Better than bread, meat or Moses!

This weekend I watched the Lord pour out an exceptional amount of grace on me to accomplish the differing tasks, ministries, events that were on my plate. Additionally, He continued to give grace in comforting my soul and reminding me of some very important truths.
I am also lucky for this, because today I had to teach in my homiletics class. Now... who likes to be in front of people? No one that I know really. So that aside, I really enjoy this class. I've feared it for quite some time. But the Lord shows up and encourages me and challenges me through my classmates each week. He also gives me insights to share with others. And today's sermon was born out of my own personal struggles and the things the Lord has comforted my soul with, so I thought I'd share a bit of what we talked about.
In Numbers 11, the children of Israel are wandering through the desert (still). They have passed out of Egypt via the Red Sea (amazing!), are being led by God via Moses (oh yeah, and a pillar of cloud and a pillar of fire), are being fed manna from heaven and  have grumble-y, discontented hearts before the Lord and Moses.
Easy to judge, but I can only imagine that I who whines about weather in San Diego, would also have been right alongside them in the discontentment.
Between the problems and complaints in Numbers 11 and the actions and words of Christ in John 6 there is a beautiful thing that the Lord impressed upon my heart all weekend in each circumstance and all day today in my weaknesses. Jesus is better. What my discontented heart longs for- He is better.
In this passage, the three examples that jump out to me are 
1. Jesus is better than bread
2. He is better than meat
3. Jesus is better than Moses.
You may be thinking "duhhhhh! Malia", but I tell you this absolutely rocked me today!

In John 6, Jesus finishes feeding the 5,000 and then He walks on water...nbd. The crowd is looking for Jesus in verse 24 simply because they want another meal...they are looking for some bread.
Look at what Christ says in John 6:27-35:

Do not labor for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you. For on him God the Father has set his seal." Then they said to him, "What must we do, to be doing the works of God?" Jesus answered them, "This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent." So they said to him, "Then what sign do you do, that we may see and believe you? What work do you perform?  Our fathers ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written, 'He gave them bread from heaven to eat.'" Jesus then said to them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, it was not Moses who gave you the bread from heaven, but my Father gives you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is he who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world." They said to him, "Sir, give us this bread always."
 Jesus said to them, "I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.

Aside from looking at this OT story and seeing that we ought not to complain lest God, in His fury, burn us up-- We ( me and you currently) can REJOICE because Christ offers Himself to us. He's the Bread of Life! He promises to satisfy our hunger!

But just like the discontentment over the manna in the wilderness, the Jews didn't understand that Messianic proclamation in John 6,  and in most instances neither do we. How often are we content to be discontent and unfulfilled because our affections are for ___________________..( uh..everything on all my Pinterest boards). My desires are misguided this leads to despair and really just missing out.
The complainers in Numbers 11 had strong cravings for meat.. Not this lame bread from heaven. They fondly recalled their days in Egypt and longed for anything and everything God wasn't giving them via manna.
In our human weakness, we will be tempted to despair. To crave other things(nearly any other thing) while Christ contrastsly calls us to feed on Him. John 6:56 says, "Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks of my blood abides in Me and I in him." Obviously, this is Spiritual.. and to me at least, this is most apparent in communion! What a blessing to take of communion and be humbled before the Lord... to be reminded of His body that was broken for me. Of His precious blood that was spilled out to atone for my sins! Of my positional holiness and right standing before the Father which is completely unearned. How beautiful to taste the juice and remember the taste of God's goodness on our lives. How incredible to even be able to come before Him with our sorry repentance and distracted affections.
Jesus is better than meat (or Pinterest). He's also a better Moses!
In Numbers 11:14-15, Moses is telling God of his inability to put up with these people a-gain! I empathize with how difficult it must have felt to be Moses in the wilderness, but he, as depicted here, is simply inadequate against their complaints and in later accusations, as a leader.
He can't handle their complaining any longer. He can't to bear their burderns.
Christ can! He's so much better! He can handle us in the midst of our sin and scoffing, and with grace. He can handle my sin, He knew the depths of my depravity before He took me on. You too.
He "endured the cross, despising the shame"
This is even bigger. It's not like He simply tolerates me and in His grace chose to overlook my sin. No.
My sins were laid on Him. "He became sin... that we might become the righteousness of God." Opposite of Moses who prayed to appease the consuming wrath of God, Jesus took the wrath. He took it on Himself. CRAZY!God's wrath is satisfied. Jesus Himself is the propitiation for our sins. Better than Moses...no kidding!
John summaraizes it well in John 1:16-17 " And from His fullness we have received, grace upon grace. For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ."
There are and will continue to be thing/people/desires/thoughts that compete for our affections and cravings. Thing that we, in disillusionment, will think can solve all our problems. But the fact of the matter is all people, jobs, pets, friends will fail and disappoint us but Christ will only ever comfort, heal, restore, renew and woo you.
In every passage of the Bible and in every circumstance of life, we can look to Christ.
It just makes me want to sing!
May I encourage you that the Lord's hand is not shortened in your life. Where we are dissatisfied, we must seek Christ. In all areas we must remind ourselves and each other that Jesus is better.