John, in his Gospel, emphasizes the seven I AM statements of Jesus.
The first, "I am the bread of life."
Bread, just hearing that word makes me think of butter. I'm an Italian girl who loves me some bread and butter. Unfortunately, my life took a turn in 2017 when I learned that because of an autoimmune condition, I had to say goodbye to both. What! How would I survive without bread—and butter?!
Eventually I was able to find a substitute for the physical bread (and butter), but spiritually, there is no substitute. In John 6, Jesus explains that He is the Bread of life.
His explanation came after He fed 5000+ people with five loaves of bread and two fish (v 1-12). Oh yeah, then He walked on water (v 16-20). Yet these same people wanted another miracle—they didn't want Him, they instead wanted what He could give them. They asked for free bread everyday like the manna their ancestors received from Moses in the wilderness (vs 30-31).
Jesus said, “I tell you the truth, Moses didn’t give you bread from heaven. My Father did. And now he offers you the true bread from heaven. The true bread of God is the one who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.”
“Sir,” they said, “give us that bread every day.”
Jesus replied, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry again. Whoever believes in me will never be thirsty. (John 6:32-35 NLT)
Jesus said come - follow Meand you will never be hungry.
And believe - put your trust in Me and I will forever quench your thirst.
They wanted nothing more than to be secure and comfortable. Boy can I relate! Before I knew Jesus, I remember thinking (and saying—because usually when things come to my mind they many times shoot right out of my mouth—Pray for me!) "Come on, Jesus walked on water?" And I'm sure I also would have had something to say about feeding all those people with such little food had I known the story at the time. As if anything is
impossible for God, right!?
[Jesus continued} "But you haven’t believed in me even though you have seen me" (vs 36).
Ouch! Just as they did, I had many opportunities but each one bounced off my hard heart. I was looking for what I could see and was missing the beauty of what I could not see. This was true for the Israelites as well. Manna was the miracle food from heaven; food they could see; food with physical sustenance (Exodus 16). However, it was so much more than that. It was a foreshadow of the Bread that would bring life; true sustenance.
Let's be honest, even as believers we can find ourselves seeking Jesus for what He can give us rather than seeking more of Him.
However, those the Father has given me will come to me, and I will never reject them. For I have come down from heaven to do the will of God who sent me, not to do my own will. And this is the will of God, that I should not lose even one of all those he has given me, but that I should raise them up at the last day. For it is my Father’s will that all who see his Son and believe in him should have eternal life. I will raise them up at the last day. (vs 37-42)
Stop for a moment to think about the gravity of Jesus's words. He said He came to give life, eternal life. Yet somehow we've dumbed Him down to a man, or a god of many gods. Regardless of what these disciples saw, or what He said, they were blinded to who He was. They could not get past their own desires and human logic (vs. 34,41-42).
Isn't that something we've all struggled with? I mean, either we've rejected Jesus all together or we put Him in a box by interpreting His word to fit the narrative we like. Either way it's a rejection of who He is.
Jesus now drops a truth bomb that would blow anyone's mind; truth that caused many to walk away from Him. He not only said it once (vs. 47-51), but twice—
So Jesus said again, “I tell you the truth, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you cannot have eternal life within you. But anyone who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise that person at the last day. For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink. Anyone who eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me, and I in him. I live because of the living Father who sent me; in the same way, anyone who feeds on me will live because of me. I am the true bread that came down from heaven. Anyone who eats this bread will not die as your ancestors did (even though they ate the manna) but will live forever.” (vs.53-58)
Whoa! And because they did not know Him, they found His words difficult to accept (vs.60). Jesus's words were difficult indeed, but we realize that He was not suggesting that anyone literally eat His flesh and drink His blood. He was talking about surrender—abiding—He in you and you in Him—fully committed, following Him wherever He leads. His way not yours, no matter the circumstance, now and into eternity.
Do you have a hard time accepting what Jesus said? Search your heart because it's extremely important. Jesus essentially says that He is EVERYTHING to you or He is NOTHING.
Jesus was aware that his disciples were complaining, so he said to them, “Does this offend you? Then what will you think if you see the Son of Man ascend to heaven again? The Spirit alone gives eternal life. Human effort accomplishes nothing. And the very words I have spoken to you are spirit and life. But some of you do not believe me.” (For Jesus knew from the beginning which ones didn’t believe, and he knew who would betray him.) Then he said, “That is why I said that people can’t come to me unless the Father gives them to me.” (vs.61-65)
In other words,there is no halfway. It's not what we do, it's what He did. He paid the price so we didn't have to. Our only job is to surrender to the One who actually gave His life so we could have life.
“Unless God thus draw, no man will ever come to Christ; because none could, without this drawing, ever feel the need of a Saviour.” (Clarke)
Jesus rejected their selfish motives for following Him. He told them they had to be all in, but unfortunately, that's not what they were looking for.
At this point many of his disciples turned away and deserted him. (vs. 66)
Then Jesus turned to the Twelve and asked, “Are you also going to leave?” Simon Peter replied, “Lord, to whom would we go? You have the words that give eternal life. We believe, and we know you are the Holy One of God.” (vs.68-69).
I believe that everyone, at some point in their walk with Jesus, has to ask themselves some important questions. I surely have; and the closer I walk, the more they penetrate my heart:
Will I stay or will I go?
Do I believe that Jesus is the Holy one of God?
Do I want Jesus or am I following Him for what He can give me?
Do I take Him at His word or do I try to mold His word into what works for me?
I'm pretty sure that most of you who have read this far would say that you believe in Jesus, but have you fully surrendered your heart to Him or is what He asks too difficult?
It's not easy living in a world that has rejected Jesus as Lord, but I say as Peter did, "Lord, to whom would I go? You have the words that give eternal life. I believe, and I know You are the Holy One of God.”
Jesus, the Bread of life, the One who gives life, indicates that we're either all in or we're not in at all. Which are you?
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