Jesus our Bread of Life

17th May 2021

John 6:1-71

A very large crowd was following Jesus. They were following Jesus “because they saw the miraculous signs He had performed on the sick.” Jn 6:2 For the crowd, Jesus was a great miracle worker ,  a great healer. They followed Jesus up a mountain. Jesus being compassionate fed them with bread and fish . The crowd seeing the mighty miracle Jesus performed decided to make Jesus their King. They saw in Jesus a solution to all their worldly problems. They had followed Him because He can heal their diseases, but now they saw Jesus can fill their stomachs with food. What better King to have than Jesus. But Jesus moved away from the crowd which was self focused in following Jesus. But the crowd would not give up. They can’t let go of this “genie” who will meet their every need. They pursued Jesus crossing a treacherous lake until they found Him. Jesus bluntly told them that their search for Jesus was only “because you ate the loaves and had your fill” Jn 6:26-27 and not because of who Jesus is.  Jesus then went on to make a remarkable offer. To the crowd that desperately needed Jesus , Jesus offered Himself. Jesus offered Himself as the Bread of Life. Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty.” Jn 6:35 One would expect the crowd to have grabbed this opportunity and put their trust in Jesus as the One who would give them Eternal Life. But their focus was on this world and what the world offers – “the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride in possessions.” 1Jn 2:16  They loved the world and everything in the world. Their mind was set on earthly things. They rejected Jesus offer. And we read in Jn 6:66 After this many of his disciples turned back and no longer walked with him.

But how did Jesus become our Bread of Life. How did Jesus incarnation in a physical body become our Bread of Life. Bread is made by first crushing grains to make flour. It is then kneaded by hands to make dough, rolled out and placed in a fiery furnace. It is after this process that we have bread to sustain our physical body. So it was with Jesus , His body was whipped to shreds, beaten with human hands and was nailed on a cruel cross. There God poured His wrath on Jesus for our sins and Jesus was punished for our iniquities. Jesus was the “burnt offering” for our sins. Jesus went through this agony so that we will not be cast into the Lake of Fire. On the third day God raised Jesus from the dead and this risen Jesus offers Himself as our Bread of Life. Jesus offers Himself as our source of Eternal satisfaction. In response can we join with Peter and say “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.” Jn 6:68

In Christ alone, who took on flesh
Fullness of God in helpless babe
This gift of love and righteousness
Scorned by the ones he came to save
‘Til on that cross, as Jesus died
The wrath of God was satisfied
For every sin, on him, was laid
Here, in the death of Christ, I live

There in the ground, his body lay
Light of the world, by darkness, slain
Then bursting forth in glorious day
Up from the grave, he rose again
And as he stands in victory
Sin’s curse has lost its grip on me
For I am his and he is mine
Bought with the precious blood of Christ

Keith Getty and Stuart Townend 2001