What Does Bread Mean in Scripture?
For I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when 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."
Key Facts
Term Name
Bread
Primary Meaning
Symbolizes God’s provision and spiritual nourishment, representing covenantal care and eternal life.
Old Testament Reference
The manna in Exodus 16:15, representing divine sustenance in the wilderness.
New Testament Fulfillment
Jesus as the 'Bread of Life' in John 6:35 and the Eucharist in 1 Corinthians 11:24, symbolizing His sacrifice and spiritual nourishment.
Key Takeaways
- Bread symbolizes God’s covenantal provision and spiritual nourishment.
- Jesus redefines bread as His sacrificed body in the Eucharist.
- Communion and daily bread prayers reflect reliance on God’s ongoing care.
Bread in the Old Testament
The Old Testament establishes bread as a foundational symbol of God’s covenantal care and sustenance for His people.
In Exodus 16, the Israelites’ dependence on manna - 'the bread the Lord has given you to eat' (Exodus 16:15) - underscores divine provision in the wilderness. Deuteronomy 8:3 explicitly links this event to spiritual truth, stating, 'He humbled you... to teach you that man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord.' Meanwhile, the Bread of the Presence in 1 Kings 13:32, continually before the Lord in the temple, symbolized His enduring presence and the people’s obligation to covenantal faithfulness.
These motifs collectively frame bread as a tangible reminder of God’s active role in sustaining His people, a theme that resonates powerfully in New Testament narratives of Jesus as the 'bread of life' (John 6:35).
Jesus as the Bread of Life
In the Gospels, Jesus reinterprets bread as a symbol of His own identity and mission, culminating in His declaration as the 'bread of life' in John 6.
John 6:35-51 presents Jesus' teaching that He is the living bread descended from heaven, contrasting with the manna given to Israel in the wilderness (Exodus 16). Jesus cites John 6:35, saying, "I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst." He does this to show He fulfills Old Testament typology. This metaphor extends to His crucifixion, where He describes His flesh given 'for the life of the world' (John 6:51), linking physical sustenance to eternal salvation. The discourse emphasizes that faith in Christ, rather than material provision, grants spiritual life.
In 1 Corinthians 11:23-24, Paul records Jesus' institution of the Eucharist. He takes bread, gives thanks, and says, "This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me." Here, the Passover bread, originally symbolizing liberation from Egypt, is redefined as a sacrament commemorating Christ's sacrifice. The act transforms the covenantal meal into a participation in His body and blood, establishing a new communal identity for believers.
Jesus' redefinition of bread thus fulfills Old Testament themes of divine provision while introducing a new reality: His person and sacrifice become the ultimate source of life. The Last Supper, as recorded in 1 Corinthians, crystallizes this shift, embedding the Passover symbol within the Christian practice of remembering Christ's atoning death. This dual fulfillment - both historical and theological - anchors the Eucharist as a central expression of Christian faith, a theme to be further explored in the context of communal worship.
What Bread Means for Us Today
For modern believers, bread symbolism invites reflection on both communal worship and daily reliance on God’s provision.
In 1 Corinthians 11:26, Paul emphasizes that partaking of communion ‘proclaims the Lord’s death until he comes,’ transforming the meal into a collective act of remembrance and unity. This practice mirrors the original Last Supper, where Jesus redefined Passover bread as a symbol of His sacrificed body (1 Cor. 11:24), anchoring Christian identity in shared faith. Meanwhile, Matthew 6:11 - ‘Give us today our daily bread’ - calls believers to trust in God’s continual provision, echoing the Israelites’ dependence on manna (Exod. 16:15) while extending it to spiritual sustenance through Christ. Together, these symbols challenge modern disciples to seek both communal fellowship in Christ’s memory and daily reliance on His Word and presence for true life.
Going Deeper
To deepen our understanding of bread’s symbolic richness, we can explore related themes in biblical and historical contexts.
In 1 Corinthians 11:23-25, Paul records Jesus’ institution of the Eucharist, where wine and bread symbolize His blood and body, echoing Passover traditions. Exploring intertestamental Jewish bread rituals or early Christian liturgical practices can further illuminate these connections.
Further Reading
Key Scripture Mentions
Exodus 16:15
The Israelites’ manna, called 'the bread the Lord has given you to eat.'
John 6:35
Jesus declares, 'I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger.'
1 Corinthians 11:24
Jesus says, 'This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me.'
Matthew 6:11
The Lord’s Prayer requests, 'Give us today our daily bread.'
Related Concepts
Covenant (Theological Concepts)
God’s binding promise of provision and faithfulness, symbolized through bread in the Old and New Testaments.
Manna (Symbols)
The miraculous bread from Exodus, representing divine sustenance and spiritual truth.
Eucharist (Terms)
The Christian sacrament commemorating Christ’s sacrifice through bread and wine.