“I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.” (John 6:35)
John 6 describes an interesting meal. With a little boy’s five small barley loaves and two small fish, Jesus feeds 5,000 hungry men. Awed by this miracle, the crowd pursues Jesus, believing that He is the prophet like Moses promised in Scripture.
Many in the crowd might also recall how Moses had fed their ancestors with manna while they were wandering in the wilderness (Exodus 16). Since they believe that the promised Messiah would be a prophet like Moses, Jesus’ feeding of the 5,000 feeds into this expectation.
Except that they demand yet another sign from Jesus to prove that He is the Messiah. They appear to be hoping for a miracle that would exceed the provision of manna—as if the miraculous feeding of the 5,000 and Jesus walking on the water hadn’t been spectacular enough!
Against this backdrop, Jesus gives us His first “I am” (egō eimi) declaration, in John 6:35: “I am the bread of life.” He describes himself as the new manna, “the bread that comes down from heaven and gives life to the world” (v. 33).
Any Jew listening to this first “I am” declaration of Jesus would immediately understand its significance. This is because Jesus’ use of metaphors in His proclamations were not randomly decided upon, but had been intentionally chosen in light of the specific historical, religious, and cultural context of Jewish life.
The crowd is pursuing Jesus because they want Him to continue to provide for them. Bread is their staple, their basic essential food for survival and sustenance. But Jesus now corrects their materialistic expectations of the kingdom of God, and tells them to seek spiritual nourishment and sustenance instead. “Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life,” He says (John 6:27).
Jesus says this because He doesn’t just want to give them bread for sustenance; rather, He is offering Himself as bread for life abundant. He offers not the bread they want, but the bread they need—himself: “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry” (v. 35).
Jesus’ revelation of himself as the bread of life demands a right response from us. How are we to respond?
- We Are to Know God’s Word
Just as we endeavour to eat healthily so that we can be strong, we should also strive to do the same when it comes to our spiritual health. We need to have a regular intake of spiritual food for our survival, nourishment, and growth. “Man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord” (Deuteronomy 8:3).
While God’s manna satisfied the Israelites’ physical hunger, His Word will satisfy our hungry souls. And when it comes to the Word of God, we need to feast continually. Let us resolve to do as Job did: “I have treasured the words of his mouth more than my daily bread” (Job 23:12). - We Are to Follow God’s Will
Jesus also says that God has made clear His will for each one of us: “To believe in the one he has sent . . . my Father’s will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life” (John 6:29, 40). It is the Father’s will that we believe in Jesus and have eternal life. What joy is ours to know that when we believe in Jesus, we are actually living out God’s will for us! May we also examine what else Scripture says about God’s will for us, and respond in obedience. - We Are to Do God’s Work
The crowd wants Jesus to give them literal bread so that they would not have to work for it anymore. But Jesus tells them: “Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life” (6:27). Jesus said: “My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work” (John 4:34). Jesus’ sustenance comes from doing God’s will and finishing God’s work. Likewise, doing and completing God’s work should be the sustenance of our lives.
In his letter to the Ephesian church, the apostle Paul stresses that while they are not saved by their works, they are saved to do God’s work: “He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago” (2:10 NLT).
Jesus is making us an offer that we cannot refuse: “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty” (John 6:35). Jesus is the food we must partake of, for He is the only food that can truly satisfy our hunger—our hunger for meaning, for purpose, for fulfilment, and for contentment.
Jesus is the bread of life that satisfies our deepest need and desire: to know God (17:3). When we eat this bread of life, we will enjoy a mutually abiding relationship with Him, for He promises us that “whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me, and I in them” (6:56-57). When we eat the bread of life, we will enjoy intimacy and security in Jesus.
Excerpted and adapted from When Jesus Says “I Am” by Sim Kay Tee, published by Discovery House Publishing Singapore Pte. Ltd.
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Across the country, in small and humble churches, many pastors faithfully live out their calling. Far from the comfort and convenience of city life, they serve their congregations every day despite many challenges.
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