The Bread of Life

During the lockdown due to COVID-19, only essentials were allowed to be sold. Milk, grocery items, vegetables, fruits, meat, and other basic items were considered “essential” items. We can live without sports, cinema halls, malls, restaurants, and other luxuries, but not without food and other essential items.

Even in the ancient world, bread was an essential item. Both the rich and the poor had bread in their homes. They couldn’t survive without bread. That’s why Jesus declares that he is the bread of life.

We can draw three lessons from the first ‘I AM’ saying of Christ. The first lesson is: We must seek the bread of life rather than merely seeking the earthly bread (John 6:25-27).The feeding of the 5000 was a sign that pointed to Jesus, but people sought him for materialistic benefits. Chrysostom rightly said, “Men are nailed to the things of this life.” Earthy food perishes, but the food that Jesus gives endures to eternal life. Do you follow Jesus for mere earthly benefits or do you follow him because he is the greatest Treasure? Don’t seek Christ for what he can give, but follow him for who he is.

The second lesson from the first ‘I AM’ saying of Jesus is: Christ alone can satisfy our spiritual hunger (John 6:32-25). Jesus is the bread of life. In other words, Jesus is the most important part of life. In fact, he is better than life and all that life offers to us! You see, every human being has an inborn hunger for God. But people try to feed that hunger with all the junk of this world and they wonder why they don’t feel satisfied. We need not look elsewhere for spiritual satisfaction. Nothing in this world can satisfy us. No one can cure the emptiness within our hearts except Christ.

The final lesson from the first ‘I AM’ saying is: We must continually “feed” on Christ (John 6:51, 57-58). Feed on Christ. Man shall not live by bread alone, but by constantly feeding on Christ, who is the bread of life. We can feed on Christ by feeding on his Word and by fellowshipping with him through prayer. No matter how much you feed on him, it will be still satisfying and fulfilling. Don’t worry about overeating! The more you feed on Jesus, the more spiritually healthy you will be.

Since Christ alone can satisfy our spiritual hunger, we must continually “feed” on him.