by Elizabeth Haarberg

Jesus has redeemed us from the curse.

You can listen to today’s devotion by clicking on this SoundCloud link.

“Give us this day our daily bread.”
Matthew 6:11

We all eat. Even if we’re fasting right now we most likely will eat at some point. Bread is a staple in a lot of diets in the world. This is a photo of a loaf of sourdough bread I made from a wild yeast starter, and it was delicious!

Bread is mentioned the first time, in the Bible, in Genesis.

“By the sweat of your face you shall eat bread, till you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken; for you are dust, and to dust you shall return.”
Genesis 3:19

This is part of the curse that God laid on Adam when he and Eve were asked to leave Eden.

What I love about this picture is Jesus came to Earth to satisfy the curse. He set the world back in order. He is the bread now.

“For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink. Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me, and I in him. As the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so whoever feeds on me, he also will live because of me. This is the bread that came down from heaven, not the bread the fathers ate and died. Whoever feeds on this bread will live forever.” John 6:55-59

Jesus is the bread of life. Before Jesus came to Earth in the flesh, people under the law understood bread to be the curse. Now it’s the key to life because of Jesus.

He took on the sin of the world, including the curses from Genesis.

“Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us – for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree.””
Galatians 3:13

Bread is eaten in remembrance of Jesus, and all He did, to strengthen us in our walk with Him.

Bread’s conversion from the curse to the blessing is a beautiful picture of redemption. Every day we get our sustenance by surrendering our lives to God, and asking Him to come and increase Himself in us. His love is so evident!

Copyright Holy Cross Lutheran Church, Colorado Springs, Colorado