Then Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty." John 6:35
I love a good French baguette. With caramel crispness on the outside and creamy softness on the inside, there is nothing else like it. No other bread compares. I would say the French would agree with me as ten billion baguettes are sold in France every year. Created by the 32,000 independent bakeries (or boulangeries), the baguette is a symbol of France and of French culture. Pick one up in the morning while it’s still warm from the oven and stroll down the street with it tucked under your arm as the French do and you’ll feel like you’ve traded your American passport for a French one!
Bread in France, particularly the baguette, is such an integral part of everyday life. I would daresay it is absolutely necessary for French life. It is even considered healthy as the baguette is crafted from only flour, water, salt, and yeast. Because the baguette does not contain any preservatives, fresh baguettes are purchased each morning. Try finding a baguette in the afternoon and you may be disappointed as they will all be sold, unless a rare bakery does a second baking in the afternoon.
The French government has strict standards for the artisanal baguette. No frozen ingredients or freezing the bread at any stage is allowed. The maximum price charged for a baguette is even controlled. But what cannot be truly controlled is the unique result, the heady aroma as well as the texture and taste, produced by each baker (boulangère). In case you are wondering who bakes the best baguette, boulangeries in Paris compete in a contest known as Le Grand Prix de la Meilleure Baguette de Paris every April. The winning boulangère is awarded a prestigious contract to provide daily bread for the French President for an entire year. Needless to say, the French take their bread very seriously.
A familiar story recorded in all four Gospel accounts is Jesus’ miracle of feeding the five thousand. While the Bible mentions 5,000 men, there were probably at least another 5,000 women and children, all of whom are fed until satiated from a small boy’s lunch of just five small loaves and two fish. After turning the bread and fish into a feast, Jesus declares Himself to be the “Bread of Life”.
What does it mean for Jesus to be the Bread of Life? Bread produces both hunger and satisfaction. The smell of freshly baked bread wafting through those Parisian boulangeries creates a hunger in us to taste that which we smell. The hunger, the spiritual vacuum, inside us is meant to be satisfied only in Jesus. In John 6, the people were looking to Jesus for what He could do for them, for the miracles He could perform. They weren’t looking to Him for Himself, for a relationship with the living God. Do we look to God only when we’re looking for a miracle or when we need something from Him? Or do we pursue a relationship with Him because of who He is? Is Jesus enough? Or do we pursue material possessions, people, or careers to fill the emptiness and satisfy the hunger in our souls?
Like the French baguette, bread provides physical nourishment. When we spend time with Jesus daily, He will feed our souls with what we need for that day. Our hunger will be satisfied spiritually and will not need to look any further for what else we think might satisfy our souls and quench our desires. Jesus is indeed the Bread of Life. And no baguette contest can challenge that!
Lord, help me pursue a relationship with You, not for what You can do materially for me, but for how You can satisfy the spiritual hunger in my soul. You are enough. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Want to subscribe to future posts? Click here.
Text and photograph copyright © 2018 by Dawn Dailey. All rights reserved. Photo of Parisian baguettes all in a row.
All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com The “NIV” and “New International Version” are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.™
I love a good French baguette. With caramel crispness on the outside and creamy softness on the inside, there is nothing else like it. No other bread compares. I would say the French would agree with me as ten billion baguettes are sold in France every year. Created by the 32,000 independent bakeries (or boulangeries), the baguette is a symbol of France and of French culture. Pick one up in the morning while it’s still warm from the oven and stroll down the street with it tucked under your arm as the French do and you’ll feel like you’ve traded your American passport for a French one!
Bread in France, particularly the baguette, is such an integral part of everyday life. I would daresay it is absolutely necessary for French life. It is even considered healthy as the baguette is crafted from only flour, water, salt, and yeast. Because the baguette does not contain any preservatives, fresh baguettes are purchased each morning. Try finding a baguette in the afternoon and you may be disappointed as they will all be sold, unless a rare bakery does a second baking in the afternoon.
The French government has strict standards for the artisanal baguette. No frozen ingredients or freezing the bread at any stage is allowed. The maximum price charged for a baguette is even controlled. But what cannot be truly controlled is the unique result, the heady aroma as well as the texture and taste, produced by each baker (boulangère). In case you are wondering who bakes the best baguette, boulangeries in Paris compete in a contest known as Le Grand Prix de la Meilleure Baguette de Paris every April. The winning boulangère is awarded a prestigious contract to provide daily bread for the French President for an entire year. Needless to say, the French take their bread very seriously.
A familiar story recorded in all four Gospel accounts is Jesus’ miracle of feeding the five thousand. While the Bible mentions 5,000 men, there were probably at least another 5,000 women and children, all of whom are fed until satiated from a small boy’s lunch of just five small loaves and two fish. After turning the bread and fish into a feast, Jesus declares Himself to be the “Bread of Life”.
What does it mean for Jesus to be the Bread of Life? Bread produces both hunger and satisfaction. The smell of freshly baked bread wafting through those Parisian boulangeries creates a hunger in us to taste that which we smell. The hunger, the spiritual vacuum, inside us is meant to be satisfied only in Jesus. In John 6, the people were looking to Jesus for what He could do for them, for the miracles He could perform. They weren’t looking to Him for Himself, for a relationship with the living God. Do we look to God only when we’re looking for a miracle or when we need something from Him? Or do we pursue a relationship with Him because of who He is? Is Jesus enough? Or do we pursue material possessions, people, or careers to fill the emptiness and satisfy the hunger in our souls?
Like the French baguette, bread provides physical nourishment. When we spend time with Jesus daily, He will feed our souls with what we need for that day. Our hunger will be satisfied spiritually and will not need to look any further for what else we think might satisfy our souls and quench our desires. Jesus is indeed the Bread of Life. And no baguette contest can challenge that!
Lord, help me pursue a relationship with You, not for what You can do materially for me, but for how You can satisfy the spiritual hunger in my soul. You are enough. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Want to subscribe to future posts? Click here.
Text and photograph copyright © 2018 by Dawn Dailey. All rights reserved. Photo of Parisian baguettes all in a row.
All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com The “NIV” and “New International Version” are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.™
RSS Feed