The Bread House

I love the smell of bread baking in the oven. The aroma does great things to your mind and heart. We have feelings of warmth and coziness. Our taste buds are triggered, our mouths water and our stomachs growl. We know that we will be fed and we often are able to share this bread with others in a meal. Breaking bread together. A meal shared is also a wonderful thing. It brings people together, and relationships are nourished as well as our bellies.

In my Christmas ponderings, I was thinking about Bethlehem.
A lot has been said about this place.
After all, a very special baby was born there.
Upon looking up the word Bethlehem, I discovered that in Hebrew it means "House of Bread".
I smiled.
How appropriate.
How interesting.
How so like God.
After this special baby grew up, He began a life-saving mission. Bringing people to an understanding of God's love, and the grace and forgiveness that flowed from that love.
In speaking to some people, Jesus said,
"... I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry again. Whoever believes in me will never be thirsty." (John 6:35, NLT)

Bethlehem.
What a fantastic way to foreshadow the fact that Jesus came to bring life.
His birthplace was set up beforehand, specially designated for the arrival of Jesus, the bread of heaven.

All these bread thoughts brought to mind the times when Jesus fed thousands of people who had gathered to hear Him speak. Five loaves and two fish fed a multitude. The bread was broken and shared amongst many people and met their need for food. Hunger was relieved. Broken pieces of bread and fish were left over from a small offering given to a large group. Amazing.

Bread ...
~ feeding, nourishing
~ relationship building
~ life
~ Jesus

Jesus ...
~ born in a town named "House of Bread"
~ fed thousands of hungry people with an impossible amount of food
~ said that He was the "bread of life"
~ was broken before and on the cross so that people could have fellowship and relationship with God

And back to that nice smell of homemade bread ...
In 2 Corinthians 2:16, it says, "For we are to God the pleasing aroma of Christ ... "(NIV)
Jesus is the Bread of life.
He lives in those who are believers (Gal.2:20)
So it only stands to reason that we who believe in Him are a pleasing aroma.
Something to bring to the table for sure.