Gò0dNews for Everyone
Rising to The Occasion by Sandra Gilmore
Y
east Rolls. I remember elementary school
I will raise him up at the last day. It is written in the
lunches with standardized form-fitted trays
Prophets. ‘They will all be taught by God.’ (Isaiah
piled with bland, watery spaghetti noodles,
54:13) Everyone who listens to the Father and learns
so-so tomato sauce, and then those scrumptious
from Him comes to me. No one has seen the Father
yeast rolls.
except the one who is from God, only He has seen
The elementary classrooms were closest to the cafeteria. The aroma from those rolls filled the hallways. If a hall monitor or teacher’s assistant came to the classroom, the scent would sneak through the door as it opened. What a delicious smell! To this day, I associate learning with yeast rolls! Jesus must have smiled as my association with yeast rolls and learning became connected. He associated bread with learning too. Let us take a look. In John Chapter 6, around Verse 35, Jesus continues a dialogue with the crowd that he fed the prior day. At this point, they want a sign. They want more bread. Jesus tells them that He is the bread of life. The word He uses in the passage is interesting
the Father. I tell you the truth, he who believes has
to me. He does not compare Himself to cornbread,
everlasting life. I am the bread of life” (NKJV).
cracker-type bread, or a cake-type bread. No, He refers
Quite often we connect learning with complicated,
to Himself as the “raised up” bread. You guessed it,
intimidating things like timed writing assignments
like a yeast roll!
or everything-is-riding-on-this exams. Jesus teaches
This comparison is important in the conversation
us eternal lessons with everyday things. He engages
because He is teaching the crowd about the
our senses to help us remember. As He invites us to
Resurrection. He tells them that since He is “raised
learn of the Father, He connects natural experiences to
up,” then whoever “looks to the Son and believes in
supernatural encounters.
Him shall have eternal life, and I will raise him up at He continues in Verses 44-48: “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him, and
30 // September 2021
About The Author
the last day.” Sandra Gilmore serves the Lord as wife, mom, and encourager, mostly through writing and speaking, occasionally through cooking, rarely through anything athletic and only because of the mercy and grace of Jesus. You can reach her by email: tandsgilmore@yahoo.com or her website www.sandragilmore.org.
