John 6:35 - JESUS - The Bread of Life!
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.
COMMENTARY PEARL
I enjoy sampling different varieties of
bread when I travel. In the Middle East, I dip
pita bread in lentil sauce. In Nepal, I fold roti
- a flatbread that resembles a tortilla shell
- and use it to scoop curried vegetables. In
eastern Europe, I smother rolls in cheese curd and
forest berry jam for breakfast. And for dessert, I
like warm crepes stuffed with cooked apple
slices.
Bread is a staple in most cultures. In
biblical times, lechem was such a significant part of
the diet that the term referred to food in
general. Perhaps that's why Jesus called Himself the
Bread of Life. He knew people would understand the
symbolism. He, like bread, is vital for sustenance.
It's possible that Jesus also used the
symbolism to teach people that He wasn't an ordinary
religious teacher or leader. As manna in the desert
came from heaven, He came to meet our need. Jesus
said, "I tell you the truth, Moses didn't give
them bread from heaven. My Father did. And now he
offers you the true bread from heaven. The true
bread of God is the one who comes down from heaven
and gives life to the world (John 6:32-33).
Nothing less than the Bread of Life
satisfies our spiritual hunger. We might try to fill
our appetite with a career, money, material
possessions, or even relationships, but these things are
like empty calories - they might quiet our hunger
pangs for a while, but they won't nourish our
souls. They'll never meet our craving for
unconditional love, forgiveness, and purpose. Jesus alone
feeds us so well never hunger again. by Grace
Fox [Mornings With Jesus 2018 Devotional by
Guideposts and Zondervan]
COMMENTARY
They say that food is the fuel for life's
engine. Life's motor simply won't run if you don't
eat. Like most analogies, the "engine as life"
analogy has a point at which it breaks down. For
instance, I can park my car and turn the motor off for
an extended period of time. I don't need to
refuel it constantly. Much later I can restart the
engine, and we are off and running again. You just
can't park life. Well, that's not quite true. In
the laboratory we can freeze specially treated
cells at -196C (-321F) in liquid nitrogen and
keep them indefinitely without having to feed
them. Much later we can thaw the cells, and the
life processes resume as if nothing had happened.
But under normal conditions, every life-form has
to eat to live.
In the Bible bread represents food, the
energy for fueling life. The Hebrew word pronounced
lekh-em means "bread" or "food" interchangeably. The
food that we eat our bodies will digest and
process, turning it into the blood sugar glucose and
amino acids and fatty acids that cells recognize
as their food. And at the cellular level, the
products of food digestion need to be constantly
coming in at precisely regulated levels. An
individual can go several hours to several days without
food, but your cells can't. They must have a
second-by-second supply if they are to live. Cut off their
food supply, and cells will die within seconds or
minutes.
The analogy of Jesus as the bread of life
to maintain the spiritual life is incredibly
significant. Just as I must sustain my physical life by
eating or internalizing bread, so I preserve my
spiritual life by partaking of or internalizing God,
Jesus, and the Holy Spirit through daily prayer, by
spending time deeply studying God's Word, and by
being filled with the Holy Spirit. Without that
moment-by-moment spiritual energy stream, we die spiritually.
In the wilderness God sent manna to teach
the importance of daily dependence. It tasted
sweet and obviously had excellent nutrition,
because His people lived on it for 40 years. Every
day it was there, but they had to collect it.
How will you gather your manna for this day?
Lord, thank You for the miracle of the
grain that feeds my body through the daily bread
from Your hand. Feed my soul with a fresh
infilling of Your Holy Spirit. May I live, body and
soul, for You today. [God of Wonders by David
Steen re Luke 22:19]
Jesus had just fed five thousand men plus
their families. He had only five barley loaves and
two small fish to work with, but the people ate
"as much as they wanted" (v. 11) - and there
were leftovers (v. 13).
This miracle - the only one before Jesus'
resurrection recorded in all four Gospels - was met a few
days later by Jewish leaders asking for a sign of
His divinity, specifically the sign of manna
from heaven. Clearly, a heart that is unwilling
to believe in miracles will not be convinced
regardless of the quantity or quality of proof
provided!
Are we so different from those Jewish
leaders? When we see Jesus do a mighty work in our
lives, do we soon turn around and ask Him to prove
that He really does love us and that He really
will provide for our needs? Has your loving God
recently provided for a need in your life but you
find yourself already worrying about another
problem?
What would it take for you to trust your
heavenly Father completely? [Being Still With God
Every Day by Henry Blackaby]
LINK FOR FURTHER STUDY ON THIS PASSAGE
http://www.abible.com/devotions/2013/20130512-2145.html
YOUR COMMENTS
If anyone has a paraphrase, commentary or
testimony on this passage of Scripture, either
personal or otherwise, I would be interested in
hearing from you. Thanks in advance and let's keep
uplifting Jesus that all might be drawn to Him. Fred
Gibbs
LINKS WORTH CHECKING OUT
Most Important Decision in Life:
http://www.youtube.com/embed/WGnEuGwvXqU?rel=0
A Man without Equal by Bill Bright:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NiVa7UoruIo
Importance of Choice:
http://creationhealth.com/CREATION-Health/Choice [click on video]
Seeking God Made Real:
http://vimeo.com/31489782
Prayer Made Real:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tc8VdMV26VE
Musical Devotional On Christian Living:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OcotY5K7T0c
Medical Seminar on Healthful Living by David
DeRose, MD, MPH:
https://www.smartlifestyletv.com/lifestart
LINKS FOR BIBLE STUDIES
Amazing Facts Bible Studies:
http://www.amazingfacts.org/bible-study/bible-study-guides.aspx
Discover Bible Studies:
http://studies.itiswritten.com/discover/
Glow Tract Video Bible Studies:
http://www.bibleresearch.info/
ABible.com: http://www.aBible.com
LINKS FOR BIBLE PROPHECY SEMINARS
The Last Day of Prophecy by Pastor Doug
Batchelor:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLmGvdtMCf1aJTiC59-lPtuUMEq_uEn0BK
Restoring The Power by Pastor John Bradshaw:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLRogO1SxoZN15Boa7BMon4BouVMdteVaq
Prophecies Decoded by Pastor Ron Clouzet:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL1A435C5373550657
