Wonder Bread, Twinkies, and Jesus

The bakery that produced Twinkies and Wonder Bread, filed for bankruptcy in 2004. Reasons for the financial failure were attributed both to the Low-carb craze going on at the time, and basic concerns over nutrition. Wonder Bread was a top seller for 87 years. Kids loved it. They could roll it into little balls. Every piece of bread was identical. 

Some might baulk at identifying the mass-produced, over-processed Wonder Bread as bread. It is about as close to real bread as Twinkies are to vegetables. Regardless, we can agree that every people-group has some sort of bread as a staple of their diet. 

Jesus calls himself real bread, the genuine satisfier, the staple of life, the true wonder bread; the only source of spiritual nourishment. "I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty," John 6:35. But you must believe. Come to Jesus with a believing heart and you will never hunger or thirst again. He must be your salvation and sustenance. Jesus repeats several times: Feed on me and live forever, John 6:51. This goes beyond meeting basic needs. He’s not talking about a full stomach. This is about completely satisfying the bigger issues of life: the hunger of significance, the longing to be free, the desire to be loved, the craving for relief and rest, the need for forgiveness, the hunger for joy and peace, an eternal satisfaction. Jesus is claiming to fulfill our deepest, forever needs.

We fill up on so many other things. We chew on success, gnaw on money, savor pleasure, relish relaxation—all fine things, but they ruin our appetite for the true bread. We live in a culture constantly tempting us to be satisfied with stuff that doesn’t last. We must keep filling up on Jesus through worship, obedience, talking to him and hearing what he’s saying to us. Keep Feeding.

 

Satisfaction comes when I consume Christ continuously.