THE BREAKING OF THE BREAD

“And it came to pass, as He [Jesus] sat at meat with them, He took bread, and blessed it, and brake, and gave to them.  And their eyes were opened, and they knew Him; and He vanished out of their sight.” (Luke 24:30, 31).

 

St. Luke, the beloved physician, gives an account of something that happened after Jesus’ resurrection but before His ascension to heaven.  Luke is the only Gospel writer that included this story in the events of Jesus’ life; and, because of its uniqueness, it perhaps captures our attention all the more.  What did Luke want us to learn from this account?

 

“And, behold, two of them [two of Jesus’ disciples] went that same day to a village called Emmaus, which was from Jerusalem about threescore furlongs.  And they talked together of all these things which had happened.” (Luke 24:13, 14).

 

On the Sunday morning that Jesus rose from the dead, several women who had followed the Lord during His ministry came to the tomb where He had been placed.  They came to anoint Jesus’ body with spices and ointments which they had prepared.  Upon arriving at the tomb, they discovered that the soldiers guarding it were gone, the stone was rolled back from the opening, and Jesus’ body was not there.  They were “much perplexed” by what they found.  As they wondered at what they found, two angels appeared to them and said, “Why seek ye the living among the dead?  He is not here, but is risen.”  They reminded the women of what Jesus had told them when He was still alive: “The Son of man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again.” (Luke 24:7).  The women then remembered Jesus’ words and went back to where the 11 Apostles were assembled with other disciples.  They shared everything with the group that they had seen and heard, but what they said seemed like nonsense to the Apostles and the others.  Peter and John ran to the tomb to see for themselves and returned, pondering what had happened.

 

It’s at this point in the story that Luke mentions the two disciples who were on the road to Emmaus.  These men were not Apostles.  They were two of the other disciples that were gathered together with the Apostles after Jesus’ burial.  They had heard the women’s report, and had dismissed it just like the others.  Only one of them, Cleopas, is identified by name while the other remains unknown to us. 

 

As these two men traveled along, they spoke to one another about the events of the last several days.  “And it came to pass, that, while they communed together and reasoned, Jesus Himself drew near, and went with them.” (Luke 24:15).  This should have been an occasion of great joy, seeing their Lord alive from the dead; but they didn’t recognize Him.  “…their eyes were holden [restrained] that they should not know Him.” (Luke 24:16).

 

We need to understand that Jesus’ disciples were in a state of confusion after He was crucified.  Though the Lord had tried to prepare them for His betrayal and crucifixion, they just couldn’t understand it in the context of their own expectations of the Messiah.  To them, death meant an end to everything that Christ had begun to do during the 3 1/2 years He was with them.  They expected that He would take the throne of Israel, establish His Kingdom, and rout the Romans.  Now He was dead, and they just couldn’t see past that.

 

There are times in our own lives when things do not happen as we would wish or expect them to.  We don’t always understand why God allows things to work out as they do.  We can’t see past the loss, the failure, the heartache, or the pain.  The sufferings of this life often seem contrary to our picture of the gentle Shepherd and the loving God.  Through His Word, and by the witness of others who have walked the path of suffering, the Lord speaks to us about such things; but the words may seem like nonsense and idle tales to us and be too difficult for us to receive.  In John 6, the Lord tried to explain to His disciples that He was the Bread of Life and the Manna from heaven.   He told them “Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink His blood, ye have no life in you.” (John 6:53).  This was difficult for many to grasp, and they said, “This word is hard; who is able to hear it?” (John 6:60 YLT).  In fact, scripture says that “From that time many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him.” (John 6:60, 66).  

 

The Lord is very patient and will draw near to us when we are puzzled and perplexed, just as He did to the two who were heading for Emmaus.  We may not recognize Him, though, because we lack a revelation of His plan.  The eyes of our understanding need to be enlightened so that we can grasp the greatness of God’s love.  He showed that love when He raised His Son from the dead (see Ephesians 1:17-20).  Without such understanding, we are merely seeking the living (the risen, victorious Savior) among the dead (the defeated, crucified Lord).  The early followers of Jesus struggled with the message of the cross.  They didn’t get it while He was alive and trying to prepare them for it; and they didn’t get it initially even after He was risen.  We modern day believers often don’t get it either.  The idea of suffering before glory is difficult for the flesh to accept.  Scripture is pretty clear, however.  Peter couldn’t have made it plainer, for instance, when he wrote, “...the God of all grace, Who hath called us unto His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you.” (1 Peter 5:10).  As Isaiah put it, “Wherefore glorify ye the LORD in the fires [tribulations]...” (Isaiah 24:15). 

 

Cleopas and his friend should have been tarrying in Jerusalem and waiting for the risen Lord to reveal Himself rather than aimlessly traveling to another city.  They were on the wrong path.  They had chosen the wrong road.  Yes, the Lord was with them, but they were unable to recognize Him.  He was going to fix that.

 

Jesus spoke to the two disciples and said, “What manner of communications are these that ye have one to another, as ye walk, and are sad?”  One of them answered, “Art thou only a stranger in Jerusalem, and hast not known the things which are come to pass there in these days?”  To this, Jesus replied, “What things?” (See Luke 24:17-19).  Of course, Jesus knew exactly what was on their hearts and minds.  He often questions us about what we believe so that His teaching will have the greater impact when He reveals Himself to us. 

 

A number of things in Luke’s account reveal the mental and emotional state of these two followers of Jesus.  First of all, Luke mentions that they were sad.  With the great victory that Jesus obtained over Satan on the cross, and with the Lord’s triumph over death and the grave, His disciples should have been overwhelmed with joy and gladness.  Secondly, they referred to Jesus as “a prophet” and not as the Messiah, the Christ, or Son of God.  Earlier in His ministry, Jesus asked His disciples who men said He was.  Some thought He was John the Baptist, others thought He was Elijah, and still others thought He was Jeremiah or one of the other prophets.  Jesus then asked the disciples who they thought He was.  Peter famously spoke up and said, “Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.” (Matthew 16:13-17).  These two disciples seemed to be unclear about this.  Lastly, they said, “…we trusted that it had been He which should have redeemed Israel…” You can hear the hopelessness in these disciples’ words.  One more time deliverance had fallen short for their people, and their nation.

 

“Then He [Jesus] said unto them, O fools, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken: ought not Christ to have suffered these things, and to enter into His glory?” (Luke 24:25, 26).  God’s plan for the redemption of mankind was right on track.  He had foretold it repeatedly in the scriptures.  The truth was there for all to see and believe if they would. 

 

At Jesus’ birth angels, shepherds, and kings from the East all came to pay homage and worship the King of Peace.  At eight days old, when Jesus was brought by His parents to be circumcised at the Temple in Jerusalem, a man by the name of Simeon was there to witness it.  The Holy Ghost had revealed to Simeon that he would see the Christ before he died.  When Jesus’ parents brought Him into the temple, Simeon took Him in his arms and proclaimed, “LORD, now lettest Thou Thy servant depart in peace, according to Thy word: for mine eyes have seen Thy salvation, which Thou hast prepared before the face of all people…” (Luke 2:25-32).  Simeon also blessed Joseph and Mary and prophesied of Jesus’ persecution and made reference to His death.  A widow by the name of Anna, who was 84 years old, was also in the temple that day.  She served God in prayer and fasting night and day, and when she saw Jesus she gave thanks, and witnessed of Him to “...all them that looked for redemption in Jerusalem.” (Luke 2:36-38).

 

“And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, He expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning Himself.” (Luke 24:27).  What a powerful sermon that must have been!  To have the mysteries of the Book unlocked by Him Who is the Word of God made flesh must have been thrilling!  Still, though, they did not recognize Him. 

 

As the two disciples reached Emmaus where they planned to lodge, Jesus looked as if He would keep walking; but they constrained Him to stay with them, saying, “Abide with us.” How can the Lord resist it when His children earnestly desire for Him to abide with them.  There are those who are content to live their own lives without the Lord being directly involved, and who only run to the Lord when trouble comes on them.  Consider the man who says, and believes, that he really loves his girlfriend; but he won’t ask her to marry him because he doesn’t want to live with her and have her around all the time.  Jesus said, “Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in Me.  I am the vine, ye are the branches: he that abideth in Me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without Me ye can do nothing.  Abide in Me, and I in you.  As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in Me.  I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in Me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without Me ye can do nothing.” (John 15:4, 5, 7).  Until we are willing to invite Christ to abide with us, and we abide with Him, we cannot bear the fruit of righteousness that God desires to see in us. 

 

“And it came to pass, as He sat at meat with them, He took bread, and blessed it, and brake, and gave to them.  And their eyes were opened, and they knew Him; and He vanished out of their sight.” (Luke 24:30, 31).  There is something extremely powerful, and extraordinarily significant, about the breaking of bread in scripture.  The sixth chapter of St. John gives us some exciting insights into the Bread of Life.  

 

In John 6:4 the Apostle informs his readers that the events that he was about to recount took place in the days leading up to the Jewish Feast of Passover.  In Adam Clarke’s Commentary of the Bible, the author of that work says,

 

“For thirty days before the Passover there were great preparations made by the Jews, but especially in the last nineteen days, in order to celebrate the feast with due solemnity.  Lightfoot supposes that what is here related happened within the last fifteen days.” 

 

This was an important feast day to the Jewish people.  During this time they would commemorate their deliverance from the last great plague when all the first born in Egypt died.  The only exception were those who followed God’s direction and butchered a perfect lamb without blemish, and smeared its blood on the doorposts of their houses.  They were then instructed to roast and eat the lamb along with bitter herbs and unleavened bread.  The connection between the Passover lamb and Christ, the Lamb of God, is clear.  God was foreshadowing the future sacrifice of His dear Son for the sins of the world.  “Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us" (1 Corinthians 5:7).  Keep this connection in the forefront as we read the rest of this chapter.

 

John reveals the reason that such a great crowd was following Jesus on this particular day.  He says, “And a great multitude followed Him [Jesus], because they saw His miracles which He did on them that were diseased.” (John 6:2).  It wasn’t Jesus’ teaching, it wasn’t the Word, it wasn’t His wisdom, or even His gentleness: it was because He could miraculously heal them!  We shouldn’t follow the Lord only because He has worked a miracle in our lives.  We must surrender our will to His and allow His Word to transform our character.  If not, our walk is very shallow indeed.  The relevance of this verse will become apparent later in the chapter.

 

“When Jesus then lifted up His eyes, and saw a great company come unto Him, He saith unto Philip, Whence shall we buy bread, that these may eat?  And this He said to prove him: for He Himself knew what He would do.” (John 6:5, 6).  There was a great need present that day.  The people, 5,000 men and untold women and children, were hungry and needed to be fed.  Jesus saw the much deeper and more critical need in their hearts and minds, however.  He knew just what He wanted to do to satisfy both needs.  It would be an important lesson for His 12 disciples as well.

 

The Apostle Andrew had noticed that there was a lad present in the crowd who had brought his lunch with him - five barley loaves and two small fishes.  With this small offering Jesus was able to work the miracle.  “And Jesus took the loaves; and when He had given thanks, He distributed to the disciples, and the disciples to them that were set down; and likewise of the fishes as much as they would.” (John 6:11).  Of necessity, Jesus broke the loaves after He blessed them to distribute them to the disciples.  The disciples continued breaking the bread so that they could distribute it to the multitude.  “…and looking up to heaven, He blessed, and brake, and gave the loaves to His disciples…” (Matthew 14:19).  The miracle, of course, was that the food provided by the young lad was nowhere near sufficient to meet the need that day; but in the breaking of the bread and the fish, the supply was multiplied to meet the need. 

 

Much more was going on there than just filling empty bellies.  Jesus Himself would become the Bread that was broken to feed the whole world.  In verse 35, Jesus tells this multitude, “I am the bread of life: he that cometh to Me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on Me shall never thirst.”  One year later, Jesus would stand before His disciples at His last Passover supper, bless and break the bread, and say, “Take, eat: this is My body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of Me.” (1 Corinthians 11:24). 

 

Jesus later called out the crowd that followed Him.  He told them “...Ye seek Me, not because ye saw the miracles, but because ye did eat of the loaves, and were filled.  Labour not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life, which the Son of man shall give unto you: for Him hath God the Father sealed.” (John 6:26, 27).  Once again, they were seeking Christ for the wrong reasons.  They sought the miracles only because they satisfied a fleshly need, not because they spoke to the spiritual hunger inside of them.  

 

Someone in the crowd brought up how that God, under Moses, had fed their fathers with Manna from Heaven.  To this, Jesus replied that it was not Moses Who sent the Manna, but God the Father gives the true Bread from Heaven.  He said, “For the bread of God is He which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world… I am the Bread of Life: he that cometh to Me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on Me shall never thirst.” (John 6:33, 35).

 

At this point, the crowd started murmuring at Jesus because He said He was the bread that came down from heaven.  They questioned His authority and argued that they knew His family and where He came from.  “I am that Bread of Life.  Your fathers did eat manna in the wilderness, and are dead.  This is the Bread which cometh down from heaven, that a man may eat thereof, and not die.  I am the Living Bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this Bread, he shall live forever: and the bread that I will give is My flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.” (John 6:48-51).

 

I would wish that each of you would take the time to read this entire chapter.  It is so full of types, shadows, and nuances that pull together the unleavened bread, the Passover Lamb, the manna from heaven, the Bread of Life, and the sacrifice of Jesus’ flesh and blood to give life to the world.  There is just so much packed in John 6 that it would require a volume to follow every thread of truth.  I pray that God opens the eyes of your understanding as you go through it on your own, and that the Holy Spirit will give you revelation in the knowledge of Christ.

 

Jesus spoke very plainly to this group by saying, “Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink His blood, ye have no life in you.  Whoso eateth My flesh, and drinketh My blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day.  He that eateth My flesh, and drinketh My blood, dwelleth in Me, and I in him.  As the living Father hath sent Me, and I live by the Father: so he that eateth Me, even he shall live by Me.  This is that Bread which came down from heaven: not as your fathers did eat manna, and are dead: he that eateth of this bread shall live forever.” (John 6:53-58).

 

The Lord’s words were very hard for these folks to hear.  “Many therefore of His disciples, when they had heard this, said, This is an hard saying; who can hear it?” (John 6:60).  Jesus told them, “It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.” (John 6:63).  The Gospel of Jesus Christ is not designed to satisfy the flesh.  It is not designed to coddle us, pacify us, or appease us.  It is meant to challenge us, to cause us to lay down our lives, and to become living sacrifices for the One Who died for us and rose again.

 

“From that time many of His disciples went back, and walked no more with Him.” (John 6:66).  This is one of the saddest verses in the Bible, I believe.  When it came down to it, they were unable and unwilling to surrender themselves to the will of God.  They wanted the shout and the dance, and not the life-changing Words of Eternal Life. 

 

Going back to our two disciples who were on the road to Emmaus, we see that Jesus chose to reveal Himself to them in the breaking of bread.  After Jesus vanished out of their sight, they said to one another, “Did not our heart burn within us, while He talked with us by the way, and while He opened to us the scriptures?” (Luke 24:32).  The Word of God ministers to us in our spirits; our flesh is not meant to profit from it even though, at times, it does feel good! 

 

Cleopas and his friend were so excited, they rose up immediately and headed back to Jerusalem where the eleved were assembled along with the other disciples of the Lord.  They were told that Jesus had appeared to Peter, and they then shared their story with the others.  As they were speaking, Jesus stood among them.  He showed them the wounds in His hands and feet and comforted their fears and doubts. 

 

Finally, Jesus reinforced the lesson that He had been trying to teach them all along: “And He said unto them, These are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning Me.  Then opened He their understanding, that they might understand the scriptures, and said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behoved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day: and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.  And ye are witnesses of these things.” (Luke 24:44-48).  Amen!  The Lord be blessed forever!