BEYOND THE OBVIOUS

READING: JOHN 6:32-40

Verse 35: “And Jesus said to them, ‘I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me will never thirst.’”
Jesus said He is the bread of life. This is a statement that is crammed with a fullness of meaning that our language and society basically fail to fully capture. At the time Jesus was on the earth, bread was the basic food in His culture. It was so basic that eating bread was the equivalent phrase for having a meal. When Jesus taught His disciples to pray “Give us this day our daily bread” it amounted to far more than just praying for bread. It was a request for daily provision. It can even be said that in that time, bread was a metaphor for life itself. Therefore, when Jesus referred to Himself as the bread of life, he was stating with authority that He is necessary for spiritual life as it is intended to be. This is true in the same manner that basic foods are necessary for physical life. By stating He is the bread of life, our Lord Jesus has declared in truth that He is the means by which life in the spirit is nurtured and sustained. That’s a thought – about God’s Word.

RESPONSE

1. What for our culture is the equivalent of bread for the biblical Israelites?

2. Does this discussion about bread relate to our observance of the Lord’s Supper?