Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst. John 6:35 ESV

I grew up in a subdivision of homes built in the 1950’s. Since all our backyards connected and no one had fences, the area served as a great place for baseball (except for when I broke one of the neighbor’s windows with a ground-rules double!} Another feature of our homes was that everyone’s kitchen was in the back of the house. That way, when my mom baked bread, the aroma drifted out to us on our ballfield. Then, sure enough, as soon as mom opened the oven door and out took the bread to cool, we all lined up by the door, hoping for whatever she would give. After lecturing us for a minute on the perils of eating hot bread, mom generally surrendered to our pleading eyes and started slicing. Then, after one bite I was convinced that there was nothing on earth like her fresh baked bread.

Today, when I read that Jesus is the bread of life, I often think of mom’s bread. Just like mom’s bread, Jesus offers His life as a free gift, to be received just for the asking. Mom didn’t advertise or have a rule that we must come in for bread. We were drawn by the sweet aroma wafting through our neighborhood. If we are praying for revival, let’s ask ourselves, “Does the love of Jesus waft out our back door to friends, neighbors and maybe even the guy who shows up to fix our air conditioner?” Not everyone will respond, but when bread is baking, some hungry souls just may line up by our back door. Secondly, are we offering fresh loaves, right out of Heaven’s oven, or are we just handing out day-old bread? When Jesus preached, he couldn’t hide from the crowds. Some came with perfect motives, others showed up out of curiosity and some even came just for what they could get. Jesus didn’t turn any of them away, but because His teaching was so different from what they were used to, many chose to go home before they tasted even a single bite of the Bread of Life. I pray that whatever your situation is today, that you will be listening for His knock on your door. Jesus still comes, still offers His life to us and still waits to see if we will open our door to Him. Will you dare to go even further today and come knock on His door? Jesus is still the fresh baked bread of Heaven, and He is ready to freely give Himself to anyone who will come and truly believe.

When I began first grade at Hamilton Elementary School, Erie seemed the safest place in the world. New homes were popping up all around our neighborhood, the world seemed bright and war was something we played with using plastic soldiers. But just eight years earlier, Ruth, a pastor’s wife, in our city, was shocked as she read the list of casualties from her morning paper. The war, though far away, had come home in the bodies of servicemen killed at the front and words stirred in her heart, “In times like these, we need a Savior!” Though Ruth hadn’t been formally trained as a musician and writing a song was not her goal, gradually both lyrics and then a melody came to her.

In times like these, we need a Savior
In times like these, we need an anchor
Be very sure – Be very sure
Your anchor holds and grips the solid rock
That rock is Jesus – Yes, He’s the one
That Rock is Jesus – The only one
Be very sure – Be very sure
Your anchor holds and grips the solid rock!

Ruth Caye Jones – 1943

Though our times and our problems are very different from the ones that Ruth faced in 1943, the answer has not changed. Jesus is still the only rock and anchor that will keep us safe through our storms. The challenge still remains, “Be very sure – Be very sure, your anchor holds and grips the solid rock! I do hope you will enjoy listening to this simple recording from yesterday at Life Care Center. Considering all the violence and turmoil of our society today, it was eerily appropriate for the fire alarm to go off mid-session! We are facing a spiritual crisis as a nation on this 250th birthday, and how we need our Savior Jesus Christ to come and be the anchor and solid rock today!

And Jesus said, “Father forgive them, for they know not what they do.” And they cast lots to divide His garments. Luke 23:34 ESV

Usually, we only think about our inheritance, after the person who leaves it to us is gone. The chair they sat in, the back yard they planted the tree in, and the jewelry they wore, are the material reminders we have. But the real inheritance we hold onto is what remains in our hearts. While we are trudging through the daily drudgery of our responsibilities to them or the daily joys, we usually forget how quickly things can change. Then we are shocked when the moment comes and they are suddenly gone. Whether by divorce or death, a career change or altered financial circumstances, that individual has moved on and we are left with the attitudes we held towards them. Initially our inheritance from them may be frustration, anger, and disappointment, because of the choices they made or the way they treated us.

When Jesus, the innocent Lamb of God, hung dying on the cross, He had every right to be angry, and to demand retribution on those brutal soldiers who were gambling for his clothing. But instead, Jesus prayed for their forgiveness and in so doing He inherited the name that is forever above every name in Heaven and earth. By forgiving, Jesus inherited an eternal kingdom of hope and peace, based not on what others had done to Him, but by grace.

This morning, some of you may be carrying hurts because of a failed relationship that was not your fault, or a sudden circumstance that was beyond your control. But the good news is that our spiritual inheritance can be changed. By HIs choice, Jesus changed the meaning of the cross from a symbol of judgement to the source of grace. Just as He chose to forgive and release the outcome of His suffering to His Father, so can we. Why not choose as He did, a new legacy, a different memory, and a new path to walk? Why not release what has lingered in our hearts for too long, and trust it forever into the hands of God?