Jesus the Bread of Life

“And Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst.”
- John 6:35 NKJV 

I find the gospel according to John to be incredibly challenging. This is great because it keeps me humble, and it keeps me coming back. Over the years I have gained a better understanding of what it teaches but there always seems to be more depth and I hope that this post will help you have a better understanding of come of the core principles of being a follower of God.

I would like to pick up the story in John 6:22. The people are puzzled at how Jesus crossed the sea. Jesus however, does not engage in that conversation, rather He goes to the heart of what they truly need (this happens often in the gospel of John). Jesus begins to talk about “food which endures to everlasting life” (John 6:27) and the crowd is very much interested and wants to know what is it that they need to “do” that they may “work the works of God?” (verse 28). Jesus gives them a very clear answer.

Jesus answered and said to them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent.”
- John 6:29 NKJV

Jesus said that all they had to do was believe in Him. The crowd is not so sure about this answer and asks for a sign claiming that their fathers ate bread from heaven. (v31) Jesus corrects them explaining that Moses did not give their fathers bread from heaven, but God is giving them the true bread from heaven.

For the bread of God is He who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.”
- John6:33 NKJV

The people got excited about this and asked Jesus to give them that bread always. (v34)

And Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst. 
- John 6:35 NKJV

Jesus is aware that not all of them believe, yet He tells them that He will not cast out anyone who comes to Him. Jesus also adds that God wills that everyone who sees Him (Jesus) and believes in Him may have everlasting life and Jesus will raise her up at the last day. (v40) Not everyone believes Jesus, and He continues to teach them repeating the same main idea in different but similar ways.

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 which 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 NKJV (bold mine)

The idea of eating Jesus’ flesh, understandably, made several people upset and noticing this instead of easing up, pushed his point further.

Then Jesus said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in you. Whoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. For My flesh is food indeed, and My blood is drink indeed. He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him. As the living Father sent Me, and I live because of the Father, so he who feeds on Me will live because of Me. This is the bread which came down from heaven—not as your fathers ate the manna, and are dead. He who eats this bread will live forever.”
- John 6:53-58 NKJV

This teaching caused many of Jesus’ followers to leave Him.

I would like to conclude this post with the following quote from Jesus.

It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life.
- John 6:63 NKJV

Jesus’ words are spirit and they are life. We have access to His words through the Bible. It is by studying the Bible that we come to know Jesus, to believe in Him, to trust Him. It is by believing in Him that we have eternal life, it is a gift God gives us in and through Jesus. But how will we believe Him, how will we trust Him if we don’t know Him? How will we know Him if we don’t read or listen to His words?

The study of the Bible feeds our soul and helps us fall in love with Jesus.

I hope you take time to read this wonderful book every day, and I pray that every time you read it you will learn more about Jesus. May you fall in love with Jesus as you learn more about Him, and may He transform your life and make you more like Him.