The Bread of Life

Jesus is the Eternal Word

He is God, part and yet separate from the Father.

He is Creator

He is the one who communicates for God.

He has the Words of eternal Life and made the New Covenant, ratified by His blood.

Jesus as the Bread of Life

The Problem:

The people are seeking Jesus, not to follow Him, but because they ate and were filled.

John 6:26 “26 Jesus answered them and said, “Most assuredly, I say to you, you seek Me, not because you saw the signs, but because you ate of the loaves and were filled.”

The Command

John 6:27 “27 Do not labor for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to everlasting life, which the Son of Man will give you, because God the Father has set His seal on Him.””

There is a food that has no eternal benefit.

There is a food that has eternal benefit.

It comes from Jesus Christ only. (which the Son of Man will give you…)

The Response - Like the Samaritan Woman

John 6:34 “34 Then they said to Him, “Lord, give us this bread always.””

The Explanation

John 6:35 “35 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.”

Is this talking about real bread? Many want to use this to hold up the Lord’s Table as part of our Salvific / Strengthening Grace, that the actual bread and wine impart strength and unite us with Christ.

They are done in remembrance of Him.

God looks at the heart. Any act that is separated or held up as an outward / righteous act is suspect. It is always about the heart.

Notice that his is so much more than bread. If I have bread, I need something to drink. You here Christ promises that the bread He gives satisfies hunger and thirst.

John 6:68 “68 But Simon Peter answered Him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.”

Luke 4:4 “4 But Jesus answered him, saying, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.’ ””

So Why did Christ chose this metaphor of Bread?

The people were looking for bread as Christ had created bread on meat for them.

Bread was a common staple in the middle east. Grains grew well during the rains, they store exceptionally well, and everyone used them as part of their daily diet, from the King to the poorest of children.

John 6:8–9 “8 One of His disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, said to Him, 9 “There is a lad here who has five barley loaves and two small fish, but what are they among so many?””

A young lads travel food. Five barley loaves (dry cracker) and two small dried fish as he was on the Sea of Galilee.

Bread was necessary.

This was what allowed them to survive winters and droughts. It was the grain that you stored that took you through.

Bread is also satisfying. It fills us and stays with us giving us energy over the course of a day.

You need food daily, even several times a day. Bread was a great symbol of our need of Christ daily.

The process of making bread also points to Christ’s death.

Bread grew, matured, died, was crushed and then after mixing it was baked.

Christ would come to live grow up here from an infant, teach, die, was crushed by God’s Wrath and offers us His body as bread.

It isn’t his literal body as food, but the sacrifice and shed blood that atones for our sins.

We must become a part of Christ and have Christ in us.

Galatians 2:20 “20 I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.”

One final Reason

Luke 4:4 “4 But Jesus answered him, saying, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.’ ””

Bread was a symbol of God’s provision for His people.

It has been a literal provision in the Wilderness and for the 5000.

But the verse points out that it was there to remind them, that it is God who provides from them.

Deuteronomy 8:3 “3 So He humbled you, allowed you to hunger, and fed you with manna which you did not know nor did your fathers know, that He might make you know that man shall not live by bread alone; but man lives by every word that proceeds from the mouth of the Lord.”

It is by the command of the Lord that the people are fed, not due to their work.

This was also why God promised to bless obedience and that they would have bread, and to curse disobedience.

Exodus 23:24–26 “24 You shall not bow down to their gods, nor serve them, nor do according to their works; but you shall utterly overthrow them and completely break down their sacred pillars. 25 “So you shall serve the Lord your God, and He will bless your bread and your water. And I will take sickness away from the midst of you. 26 No one shall suffer miscarriage or be barren in your land; I will fulfill the number of your days.”

Christ would also often teach on our need to trust in God to provide.

Matthew 6:19-34....

Application

What do we look to for provisions and hope in times of trouble? More than food, where is our hope and trust?

If it is in this world, finances, banking, savings, our strength, our family, our country.... We will be forever disappointed.

Matthew 6:31–34 “31 “Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.”

God promises you Hope!

Romans 15:13 “13 Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”

Only God can give eternal life. Only God can cover this corrupt body with an incorruptible one. Only God can wipe away all tears and sorrow.

He also has promised to provide us a place in heaven, a place that will be with Him.

Ephesians 1:11 “11 In Him also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will,”

1 Peter 1:3–6 “3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, 5 who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. 6 In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials,”