Jesus stated: “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.” – John 6:35
When it comes to making bread, first the wheat must sprout.
Speaking of Jesus, Isaiah wrote: “He [Jesus] grew up before him like a tender shoot, and like a root out of dry ground.” – Isaiah 53:2
The wheat must ripen.
Speaking of Jesus, the Apostle Paul wrote: “But when the fullness of time had come, God sent His Son [Jesus], born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those under the law.”
– Galatians 4:4-5
The wheat must be cut down.
Speaking of Jesus, Isaiah wrote: “He [Jesus] was cut off from the land of the living; for the transgression of my people, he was stricken.” – Isaiah 53:8
The wheat must be threshed and winnowed.
Jesus, speaking of himself, stated: “The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law, and he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life.” – Luke 9:22
The wheat must be crushed and ground.
Speaking of Jesus, Isaiah wrote: “He [Jesus] was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed.” – Isaiah 53:5
When Jesus died on the cross, his followers were devastated! They were disappointed! This was not how it was supposed to go!
When it comes to making bread with freshly ground flour, your dough is not going to look anything at all like what you are expecting it to look like. If you do not know this to start with, you are probably going to be greatly disappointed.
Whole wheat flour absorbs liquid differently than regular white flour. Therefore, you must use less flour when making bread.
Here you can see my Honey-Wheat Bread dough all mixed up. It is more the consistency of muffin batter, rather than bread dough. I didn’t even knead this dough. All I did was stir the liquid into the flour. Then place it in its oiled bowl. That’s all. The consistency of the batter is not anything at all like what “normal” bread dough is “supposed” to look like.
The first time I made my Honey-Wheat Bread recipe, I knew (based on the recipe instructions) that this was going to be the case. But even though I knew, I was still unsure and doubtful.
Jesus had told his disciples that he was going to suffer, be killed, then rise from the dead. But they just didn’t get it.
“From that time on, Jesus began to explain to his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life.” – Matthew 16:21
Here you can see the “disappointing” bread dough has been placed in an oiled bowl. (The oil is important for the raising of the dough.)
The bowl has been covered. So also, in the same way, after Jesus was executed on the cross, his lifeless body was taken down and placed in a tomb. And just like the bowl is covered, so also the entrance to the tomb was covered with a large stone.
In the photo you can see my dish towel which I always use for this step of the process whenever I bake bread. I found it particularly fitting that the towel covering over the bowl has snowflakes on it. When Jesus’s lifeless body was placed in the tomb, it felt like “winter.” The tomb was cold. Jesus’s lifeless body was cold.
Then the covered bowl of bread dough is set aside for a designated amount of time. (in my case, for 1 hour)
Why is the bowl of bread dough set aside for a designated amount of time??
Because the dough is rising!!
So also, Jesus’s body was in the tomb for a designated amount of time … 3 days and 3 nights.
Jesus speaking: “For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the huge fish, so the Son of Man will be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.” – Matthew 12:40
And just like the bread dough was rising, so also Jesus was raised to life!!
Here you can see the risen bread dough … it looks like terrific bread dough now! Ready to be fashioned into dinner rolls.
And the importance of the oil? The oil in the bowl assisted in the rising of the dough.
So also, in Scripture the Holy Spirit is referred to as “oil.” It was the Holy Spirit who raised Jesus from the dead!
The Apostle Paul, speaking of the Holy Spirit: “I pray that you may know … his [the Holy Spirit] incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is like the working of his mighty strength, which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead.” – Ephesians 1:18-20
“If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit, who lives in you.” – Romans 8:11
“And he [Jesus] took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, ‘This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me.” – Luke 22:19
“The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, ‘This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me.” – 1 Corinthians 11:23-24
Jesus said: “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.” – John 6:35
