For the bread of God is He who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world. – John 6:33 ESV
This name in Greek is Artos Theos.
Steps on Your Journey to Know God More Intimately
- Artos is bread. Theos is God or the supreme divinity.
- Bread was very important throughout the Old Testament, both in ceremonial and common use. Bread gives sustenance, strength, life and enjoyment. What else does bread do for us?
- When my mom and dad were translating the New Testament into the Chuj language in Guatemala when I was a child, the Chuj people didn’t understand this concept. To them bread was an extra. Tortillas were what sustained them, so they had to translate this name the Tortilla of God, so they understood the meaning.
- Micah 5:2 says, “But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, are only a small village among all the people of Judah. Yet a ruler of Israel will come from you, one whose origins are from the distant past” (NLT). Is it coincidence that the prophet Micah said that the Messiah would be born in Bethlehem, which means “House of Bread”?
- Meditate on what it means that Jesus is the Bread of God. How is Jesus like Bread?
- How do you need Jesus to be your Bread?
A Prayer for You
Bread of God, I’m so grateful that You came down from Heaven to give us life. Thank You that in You I can find strength, sustenance, life and so much more. Help me to rely on You more as my Bread.
Excerpted from The Surprising Joy of Exploring God’s Heart by Gaylyn Williams.