John 6:35 - The First I AM - Jesus the Bread of Life! Are You 'Eating'?
John 6:35 - The First I AM - Jesus the Bread of Life! Are You
"Eating"?
John 6:35 (KJV) And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of
life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth
on me shall never thirst.
John 6:35 (CWR) Jesus said, "I am God's bread from heaven that
gives life. Those who come to me will not go spiritually hungry, and
those who believe in me will not be spiritually thirsty.
CONTEXT
Jesus the Bread of Life: John 6:25-59.
INTRODUCTION
When Jesus used the words "I am," he was pointing to his unique,
divine identity. In essence this statement says, "I the Lord God am
here to provide you with everything you need for your spiritual
life." Each of the 7 "I am" statements represent a particular aspect of
this provision. For Jesus to say he is the Bread of Life is for him
to say, "I am the sustenance of your life." Just as bread supplies
our bodies with strength and nourishment, Jesus, the true bread from
heaven, had come to strengthen and nourish his people -- to change their
lives, to bring spiritual and eternal life to all who would believe in
him! (Life Application Commentary)
The assertion "I am the bread of life" is the first in a series
of such declarations that are peculiar to this Gospel (8:12; 10:7,
11; 11:25; 14:6; 15:1). Each represents a particular relationship of
Jesus to the spiritual needs of men: their light in darkness, their
entrance into security and fellowship, their guide and protector in life,
their hope in death, their certainty in perplexity, and their source
of vitality for productiveness. He desired that men should receive
him, not simply for what he might give them, but for what he might be
to them. [Expositors Bible Commentary]
WORD STUDY
Bread and Christ are not the same thing. People eat bread to
satisfy physical hunger and to sustain physical life. Here bread is used
figuratively to illustrate that Jesus Christ supplies divine life to the
believer just as bread nourishes the physical life. I am the bread of
life is to be taken no more literally than the words "I am the door,"
or "I am the vine." Jesus is not physical bread, an actual door, or
a grape vine. But just as physical bread must be eaten to receive
its nourishing benefits, so the bread of life, Jesus Christ, must be
eaten by receiving him through faith (John 6:29). In this way all who
come to Jesus as the bread of life will find their spiritual hunger
satisfied. [The One Year Bible Companion re John 6:35]
Bread of life means "bread which supplies life." Manna satisfied
physical needs for a while; Christ satisfies spiritual need forever.
[Nelson SB]
COMMENTARY
After Jesus miraculously feed the multitude, their physical
hunger was only satisfied for a time, and the people went searching for
more. Yet Jesus knew their needs went much deeper. Only when we
develop a personal relationship with Jesus and acknowledge Him as Lord
and Savior do we feel truly "filled." Then we can celebrate the
promise along with the psalmist: "Taste and see that the Lord is good"
(Psalm 34:8). [The 365 Daily Promise Bible By Barbour re John 6:26]
The manna came only to the Jews and sustained physical life, but
Jesus came for the whole world and gives eternal life. Just as you
take food into your body, so you take Christ into your life; and He
becomes one with you. [Chapter by Chapter Bible Commentary by Warren
Wiersbe]
The Jews wanted a daily supply of physical bread. God had given
them his Son as the true heavenly bread to meet their daily spiritual
needs. The present tense indicates the continual supply. Unable to
grasp that Jesus spoke about himself as the Bread of Life, the crowd
said, "From now on give us this bread." Like the woman at the well who
asked Jesus to give her the living water so she wouldn't be thirsty
again and would never have to make any more long trips to the well,
this crowd wanted what Jesus could give so their lives could be made
easier. They missed the point. So Jesus told them directly, "I am the
bread of life." If people wanted this bread, they must come to Jesus
and believe in him. (Life Application Commentary)
Jesus offers the ultimate spiritual satisfaction: If we believe
in him, we will never hunger or thirst. But we have heard the
gospel wrong if we think Jesus offers an escape from life and its
problems. Thousands of Christians still face physical hunger, and millions
face crushing difficulties. The gospel frees us to face life. In the
middle of the world's pessimism and despair, the gospel unflinchingly
claims that Jesus offers infinitely more than this life can give. We
will be disappointed if we expect the presence of Jesus in us to mean
that we are immune to sin, struggles, and failures. There are many
ways to know hunger and thirst, and we will undoubtedly experience
many of them. One of Jesus' last statements was, "In the world you
face persecution. But take courage; I have conquered the world!"
(16:33 NRSV). (Life Application Commentary)
Jesus had just fed a multitude of people with only a few fish
and five loaves of bread, and the crowds flocked after him. But he
knew that they were looking for him because he had met their physical
needs, so he told them, "Spend your energy seeking the eternal life
that I, the Son of Man, can give you. For God the Father has sent me
for that very purpose" (John 6:27). Jesus was pointing them to the
spiritual life he offered, but the people were more interested in what
Jesus could do for them. They wanted him to give them a miraculous
sign before they would believe in him. They still didn't get it! So
in this verse he declares himself to be the Bread of Life, the One
who came from heaven to give life to the world. He promised that
those who believe in him will never hunger or thirst again. It is easy
for us to focus on what God can do for us and spend our energies on
things that don't truly satisfy. But he has put within each of us a
spiritual hunger that only he can fill. Ask God to stir up those yearnings
for him today so that you can taste and see that the Lord is good.
Dear Jesus, Bread of Life, forgive me for seeking after
things that will never really satisfy or fulfill my deepest longings.
Forgive me for focusing on what you can do for me materially instead of
seeking the rich, true life that comes from you. Cause me to hunger and
thirst for you and your life today. [Praying Through The Bible By
Fuller re John 6:35]
We know how to use physical bread. Whenever we are hungry we
simply go and eat. Do we do that spiritually? Jesus said if we believe
in Him, we will never be spiritually hungry, or malnourished, for
He is the "bread of life." Every time we face a spiritual need, it
is a simple matter of going to Christ and allowing Him to provide
us with what we need.
Our problem is that sometimes we interpret Scripture based on
our own experience. We say, "Yes, but I remember a time when I was
spiritually hungry." If that is true, then either God did not tell the
truth, or we misinterpreted our experience. Could it be that we tried
to satisfy our spiritual hunger with human resources? Could it be
that we relied so heavily upon friends and the experiences of others
that we have never learned how to go to Christ for our own spiritual
food? Could it be that we had a great spiritual feast several years
ago, and we were so "full" of Christ that we thought we would never
have to eat again? We grew lean and hungry because we were still
operating on an encounter with God we had years ago. If you are lacking
something spiritually, it is not because God does not have an abundance of
resources prepared and available for you. It is that you have not come to
Him in faith as He invites (John 10:10).
When God gave manna in the wilderness, the children of Israel
had to go out each day to receive God's daily provision. Jesus
taught His disciples to pray, "Give us this day our daily bread."
Spiritual nourishment is something you must seek daily. Have you found
spiritual food from Christ today? [Experiencing God Day by Day by Henry
and Richard Blackaby re John 6:35]
"I AM your nourishment. Your body can't survive long without
food, but your spirit can't survive long without Me. Those who have
never known Me are not spiritually alive. Those who do know Me but who
don't eat and drink My Spirit are malnourished and weak. I won't let
them die - they are born of an eternal Spirit - but they can't
flourish without Me. They walk through their days lifelessly.
"Many people believe that accepting Me as their Savior should
cause them to never hunger or thirst again. But look around. How many
people called by My name are hungry and thirsty? How many are satisfied
with life? Numerous Christians are burdened with heavy issues,
struggling with their relationships, frustrated and disappointed that their
dreams are dying. It isn't because they aren't saved. It's because they
aren't feeding on Me. They aren't filling their hearts - not just their
minds, but their innermost selves - with My words and My thoughts. They
may focus on the Bible - through whatever lenses they see it - but
they aren't focused on Me, the Living One. They are saved without
experiencing the joys of salvation.
"Don't be like that. I offered you abundant life, and I meant
it. I came that your joy might be full. Do you want to experience
the abundance of My life and the fullness of My joy? Do you want to
overcome problems rather than be victimized by them? You'll face them, of
course - everyone does. But I never mean for them to crush you. I never
mean for your joy to be quenched. And I never mean for you to 'live'
without life. Come and eat. Feed on Me. Fill yourself with the Bread of
Life. You never need to hunger again."
Dear Jesus, I'm tired of stale "bread" - the religious
dictates that offer no joy. I want the real You. Personally. Feed me with
Your life. [The One Year Experiencing God's Presence Devotional by
Chris Tiegreen]
The life of Christ that gives life to the world is in His
word. It was by His word that Jesus healed disease and cast out
demons; by His word He stilled the sea, and raised the dead; and the
people bore witness that His word was with power.
Like their Master, they were to live "by every word that
proceedeth out of the mouth of God." Matt. 4:4.
As our physical life is sustained by food, so our spiritual
life is sustained by the word of God. And every soul is to receive
life from God's word for himself. As we must eat for ourselves in
order to receive nourishment, so we must receive the word for
ourselves. We are not to obtain it merely through the medium of another's
mind. We should carefully study the Bible, asking God for the aid of
the Holy Spirit, that we may understand His word. We should take one
verse, and concentrate the mind on the task of ascertaining the thought
which God has put in that verse for us. We should dwell upon the
thought until it becomes our own, and we know "what saith the Lord."
The word of God, received into the soul, molds the thoughts,
and enters into the development of character.
By looking constantly to Jesus with the eye of faith, we
shall be strengthened. God will make the most precious revelations to
His hungering, thirsting people. They will find that Christ is a
personal Saviour. As they feed upon His word, they find that it is spirit
and life. The word destroys the natural, earthly nature, and imparts
a new life in Christ Jesus. The Holy Spirit comes to the soul as a
Comforter. By the transforming agency of His grace, the image of God is
reproduced in the disciple; he becomes a new creature. Love takes the place
of hatred, and the heart receives the divine similitude. This is
what it means to live "by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth
of God." This is eating the Bread that comes down from heaven.
DA390-1
The words of God are the wellsprings of life. As you seek unto
those living springs you will, through the Holy Spirit, be brought
into communion with Christ. Familiar truths will present themselves
to your mind in a new aspect, texts of Scripture will burst upon
you with a new meaning as a flash of light, you will see the
relation of other truths to the work of redemption, and you will know
that Christ is leading you, a divine Teacher is at your side. MB18-21
CLOSING THOUGHTS
Manna was to be gathered in the morning; and those that would
find Christ must seek him early. (Matthew Henry's Commentary)
God provided the manna in a way that would also teach the people
something about their relationship with Him. Every day God gave enough
manna for that day. No one could gather more than a day's supply.
There had to be a continual, constant dependence on God; [Victor
Teacher's Commentary]
LINK FOR FURTHER STUDY ON THIS PASSAGE:
http://www.abible.com/devotions/2006/20060710-0901.html
EXCELLENT VIDEO SERIES ON EXPERIENCING GOD:
http://sda.biggytv.com/watch/Revive!_-_Dwight_Nelson:_Experiencing_Gods_Grace/revive/
EXCELLENT BIBLE PROPHECY SERIES BY DR RON CLOUZET:
http://www.propheciesdecoded.com/program
LINK TO SPECIAL MUSICAL DEVOTIONAL ON CHRISTIAN LIVING:
[Watch The First 3 Minutes And You'll Be Hooked - Guaranteed!]
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OcotY5K7T0c
[By The Way; A Great Place To Send Your Kids For A Christian
Education.]
