“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
With the term “I am”, Jesus clearly identified Himself as the source of real life, which lasts forever. “Bread of life” means bread which supplies life.
John records various times when Christ described Himself as “I am” followed with a statement about bread. Christ refers to Himself as “the bread of life”, “the bread that came down from heaven”, and “the living bread”. The Jews were stunned. “How can this man give us His flesh to eat?” Their grumbling leads Christ to add that He is “the bread that came down from heaven”.
In speaking these words, Christ drew a parallel between His life and the manna God provided during the exodus. Christ taught the Pharisees: “In the desert, God provided manna. This manna kept your ancestors alive; however, because of original sin, they eventually died. Like the manna God provided, I came from heaven, but I give eternal life” (paraphrase).
According to John, Christ’s teaching on the bread of life was a pivotal point in His ministry. Because of Christ’s words about eating and drinking His flesh and blood, many disciples no longer walked with Him. They found His teachings too difficult.
Just as food is necessary for earthly life, Christ is necessary for life eternal. Manna satisfied physical needs for a while; Christ satisfies spiritual need forever.
God’s blessings on your day…