I Am The Bread of Life

Click below for the manuscript of the second sermon in a series titled "The Adequacy of Jesus Christ", which is a study of the seven ‘I am' sayings of Jesus found in the gospel of John.

In his gospel John consistently shows the relationship between the revelation of God in the Old Testament and the revelation of Jesus as God in the New Testament era.

As God promised to be adequate to meet the needs of Moses and the children of Israel, so Jesus also claimed divine adequacy.

In today's sermon we examine Jesus' statement that He is the "bread of life" is the first of the I Am statements of Jesus.

John 6:35 NIV 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.

"I am the bread of life", is a phenomenal statement! First, by equating Himself with bread, Jesus is saying he is essential for life. Second, the life Jesus is referring to is not physical life, but eternal life. When He referred to Himself as the “bread of life” Jesus is trying to get the Jews that He was talking to thinking not of the physical realm but the spiritual realm. He is contrasting what He brings as their Messiah with the bread He miraculously created the day before. That was physical bread that perishes. He is spiritual bread that brings eternal life.

Listen to an audio recording of the sermon by clicking on the YouTube link at the end of the manuscript.

You can also watch a video recording of the entire service on the Christ Church YouTube Channel  https://youtu.be/OW6P3c0ATlU

Visit the Christ Church website at christchurchlosangeles.org.

Scripture Reading

John 6:25‭-‬35 NIV When they found him on the other side of the lake, they asked him, “Rabbi, when did you get here?” Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, you are looking for me, not because you saw the signs I performed but because you ate the loaves and had your fill. Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. For on him God the Father has placed his seal of approval.” Then they asked him, “What must we do to do the works God requires?” Jesus answered, “The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent.” So they asked him, “What sign then will you give that we may see it and believe you? What will you do? Our ancestors ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written: ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’” Jesus said to them, “Very truly I tell you, it is not Moses who has given you the bread from heaven, but it is my Father who gives you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is the bread that comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.” “Sir,” they said, “always give us this bread.” 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.

Introduction

This is the second in the Advocacy of Christ series of sermons. The series covers the seven ‘I am' sayings of Jesus found in the gospel of John. In his gospel John consistently shows the relationship between the revelation of God in the Old Testament and the revelation of Jesus as God in the New Testament era.

As God promised to be adequate to meet the needs of Moses and the children of Israel, so Jesus also claimed divine adequacy, man.

As John listened to Jesus’ teachings, he sensed a significant parallelism between God’s announcement of his name to Moses and Jesus’ repeated announcements about his person in the “I am” statements. 

Jesus' statement that He is the "bread of life" is the first of the I Am statements of Jesus.

Text

John 6:35 NIV 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.

In saying “I am” the bread of life Jesus is making a claim to deity. This is the first of the “I AM” statements in John’s Gospel. The phrase “I AM” is the covenant name of God (Yahweh, or YHWH), revealed to Moses at the burning bush

Exodus 3:13‭-‬14 NIV Moses said to God, “Suppose I go to the Israelites and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ Then what shall I tell them?” God said to Moses, “I am who I am. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: ‘I am has sent me to you.’ ”

I AM is the ultimate statement of self-sufficiency, self-existence, and immediate presence. God’s existence is not contingent upon anyone else. His plans are not contingent upon any circumstances. He promises that He will be what He will be; He will be the eternally constant God. He stands, ever-present and unchangeable, completely sufficient in Himself to do what He wills to do and to accomplish what He wills to accomplish.

There was a commercial bakery located not far from a college campus. The aroma of freshly baked bread could be smelled for blocks. It had a mouth- watering effect, and the company made the most of it by opening a cafe where customers could buy warm, fresh bread and other baked goods and sit and enjoy them with a cup of coffee or juice. College students liked to visit the cafe because it was an inexpensive place to take a date or to hang out with friends. 

As wonderful as freshly baked bread is, Jesus offers something even greater.

Jesus begins the “I am” statements in John by declaring, “I am the bread of life.” Now he made this statement after his feeding of the five thousand, in John 6:1-13, where He fed a crowd of more than 5,000 people with 2 small fish and five small loaves of bread.

He accuses this crowd of ignoring His miraculous signs and only following Him for the “free meal.” 

John 6:26 NIV Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, you are looking for me, not because you saw the signs I performed but because you ate the loaves and had your fill.

Then He encouraged the people not only to seek food for the body, but to seek food that can satisfy their souls.

John 6:35 NIV 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.

Jesus used a metaphor here that we can readily understand. In this text he speaks of how He can satisfy, He is sufficient, and He provides salvation.

Jesús offers bread that can satisfy.

Bread is considered a staple food. A person can survive a long time on only bread and water. Bread is such a basic food item that it becomes synonymous for food in general. We even use the phrase “breaking bread together” to indicate the sharing of a meal with someone. 

At the same time hunger is one of humanity’s basic drives. 

What starts as a mild discomfort progresses quickly to become a compelling need.

Vast numbers in the world are hungry. 

The literal lack of food is frequently flashed before us on our television screens and the internet. Emaciated bodies with hollow, hungry eyes stare blankly at us. You can't help but make an analogy with the spiritual hunger that is equally evident in this world. We've moved to compassion for physically hungry souls, but too often we are not as concerned about their spiritual hunger.

You see hunger refers to more than just a need for physical food. Hunger is a craving and desire for anything. For example, you can be hungry for affection or for power. 

Jesus can satisfy the spiritual void in a person’s life. 

Jesus said, “I am the bread of life.” In other words, He feeds life. He provides the banquet of life. He offers life beyond death, joy beyond sorrow, hope beyond disappointment, and companionship beyond loneliness.

 "I am the bread of life", is a phenomenal statement! First, by equating Himself with bread, Jesus is saying he is essential for life. Second, the life Jesus is referring to is not physical life, but eternal life. When He referred to Himself as the “bread of life” Jesus is trying to get the Jews that He was talking to thinking not of the physical realm but the spiritual realm. He is contrasting what He brings as their Messiah with the bread He miraculously created the day before, when He fed more than 5000 people. That was physical bread that perishes. He is spiritual bread that brings eternal life.

As "the bread of life" Jesus offers bread that is sufficient.

Christ is not a superficial solution to hunger.

Exodus 16:14‭-‬20 NIV When the dew was gone, thin flakes like frost on the ground appeared on the desert floor. When the Israelites saw it, they said to each other, “What is it?” For they did not know what it was. Moses said to them, “It is the bread the Lord has given you to eat. This is what the Lord has commanded: ‘Everyone is to gather as much as they need. Take an omer for each person you have in your tent.’ ” The Israelites did as they were told; some gathered much, some little. And when they measured it by the omer, the one who gathered much did not have too much, and the one who gathered little did not have too little. Everyone had gathered just as much as they needed. Then Moses said to them, “No one is to keep any of it until morning.” However, some of them paid no attention to Moses; they kept part of it until morning, but it was full of maggots and began to smell. So Moses was angry with them.

The bread or manna that Moses offered was sufficient only for the day it was gathered, except on the Sabbath, when they were to gather manna for 2 days. There was always enough for one day and two days on the Sabbath, but it had to be gathered each day.  

What Jesus offered as the bread of life was an ongoing supply that never runs out.  

John 6:30‭-‬31 NIV So they asked him, “What sign then will you give that we may see it and believe you? What will you do? Our ancestors ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written: ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’” 

John 6:32‭-‬35 NIV Jesus said to them, “Very truly I tell you, it is not Moses who has given you the bread from heaven, but it is my Father who gives you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is the bread that comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.” “Sir,” they said, “always give us this bread.” 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.

Let’s take a look at the words “hungry and thirsty, Jesus isn’t talking about alleviating physical hunger and thirst. The key to what He was talking about is found in another statement Jesus made, back in His Sermon on the Mount. 

Matthew 5:6 NIV Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.

When Jesus says those who come to Him will never hunger and those who believe in Him will never thirst, He is saying He will satisfy our hunger and thirst to be made righteous in the sight of God.

He provides enough “bread” for all of mankind kind, and each person receives an equal portion. Not only is there room at the banquet for everyone, but there is also enough to satisfy each person’s hunger. Some people are filled more quickly and easily than others, but Jesus invites each one to come to his table and to eat the abundant spiritual food he has provided.

I have said many times that salvation is available to everyone but not everyone will accept the gift. 

The “bread” Jesus offers is like the manna in the wilderness in that they both come from heaven. 

John 6:32‭-‬33 NIV Jesus said to them, “Very truly I tell you, it is not Moses who has given you the bread from heaven, but it is my Father who gives you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is the bread that comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.”

The “bread” of Moses was temporary. It stopped when the Israelites reached Canaan. 

Joshua 5:10‭-‬12 NIV On the evening of the fourteenth day of the month, while camped at Gilgal on the plains of Jericho, the Israelites celebrated the Passover. The day after the Passover, that very day, they ate some of the produce of the land: unleavened bread and roasted grain. The manna stopped the day after they ate this food from the land; there was no longer any manna for the Israelites, but that year they ate the produce of Canaan.

Those who heard Jesus say this asked him to give them the bread He was talking about.

John 6:34 NIV “Sir,” they said, “always give us this bread.”

Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry.”

John 6:35 NIV 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

The Bread of Life is eternal. Jesus was saying that he is the gift of life.

Conclusion

The aroma of freshly baked bread lured the college students to the bakery I mentioned earlier. It was always a scene of laughter and anticipation of something good. Likewise, Jesus provides a banquet here and now that draws people who hunger for truth and meaning in life. Jesus wants us to be satisfied, to have sufficient supply for our needs, and to have salvation.

If there is anything the history of human religion tells us, it is that people seek to earn their way to heaven. This is such a basic human desire because God created us with eternity in mind. The Bible says God has placed [the desire for] eternity in our hearts. The Bible also tells us that there is nothing we can do to earn our way to heaven because we’ve all sinned nd the only thing our sin earns us is death. 

Romans 6:23 NIV For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

The dilemma is we have a desire we cannot fulfill, no matter what we do. That is where Jesus comes in. He, and He alone, can fulfill that desire in our hearts for righteousness. When Christ died on the cross, He took the sins of mankind upon Himself and made atonement for them. When we place our faith in Him, our sins are imputed, or assigned, to Jesus, and His righteousness is imputed, or assigned to us. Jesus satisfies our hunger and thirst for righteousness. 

He is our Bread of Life.

Gracious Father, whose blessed Son Jesus Christ came down from heaven to be the true bread which gives life to the world: Evermore give us this bread, that he may live in us, and we in him; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.