Jesus Christ: The Bread of Life

Introduction

It is important that we note the context of this portion of scripture. Jesus has just fed five thousand men and the women and children who were also present with only “five barley loaves and two small fishes.”

This event ultimately led to Jesus amassing a multitude of followers which He is now speaking to. He begins to address the crowd initially confronting their carnal desires. He knew that many of them were not following Him because of the miracles He had performed but simply because they had been fed.

Apparently a majority of these people were only concerned with the temporal gifts that Jesus had to offer and had neglected to even consider their spiritual need. (Vs. 26) Even today many come to Christ seeking some temporal fulfilment while neglecting their real spiritual need.

So many come to a church or even to Jesus looking for an escape from trouble, help in a time of desperation, or with some wish they desire to see granted.

The people then ask a question of Jesus regarding what they must do to attain this spiritual blessing from God. Jesus presents a simple answer that all they must do is “believe on Him whom He hath sent” speaking of course of Himself.

The people then resort to seeking for a sign of confirmation that Jesus is the one which God has sent and they compare their circumstances with the children of Israel in the wilderness who received manna from heaven.

This gives Jesus the opportunity to make use of this historical event to illustrate a present spiritual reality. Jesus begins to paint a contrast between physical bread which is only temporary and which can only sustain life with the spiritual bread which is eternal and has the power to give life.

Here Jesus declares himself to be the “Bread of Life.” Jesus presents a number of spiritual truths through this passage through the use of this illustration.

He presents first of all the truth that the “Bread of Life”:

Satisfies the Hungry Soul (Vs. 34-35)

The people who were following Jesus were once again hungry and they again turned to Jesus to provide them with food but Jesus has a deeper need in mind.

Jesus is attempting to bring them to the realization that there is a much greater need in their life than the physical bread that they are seeking after.

These people who had been the recipients of a miraculous meal were now again unsatisfied for the physical bread could never truly satisfy.

Throughout history men and women have tried in vain to find satisfaction in temporal things but none has ever found that which would truly satisfy in physical possessions or earthly pleasures.

The things of this world can never satisfy the longing of our souls.

Proverbs 27:20 KJV 1900

Hell and destruction are never full; So the eyes of man are never satisfied.

Ecclesiastes 2:1-11- One of the greatest examples which illustrates this truth is that of Solomon who literally tried everything and yet ultimately was left unsatisfied

The world is filled with people who have tried everything to find fulfilment to find satisfaction and yet they find it seems that satisfaction is just beyond their reach.

C.S. Lewis masterfully states the truth of this reality “If I find in myself a desire which no experience in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that I was made for another world. If none of my earthly pleasures satisfy it, that does not prove that the universe is a fraud. Probably earthly pleasures were never meant to satisfy it, but only to arouse it, to suggest the real thing.”

Nothing in this world will ever satisfy the deep hunger of the soul of man. It is the “Bread of Life” which will satisfy the hunger and thirst of our soul!

If those who followed Jesus had again been given bread to eat they would find that after only a short time they would be hungry again but in the “Bread of Life” they would find a satisfaction which would last for all eternity.

This “Bread of Life” is also the:

Source of Everlasting Life (Vs. 40-51)

The physical bread which the Israelites had received in the wilderness, even though it had come from God, could only sustain them each day. It could never give to them everlasting life.

All who had eaten this heavenly food had long since gone to the grave but now Jesus offers up Himself as the “Bread of Life” which has the ability to give to those who believe in Him everlasting life.

If we were to ask the question “Who wants to live forever?” certainly there would be many who would be willing to do anything who would try any formula in the hope of defeating death but there is but one formula and that is faith in the “Bread of Life”

Those who followed Jesus had this same desire for everlasting life and now Jesus presents Himself as the means to attaining it.

Jesus even speaks of the fact that He will give His life to secure eternal life for all who will believe.

The “Bread of Life” is the only means whereby any man shall ever defeat death and gain eternal life. Eternal life will never be found in any other source.

These blessed benefits of the “Bread of Life” are only available to those who :

Receive Him (Vs. 52-58)

The conclusion of Jesus’s discourse focuses in upon a continuing theme throughout the entire conversation, that of receiving the “Bread of Life” by faith coming and believing on Him.

The most vocal group in Jesus audience still cannot seem to rise above the earthly to grasp the heavenly meaning which Jesus is here presenting.

When Jesus begins to speak of giving His flesh the Jewish leaders are shocked and offended because they have yet to recognize that Jesus is speaking in spiritual terms.

Jesus presents a sobering reality here that if an individual refuses to partake of this “Bread of Life” , representative of His body and blood, they have not life in them. (Vs. 53)

Jesus then makes a positive assertion that anyone who will partake of his body and blood shall have eternal life and shall be raised up at the last day. (Vs. 54)

Some have imagined that Jesus is speaking of the elements of the Lord’s Supper but this would directly contradict the rest of the discourse because eternal life comes not by participation in the Lord’s Supper but by coming to and believing on Jesus Christ.

It becomes even more clear that Jesus is speaking of salvation as He speaks of dwelling in Him and He dwelling in them who believe.

The simple truth that Jesus presents in this conclusion is that without the “Bread of Life” one will never find everlasting life. It is only by partaking of this bread through coming to Jesus and believing on Him that any man can be saved and live eternally.

Jesus’s intent was to bring His hearers to a point of decision. Each of them would either receive or reject the offer of salvation by their belief or rejection of the truths which Jesus has presented to them.

Certainly it is John’s intent also to bring each of us to a point of decision as well. Today you will either receive the truth that Jesus is the “Bread of Life” and you will partake of Him or you will refuse the truth and reject the offer of eternal life in Him.

Conclusion

Ultimately it becomes clear that Jesus’s discourse had a significant impact upon those who followed Him as we see in the verses following.

Many of His “disciples” at this point decided that they were not willing to receive these truths and turned and walked with Him no more.

Jesus then speaks to the twelve and questions them as to their intentions. Would they also turn away?

Peter gives a profound answer when he says “Lord to whom shall we go? Thou hast the words of eternal life and we believe.

Which of these groups will you be a part of today? Those who turned away from the truth or those who embraced it by faith believing Jesus Christ.