The Bread Of Life

John 6:22-40

I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry again. Whoever believes in me will never be thirsty. (John 6:35)

ONE OF THE PROMINENT FEATURES of John’s gospel is Jesus’ “I am” statements. The climax of those statements is the one that is least defined, when Jesus simply hinted at the divine name of God and applied it to himself: I AM (John 8:58). The others are all metaphors that are loaded with meaning—not only for how we understand Jesus’ identity but also for our mission in the world. If Jesus offered the resources of divine life to his followers and then sent his followers into the world with the same mission, we need to know what we are offering. The “I am” statements give us a series of pictures of our message.

When crowds asked Jesus for a miraculous sign like their ancestors experienced when manna fell from heaven, Jesus identified himself as the true bread from heaven. Earthly bread nourishes for a moment but doesn’t sustain the spirit, and it doesn’t last longer than a day. Jesus, however—not just his words or his power, but his life within us—nourishes forever. To have him is life; not to have him is death. We may live in natural bodies for a time, but only with Jesus can we enter into eternal life. Only the bread of heaven enables us to thrive.

Is the life you are living qualitatively different from the life of those who are not in a relationship with Jesus? If not, you are not living from the nourishment the Bread of Life gives you, even if it has already been made available to you by faith. Salvation by grace through faith gives us access to the life of Jesus; only ongoing faith and dependence allow us to experience it each day. Receive that gift constantly, and you will grow in confidence in offering it to others. It will feed your spirit and, like one beggar telling another where to find bread, you will fill other mouths with its nourishment. The bread of life will satisfy your hunger forever.

{Jesus, like many others, I have tried to satisfy my hunger with other breads in this world, and not one has filled me up. You offer to strengthen me forever. Let me experience you fully and share your life with many. Amen.