Pictures of Christ in the New Testament

Vol. 108, No. 1, Winter Quarter, 2021.

Writer: David Johnson

Editor in Chief: Kyle W. Elkins, kyle.elkins@bogardstore.org Business Manager: Dean Grigsby, dean.grigsby@bogardstore.org

Adult Quarterly

Baptist Training Course

QUARTERLY AIM

By the conclusion of this quarter, the students may learn more about the Savior by studying the ways Christ is pictured in the New Tes- tament.

Lesson 1, December 5, 2021

Jesus Is the Bread . . . 2 Lesson 2, December 12, 2021

Jesus Is the Light . . . 7 Lesson 3, December 19, 2021

Jesus Is the Door . . . 11 Lesson 4, December 26, 2021

Jesus Is the Shepherd. . . 15 Lesson 5, January 2, 2022

Jesus Is the Resurrection . . . 20 Lesson 6, January 9, 2022

Jesus Is the Way . . . 25 Lesson 7, January 16, 2022

Jesus Is the Truth . . . 29 Lesson 8, January 23, 2022

Jesus Is the Life. . . 34 Lesson 9, January 30, 2022

Jesus Is the Lamb . . . 39 Lesson 10, February 6, 2022

Jesus Is the Priest . . . 44 Lesson 11, February 13, 2022

15—Jesus Is the Vine (Part 1) . . . 49 Lesson 12, February 20, 2022

Jesus Is the Vine (Part 2). . . 54 Lesson 13, February 27, 2022

Jesus Is the Vine (Part 3). . . 59

Pictures of Christ in the New Testament

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Introduction

With this lesson we enter into a marvelous study on Jesus Christ. Theologians use many wonderful words to describe who Jesus is. The terms they use are full of deep meaning, but are often difficult to understand. While Jesus was on earth, He chose not to teach in this manner. He is the God of the universe and could have given the deepest, most theological discussion of Himself; yet, He spoke in simple terms. He used common words to show His true character. This is a much better way to show the depth of character He possesses.

Jesus was vitally concerned with what people thought of Him.

The first three gospels have Jesus asking His disciples, “Whom do men say that I am?” Jesus revealed Himself to mankind in a unique way. He lived among them so that they could see His life. He went much farther than just living among people. He compared Himself to everyday objects so that people could have a deeper understanding of the Son of God. It is these pictures of Jesus in the New Testament that will attract our attention in this quarter’s studies.

This first lesson presents Jesus as the Bread of Life. Bread was normally cooked in small loaves that were easily carried in APPLICATION

God’s people need to understand the meaning and effect of Jesus being the Bread of Life.

Jesus Is the Bread

LESSON 1 · December 5, 2021

SCRIPTURES TO READ TEXT John 6:22-51

RELATED SCRIPTURE Exodus 16:4

Matthew 20:28 John 3:13 Ephesians 5:2 Titus 2:11-14

1 John 2:1, 2; 4:14-16

DEVOTIONAL READING

Eternal Life Is Only

Through Jesus, John 3:16,

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baskets. Three of these small loaves were the normal meal. They were flat and baked crisp. A person needed this bread to sustain life. In this lesson we will examine Jesus’ words about being the Bread of Life. This is an important lesson for all people to under- stand.

1. The Source of the Bread—Heaven

In the verses preceding the lesson Text, Jesus had fed the five thousand. A young boy had volunteered his lunch to Jesus.

The Lord had taken the five loaves and two small fishes and had multiplied it so it would satisfy the multitude. He then went on His way. The next morning, the people searched for Jesus and finally found Him. They asked why He went away. He answered that the people really did not care about Him, they only wanted to have the physical nourishment of the bread. They needed food that would last forever (John 6:27). The people were upset with this message. They told Jesus that Moses had fed the Jews in the wilderness (verse 31). That work proved Moses was from God. They expected Jesus to continue feeding them. Instead, they got a lesson on the Bread of Life.

The manna in the wilderness did not come from an earthly source (verse 32). The Jews felt that Moses had given them that bread. No man would have the ability to produce enough food to provide for such a multitude. Many boxcars of food would have been necessary; yet, they were given this food every day. Moses did not give the manna. It came directly from the hand of God.

The true Bread from Heaven was the one who came from God (verse 33). These words from Jesus showed His true origin.

He did not come into existence at His conception. All people begin their existence at the moment of conception. Jesus was eternally co-existent with the Father. The introductory words of the Gospel of John prove this point. “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

The same was in the beginning with God” (John 1:1, 2). God has always known the spiritual need of all humanity. He offered His only begotten Son to meet this need. Jesus would be the Bread of Life that would come down from Heaven. No other human could meet this requirement. Only Jesus is the Bread of Heaven that came to earth.

The people to whom Jesus spoke expected to receive more of

the physical bread they had eaten the day before. They thought

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the primary ministry of Jesus should be to meet their physical need. Instead, He wanted to meet their spiritual need. This was His function as the Bread of Life.

2. The Significance of the Bread—Life

To the Jewish mind, bread was the staff of life. Now Jesus came along and told them that He is the Bread of God (John 6:33) and would give them life. This seemed phenomenal to the people. They murmured about His statement (verse 41). They knew the earthly history of the man. They remembered Mary and Joseph. How could this person give life? The problem they faced was that they were expecting to receive physical nourish- ment, but Jesus wanted to meet their spiritual need.

Most people worry much more about physical things than spir- itual. They worry about the next meal, their health or educating their children. While each of these is a legitimate concern, there is a deeper need than these. Each person is born into the world as a natural sinner. Not one descendant of Adam has natural goodness about him. Paul wrote about this by saying that “all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23).

The warning given to Adam before his rebellion was that if he sinned, “thou shalt surely die” (Genesis 2:17). This warning had a two-fold meaning. The sinner would face physical death.

That is problem enough, but there was also a deeper meaning. If Adam rebelled, he would be separated from God. That condem- nation passed down to every descendant of Adam. Depravity is a spiritual problem and can only be helped by a spiritual solution.

Jesus is that solution.

Jesus’ words to the people showed that He was willing to be the solution to their real problem. He is the Bread of God that came down from Heaven. This Bread from Heaven has the ability to give life. What kind of life does He give? He gives spir- itual life to all who believe in Him. This is a life that will never end. “He that believeth on me hath everlasting life. I am that bread of life” (John 6:47, 48). No one else could provide such life.

Jesus is the Bread of Life.

3. The Satisfaction of the Bread

The words Jesus spoke revealed a hunger in the hearts of

the people. “Lord, evermore give us this bread” (John 6:34). They

recognized a longing in their own hearts. This reminds us of the

discussion Jesus had with the woman at the well in Samaria.

She asked the Lord to give her a drink of the water that would cause her never to thirst again (John 4:15). These people also had a longing in their heart. They asked the Lord to give them food that would cause them never to hunger again. Here Jesus made the transition from the physical to the deeply spiritual. He told them the answer to their spiritual hunger.

A popular statement is that there is a God-shaped vacuum in the heart of every person. What this means is that each person has a natural longing for something greater than himself. People try to satisfy that longing in a variety of ways. Some people search for physical stimuli to satisfy their desire. Others seek for intellectual understanding for satisfaction. Still others realize that it is a spiritual longing and look for answers with psychics or the occult. All these people are trying to satisfy their natural longing. The problem is that they are looking in the wrong places. If the vacuum in the heart is God-shaped, then only God can fill it. Jesus is the one who can give spiritual satisfaction. “I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger;

and he that believeth on me shall never thirst” (John 6:35). How did He meet this need?

The only way to satisfy that longing is to reconcile man to God. Since man is a natural sinner, he is the enemy of God.

Something has to happen to make peace between a righteous God and sinful man. The way this need was met was in the sacri- fice of the Son of God. Jesus said the bread He would give to people was His flesh offered as the sacrifice for sin (verse 51).

He had to die so that people could have eternal life (John 3:16).

How can that sacrifice be applied to the individual? A person must trust in Jesus Christ to be saved. He shed His blood that He might pay the price for sin. He is the only way to satisfy the spiritual longing in the heart of the individual.

Conclusion

Giving bread to five thousand people showed the real heart

of Jesus Christ. He always wanted to help people. If they had

physical needs, He endeavored to help them; however, He under-

stood the real need of people was much deeper than physical

food. People need a Savior. They need someone to forgive their

sins and give them eternal life. The only one who can do that is

Jesus Christ. He is the Bread of Life.

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After Jesus fed the five thousand, the disciples took up the

fragments that were left. They gathered twelve baskets full. The

Bread of Life does not just satisfy the longing of the heart. He

goes far beyond the imagination. He gives eternal life, but the

life He gives is abundant life (John 10:10). He prepares a place

for us in His own mansion. He truly is the Bread of Life that

satisfies the longing of the soul.