Assertion of Jesus: "I AM The Bread of Life" (Pt. 2)
After the miracle of multiplying five loaves of bread and two fish to feed thousands, Jesus faced a crowd of miracle chasers who wanted to see more of the fantastic. Some of them wanted to get in on the free bread give-away. Among his instruction to them, Jesus said this in John 6:27…
27 "But don’t be so concerned about perishable things like food. Spend your energy seeking the eternal life that the Son of Man can give you. For God the Father has given me the seal of his approval."
Jesus went on to declare that he was the what they needed…
33 "The true bread of God is the one who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.” 35 “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry again… 40 For it is my Father’s will that all who see his Son and believe in him should have eternal life. I will raise them up at the last day."
Jesus is Your All in All
It seems so many people today are trying to make sense of God or are confused about what God wants them to be and to do. But the assertion that Jesus gave 2000 years ago is simple:
40 "…all who see his Son and believe in him should have eternal life.”
You either believe that or not. God’s plan for people is the saving and keeping of our souls for all eternity. One day, every true believer in Jesus Christ will be taken to heaven, given new resurrection bodies and will live in a new heaven and new earth. But there's more. Jesus is also the Bread of Life. He feeds our lives in such a way that we’re given meaning and purpose, understanding and insights, wisdom and reasoning. No one or no thing in this world can duplicate what Jesus gives his spiritual children each day. He is the Bread of Life!
The Order of Things
1) The first order of things is to believe and accept who Jesus claims to be—the Savior of your soul. In talking to the crowd of miracle seekers, Jesus said this in v. 29…
29 "…This is the only work God wants from you: Believe in the one he has sent."
2) Secondly, you must trust and obey the only one who is able to fulfill your most important and deep-seated needs. Jesus wants to fill you up and guide your life! He desires to be your all in all. Belief in Jesus as Savior leads to a pursuit of spiritual and personal maturity and development that Jesus has purposed for you. He said this in v. 51…
51 "I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Anyone who eats this bread will live forever; and this bread, which I will offer so the world may live, is my flesh."
The only way to satisfy your search for purpose and gratify the emptiness in your life is through a right relationship with the flesh and blood person of Jesus Christ. His body of flesh was nailed to a cross. Jesus died with your sin upon himself so you could be forgiven of every wrong — past, present, and future.
When Jesus declared himself as living bread, understand that bread was a daily staple in his ancient culture. The original hearers understood the metaphor (many of them just didn’t believe it!) The point Jesus was making was this: Just as bread needed to be eaten to sustain life, so it is that Jesus must be taken in daily to fill and sustain one’s spiritual life. That truth still stands today. Jesus wants to fill you up as your one and only and your all in all. Meet with him each day, throughout the day.
Everything You Need Is Found In Jesus
I read a story about an African beggar who was also a Christ-follower. She knew what it meant to have Jesus fill her life when the circumstances around her were unfulfilling. She found the answer to the challenge all of us have of finding contentment in Christ as all we really need. Dr. Clive Calver is known as the former President of World Relief. In the opening chapter of his book, Descending Like A Dove, he tells the story of Rhoda. Rhoda lives in the African nation of Malawi—each day she sits alone in the dust and dirt of the capital city, Lilongwe, begging for food or money. Rhoda is blind and her husband is mentally impaired and cannot work. With one hand she holds out her tin cup, and with the other, she holds a small baby, her granddaughter. Rhoda's daughter died of AIDS shortly after the baby was born, and most likely the baby is infected, too.
One morning Clive Calver's wife, Ruth, encounters Rhoda on the street. It happens on this particular day that Rhoda's only real possession, a clay water jar, has been stolen from her side. Ruth engages her in conversation, and at a certain point asks, “Rhoda, do you have any message you'd like me to take back from Africa to your brothers and sisters in the West?” Rhoda replies, “Yes, there is something I would like you to tell them. I want you to pass along the message that Rhoda is doing well and that all is fine for me here. Please say to my brothers and sisters that I have everything I could need because I have Jesus.”
We who have so much; we who have so many material things can hardly imagine making a confession like that. We can’t fathom that kind of faith and contentment. We think we need so many other things to find meaning in life: a house and clothes and cars and dinners out and vacations and elaborate hobbies and meaningful careers and more money, and on and on. We think that life without possessions and achievement and pleasure and comfort wouldn’t be worth living—it’s not true. Jesus fills you. In the end, only one thing is needed; one thing is essential, for this life and the life to come—a genuine faith and trust in Jesus Christ. When you have him, you have everything you need. Are you hungry? Lonely? Lacking meaning and purpose? Jesus is your bread of life and that’s an assertion you can’t live without.
Next Step
1. Identify in your life the one or two things you pursue as necessities but in reality, they are not. Are they good for you? Healthy? Do they displace Jesus as your all in all? If so, begin to wean yourself from them and replace it with a greater trust in Jesus to fill you. Allow him to be your Bread of Life!
