A Church History Series: Through the Lens of Today – O Come, O Come, Emmanuel: The Bread from Heaven

O Come, O Come, Emmanuel

The term Advent comes from the Latin adventus, meaning "coming" or "arrival".

This Advent season, most Christians will be flipping through the pages in their Bibles to get to the gospels of Luke, or Matthew, reading again the accounts of Jesus born as a baby in Bethlehem, while celebrating the first coming of the Son to this earth. We will all be celebrating, because it is the beginning of a story that changed the trajectory of human kind for all of eternity.

While both Luke and Matthew describe the Nativity, they offer different perspectives and details, so liturgical readings frequently draw from both.

• Matthew's Gospel: Focuses on Joseph's perspective and includes the visit of the Magi (wise men) and the flight to Egypt.

• Luke's Gospel: Describes the Annunciation to Mary, the journey to Bethlehem, and the birth in a stable, along with the visit of the shepherds.

But this was only the first of three stages in His post-Incarnation story

1. His first coming, life, ministry, death, resurrection, and ascension

2. Our waiting for His second coming

3. His second coming and reign in Heaven for all eternity

So as we celebrate the first coming of Christ as a baby boy in Bethlehem, Advent is also a time to focus on our preparation for His second coming.

Foreshadowing of the Feast to Come

Just as was the case with Christ’s Apostles (and the early church fathers) in the wake of His death, resurrection, and ascension - the Eucharist is intended to be at the center of our worship services today.

During Advent, as we celebrate His first coming, we see the foreshadowing that takes place at His birth, when He humbled Himself to take the form of a baby boy and to be placed into a manger, which served as His makeshift crib. He was already giving us signs of the time when He would institute the sacrament of Holy Communion, before leaving us for a second Advent period.

• Bethlehem: The birthplace of Jesus. Means "House of Bread" in Old Hebrew, derived from the words bêth ("house") and lehem ("bread").

• Manger: The term comes from the Latin word mandere, meaning "to chew". It is used three times in the Gospel of Luke in the Christmas story, one of which in reference to Jesus as the "Bread of Life"

• Emmanuel: Name of Hebrew origin that means "God with us"

So, in the first coming of Christ, the Word became flesh. And came down as Bread from Heaven. Was born in Bethlehem (“House of Bread”) and was placed in a manger ("to chew"). And while He was Bread from Heaven, was also Emmanuel (“God with us”). So, through the Incarnation, God wasn’t just with us in a metaphorical, or symbolic, way. He was really present - in, with, and under - the physical elements of His human body and blood.

The account of His birth served as an antitype for the sacrament of Holy Communion, which He Himself would institute 33 years later at the Last Supper: The Real Presence of “God with us” - in, with, and under - the bread and wine.

The Bread from Heaven

Later, when Christ reached the ministry portion of His life on earth, He again explains himself to be The Bread from Heaven.

John 6:27

27 Do not labor for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to eternal life, which the Son of man will give to you; for on him has God the Father set his seal.”

John 6:31-35

31 Our fathers ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written, ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’” 32 Jesus then said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, it was not Moses who gave you the bread from heaven; my Father gives you the true bread from heaven. 33 For the bread of God is that which comes down from heaven, and gives life to the world.” 34 They said to him, “Lord, give us this bread always.”

35 Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; he who comes to me shall not hunger, and he who believes in me shall never thirst.

John 6:48-63

48 I am the bread of life. 49 Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died. 50 This is the bread which comes down from heaven, that a man may eat of it and not die. 51 I am the living bread which came down from heaven; if anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever; and the bread which I shall give for the life of the world is my flesh.”

52 The Jews then disputed among themselves, saying, “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?” 53 So Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of man and drink his blood, you have no life in you; 54 he who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. 55 For my flesh is food indeed, and my blood is drink indeed. 56 He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me, and I in him. 57 As the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so he who eats me will live because of me. 58 This is the bread which came down from heaven, not such as the fathers ate and died; he who eats this bread will live forever.” 59 This he said in the synagogue, as he taught at Caper′na-um.

60 Many of his disciples, when they heard it, said, “This is a hard saying; who can listen to it?” 61 But Jesus, knowing in himself that his disciples murmured at it, said to them, “Do you take offense at this? 62 Then what if you were to see the Son of man ascending where he was before? 63 It is the spirit that gives life, the flesh is of no avail; the words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life.

The Institution of the Lord’s Supper

At the Last Supper, Jesus builds on His teaching from John 6, as he institutes the sacrament of Holy Communion.

Mark 14:22-25

22 And as they were eating, he took bread, and blessed, and broke it, and gave it to them, and said, “Take; this is my body.” 23 And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, and they all drank of it. 24 And he said to them, “This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many. 25 Truly, I say to you, I shall not drink again of the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God.”

Get Ready. Get Set. Wait...

In the Advent of Christ’s first coming, the message of the messianic prophecy was that people needed to be prepared for the coming of the Lord. Even so, many of God‘s people were not ready for him. Now, in the long-awaited second Advent of Christ, we, too, are commanded to be ready. Ironically, we are at risk of repeating the very same mistake, as modern culture and Americanized Christianity has lulled many believers to sleep.

The Apostles alert us about this in their gospels. But many believers will fail to heed the warning and will be distracted this Advent season by Santa Claus, commercialization, and our self-indulgence that has overtaken the true reason for the season.

Luke 21:25-28

25 “And there will be signs in sun and moon and stars, and upon the earth distress of nations in perplexity at the roaring of the sea and the waves, 26 men fainting with fear and with foreboding of what is coming on the world; for the powers of the heavens will be shaken. 27 And then they will see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. 28 Now when these things begin to take place, look up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.”

Luke 21:36

36 But watch at all times, praying that you may have strength to escape all these things that will take place, and to stand before the Son of man.”

Mark 13:32-33

32 “But of that day or that hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. 33 Take heed, watch and pray; for you do not know when the time will come.

Luke 21:34-35

34 “But take heed to yourselves lest your hearts be weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness and cares of this life, and that day come upon you suddenly like a snare; 35 for it will come upon all who dwell upon the face of the whole earth.

One More Time for the People in the Back

While Advent is a time for us to celebrate the first coming of Christ as a baby in a manger, that’s only the beginning of the story. Advent is a celebration that the Word became flesh and came down as Bread from Heaven, then gave Himself as the ultimate sacrifice for us.

Before leaving, Christ instituted the sacrament of Holy Communion, by which we receive His grace and gifts of the Holy Spirit. His Real Presence comes to us in, with, and under the physical elements of the bread and wine each time we partake of it.

To sustain us.

To keep us connected with Him.

To keep us focused on His return.

Upon His second coming, the Bread from Heaven will, once again, come to us and sustain us throughout eternity with Him.

Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel

Shall come to thee, O Israel