The Bread of Life

It makes me sad to see how truth has diminished in our world. Facts are no longer facts and honesty is often a thing of the past. It seems that truth no longer matters. What makes me happy is the knowledge that I serve a God Who is the truth (John 14:6). Jesus, the second person of the Triune God, was accused of blasphemy and became a victim of attempted murder for telling His truth, THE TRUTH. Throughout the book of John, Jesus is recorded saying the words, “I AM”. He didn’t say, “I was” nor did He say, “I will be”. He said, “Ego eimi” which translated means, “I AM”. 

Am is the present tense, the first-person singular form of the word be. Am is the present continuous form can be used to indicate something in progress at the moment of speaking. It is also used with words like always, constantly, continually and forever. Jesus is always present, constantly present, continually present and forever present. Jesus expects His children to live in the present with Him. He is everything we need in every moment of our lives, always, constantly, continually and forever. 

The Apostle John writes to prove that the I AM, Who spoke to Moses is resident in Jesus, The Word, Who was present at the beginning of time and remains present today. Jesus uttered seven I AM statements. In John 6:35, He said, I am the bread of life”. In John 8:12, He said, “I am the light of the world”. In John 10:7, He said, “I am the door of the sheep”. In John 10:11, He said, “I am the good shepherd”. In John 11:25, He said, “I am the resurrection and the life”. In John 14:6, He said, “I am the way, the truth and the life”. In John 15:5, He said, “I am the vine”. Over the next couple of months, I would like to focus our attention on the seven I AM statements of Jesus. Let’s look at the first I Am statement found in John 6:35 which is “I am the bread of Life”.

Bread was and remains a staple in Israeli culture, with or without leaven. No meal was complete without bread. Today, bread is the first thing presented at the start of a formal or not so formal meal. The bread sets the tone for the entire dining experience. It denotes the flavor of the remainder of the meal. Hot bread is a weakness of mine. If I am presented with hot bread at the start of a meal, I have a hard time resisting it. Delicious hot bread at the start of my meal sets the expectation for a satisfying experience. I do not believe God does anything by mistake so I am sure He was purposeful about the first I AM statement referring to bread. Just as the experience with bread makes for a complete, satisfying meal, Jesus is necessary for a full, complete and satisfying life. Sadly, many fail to accept this simple message and look to the wrong things in an attempt to fill their lives in search of satisfaction.

Being full is not the same as being satisfied. One can feel full as a result of eating the wrong things, too much of a thing or eating too quickly. The feeling  of being full is often described as experiencing discomfort. Being satisfied however, results from contentment; not needing anything more. The things if the world can fill you up but it is only the life that has Jesus at its center that is truly satisfied. The New International commentary explains that God is the supplier of divine bread. In Exodus 16, He gave manna, the miraculous bread, as spiritual food to the Israelites on their desert journey. Manna was given for each day to satisfy their hunger AND not to simply fill them up. If they tried to keep more than they needed for one day, it spoiled.

At the start of each day, I go to the Word of God for direction. Before doing anything else, I feast on The Word of God. I read it, study it, and meditate upon it. Just as bread sets the tone for the meal, starting each day in The Word sets the tone for my day. God has something to say to me and each day, I must feast on The Word, allow it to digest in my spirit and satisfy my spirit. You and I need to rely upon Jesus for what we need each day. Jesus, the Word made flesh, is the only true supplier of our daily needs. He used the analogy of bread knowing that people of that time would understand the divine principle connected to physical need. He wanted them to know and wants each of  us to be reminded that all of our desires can be met in Him. Just as the Israelites had to trust God each day for their daily bread, you and I must remember where everything we need comes from. Those of us who freely accept Him, will be satisfied and hunger no more.

When we gather to celebrate Holy Communion, we are corporately renewing our need for Jesus and trusting the Father’s ability to satisfy our souls. We are reminded that the Bread of Life never perishes, runs out nor spoils. Jesus, the Bread of Life, satisfies our deepest emotional and spiritual longings as well as all of our needs. Jesus, the Bread of Life, gives us the ability to live completely satisfied in His abundance and at the end of time experience life eternal with Him. Jesus, the Bread of Life, is always ready to welcome us to His table where we will experience the Father’s life-sustaining provision. We must remember, our sustenance and satisfaction come from Jesus, the Bread of Life.

Join me Under The Church Hat for this month’s exercise:

Describe the way you remain connected to truth in less than 250 words.

Describe three ways you have experienced Jesus as the Bread of Life.

Are you fully satisfied with your relationship with Jesus? What if anything needs to change?

Write a prayer of thanksgiving to God for His life-sustaining provision. 

Choose a passage of scripture from this devotion to meditate on throughout the month.