John 6:35, 41-51

Common folk enjoyed being with Jesus. The Almighty didn’t act high and mighty. The One who owns it all never strutted his stuff. People were irresistibly drawn to him. People liked him. People followed him. Their desire to follow him was aroused from more than his demeanor, his look, and his external features. People were attracted to him, because of something deeper, something practical, something spiritual. And why shouldn’t they? He performed amazing miracles like walking on the water, fed them when they were hungry, and made bold declarations.

“Jesus declared, ‘I am the bread of life’” (v. 35). If Jesus were (and, I think he was) the bread of life, that meant he was the answer to our every spiritual need.

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1. Jesus gives and sustains life.

Bread gives life. Bread contains the basic nutrients of life. We need it to live. Jesus was saying that spiritually we need him for abundant life and eternal life. In addition, bread sustains life. A balanced diet that contains adequate servings of bread is essential for health. Just look on any food pyramid. Jesus was saying that in him one finds all the essential ingredients for spiritual health and vitality.

In fact, Jesus took the bread of life metaphor to its ultimate extreme. Jesus (the bread of life) was placed in a tomb (an oven) for three days, then he arose (bread rising) on Easter morning (fully alive) triumphant over life to meet the spiritual needs of all humanity (ready to serve).

2. We must eat and enjoy.

The wonder of Jesus’ story is as wonderful as bread itself. Bread can be baked and served, but until the bread is eaten it does one no good, just as Jesus does one no good until he is trusted and received. We, therefore, must come to Jesus. “He who comes to me will never go hungry” (v. 35). And, we come to Jesus because the Father has drawn us to Jesus (v. 44). God has placed a hunger in our souls like the hunger pangs of our stomachs. The philosopher described our hunger as a God-shaped vacuum that could only be filled by God himself. Then, once we come to Jesus, in order for our spiritual needs to be met, we must believe in him. “He who believes in me will never be thirsty” (v. 35). Spiritually, Jesus explained that “he who believes has eternal life” (v. 47). Spiritually, he is everything that we could ever want or need.

3. Jesus is the wonder bread.

Jesus is it. As if his hearers did not understand that he was the bread of life, he states it again, “I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever” (v. 51). Spiritually, Jesus is all that we need.

“People followed him because they saw the miraculous signs he had performed on the sick” (John 6:2, NIV). People followed because he fed five thousand men with a small boy’s lunch of five small barley loaves and two small fish with plenty left over (John 6:5-13). People followed because Jesus performed miracles that defied belief like walking on the sea (John 6:16-24). Jesus was a miracle man — a charismatic figure that enticed people to be pulled along in his wake. His miracles were not simply a show of power. His miracles and his declarations touched a human need. And, no where was that more true than when Jesus made the claim: “I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty” (John 6:35 NIV).

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