THE BREAD OF LIFE
John 6:32-35 NKJ
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.
The gospels are a great place to start a reading plan. The book of John is the story of Jesus and deals more with His last days and His teachings. For both simplicity and for depth, John is a great book. This sixth chapter contains one of Jesus' more in-depth teachings. When many people who followed Him heard this teaching, they turned away from the Lord. Jesus said that His words were spirit and life and not geared for fleshly comprehension. Our verses for today are a classic example of spiritual words that can go past our natural understanding.
Jesus had just fed five thousand men and an untold number of women and children with five loaves of bread and two small fish. The people were astounded by the miracle and saw the potential of Jesus providing food for them so they would never be hungry or run short again. The people reminded Jesus that Moses had given the people manna to eat. In essence, they were asking Jesus to provide bread for them as well. Then Jesus told them He was the bread from heaven.
Many minds had to go tilt when Jesus dropped that bit of revelation on them. Jesus was likening Himself to the manna. The manna fed the nation of Israel in the wilderness. But Jesus declared that He was the bread of life. The manna gave and sustained the natural body. But Jesus would be the bread that gave spiritual life and sustained the spirit of man. Then Jesus said an extremely profound truth. The person who comes to Him will not hunger, and if a person believes in Him, they will never thirst.
Obviously, Jesus is speaking of a spiritual reality. Many people have come to the Lord and believed on Him but still hunger and thirst from a natural standpoint. But Jesus was not speaking of natural physical desires. He was speaking of the spiritual hunger and thirst that is fulfilled when we come to Him, believe in Him, and the Holy Spirit does a work in our hearts. Jesus was declaring that He was the answer for the hunger and thirst that drives mankind. This same hunger and thirst compel people to seek fulfillment in many different areas. Some people look for adventure and excitement. Some look for the party life to fulfill them. Others turn to achievement or the pursuit of money. There is a heart hunger in mankind that only Jesus can fill. People have called this hunger a God-shaped hole that only Christ can fit into. Jesus took the people of His day by surprise when He declared He was the bread from heaven that gives life to the world. But we still see this today. He is still the bread of life that satisfies the spiritual craving in all of us.
APPLICATION
I once read about a football coach who did not want his players becoming believers and followers of Christ. He said something along the lines of when someone finds the Lord, it dims their desire for football. This coach wanted men with a driving hunger for football that superseded every other objective in their lives. While I can't agree with this coach, I do understand what he was saying. A player who finds a relationship with the Lord has a spiritual satisfaction that winning football cannot supply. This coach wanted football to be the life of his players. But a believer has found the source of life in Christ. Winning in sports is great, and giving our best is important. But winning everything will not satisfy like the Lord.
And this principle applies to all aspects of life. A believer who has a living relationship with the Lord will not tend to put as much pressure on their spouse to make them happy. A believer who has a living relationship with the Lord is not as prone to look to fleshly desires to fulfill them. Oh, the flesh still has desires and can be loud in wanting those desires filled. This is why we are instructed to crucify our flesh. But that is a subject for another day.
PRAYER
Thank You, Lord. You are my source of life. With You, my spiritual hunger and thirst are satisfied. You are my bread of life!