“Jesus said to them, ‘I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst” (John 6:35). Yesterday, I started by quoting Pro. 19:6, where mention of stolen, sweet water and bread is made. I took some time to discuss the contrast between the sweet water of sin and the eternal nature of Jesus being our living water. Because of space limitations, I did not include Jesus as the bread, so I will concentrate on that today.
In John 6:48, we read the following, “I am the bread of life. Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died. This is the bread that comes down from heaven, so that one may eat of it and not die. I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. And the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.” In the Gospel of John, Jesus refers to Himself metaphorically as the “bread of life” to reveal a profound truth. Now, one may be tempted to say that the metaphor of bread is quite weak because bread is known not to be very healthy, but I would draw your attention to the following.
Bread was way healthier back in the time of Jesus because it was not genetically modified or chemically treated. Back then, it was a primary source of sustenance, and I dare say it was more commonly eaten than meat. When Jesus refers to Himself as the bread of life He is obviously not referring to our modern-day, refined version, but rather the healthy type eaten in His day. John 6:35 reminds us that whereas physical bread can sustain us temporarily, Jesus offers us something far more substantial. He is the spiritual bread that nourishes our souls, offering eternal satisfaction and fulfillment. Only He can satisfy the deepest hunger and thirst of our souls.
Jesus compares and contrasts physical bread to Himself as the spiritual kind in John 6:48. The bread that came down from heaven in the form of manna, while being a gift from God, could only sustain the Israelites temporarily – it had no eternal value. Think of yourself eating a hearty meal and then going about your day. In a couple of hours, your once full belly will cry out for further nourishment, and you will begin to feel the hunger pangs again. Not so with Jesus. His sacrificial death on the cross meant He became the spiritual bread of life that grants the eater eternal life and happiness in heaven.
John 6:54-56 reads as follows, “Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day. For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink. Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me, and I in him.” What Jesus became when he offered His life as a propitiation for our sins is a remarkable source of life-giving sustenance. Just as bread and water become part of us when we eat and drink it, so too does Jesus when we figuratively eat His flesh and drink His blood. The bread you buy from the store provides you with meager amounts of vitamins and minerals, but the spiritual kind offers a divine presence within you.
However, unlike physical bread and water, that has no lasting nourishment, Jesus supplies it once and for all. Eat and drink of what Jesus has to offer you, and you will never need to do so again. It has eternal qualities that supersede our wildest imagination. Of course, I am not saying to stop eating bread and drinking water – that would be silly and dangerous, but I am saying that it is not the only bread and water you should partake in. Decide this day that you will partake of the spiritual nourishment that our Savior, Christ Jesus, offers and join those of us who have already done so as we rejoice in the results, both now and for the future.
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