The Bread Of Life

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.

John 6:35

Christ used vivid imagery to describe Himself. Our text lies in the conversation He had with the people who had sought Him out on the other side of the Sea of Galilee the day after He fed the 5,000. They were captivated by the miracle He had done the day before. They wanted Him to do more in the same vein, ‘Therefore they said to Him, What sign will You perform then, that we may see it and believe You? What work will You do? Our fathers ate the manna in the desert; as it is written, He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’  Christ turned them from seeking for this physical bread to Himself saying, ‘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. For the bread of God is He who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.’ When they failed to grasp the point He was making, He spoke the words of our text. He declares Himself to be the most fundamental sustainer of life itself. Nothing is more critical to the maintenance of life as food and water. These are basic necessities. Without them, we perish. He sets Himself forward as being critical to life. Thus, He uses the terminology that the one who comes to Him will never hunger or thirst. He is the Bread of life. What was true for these people is true for us. We have every reason to be occupied and preoccupied with Christ. While we may spend our time and effort on a number of other necessary activities, we must have Christ as the most basic satisfier of life for time and for eternity.

Our Good and Loving Savior,
we rejoice that You are necessary to life itself.
We praise You that You make Yourself
available to us daily.

Tomm Tice
Where the Bush is Burning