JESUS IS THE BREAD OF LIFE

Then Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty.”  John 6:35

 

Bread is one of the simplest forms of food and in its basic form is found all around the world. Whether it’s a light, yeasty delicacy or in its unleavened form of a pita or tortilla, mixing flour with a few other ingredients gives us bread. For some it is an addition to a table overflowing with good food. For others it is the only thing they have to sustain them.

When the Israelites escaped from their slavery in Egypt they had to go through deserts to get to the land God promised them. Deserts are pretty barren, and no food was to be found. God heard the cries of His children for food and they awoke one morning to manna—a bread-like substance that had fallen from the sky. This manna was not just a bland floury substance but a sweetened wafer that could be made into other food to give the people strength and maintain their health. It was this manna that sustained them on their journey.

In today’s scripture from John 6 the people are asking Jesus what is required to do the work God requires. Jesus tells them that they must believe in the one God has sent. He goes on to remind them that it was not Moses who sent the bread from Heaven but God who gives true bread.

For the bread of God is he who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.      John 6:33

When the people heard this they asked that this is the bread they be given from now on.

Jesus goes on to tell them that He is the bread of life, come down from Heaven not to do His own will but the will of God who sent Him. (v 38)

Jesus was sent to sustain our spirits just as bread sustains our bodies. If we believe God sent Jesus to complete us we will have all we need to do the work God requires. Without this bread of life our spirits will starve.

What an incredible gift sent from Heaven on that first Christmas. God loves us so much that he sent Jesus to be the Bread of life—with Him we will never hunger for the things of this earth but be filled and satisfied with His love.