The Bread of Life

“Jesus replied, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry again. Whoever believes in me will never be thirsty again.”-John 6:35

This powerful statement is made just after Jesus performs one of His most well known miracles: the feeding of the five thousand. Using two fish and five loaves of bread, Jesus fed over five thousand hungry followers. The people ate their fill and were satisfied.

Later that evening, Jesus crossed the Sea of Galilee and returned to Capernaum. The next morning, realizing He was gone, the crowds followed Him by boat to the other side. Upon reaching Capernaum, the crowds approach Jesus with a question: “Rabbi, when did You come here?” Jesus responds with these words:

“Most assuredly, I say to you, you seek Me, not because you saw the signs, but because you ate the loaves and were filled. Do not labor for the food which perished, but for the food which endures to everlasting life, which the Son of Man will give you, because God the Father has set His seal on Him.”-John 6:26-27.

Bread is considered a staple food; a basic dietary food item. People can survive a long time on only bread and water. However, bread was also used to signify spiritual truth. In the Old Testament we read how it was used as a daily part of worship in the tabernacle. Fresh bread was placed daily on the Table of Shewbread in the Holy Place to signify the presence of God. Unleavened bread played a large part in the Jewish Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread as the people of Israel celebrated their exodus from Egypt. The spiritual significance continues throughout Israel’s 40 years of wilderness wandering as God caused bread from heaven (Manna) to rain down to sustain the nation. 

Jesus, on the night He was betrayed, took bread and made this powerful statement:

“This is My body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of Me.”-Luke 22:19

By equating Himself with bread, Jesus was proclaiming that He is essential for life. The life, however, He is referring is not physical, but eternal. Those who followed Jesus to Capernaum saw the physical benefits of following Christ, but the spiritual benefits were lost on them:

“They answered, “Therefore they said to Him, “What sign will You perform then, that we may see it and believer You? What work will You do? Our fathers ate the manna in the desert; as it is written, ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.”-John 6:30

Jesus, however, quickly pointed out that it was not Moses that provided the bread, but the Father in heaven and now He was offering them the true bread. Jesus was trying desperately to get those who followed Him to stop focusing on the natural and start looking at the spiritual. He contrasted the physical bread that perishes with the spiritual bread that is eternal. Jesus emphasized that following Him, simply to have their bellies filled was not enough; they must become partakers of Him to enjoy everlasting life:

“Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me has everlasting life. I am the bread of life. Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and are dead. This is the bread which comes down from heaven, that one may eat of it and not die. I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever; and the bread that I shall give is My flesh, which I shall give for the life of the world.”-John 6:47-51

How do we partake of Christ? 

We partake of Christ every time we forsake sin and worldliness. 

We partake of Christ each time we celebrate our salvation, healing and deliverance.

We partake of Christ each time we worship Him.

We partake of Christ each time we consume the Word of God.

We partake of Christ each time we suffer for righteousness sake.

We partake of Christ each time we forgive those who have hurt us.

We partake of Christ each time we share our faith in Him.

A steady diet of the Bread of Life makes provision for a healthy eternal life!

Pastor Scott Burr

Dayspring Community Church