top of page

The Illusion of Tradition: When Rituals Become Empty

Writer's picture: Michelle HaymanMichelle Hayman

Jesus, the Bread of Life: The True Meaning Behind His Words


Throughout Scripture, God has used bread as a powerful symbol of His provision and life-giving sustenance. From the manna that fed the Israelites in the wilderness to Jesus declaring Himself as the Bread of Life, we see a consistent message: God alone sustains and gives eternal life. Bread represents nourishment, survival, and dependence on God for all things, both physical and spiritual. It is a recurring theme in the Bible, illustrating that just as our bodies require physical food, our souls require the sustenance that only God can provide.

In the Old Testament, the manna that fell from heaven was a direct act of divine provision. It was not man-made but a miraculous gift from God to sustain His people. Yet, despite this miraculous sustenance, those who ate the manna eventually perished. This temporary provision foreshadowed a greater, everlasting sustenance that would come through Christ.

When Jesus declared, "I am the Bread of Life," He was revealing a profound spiritual truth. He was not referring to physical sustenance but to the eternal nourishment that comes from believing in Him and abiding in His words. This statement was meant to shift the focus from temporary, earthly needs to the deeper, eternal reality of salvation and relationship with God.

Jesus emphasized that those who come to Him will never hunger and those who believe in Him will never thirst. This statement aligns with His teachings throughout the Gospels, where He consistently points to faith in Him as the source of eternal life.


Just as eating bread sustains physical life, embracing and internalizing His teachings sustains spiritual life. It is an invitation to rely on Him wholly, finding complete fulfillment and purpose in His presence.

When we examine the Scriptures closely, we see that Jesus was speaking spiritually, not literally. His words were intended to draw His listeners into a deeper understanding of faith, trust, and dependence on Him. The imagery of bread illustrates that true life is found in Him alone, not in worldly sustenance or temporary provisions. His message was a call to seek what truly endures—eternal life through faith in Him.



The Manna in the Wilderness: A Foreshadowing of Christ and the Importance of Living by God’s Word

One of the most powerful Old Testament foreshadowings of Christ is the manna that God provided to the Israelites during their 40-year journey in the wilderness. In Exodus 16:15, when the Israelites saw the manna, they asked, “What is it?” because they had never seen anything like it before. This miraculous bread sustained them, but it was temporary—it only satisfied physical hunger and had to be gathered daily.

This manna was also preserved in the Ark of the Covenant as a testimony of God's provision (Exodus 16:32-34). Just as the manna was kept in the Ark as a witness to God's faithfulness, Jesus, the true Bread from Heaven, is the ultimate fulfillment of God’s provision, giving eternal sustenance to those who believe. Unlike the manna, which perished, Jesus offers a nourishment that leads to eternal life.

This theme is reinforced in Matthew 4:4, when Jesus, after fasting for forty days and nights, is physically weak and hungry. The devil seizes this moment to tempt Him, urging Him to turn stones into bread to satisfy His hunger. But Jesus responds with powerful words:

“But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.”

With this response, Jesus reveals a deep truth: while food is necessary for the body, it is not the most important thing in life. More than physical nourishment, we need spiritual nourishment—God’s words, His truth, and His presence. Just as the Israelites had to trust God daily for their physical sustenance, we must trust Him daily for spiritual sustenance, relying not on temporary provisions but on the eternal life found in Christ.


Dependence on God, Not on Man-Made Authority

Throughout history, people have often shifted their trust away from God and placed it in man-made institutions. Instead of seeking truth directly from God’s Word, many have looked to religious leaders who claim to have special authority over spiritual matters. Some teach that they alone can rightly interpret Scripture and that people must depend on them for guidance, rather than seeking God personally through His Word and Spirit.

This is exactly the opposite of what Jesus taught. He emphasized a direct relationship with God, not a dependence on human intermediaries who exalt themselves above others. Some institutions even claim that their leader has the ability to define doctrine, interpret Scripture infallibly, and act as God’s representative on earth. Yet, the Bible warns against exalting any man above God:


Isaiah 2:22 – “Cease ye from man, whose breath is in his nostrils: for wherein is he to be accounted of?”


Jeremiah 17:5 “Thus saith the Lord; Cursed be the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm, and whose heart departeth from the Lord.”


2 Thessalonians 2:3-4 – “Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;

Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.”


Jesus rebuked the religious leaders of His time for placing themselves as gatekeepers to God while burdening people with man-made traditions (Matthew 23:4-12). Likewise, today, no human institution should take the place of God’s Word as the final authority. The lesson of the manna in the wilderness was to show that God alone is the one who sustains and provides—not religious systems, traditions, or self-appointed authorities.

True spiritual nourishment comes directly from God through His Word, not from an institution that claims divine power. Jesus Himself is the Bread of Life, and those who trust in Him will be spiritually sustained, without the need for any man to stand between them and God.


In Deuteronomy 8:3, Moses reminded them, “And he humbled thee, and suffered thee to hunger, and fed thee with manna, which thou knewest not, neither did thy fathers know; that he might make thee know that man doth not live by bread only, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of the Lord doth man live.”


The Bread of Life and the Word of God: Why Would It Be Restricted?


If Jesus Christ is the Bread of Life, and the Word of God made flesh (John 1:14), then why would anyone need a religious hierarchy to filter His truth? Throughout Scripture, we see that God’s Word is freely given to all who seek it. Jesus Himself spoke directly to the people, teaching openly and calling individuals to come to Him in faith (Matthew 11:28-30). If the Word of God—which brings eternal life—is meant for everyone, why would any religious institution claim the authority to control access to it?

History shows that at times, powerful religious leaders sought to restrict access to Scripture. There was a time when translating the Bible into common languages was not only discouraged but punishable by death. Many faithful believers were burned at the stake simply for making God’s Word available to ordinary people. This raises an important question: If the Word of God is life, and Jesus Himself called people to come directly to Him (John 6:35), why would any institution work so hard to keep it out of people’s hands?

It becomes even more concerning when we consider the vast wealth and political influence that have surrounded certain religious authorities. If access to God’s Word was deliberately restricted while a select few accumulated immense power, could it be that control over Scripture was never about spiritual truth, but about maintaining influence, wealth, and political power?



Jesus Declares He is the Bread of Life


In John 6:35, Jesus says, “I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.”

What Jesus means is this: Just like regular bread fills our stomachs when we’re hungry, Jesus is the one who fills our hearts and souls. He gives us the true nourishment that we need to live, not just in our bodies, but in our hearts, minds, and spirits.

Remember the manna in the desert that God gave the Israelites? It helped them stay alive for a while, but they would still get hungry again. But Jesus is saying that if we follow Him and believe in Him, He gives us something that lasts forever—His love, His teachings, and His presence in our lives.

So when Jesus says He is the “bread of life,” He’s telling us that just like we need bread to live physically, we need Him—His love, teachings, and grace—to live spiritually. He is the one who truly satisfies us and gives us everything we need to be happy and strong in our hearts forever.


In John 6:48-51, Jesus directly connects Himself to the manna given in the wilderness:“I am that bread of life. Your fathers did eat manna in the wilderness, and are dead. This is the bread which cometh down from heaven, that a man may eat thereof, and not die. I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.”

At first glance, some might think Jesus is speaking of physically eating His flesh. But just like the manna, which was a physical provision pointing to a greater spiritual reality, Jesus’ words must also be understood spiritually. The manna sustained physical life, but Christ gives eternal life.


Jesus' Radical Shift in Understanding of the Temple and Sacrifice

At the core of this question is a profound issue about sacrifice and ritual consumption. The Old Testament’s sacrificial system pointed to deeper spiritual truths, but it was always understood as temporary and symbolic. The consumption of sacrifices in the Old Testament had strict rules, emphasizing the separation between God and humanity. The idea of eating the body of a sacrifice was meant to be a ritualistic act that symbolized the union with God through the blood and the life force of the animal sacrificed, but it was never intended to be understood literally in the sense of taking physical sustenance from the body of the sacrifice.

In Jesus’ case, He radically reinterprets this ritualistic sacrificial language by not pointing to a future animal sacrifice but to His own self-sacrifice, which transcends the old system of temple worship. He embodies the new reality of communion with God, where the eating of His flesh is spiritually uniting with Him, not a physical consumption. This is why Jesus says in John 6:51, “the bread that I will give is my flesh.” He is speaking of the sacrifice He will make (on the cross), which is the ultimate atonement for sin and the foundation for eternal life.


To understand the spiritual nature of Jesus' words, it is essential to consider the Jewish understanding of eating flesh. In Leviticus 17:10-14, the Torah explicitly forbids the eating of flesh with blood, emphasizing that consuming blood or the flesh of an animal sacrifice in this way would be a defilement. The Jewish people, who were listening to Jesus, would have immediately recognized this law and reacted with confusion or even revulsion at the suggestion of eating Jesus’ literal flesh. This strong cultural taboo against consuming flesh, especially in a sacrificial context, would have made it logically impossible for them to understand Jesus’ words as referring to a literal act of consumption.

Jesus, knowing this, is not using this imagery to suggest that His followers would literally eat His flesh. Rather, He is using the imagery of eating and drinking as a metaphor for believing in and receiving His sacrificial work. The language of eating His flesh and drinking His blood is symbolic of union with Christ—believing in Him, receiving His grace, and spiritually participating in His redemptive work.


Drinking the literal blood of the one sacrificed (whether it's an animal or a human) would be defilement, because consuming blood was prohibited under God's commandments.


Spiritual Nourishment vs. Physical Nourishment: The Nature of Jesus’ “Food”

When Jesus speaks of being the “bread of life” (John 6:35) and then later says, “the bread that I will give is my flesh,” He is emphasizing the spiritual nourishment He offers. The bread of life sustains not the body, but the soul. Jesus makes this distinction clearly in the conversation, as He talks about the bread that comes down from heaven being the true food that gives eternal life.

This becomes clearer when we connect it to His other statements in John’s Gospel. In John 4:32, Jesus tells His disciples,“But he said unto them, I have meat to eat that ye know not of", referring to the spiritual nourishment He receives from doing the will of His Father. This is a powerful clue that when Jesus speaks of “eating” in John 6, He is not referring to a literal, physical act but to a spiritual reality of abiding in Him, trusting in His work, and living by His word.

The bread Jesus speaks of is eternal; it is not something that sustains physical life but something that sustains eternal spiritual life. Therefore, Jesus uses the metaphor of eating to signify faith in Him, the spiritual sustenance that comes from His teaching, His sacrifice, and the life that He offers to those who believe.


The Unlikelihood of a Literal Interpretation within Jesus’ Own Teachings

Another reason to reject a literal interpretation is the internal consistency of Jesus’ own words. Throughout the Gospel of John, Jesus’ teachings about life, death, and salvation have a consistent spiritual nature. Consider:


In John 6:29, Jesus tells the crowd, “This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He has sent.” This is the key to the life He offers—not a physical act of eating, but the spiritual act of faith.


In John 6:63, Jesus further clarifies: “The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing.” This is a crucial statement that directly refutes the notion that Jesus would be talking about literally eating His body. He Himself declares that the flesh (the physical act) is not what gives life; it is the Spirit who gives life. This aligns perfectly with the idea that Jesus is speaking metaphorically about how faith in Him, rather than physical consumption, is what grants eternal life.


A Spiritual Act of Communion, Not Physical Consumption

Finally, it is essential to examine the nature of the Eucharist (Holy Communion), a sacrament that takes on central importance in Christian theology. The Eucharist is not about the literal consumption of Jesus' body but about symbolically partaking in His sacrifice. The early Christians understood the bread and wine as representing Jesus' body and blood—not in a literal sense but in a mystical, spiritual one. The early Church believed that through the Eucharist, believers enter into communion with the real presence of Christ, but the act is not about eating physical flesh. Instead, it is about spiritually receiving Christ and being nourished by His life.


Spiritual Nourishment Through Faith in Christ and His Word

If we understand that Jesus’ words in John 6 about eating His flesh are spiritually symbolic, then we must also understand that spiritual nourishment is found in faith in Christ and obedience to His Word. In John 6:35, Jesus says, “I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.” This aligns perfectly with the idea that believing in Christ and living by His Word is the true sustenance for the soul. Not by what the pope, bishops, or cardinals declare about Christ's Word.


When God said He would pour out His Spirit, in Ezekiel 36:26-27, He promised a new heart and to write His laws on their hearts:“A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them.”

This is a new covenant where God would indwell His people through the Holy Spirit, enabling them to live in obedience to Him. The Spirit guides the believer into truth and enables them to live according to God's will.

Thus, to spiritually receive Christ, we must believe in His sacrifice, accept His teachings, and allow His Spirit to dwell within us—which transforms us from the inside out.


The Issue with the Eucharist as Literal Flesh

Now, let’s consider the Catholic practice of receiving the Eucharist. Catholics believe that when they eat the Eucharist, they are literally partaking of the body and blood of Christ, and that this ritual is essential for eternal life. They believe that the Eucharist, through transubstantiation, changes into the literal body and blood of Jesus, and by partaking of it, they receive grace that is necessary for salvation.

However, Jesus' own words in John 6:63 provide a significant challenge to this interpretation:“It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.”Jesus clearly states that the flesh (understood as the physical, literal body) profits nothing in the realm of eternal life. It is the Spirit that gives life, and His words are the true source of that life.

Therefore, if Catholics are relying on physical consumption of the Eucharist for eternal life, it contradicts Jesus' teaching that eternal life comes from the Spirit, not the literal consumption of physical matter. This suggests that the Eucharist, if understood as a literal act of eating Jesus’ body, might be an empty ritual, failing to bring the spiritual transformation that Jesus offers through His Spirit.


The New Covenant and the Indwelling of the Holy Spirit

The Bible teaches that when someone receives the Holy Spirit, it fundamentally changes them. 1 John 3:9 says:“Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God.”

This verse speaks of the seed of God—the Holy Spirit—being in the believer, and as a result, they do not continue in sin. This is a new nature that the believer receives. The believer who is born of God, and has God’s Spirit within them, is no longer under the dominion of sin because God's nature in them compels them toward righteousness. The seed of God cannot sin because it is of a different nature—holy and pure.


This raises a critical question: If Catholics receive the Holy Spirit through the Eucharist (or through a priest’s blessing), why would they need to confess their sins on a regular basis? According to 1 John 3:9, those who are truly born of God cannot sin in the way they once did. This would suggest that the presence of God’s seed within them should lead to victory over sin and a transformed life.


Confession and Its Inconsistency with the Doctrine of the Eucharist

Catholics believe that confession (through a priest) is necessary because they believe in the idea of venial sins and mortal sins that can separate them from God's grace. This means that even after receiving the Eucharist, they must regularly confess their sins to a priest to maintain their relationship with God and to avoid the eternal consequences of sin.


However, this raises a profound theological issue:

If Catholics receive the Holy Spirit through the Eucharist and are born again, then according to 1 John 3:9, they should no longer sin in the same way as before. The seed of God should produce righteous living.

  • If they are still bound to regularly confess sins (as the Catholic Church teaches), it seems that either:

    • The Eucharist is not providing the transformation that it is claimed to offer (i.e., it’s an empty ritual), or

    • The Holy Spirit has not truly been poured out upon them in the way Scripture teaches (they would not continue to sin if they had received God's Spirit in fullness), or

    • The priests’ role in absolving sin is flawed because Scripture teaches that only God can forgive sin. In Mark 2:7, the Pharisees rightly ask, “Why doth this man thus speak blasphemies? who can forgive sins but God only?” Therefore, if priests are claiming to forgive sins, they are potentially blaspheming, as forgiveness of sins is not within their authority.


OR ALL THREE


The Empty Nature of the Rituals

If the Eucharist is just a ritual and does not result in genuine spiritual transformation (as Jesus teaches in John 6:63), then it is empty and powerless. The act of eating the body of Christ as a mere physical ritual will not nourish the soul. If Catholics still require confession to deal with sin, it suggests that their understanding of the Eucharist and its role in salvation is incomplete or misguided.

Similarly, if priests claim the ability to forgive sins, they are stepping into territory that belongs to God alone, making their actions blasphemous. This would render the entire sacramental system as empty—no more effective than any ritualistic or superstitious practice that does not lead to true spiritual change.


The Conclusion: The True Nourishment Comes from Faith in Christ and His Spirit

In conclusion, Jesus Christ is the true Bread of Life. He does not offer physical nourishment but spiritual sustenance through His Word and His Spirit. The believer receives Christ by faith—not through the physical act of eating bread, but by receiving His Spirit and believing in His work on the cross.

The Eucharist, if misunderstood as a literal eating of Christ’s body, becomes an empty ritual, disconnected from the true spiritual transformation that faith in Christ brings. Likewise, if the Holy Spirit is truly given to the believer, they are empowered to live righteously and no longer be enslaved to sin. The need for regular confession becomes redundant because the believer, indwelled by the Holy Spirit, is living in victory over sin.

Ultimately, if the Catholic system fails to provide this true spiritual transformation (through faith in Christ, His Word, and His Spirit), then it rests on shaky theological grounds. The Eucharist and confession become empty rituals—practices without real spiritual power—because they miss the fundamental truth that true life comes through faith in Christ alone and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.




I encourage you to read the Bible for yourself. It is not just a historical document, but a timeless source of wisdom, guidance, and truth. In a world full of opinions and interpretations, there is no substitute for engaging with the Scriptures directly. By reading the Bible, you can come to understand its message in your own heart and mind, not merely through the lens of others' teachings. Whether you are seeking answers, comfort, or simply a deeper connection with God, the Bible offers wisdom that speaks to all walks of life. Don’t rely solely on what others say—let the Word speak to you personally. Open its pages, and let it change your life.



Comments


Commenting has been turned off.
bottom of page