I AM THE BREAD OF LIFE

John Chapter 6 is set at the Sea of Galilee where Jesus and his disciples are met with a crowd of about 5,000 men plus women and children. The crowd is following Jesus to hear him teach in the hope that He would heal them of their diseases and alleviate their poverty. 

Eventually the crowd becomes hungry and, out of compassion, Jesus miraculously feeds the masses.

Amazed by this miracle, the crowd wants to make Jesus their king. But Jesus knew their hearts and so eludes their grasp and retreats to Capernaum. Hungry for more bread to fill their stomachs, the crowd follows Jesus to Capernaum.  

In John 6:26, Jesus challenges the crowd – they are following Him so that He can meet the appetites of their stomach, but Jesus came to meet their deepest spiritual appetites. 

In Jesus’ day, bread meant a lot more to people than it does today. At that time, almost no one ate meat; meat was a luxury (this may not be so dissimilar to the climate of today!). You would eat meat for celebrations or feasts. Bread was your daily diet and if you didn’t work, you didn’t eat. Bread was your life source, a symbol of life itself.

Jesus knows that we are all hungry, that we’re looking for the satisfaction we can’t seem to find elsewhere. We might find temporary contentment in a new phone, or new job, or a holiday or a relationship, but ultimately none of those things (as good as they are) provides lasting fulfilment. 

To our seemingly insatiable desires, Jesus promises: 

“I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.”

When Jesus gave His life upon the Cross for us, He became the Bread of Life broken for us. When we look to the Cross, we find satisfaction for the true longings of our soul. Deep down, we all hunger for love, acceptance and forgiveness. 

The Cross is the demonstration of God’s love, given freely to us while we are still sinners. The Cross is the means by which we are accepted into God’s family – He calls us His children! The Cross is the point of forgiveness for all who ask. 1 John 1:9 promises that if we confess our sin, Jesus is faithful and just to forgive us and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

In our pride and stubbornness, and perhaps even in our laziness, we tend to go to a thousand other places to find satisfaction for our soul. 

Practical application:

What areas of your life are thirsty for the fulfilment and nourishment that only Jesus can give? Take some time to rest in Jesus’ presence today.