Do You Know Jesus as the Bread of Life? – Life Is a Journey, part 38
Are you searching for happiness or fulfillment? Learn about what it means to know Jesus as the bread of life who satisfies and sustains us in this message.
Are you focused only on the present instead of what God desires for you? Jesus—the bread of life—will satisfy the longing in your heart.
All you have experienced has brought you to this place. All you have gone through is not wasted. God has a plan for your life and that is for you to know Jesus as Lord and savior and for you to tell the world the way to eternal life. Let life’s journey be the pursuit of learning and proclaiming Jesus is the bread of life.
Through this series, you’ll learn how to live well & enjoy God's promises. You are loved by God; He knows your name. He has a plan for your life. Get helpful advice, encouragement, and hope for a life well lived.
Are you walking in faith and victory? Set your eyes on the promises of God. You only have one life journey; say yes to Jesus.
Jesus fulfills the longing in your heart and offers eternal life.
Understand God & Grow Spiritually
In John 6 we read of Jesus feeding a group of over 5,000. We learn that Jesus walks on water and then teaches about himself as the bread of life.
The journey of spiritual growth begins with our limited understanding and journeys to believing the spiritual truth of eternal life with Jesus. It begins with our understanding of what we believe to be true. It is, however, a journey from the physical and the practical to understanding and believing the spiritual reality that we find in Christ—life eternal. It is a journey of learning that there is more to life than simply the physical life we now live. It is a journey of learning and believing that all things are possible in Christ.
Spiritual growth is a journey of knowing for yourself that Jesus is the bread of life.
Mankind is limited in knowledge and is still learning and growing in physical knowledge of the universe every day. However, physical knowledge is not all there is in the world. The physical knowledge will point us to the spiritual truth regarding God’s one and only son, Christ the Lord.
We should stop, listen and consider the truth of God each day: the complexity of the human body; the chance of evolution; the morning and evening skies; the beauty and balance of all creation.
What the world understands today is far beyond what it knew 100+ years ago: the world is not flat; the earth is not the center of the universe.
In the 1980’s, Buckminster Fuller created the “Knowledge Doubling Curve.” It was found that until the 1900’s knowledge doubled every 100 years. By the end of the second World War, knowledge was doubling every 25 years. Today, knowledge is doubling about every 13 months. It will continue to double in even less time in the near future.
Here’s how to understand God and grow spiritually.
I believe the same is true spiritually. What you understand about God will increase as you pray, read and search the scriptures on a daily basis. You will grow in your spiritual understanding as you seek the Lord and allow the Holy Spirit to teach you. As your relationship with Christ grows deeper, your spiritual journey will become more and more rewarding. You will grow in faith and in expectation of what you once thought was impossible to be possible in Christ.
Are you getting in your own way?
Allow the Spirit of God to open your spiritual eyes, ears, and heart to the truth. Allow your faith to increase and grow spiritually deeper in the Lord and in understanding regarding the things of the spirit. Begin to share your faith and spiritual journey with others.
Jesus taught his disciples and others spiritual truth using knowledge and understanding of their physical needs. For the Gentile, Jesus used situations and events they would understand. For the Jew, Jesus used events and situations that the Jew would understand and spoke to them regarding spiritual truth. Truth that Jesus was the living bread of life. People need to be spiritually open and willing to listen and, in faith, believe. But sadly, many would see but never believe.
God, by the Holy Spirit does the same today as we study and search the scriptures.
Where are you along the journey of spiritual growth in Christ? Where are you along the journey of knowing Jesus as the bread of life? Are you further along the journey today than you were yesterday? It is my prayer that we each grow spiritually a little deeper each day. The truth is we will never know all there is about Jesus. But that is no reason to stop learning all we can of Christ the Lord. The more we learn and know spiritually the more we realize just how little we know regarding God Almighty and Christ the Lord.
The fact is we can get in our own way, which can limit our faith and knowledge of Christ. It can cause us to spiritually doubt God. It can cause us to focus on a lie of the enemy and reject the spiritual truth concerning Jesus being the bread of life. Our worldly understanding, sinful nature, lack of faith and limited view of the knowledge, power and sovereignty of God will hold us back from seeing and believing that nothing is impossible with God. It can hold us spiritually captive from believing in Jesus as Lord and savior. It can cloud our spiritual vision. It can deafen our spiritual ears. It can sear our hearts from being sensitive to the spirit of God.
Are you missing what Jesus is trying to teach you?
In John 6, we see a situation where the disciples only saw an impossible problem instead of the endless possibilities with Jesus.
Jesus looked up and he saw a great crowd coming toward him and he had compassion for them. Many had already seen Jesus do miracles and heal the sick. Jesus turns to his disciples and asks them, where shall we buy bread to feed the crowd.
When Jesus looked up and saw a great crowd coming toward him, he said to Philip, “Where shall we buy bread for these people to eat?” 6 He asked this only to test him, for he already had in mind what he was going to do. 7 Philip answered him, “It would take more than half a year’s wages to buy enough bread for each one to have a bite!” 8 Another of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, spoke up, 9 “Here is a boy with five small barley loaves and two small fish, but how far will they go among so many?” (John 6:5-9, NIV).
Philip looked at the situation from his limited perspective and offered no hope. Andrew looked around and found a boy with a small lunch (five loaves and two small fish) but did not yet see the possibilities of a little lunch becoming much in the hands of Christ. The disciples still had much to learn spiritually. They had seen Jesus do miracles and yet none even considered what Jesus might do in this situation. What started with five loves and two fish in the hands of Jesus ended with twelve baskets full of leftovers in the hands of the disciples.
What a miracle! What a teaching moment. The crowd and the disciples witnessed the miracle and yet missed the spiritual significance of the miracle: little is much in Jesus’ hands. So often we, like the crowd that day, will miss what Jesus is attempting to teach us regarding spiritual things.
The people then wanted to make Jesus king. They wanted Jesus to fulfill all their physical needs to their heart’s desires. The people’s only focus was the physical and they totally missed the spiritual lesson that was before them.
‘After the people saw the sign Jesus performed, they began to say, “Surely this is the Prophet who is to come into the world.” 15 Jesus, knowing that they intended to come and make him king by force, withdrew again to a mountain by himself’ (John 6:14-15).
The people seemed to focus only on the physical, the practical, the present. The spiritual lesson that Jesus was attempting to teach was totally ignored.
Jesus satisfies the soul like savory, warm bread satisfies the body.
In verses 25-to the end of chapter 6 we find Jesus’ teaching regarding the bread of life. This is about to be a key teaching moment, and many missed it.
Jesus is the living bread of life—the only one who can satisfy our needs and deepest longings. The truly important spiritual truth is that everyone who looks to the Jesus and believes in him shall have eternal life.
‘When they found him on the other side of the lake, they asked him, “Rabbi, when did you get here?” 26 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. 27 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.”
28 Then they asked him, “What must we do to do the works God requires?” 29 Jesus answered, “The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent.”
30 So they asked him, “What sign then will you give that we may see it and believe you? What will you do? 31 Our ancestors ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written: ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’” 32 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. 33 For the bread of God is the bread that comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.” 34 “Sir,” they said, “always give us this bread.”
35 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. 36 But as I told you, you have seen me and still you do not believe. 37 All those the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never drive away. 38 For I have come down from heaven not to do my will but to do the will of him who sent me. 39 And this is the will of him who sent me, that I shall lose none of all those he has given me, but raise them up at the last day. 40 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 them up at the last day.”’ (John 6:25-40).
Jesus confronts the crowd regarding their reason for following him. They were following Jesus for all the wrong reasons. They were following Jesus for their physical needs to be met.
However, a person’s physical need in life is not as important as the spiritual need. It is here we learn that Jesus came for a spiritual reason: so that all who believe in Jesus and that he is the living bread of life will receive eternal life. Jesus was in the world to do the work of God, that his heavenly father assigned him to do. Jesus takes what is familiar with the crowd and uses it to teach a spiritual truth. However, the people were focused on the physical and not the spiritual or eternal. The people were concerned and focused on the present rather than their future. They were focused on what they desired, on what they believed to be true. These people were spiritually blind to the truth concerning who Jesus is, that being the son of God who came to be our bread of life—to satisfy and sustain us.
What about you? Are you focused only on the present so much that you lose sight of what the Lord Jesus desires for you to learn and believe in the life journey you are now living?
There are millions upon millions who need to hear the Gospel message. Maybe you know someone who knows about Jesus, but they have no understanding of Jesus being the bread of life. So many today are focused on religion and what they think to be true, and they miss the spiritual truth that is happening all around them.
Just as in Jesus’ day, many have seen and know about Jesus, and yet they are still following him only for their physical needs to be met. They may have seen miraculous signs but still do not believe and have no faith. There are those looking to Jesus to fill their physical desire in life regarding things of this world and are blind to Jesus’ reason for coming.
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. But as I told you, you have seen me and still you do not believe.” (John 6:35-36).
The Jew could not grasp the idea that the manna the Israelites ate in the desert as they were on their way to the promised land only fed their physical body. The people still died. Yes, the manna that the people ate in the desert came from heaven but Jesus, being the living bread of life come down from heaven, will feed the soul and the person who feeds on this bread will not die. The person who believes in Jesus will live forever.
“This is the bread that came down from heaven. Your ancestors ate manna and died, but whoever feeds on this bread will live forever” (John 6:58).
Friends, Jesus—the bread of life—will satisfy the longing in your heart. It will satisfy the hunger and thirst of your soul. It imparts eternal life.
The will of God has never changed. The promise of a savior spoken of in Genesis 3:15 is true. Jesus who would one day destroy—crush—the enemy of God.
The Jews looked forward to the day the Messiah would come and deliver the people of God from their physical oppression and bondage; however, God had a much greater deliverance in mind. Deliverance from spiritual bondage of sin and death.
Jesus speaking of himself says, “I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Whoever eats this bread will live forever. This bread is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world” (John 6:51).
Jesus is the living bread of life, the one who satisfies your soul, and whoever believes in him will live forever and have eternal life.
The Gospel message has never changed. It is the same today. The plan and purpose of God has never changed. It is true even today. God so loved the world that he sent his one and only son to redeem the sinner.
The love of God is witnessed in Jesus being the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world (John 1:29). God’s love is witnessed in Jesus being the living bread of life.
Follow and believe in Jesus because he is the bread of life that satisfies the hunger and thirst of your soul. Do not simply know about Jesus. Do not follow Jesus because you have some need you want filled. Because, if you follow Jesus for any reason other than him being the living bread of life—the savior of your soul, you will one day become dissatisfied and walk away like the religious Jews in history.
Instead, answer like Peter when Jesus asked him, “what about you?”
“You do not want to leave too, do you?” Jesus asked the Twelve. 68 Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. 69 We have come to believe and to know that you are the Holy One of God.” (John 6:67-69).
The Jews in Jesus’ day thought obedience to the law would save them. They thought they could work their way to be saved. The problem was that they focused only on what they could do. On what they thought was important. On their understanding.
The same is true for many today. People focus on only the physical, the practical, the present, the humanly possible rather than on Jesus. People search for what they think will satisfy and make them happy. The problem with that is they are focused only on their ability, desires and understanding.
Jesus is the living bread of life come down from heaven. Look past what you see and what the world might tell you is true. Listen to the spirit of God. The way of fulfillment and true happiness is before you. The way to eternal life is before you. Look beyond the five loaves and two small fish and witness the twelve baskets full of leftovers.
Little is much in the hands of Jesus. Nothing is wasted.
All that the Israelites went through was for one purpose, one purpose only. That they would believe that Jesus is the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. That Jesus the living bread of life is in whom they should believe.
Allow the word of God, Jesus, to feed your soul. Your life journey is not complete until you breath your last breath in this life and you see Jesus, face to face in Glory.
All you have experienced has brought you to this place. All you have gone through is not wasted. God has a plan for your life and that is for you to know Jesus as Lord and savior and for you to tell the world the way to eternal life. Let life’s journey be the pursuit of learning and proclaiming Jesus is the bread of life.
Suggested Praise and Worship
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