified people, fed on manna for a physical
salvation. The lessons of Passover teach us
what it means to be reconciled to God and
unified with one another. This unity between
us requires self-sacrifice in our lives, giving
up pride, prejudices, personal ambitions and
desires. The commission of Jesus Christ is to
make disciples of all nations. We have no say
in who is placed into his body, the church. We
can only discern those in the body by the fact
that they speak according to the law and
testimony (Isa. 8:20).
At the Lord’s Supper when we eat the bread
we are in fact saying we identify with the
body of Christ, which is agreeing with the
truth taught in that church. The piece of bread
we eat symbolises our reconciliation with God
and our partaking in that single spiritual
organism, the church, through the Holy Spirit.
Also it states our friendship with one another.
Christ is not divided. He gave his life so we
might become one united family.
The bread of the Lord’s Supper has specific
lessons concerning the unity God wants to
build in us. Christ chose bread to symbolise
his body and the church. It was part of the
staple diet and was a sign of hospitality. By
eating the bread a guest became bound to his
host. Also a servant who ate his master’s
bread was bound to speak his word (1Kgs.
18:19). An example of this was the priests
who ate at Jezebel’s table. They were tied to
her false religious system and taught for hire,
which God condemns (Mic. 3:11).
Grain, from which bread is made, is often
used to represent humans in God’s plan of
salvation (Jas. 1:18). The first fruits of the
harvest were made into the sacred loaves in
the tabernacle of the temple. Christ
symbolised the wave sheaf of the first barley
harvest and the people of God represent the
wheat harvest at Pentecost. The Bible portrays
the world as a field of grain (Mat. 13:24-51).
True Christians are the wheat growing
amongst the tares.
Grain also pictures the resurrection of the
dead (1Cor. 15:35-42). Bread is a composite
structure, like the many types of people
making up the one loaf of the body of Christ.
The diversity should strengthen each other,
using the different gifts to serve and build up
each other (Rom. 12:6-8).
The leaven in the bread represents a spirit. We
must put out the old leaven of malice and
wickedness. The unleavened bread at
Passover represents sincerity and truth (1Cor.
5:8). The new leaven is of the Holy Spirit,
symbolised by the loaves at Pentecost. The
wrong spirit of competition, vanity, pride and
hate divides and separates people. We must
‘deleaven’ our lives of these harmful attitudes
that drive wedges between people, so we can
Summary: One Bread, One Body
be closer together as a church and in our
relationships with all people.
Bread is flour mixed with water to make
dough. Water in the body of Christ is the Holy
Spirit (Jn. 7:37-39). As we drink in of that
spirit it soaks through us and changes our
minds and natures, binding us together.
(1Cor.12:12-13). Oil also represents the Holy
Spirit. It is used in bread making to give
texture and smoothness. The people in God’s
church must have a smooth harmony in their
relationships with one another. The ultimate
consequence of having God’s spirit is ‘agape’
love, a godlike love of outgoing concern for
others; a self-sacrificial love for others. When
we find other baptised people who believe as
we do, we must not forsake gathering together
to worship and fellowship. We work together
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to demonstrate we are part of the body. The
fruits of God’s nature in us, help us to live
together in unity. When we care and serve our
brothers and sisters in kindness, humility and
compassion, we will become one bread.
Salt in the bread of Christ signifies zest or
enthusiasm for the ways of God (Mk. 9:50;
Mat. 5:13). When we eat the bread at the
Lord’s Supper we acknowledge to God we
have discerned the church as Christ’s body,
and as the bread is one, so we are committed
to becoming one with the other members in
the body of Christ; ultimately one with God as
He becomes all in all.
Let us strive to become one bread, one body!
