Rising to The Occasion

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Rising to The Occasion

by Sandra Gilmore

Yeast Rolls. I remember elementary school lunches with standardized form-fitted trays piled with bland, watery spaghetti noodles, so-so tomato sauce, and then those scrumptious yeast rolls.

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 to me. He does not compare Himself to cornbread, cracker-type bread, or a cake-type bread. No, He refers to Himself as the “raised up” bread. You guessed it, like a yeast roll!

This comparison is important in the conversation because He is teaching the crowd about the Resurrection. He tells them that since He is “raised up,” then whoever “looks to the Son and believes in Him shall have eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day.”

He continues in Verses 44-48: “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him, and I will raise him up at the last day. It is written in the Prophets. ‘They will all be taught by God.’ (Isaiah 54:13) Everyone who listens to the Father and learns from Him comes to me. No one has seen the Father except the one who is from God, only He has seen

the Father. I tell you the truth, he who believes has everlasting life. I am the bread of life” (NKJV).

Quite often we connect learning with complicated, intimidating things like timed writing assignments or everything-is-riding-on-this exams. Jesus teaches us eternal lessons with everyday things. He engages our senses to help us remember. As He invites us to learn of the Father, He connects natural experiences to supernatural encounters.

About The Author 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.