HEAVENLY BREAD
JOHN 6:32-35 NKJV
32 Then Jesus said to them, "Most assuredly, I say to you, Moses did not give you the bread from heaven, but My Father gives you the true bread from heaven. 33 For the bread of God is He who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world."
34 Then they said to Him, "Lord, give us this bread always."
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.
This is not a dessert recipe devotional. But it is an important truth from Jesus.
The context of this passage is that Jesus had just fed over 5000 people with five loaves and two small fish. The people were so excited about this miracle that they were going to take Jesus by force to make Him a king.
Jesus slipped away, and the disciples got in a boat to go to Capernaum. Jesus took a shortcut and walked on the water to catch up with His disciples. The people came looking for Jesus, and He knew why they had come. It was because He had fed them. This natural hunger of the people was more important than witnessing the supernatural.
The people reminded Jesus that Moses had given the nation of Israel manna or bread when they came out of Egypt. And Jesus offered them something even better.
Jesus said that His Father, God, had given them the true bread from heaven. And this true bread would do more than satisfy a hungry belly. The bread of God would give life, spiritual life, to the world.
When the people, still thinking about natural hunger and natural food, responded to Jesus and asked for this heavenly bread, Jesus threw them a curve.
I am the bread of life. I am the answer to the spiritual hunger and thirst that is a part of every individual. By believing in Jesus that hunger and thirst would be quenched.
This was the start of Jesus' most controversial sermon where He mentioned eating His flesh and drinking His blood. Obviously, He was speaking from a spiritual perspective and even stated that in verse 63. But many of His followers walked away. They simply did not understand.
APPLICATION:
Jesus' spiritual words have not passed away. He is still the bread of life. He is still the answer to the hunger that resides in every person.
There are blessings, material blessings, involved with serving God. But we can never lose sight of the most important blessing. Moving from spiritual death to spiritual life. And living with a peace and contentment that nothing in our temporary world can satisfy.
PRAYER:
Thank You, Father, for sending Jesus the bread of life.