Have you ever made scratch bread? It doesn’t require many ingredients, but the ingredients required have to be just right in order for the dough to rise and become a beautiful airy fluff.
The yeast has to be good yeast, and the liquid can’t be too hot or too cold.
Too much flour, then your bread is dense and dry.
Not enough flour, it’s sticky and uncooperative.
Knead the dough, but not too much or the bread will be hard to manage.
Of course, there is bread that doesn’t use yeast, but you’re not going to get the same results.
When it’s ready after rising, the dough is rolled, but not too much.
Cut and rise again.
If they aren’t allowed to rise enough the second time, your rolls will be flat and boring.
Bake, but not too long because no one wants a burnt dinner roll.
Bread requires a patient process that is mastered over time.
Kneading by hand yields the best results because a machine can’t feel when the dough is ready.
The process of making bread today is not too different from Biblical times. They had salt, oil, water, flour and sometimes yeast, except during Passover.
The clay oven they used and had to maintain made the process much more tedious.
Unleavened bread (bread without yeast to make it rise) was eaten by the Israelites to commemorate the exodus from Egyptian bondage. The children left in such a hurry; they didn’t have time for it to rise-it was also referred to as the bread of affliction. They were meant to remember.
However, bread was an important part of daily life.
What is the significance of bread and Jesus?
Jesus is the bread of life.
After He fed the five thousand plus -with 5 barley loaves and two fish- Jesus told them, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry again. Whoever believes in me will never be thirsty. But you haven’t believed in me even though you have seen me.” John 6:35-36
“I am the true bread that came down from Heaven. Anyone who eats this bread will not die as your ancestors did but will live forever.” John 6:58
Bread is mentioned in the Bible in reference to life, presence, conquering the devil, and especially hospitality.
The people lived on bread as a main source of food. It was easy to make and could feed many.
But- Jesus says he is the main source of food and can feed everyone as he had proved more than once. He needs to be more important in our daily life than the food we consume.
It doesn’t matter what bread we physically eat if our spiritual breadbasket is empty.
When Satan tempted Jesus and told him to turn the stone to bread, Jesus replied “Man cannot live on bread alone, but every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.” Mathew 4:4.
Man cannot live on material things of this earth, possessions or money-But every word that comes from God.
I can’t help but think of Jesus throughout the process of making bread.
I can’t help but understand just how important every spiritual component is that we take from God to make our lives whole and fruitful because of the blood of Jesus.
Just as we take care in making our scratch bread the absolute best, Jesus takes that much more care in who we are.