Plants and Foods of the Bible · The Bible Table · Food

Bread

The food on every table and the name Jesus gave Himself: the Bread of life

Key verse
John 6:35
Where we find it
The clay ovens in every house, from Bethlehem to Galilee
What it reminds us of
Jesus, the Bread of life, who satisfies the heart
Illustration: Bread

Stories from Scripture

Bread in the stories of the Bible

  1. Jesus and His disciples

    Our daily bread

    Jesus taught His disciples the Lord’s Prayer. In it we ask God with trust, “Give us this day our daily bread.” Our Father in heaven knows what we need.

    Matthew 6:9-11

  2. Jesus and the twelve

    The bread broken at the Last Supper

    On the evening before the crucifixion, Jesus took bread, gave thanks to God, broke it and gave it to His disciples, saying, “This is my body which is given for you: this do in remembrance of me.”

    Luke 22:19

  3. The disciples at Emmaus

    Known in the breaking of bread

    After the resurrection, two disciples were walking to Emmaus and did not realize that Jesus was walking with them. In the evening, at the table, Jesus took the bread, blessed it, broke it and gave it to them. Then their eyes were opened and they knew Him.

    Luke 24:30-31

From the world of the Bible

Did you know?

  • The name of the town of Bethlehem, where Jesus was born, means “house of bread.”

  • Bread was baked almost every day, in clay ovens or on hot stones, from wheat or barley flour.

  • Bread was usually round and flat, so at the table it was not cut with a knife but broken by hand.

From the Holy Scriptures

What do we read in the Bible about bread?

35 And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.

In kids’ words: Bread stops the body’s hunger for a few hours, but Jesus satisfies the heart forever.

11 Give us this day our daily bread.

In kids’ words: Jesus teaches us to ask God with trust for what we need for today.

Verses are quoted from the King James Version (KJV). Read each passage in the context of its chapter in the Bible.

What bread teaches us

Jesus truly feeds us

Bread was on every family’s table, every day. That is exactly why Jesus said, “I am the bread of life.” Just as we need food to live, we need Him to have true life. Whoever comes to Jesus is no longer hungry in the soul.

How we can live this out today

At your next meal, before you eat, thank God for the bread and for Jesus, the Bread of life.

Mini-Quiz

What did you learn about bread?

What does Jesus call Himself in John 6?

For parents and children

At home and in Sunday school

A question for parents and children

Why do you think Jesus called Himself the “bread of life”? What does it mean for us to come to Him every day?

My prayer
“Lord Jesus, You are the Bread of life. Thank You for the food on the table and for Your love that satisfies my heart. Amen.”

Activity at home

Unleavened bread

Bake a plain bread together, without yeast, or buy one. At the table, say: “Jesus is the bread of life.”