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When we study the Bible, we can find three miraculous breads in it. The first is manna, the mysterious bread, which God provided for the Israelites during their journey through the wilderness. The second is the miraculous bread Jesus provided; He fed 5,000 people with five loaves of bread and two fish. The third is the bread of the Passover which Jesus referred to as His flesh.
Manna fell from heaven each day for millions of people to eat during their 40-year wilderness journey. This was not a common occurrence. In that sense, manna is certainly a miraculous bread. The multiplication of the five loaves of bread and two fish is also a miracle performed by Jesus Himself. However, Christ Ahnsahnghong taught us that the most miraculous bread is the Passover bread representing the flesh of Jesus that gives eternal life. Let us see what the Bible says about the miraculous bread that God gives us, humans.
The bread in the miracle of the five loaves and two fish
Let us examine what Jesus taught about the three types of bread.
When Jesus looked up and saw a great crowd coming toward him, . . . Another of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, spoke up, “Here is a boy with five small barley loaves and two small fish, but how far will they go among so many?” Jesus said, “Have the people sit down.” There was plenty of grass in that place, and they sat down (about five thousand men were there). Jesus then took the loaves, gave thanks, and distributed to those who were seated as much as they wanted. He did the same with the fish. When they had all had enough to eat, he said to his disciples, “Gather the pieces that are left over. Let nothing be wasted.” So they gathered them and filled twelve baskets with the pieces of the five barley loaves left over by those who had eaten. Jn 6:5–13
Jesus performed the miracle of feeding 5,000 people with five barley loaves and two fish. Jesus’ feeding of the 5,000 is also known as the “miracle of the five loaves and two fish.”
The five barley loaves and two fish were inadequate to feed the 5,000 people. However, as Jesus blessed them, something amazing happened: All the people ate and were satisfied, and they took up twelve baskets full of the broken pieces left over. After witnessing this miracle, the crowd continued to follow Jesus, expecting another miracle.
Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, you are looking for me, not because you saw the signs I performed but because you ate the loaves and had your fill. Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. For on him God the Father has placed his seal of approval.” Jn 6:26–27
Although it was the miraculous bread which Jesus blessed and the 5,000 people ate until they were full, that bread didn’t have the promise of eternal life. So Jesus said to them, “Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life.” It was food for eternal life that Jesus truly desired to give humanity, and that’s why Jesus called the bread He used in the miracle of the five loaves and two fish “food that spoils.”
Manna, the bread from heaven
Nevertheless, the people continued to ask Jesus for physical food. The crowd that followed Jesus did not believe in Christ, although they saw Him standing right before their eyes, and they asked Him to show them a sign that they could believe in Him.
Jesus answered, “The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent.” So they asked him, “What sign then will you give that we may see it and believe you? What will you do? Our ancestors ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written: ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’” Jn 6:29–31
They said that their ancestors ate manna, the bread from heaven, during their time in the wilderness, and they expected Jesus to keep showing them such miracles. Jesus, however, referred to the manna that fell in the wilderness as the bread that didn’t prevent death, pointing out that the Israelites ate manna, yet they died in the end.
“Your ancestors ate the manna in the wilderness, yet they died. But here is the bread that comes down from heaven, which anyone may eat and not die. I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Whoever eats this bread will live forever. This bread is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.” Then the Jews began to argue sharply among themselves, “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?” Jesus said to them, “Very truly I tell you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day. For my flesh is real food and my blood is real drink. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me, and I in them. Just as the living Father sent me and I live because of the Father, so the one who feeds on me will live because of me. This is the bread that came down from heaven. Your ancestors ate manna and died, but whoever feeds on this bread will live forever.” Jn 6:49–58
Jesus taught that He is the “bread that came down from heaven,” the real manna, and He repeatedly emphasized that whoever partakes of the flesh and blood of the Son of Man, the spiritual food, has eternal life. However, those who had sought only physical food said in confusion, “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?” Failing to understand Jesus’ words correctly, many of the 5,000 people left Jesus soon (Jn 6:59–66).
The Passover bread that gives eternal life
Then how can we eat the flesh of Jesus, who is the true manna? Jesus has given us the truth of the New Covenant Passover, whereby we can eat the spiritual manna.
On the first day of the Festival of Unleavened Bread, the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Where do you want us to make preparations for you to eat the Passover?” He replied, “Go into the city to a certain man and tell him, ‘The Teacher says: My appointed time is near. I am going to celebrate the Passover with my disciples at your house.’ ” So the disciples did as Jesus had directed them and prepared the Passover. . . . While they were eating, Jesus took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to his disciples, saying, “Take and eat; this is my body.” Then he took a cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you. This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.” Mt 26:17–19, 26–28
The Passover bread represents the body of Jesus, and the Passover wine symbolizes His precious blood. In John 6, Jesus declares that He is the manna that came down from heaven and says that whoever eats the flesh of the Son of Man and drinks His blood has eternal life. Just as He has promised, the Passover bread and wine are symbols of His precious body and blood. So, when we keep the Passover, we can partake of the flesh and blood of Christ, who is the reality of the manna and the bread of life.
Which bread is truly miraculous: the bread in the miracle of the five loaves and two fish, manna—the bread that came down from heaven, and the bread of the Passover? It is the Passover bread. The other two breads could temporarily satisfy people’s hunger but never give eternal life. Both those who ate the manna and those who ate the bread in the miracle of the five loaves and two fish came to die eventually. So, Jesus referred to those breads as food that spoils, or bread that leads to death.
According to Jesus, the Passover bread and wine represent His flesh and blood as spiritual food, and whoever eats the bread and drinks the wine will be raised up at the last day. In this age, Christ Ahnsahnghong has restored the New Covenant Passover. When preaching a sermon, He also referred to the New Covenant Passover as the medicine of immortality and said, “It is not a great miracle that a sick person gets healed and brought back to life, but it is truly a great miracle that we can gain eternal life by receiving the bread of life given through the Passover.”
The Passover bread contains God’s promise of eternal life. Keeping in mind once again that God has given us, humans, such precious bread, we must keep the law of the Passover faithfully.
God gives us back the lost bread of life
Even after Jesus ascended to heaven, the apostles continued to cherish and keep the Passover, the life-giving truth of the new covenant, according to Jesus’ teaching (1 Co 5:7–8; 11:23–26). At the end of the apostolic age, however, lawlessness began to take root due to Satan’s hindrance. This led to the distortion and destruction of the truth, and the Passover was completely abolished at the Council of Nicaea in A.D. 325. The opportunity for humanity to eat the bread of eternal life completely disappeared.
Historians refer to the medieval period, during which the truth had disappeared, as the Dark Ages. After a long period of over 1,000 years—the Dark Ages, Christ is to come into the world without the truth of life a second time in order to save humanity.
Just as people are destined to die once, and after that to face judgment, so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him. Heb 9:27–28
The purpose of Christ’s second coming is to bring salvation. For human beings who are destined to die because of sin, salvation means eternal life, and the miraculous bread that gives eternal life refers to the bread and wine of the New Covenant Passover that Jesus established 2,000 years ago. Ultimately, Jesus is to come again to save humanity by restoring the New Covenant Passover, the truth of life.
On this mountain the LORD Almighty will prepare a feast of rich food for all peoples, a banquet of aged wine—the best of meats and the finest of wines. On this mountain he will destroy the shroud that enfolds all peoples, the sheet that covers all nations; he will swallow up death forever. The Sovereign Lord will wipe away the tears from all faces; he will remove his people’s disgrace from all the earth. The LORD has spoken. In that day they will say, “Surely this is our God; we trusted in him, and he saved us. This is the LORD, we trusted in him; let us rejoice and be glad in his salvation.” Isa 25:6–9
The prophet Isaiah foretold the coming of the one who would prepare a banquet of aged wine and swallow up death forever. Swallowing up death forever means giving eternal life. In the 66 books of the Bible, it is only the Passover wine that contains the promise of eternal life. It is described as “aged wine,” because the Passover had not been observed for over 1,600 years since its abolishment at the Council of Nicaea.
There are so many churches and biblical scholars in the world, but none of them has been able to find the truth of the Passover. It’s because the Passover is the truth of life that only God can reveal. Only Christ can give us the bread of eternal life, just as He said, “. . . food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you.” It is our God who has restored the lost truth of the Passover to give all people the bread of life—who has led us all on the path to eternal life.
God provides the banquet of life through the miraculous bread of the Passover
It is Christ Ahnsahnghong who has restored the miraculous bread of the Passover, just as the Bible foretold that God would prepare a banquet of aged wine and allow humanity to eat the miraculous bread again, which was once lost. Christ has come to this earth a second time to give the gift of eternal life—the greatest blessing to humanity—again. Christ Ahnsahnghong has taught us the truth of the New Covenant Passover and has made known to us Heavenly Mother—the reality of the new covenant. Therefore, He is Christ who has come to this earth again to save us, and He is our God.
By the grace of God, we observe this precious Passover ceremony each year. Keeping in mind that the Passover bread and wine contain God’s promise of life, we must keep the festival of the Passover with all our heart and mind. It is not our own wisdom that enables us to understand the truth of the Passover and keep it. God has called us into the truth of the new covenant and has made us partakers in the holy festival of life. Giving thanks to God for granting us the miraculous bread of all—the Passover bread and wine, we must never lose the God-given bread of life or take it lightly, until the moment we enter the eternal kingdom of heaven.
The Church of God believes in Christ Ahnsahnghong who has come with a new name, keeps the New Covenant Passover according to His teaching, and has faith in New Jerusalem Heavenly Mother. The church is now being established all over the world at a remarkable speed. This is not something that humans can do; it is what only God can accomplish. There are still many souls who are hungry and thirsty, unable to find the truth. We must faithfully carry out our mission to lead all the souls to Zion—the place of salvation, which God prepared for us even before time began, and to share the miraculous bread with them. Zion is a place always filled with joy and gladness as well as thanksgiving and the sound of singing (Isa 51:3). I earnestly ask all of you, children of heaven, to diligently preach the Passover, the covenant of life, and to deliver the miraculous bread all around the world, inviting all people to the festival of joy, provided by our Heavenly Father and Mother.