Bread of Life

BREAD OF LIFE

 

Then Jesus declared, “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

 

In the ancient Middle East, bread was a staple part of people’s diet. It was the most reliable source of energy for the body and was readily available with little preparation. For the Israelites in particular, bread was considered a special food because of its religious connotations. In the tabernacle and later the temple, there was a table of showbread in the Holy Place that symbolised God’s desire to fellowship with His people as well as the bit of manna that was hidden in the Ark of the Covenant in the Holy of Holies as a symbol of God’s provision.

When Jesus used the phrases “bread of life” and “bread … from heaven,” His listeners would have immediately thought of the story of manna. God gave manna to the travelling Israelites in the wilderness to save them from certain death by starvation. In a similar way, God gave Jesus into the world to save us from certain death by separation from Him.

But Jesus wasn’t simply drawing a parallel to Moses. He taught that the Bread of Life is greater than the manna their ancestors received under Moses. In fact, His declaration came shortly after the feeding of the five thousand, a miracle that became an object lesson about the greatness of Jesus over Moses. The manna God provided through Moses satisfied only temporarily. The manna Jesus was offering, His very life, satisfies eternally.

Jesus offers Himself to all who believe in Him, an invitation to fellowship that isn’t restricted to priests as the showbread was but is open to all — just as Jesus Himself ate with tax collectors, prostitutes, and sinners. And in the beautiful picture of the Last Supper, we’re reminded that Jesus’ broken body secures our place at God’s table. As a morsel of bread becomes part of our bodies and gives us energy, so Jesus becomes part of us when we believe in Him and opens access to fellowship with God. He satisfies every longing and desire with Himself, “In your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand there are pleasures forevermore” (Psa 16.11 ESV). The Bread of Life invites us to feast on Him.

 

Prayer 

 

Jesus, You are everything I’ve ever wanted. But how often I turn to other things to satisfy the desires of my soul. Forgive me for replacing You with idols in my life. Only You can satisfy. Teach me to hunger for You and feast on You. May You be my heart’s chief desire.

In Jesus’s name, Amen 

 

If you want to read more 

Lev 24.5–9; Mt 5.6; Jn 6.25–27, 14.6