“I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Whoever eats this bread will live forever. This bread is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.” John 6:51 NIV
One of the most simple, yet profound statements Jesus ever made was, “I am the bread of life” (John 6:35). The Greek words Jesus used were simple enough. Artos simply referred to bread in contrast to meat and could also designate the shewbread, consecrated bread, in the temple (Matt. 12:4). To those caught in the drudgery of sustaining life, Jesus said “Do not work for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man shall give to you” (John 6:27,). In other words, Jesus told the people that the food they were striving and working for would not give them eternal life. But if they believed in Him, they would have eternal life. The people would not believe in Him, however, until they saw a sign. They even quoted the Scriptures to Jesus: “he gave them bread from heaven to eat” (John 6:31; compare Ps. 78:24; 105:40,). But Jesus told them, “Moses has not given you the bread out of heaven, but it is My Father who gives you the true bread out of heaven. For the bread of God is that which comes down out of heaven, and gives life to the world” (John 6:32–33, ).
The manna that had been given to the Israelites in the wilderness had no present effect on the Jews of Jesus’ day. Their boast in the ancient miracle could not give them life. Jesus was the real “bread of God,” who came to be the ever-present manna—the ever-present life-giving supply.
As a disciple of Jesus, Jesus is reminding us that He is the bread of life. He came sacrificed His life so that the world could have eternal life (John 6:51). He instructed that the people eat His flesh and drink His blood. If they didn’t, they would have no life in them. This was a repulsive thought to the Jews. Mosaic Law prohibited the drinking of blood (Lev. 3:17; 7:26, 27; 17:10–14). The death of Jesus which had shedding of blood enables followers of Jesus to have eternal life.
So what does Jesus mean when he says, “I am the Bread of Life?” Well, simply put, he means that we are not satisfied spiritually unless we know Jesus; we are not spiritually satisfied unless we have Jesus in our lives. We cannot survive spiritually without Jesus. On our own, we will try to fill ourselves with that which does not or cannot satisfy our deepest longings.
Everyone has a need to belong, to have a purpose, to be loved, but so many people are looking to the wrong places to satisfy that need —- it can be as extreme as looking to things like drugs or alcohol, but also may be things that do not at first seem harmful, like social media, or the accumulation of things, or self-serving and selfish ways of being.
Eventually, we become slaves to those things.
Jesus says, “I am the bread of life.” He is saying that ultimately, he can satisfy our deepest needs and longings. He can make us feel “full” and overflowing with blessing. To live physically, we need bread or a staple food, but to live spiritually abundantly and eternally, we need Jesus, who indeed is the bread of life, and who is always ready to welcome you to his table.
Thank you, Jesus, for the gift of life. thank you Lord for satisfying me with all my needs in this life and life to come, Lord give us today our daily bread. Amen.
Bread of Life
BREAD OF LIFE
“I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Whoever eats this bread will live forever. This bread is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.” John 6:51 NIV
One of the most simple, yet profound statements Jesus ever made was, “I am the bread of life” (John 6:35). The Greek words Jesus used were simple enough. Artos simply referred to bread in contrast to meat and could also designate the shewbread, consecrated bread, in the temple (Matt. 12:4). To those caught in the drudgery of sustaining life, Jesus said “Do not work for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man shall give to you” (John 6:27,). In other words, Jesus told the people that the food they were striving and working for would not give them eternal life. But if they believed in Him, they would have eternal life. The people would not believe in Him, however, until they saw a sign. They even quoted the Scriptures to Jesus: “he gave them bread from heaven to eat” (John 6:31; compare Ps. 78:24; 105:40,). But Jesus told them, “Moses has not given you the bread out of heaven, but it is My Father who gives you the true bread out of heaven. For the bread of God is that which comes down out of heaven, and gives life to the world” (John 6:32–33, ).
The manna that had been given to the Israelites in the wilderness had no present effect on the Jews of Jesus’ day. Their boast in the ancient miracle could not give them life. Jesus was the real “bread of God,” who came to be the ever-present manna—the ever-present life-giving supply.
As a disciple of Jesus, Jesus is reminding us that He is the bread of life. He came sacrificed His life so that the world could have eternal life (John 6:51). He instructed that the people eat His flesh and drink His blood. If they didn’t, they would have no life in them. This was a repulsive thought to the Jews. Mosaic Law prohibited the drinking of blood (Lev. 3:17; 7:26, 27; 17:10–14). The death of Jesus which had shedding of blood enables followers of Jesus to have eternal life.
So what does Jesus mean when he says, “I am the Bread of Life?” Well, simply put, he means that we are not satisfied spiritually unless we know Jesus; we are not spiritually satisfied unless we have Jesus in our lives. We cannot survive spiritually without Jesus. On our own, we will try to fill ourselves with that which does not or cannot satisfy our deepest longings.
Everyone has a need to belong, to have a purpose, to be loved, but so many people are looking to the wrong places to satisfy that need —- it can be as extreme as looking to things like drugs or alcohol, but also may be things that do not at first seem harmful, like social media, or the accumulation of things, or self-serving and selfish ways of being.
Eventually, we become slaves to those things.
Jesus says, “I am the bread of life.” He is saying that ultimately, he can satisfy our deepest needs and longings. He can make us feel “full” and overflowing with blessing. To live physically, we need bread or a staple food, but to live spiritually abundantly and eternally, we need Jesus, who indeed is the bread of life, and who is always ready to welcome you to his table.
Thank you, Jesus, for the gift of life. thank you Lord for satisfying me with all my needs in this life and life to come, Lord give us today our daily bread. Amen.