Heaven was referred to a lot of times in my reading in John this morning. So I did a quick word count on my computer’s Bible program. In the ESV translation of John’s gospel it looks “heaven” is found 17 times. In the passage I read this morning, the latter part of John 6, the word occurs 10 of those times. The topic? Bread from heaven. More specifically bread come down from heaven. Really specifically . . . Jesus!

Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes has eternal life. I am the bread of life. Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died. This is the bread that comes down from heaven, so that one may eat of it and not die. I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. And the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh. . . . As the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so whoever feeds on me, he also will live because of me. This is the bread that came down from heaven, not as the fathers ate and died. Whoever feeds on this bread will live forever.   (John 6:47-51, 57-58 ESV)

Come down from heaven. Descended from glory. Took the “down elevator” from the realm of the eternal . . . and the perfect . . . the realm where God dwells in majesty and holiness.

Come down from heaven. Entered the realm of His fallen creation. Not as heaven’s Sovereign but as an infant . . . not surrounded by angels but encompassed by a few animals and some rag tag shepherds . . . not in the glory due His name but in humility growing up to be a poor carpenter from an obscure town . This was Jesus, the son of Joseph . . . his parents known by the ones He was now speaking to . . . the ones who asked, “How does He now say, ‘I have come down from heaven’?” (6:42)

But Jesus did come down from heaven! Oh, just noodle on it a bit . . . and the awe-o-meter goes nuts!

Not as a Commander to inspect the troops . . . not as a King to check out His subjects . . . not as a Millionaire wanting to see how the other half lives . . . but, though in heaven He bore the very form and nature of God, He didn’t cling to it . . . He didn’t consider equality with a God a thing to be grasped when He came down. Instead the Maker of Men “made Himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men” . . . “being found in human form” (Php.2:5-8).

Why come down? For what?

That He might be bread. That He might satisfy the hunger of a lost world. God’s eternal provision . . . the bread of life . . . the living bread . . . the bread, that if anyone eats, he or she will live forever. The bread given for the life of the world. The bread which addresses the malnutrition caused by sin’s destructive power . . . the bread which quiets the growling stomach of our enemy’s accusations . . . the bread which, more than just fending off starvation, beings salvation and regeneration . . . the bread being more than just a temporary fix which puts at bay the hunger pangs, but bread that brings eternal life . . . sweet to the taste . . . satisfying to the spirit . . . filling up to overflowing the soul

He came down from heaven that those who participate in His body given, and in His blood shed, might be lifted up.

To Him be all praise . . . to Him be all glory . . . amen?