The Bread of Life
John 6
In the sixth chapter of John’s Gospel, we read the account of Jesus feeding 5000 hungry folks with what amounts to a kids sack lunch. Five loaves of bread and two fish are turned into a feast. A feast with leftovers for everyone. This is a miracle in every way! The people’s minds are blown. “How did that happen?” “This Jesus fellow is the real deal.” The crowd was abuzz with excitement because of what they had seen and experienced.
But there is a problem is seen in verse 26. The people are wanting to be close to Jesus for the wrong reason. He says, “You’ve come looking for me not because you saw God in my actions but because I fed you, filled your stomachs - and for free.” The people want Jesus the “miracle worker”, but have little interest in Jesus the “heart healer”.
Jesus goes on to explain who He truly is, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.” (6:35) In comparing Himself to “the Bread of Life”, He is drawing from the story in Exodus 16. God rained down bread, or manna, for heaven. It was a continual supply. Enough was given to make it through each day.
The point Jesus was making is laid out nicely in Deuteronomy 8:3, “He (God) put you through hard times. He made you go hungry. Then He fed you with manna from heaven, something neither you nor your parents knew anything about, so you would learn that men and women don’t live by bread only: we live by every word that comes from God’s mouth.”
Life on earth can be compared to wandering in a desert and Jesus supplies all that we need. Those that know Him tap into a source of spiritual nourishment far more filling than any meal can supply. Jesus satisfies the craving of all those longing for a source of satisfaction in life and hope in the life to come. Jesus provides food for the hungry soul.
It is so easy to get all tangled up in our busy lives. Focusing on what is right in front of us. Never taking a moment to look up. in doing so, we miss the Eternal (Jesus, the Bread of Life) because we are focused on the physical! Philippians 4:4 reminds us to “celebrate God all day, everyday. I mean, REVEL in Him!”
May the Holy Spirit give you eyes to see the God who provides bread to people who need it. And may you see Jesus as the one who is the Bread of Eternal Life.