Jesus Revealed Pt. 6 - Jesus Satisfies Like No OtherSample

The Bread of Life - Part 1  

Thoughts on the Passage

“If you are really sent by God, give us bread. Moses, the man sent by God gave our fathers manna from heaven.”

 See how easy it is to be bread focused? They need to be eternity focused, but instead they are bread focused. Again, it is the time of year when it is the barley harvest; it is the time of Passover (when they celebrate the time God released them from slavery – and when He gave them manna in the wilderness). The season reminds them of bread. The festival coming reminds them of bread. Their hearts seeking for a deliverer (from the oppression of Rome) saw Jesus feed them with bread. They dearly want Jesus to be this deliverer – just like Moses.

They are thinking physical. Jesus is speaking spiritual.

They keep coming back to the physical all the time. Jesus keeps bringing the spiritual to the front. They have trouble understanding – or accepting this. So Jesus uses bread to describe Himself to these people. He describes Himself as the “Bread of Life” – the living and eternal bread that comes from heaven for mankind. Jesus never turns down anyone who comes for this Bread.

Jesus said “I AM the Bread of Life”. This is the first of seven declarations by Jesus in the book of John. We will look at it more closely over the next couple of days.

Application

Take time today to ask God to meet our physical needs. 

Now focus on asking God for spiritual nourishment. He is the spiritual bread as well. He will nourish our spirit and give it the strength it needs. This has eternal value.

Take time to hear what Jesus says – and choose to receive it and believe it. 

Time to Pray

Father, it is hard to think spiritually; hard to act as though the spiritual realm is more important than the physical. It is hard to believe Your words – and be nourished and strengthened by them. Still, today, I look at the promise Jesus gave here – His words give life to the world. So give life to my world through Your word. Help me release this life to dying dreams that You give people, help me give Your word of encouragement to strengthen weary hearts, and help me speak truth from Your word into lives that are wandering aimlessly and without eternal direction. Your words give life to everyone of these needy people around me. I know some do not want it – they want only the physical. Do not let me get discouraged but just keep giving them the living Bread; You never turn anyone away empty handed. In Jesus’ name, Amen.