Jesus The Bread of Life

The name is found in John 6:35, "I am the living bread of life: he that cometh to me shall not hunger, and he that believeth on me shall never thirst."  John 6: 48 , "I am the bread of Life; and John 6: 51, " I am the living bread which came down out of heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: yea, and the bread which I will give is my flesh, for the life of the world."   As in all sayings of this kind, the form is John's and represents the experience and the theology of the Church of Ephesus.

The imagery of bread has a long history.  Jewish writers took the greatest interest in the Old Testament story of the giving of the manna (Exodus 16: 1-36).  In Nehemiah 9: 15 it is recalled that God gave the people "bread from heaven" for their hunger, and there are similar passages in Psalms 78: 24 and 105:40.  In Revelation 2:17, "To him that overcometh, to him will I give of the hidden manna." 

The chapter in John 6 is strongly sacramental in character, and a more direct influence on the mind of St. John is exerted by the words of Jesus at the Last Supper: "Take ye: this is my Body" (Mark 14:22), and "This is my Body, which is for you" (1 Corinthians 11:24).                

The Christological significance of this name is parallel to that of the titles, "the Image of God" and "the Light of the World."  John does not bring out the communal aspects of the Bread of Life as he does in the allegory of the Vine, and as, in Paul's words in 1 Corinthians 10:17, "Because there is one loaf, we who are many are one body, for we all partake of the same loaf", probably because John 6 is not the right context for this teaching.  In this chapter his interest is absorbed in the endeavor to say who Christ is and to dwell upon His power to communicate life to the believer. 

"If any one eats of this bread", Christ says, "he will live for ever; and the bread which I shall give for the life of the world is my flesh" (6:51).  This claim invests the name, "the Bread of Life", with the quality of universality, and presents Christ as the One who completely satisfies the deepest spiritual needs of mankind.  He is the gift of God to satisfy man's deepest hunger, just as, in a parabolic manner, the manna was bestowed upon fainting and dying Israel.  As such, He cannot be less than divine; nay, He must needs be the Word of God made flesh.

-excerpt was adapted from The Names of Jesus by Vincent Taylor pg 134-36

Jesus The Bread of Life - Pt 2

"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." (John 6:35)

This is one of the most significant claims made by the Lord Jesus Christ during his earthly ministry. Like his other promises, this one continues to bless believers, no matter how far removed they are in time from the Jesus who walked the streets of Galilee. In what sense is Jesus the bread of life? And what did Jesus mean when he said, "If a man eats of this bread, he will live forever?" (John 6:51)

Jesus uttered this remarkable pronouncement while teaching in a synagogue in Capernaum. It was in response to the presence of a crowd of people who had sought Jesus because they had witnessed his miracles, particularly that of the feeding of five thousand people using five loaves of bread and two small fish. Jesus spoke to the crowd and said,

"'I tell you the truth, you are looking for me, not because you saw miraculous signs 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. 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.'" -- John 6:26-29

The crowd sought Jesus because they wanted someone to keep them supplied with food for their physical bodies. Jesus called this "food that spoils". In contrast to this Jesus offers "food that endures to eternal life" that we must work for, which God requires. It is interesting how Jesus responds: "The work of God is this: to believe in the one He has sent." By exercising faith in him they were, (symbolically speaking) eating him who is the bread of life. He is as necessary for eternal life as material food is for physical life.

For want of sound reasons to believe that Jesus could give them eternal life, the crowd asked for some sign, perhaps similar to the giving of the manna in the old testament, which they attributed to Moses. Jesus corrected them by saying that it is his Father who gave both the manna, and now, more importantly the Father gives Jesus as the bread of life.

"I tell you the truth . . . it is my Father who gives you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is he who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world." (John 6:32-33)

"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." (John 6:35)

"For my Father's will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise him up at the least day." (John 6:40)

"Here is the bread that comes down from heaven, which a man may eat and not die. I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If a man eats of this bread, he will live forever. This bread is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world." (John 6:50-51)

Jesus died so he could be the "bread of life" In John 6:51, Jesus explains how he is the bread of life. He says, "This bread is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world." Jesus was talking about his future sacrifice on the cross where he would give his life as a "ransom for many". At specific points in his ministry, Jesus would teach the same thing:

"I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep." (John 10:11)

"We are going to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be betrayed to the chief priests and the teachers of the law. They will condemn him to death and will turn him over to the Gentiles to be mocked and flogged and crucified. On the third day, he will be raised to life. (Matt. 20:18-19)

Finally, at the Last supper, Jesus dramatized the significance of his coming death.

"While they were eating, Jesus took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to his disciples, saying, 'Take and eat; this is my body.' Then he took the cup, gave thanks and offered it to them, saying, 'Drink from it, all of you. This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins." (Matt. 26:26-28)

The NT writers tell us that the Lord's supper was conducted in the course of a Passover meal. We have some background into the significance of this meal in Exodus 12. Passover was to be a memorial to God's act of mercy in sparing the firstborn sons of Israel as he judged the Egyptians and their gods, when he killed the firstborn sons of Egypt. The memorial itself involved the killing of a sacrificial lamb (or goat), putting its blood on the door frames, eating the roasted meat along with bitter herbs and bread without yeast. Wine was also drunk during the Passover meal. Its essence was to remind the Israelites that God saved them by substitution, by the shedding of blood.

When the Lord spoke those solemn words, "This is my body . . . this is my blood", he was referring to his coming sacrifice on the cross which was to be the ratification of God's new covenant whereby forgiveness of sins would be given to those who would believe in the Lord Jesus Christ. On the basis of his sacrificial death, God would credit Christ's righteousness to our account, since He himself bore our sins, the righteous for the unrighteous. Jesus could not have meant that the literal bread was (or had become his body) or that the wine had become his blood poured out for many. For then he would have offered an atoning sacrifice separate from his actual self sacrifice on the cross.

Rather that meal on the night of his betrayal was to be the first of many other similar "meals" that would later be done in remembrance of Christ death. In addition, the Last Supper was to be the end of the OT Passover meals. These OT Passover meals looked forward to a future sacrifice that would in fact be a cleansing for sins. The actual fulfillment was Christ as he died on the cross. This is why John the Baptist referred to him as "the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world" (John 1:29).

Jesus The Bread of Life - Pt 3
THE PERSONALITY OF HEAVEN'S BREAD

In John 6:34-35 Heaven's Bread Is A Person - According to these verses, the Bread of Heaven is not a system or a denomination, but He is a Person. This truth simply serves to remind us that we can never be saved by some religious system or method. Salvation comes through Jesus and Jesus alone! Acts 4:12.

In John 6:35b Heaven's Bread Has Power - This Heavenly Bread has the power to save, secure and satisfy every sinner who comes to Him by faith.  This is what separates Jesus from all the religions and self-proclaimed messiahs of the world. While they promise great things, they can deliver only death, Pro. 16:25. Jesus, on the other hand, promises life, salvation, security, satisfaction and absolute safety for the soul of man. And, He delivers every time!

In John 6:47-51 Heaven's Bread Has Promise - These verses tell us that Heaven's Bread will give man life. Physical bread can sustain human life for long periods of time. However, after a time, the body will still die, even though it has been well fed. Jesus, on the other hand, is bread that gives everlasting life. When Jesus is received, He gives a salvation that lasts for all eternity. Nothing can ever take that away from the saint of God. The simple fact is this, ever person who places their faith in Jesus for salvation is going to live forever!

In John 6:53 Heaven's Bread Has A Price - Before Heaven's Bread can be enjoyed by the sinner, it must be received by the sinner. This is a simple enough thing, but many seem to stumble right here. They can believe that Jesus was real, that He died on the cross, and even that He arose from the dead. However, to make His sacrifice, and the salvation He offers a reality in your life, you must come to Him by faith and be born again!

Imagine that you are invited to my house for dinner. I pass you a plate of Hot buttermilk biscuits. I pass them to you and say, "Have a biscuit?" You say "Yes, thank you, I would love one." But, instead of reaching out and taking it, you simply sit there and smile. I say, "I thought you wanted a biscuit!" You respond, "Oh I do!" My response would be, "Well, if you want it, you are going to have to reach out and take it for yourself. I am not going to put it on you plate for you!"

Salvation works the same way. Jesus has already done everything that is necessary to save the sinner. He died on the cross, He rose from the dead and He calls the sinner to come unto Himself. He has done all that He can do. Before you can be saved, you are going to have to come to Him by faith. It won't cost you a dime to be saved, Isaiah 55:1; Rev. 22:17, but it does require that you receive Him by faith. Notice verse 47 - To be saved, you have to "believe" in Jesus. This word simply means to "rest the totality of your weight upon." It isn't Jesus plus this or that, it is Jesus alone that saves the soul of man!

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