Warren D. Carter

Wien, Österreich

10.April.98

Jesus, the Bread of Life

When the crowd saw that Jesus wasn’t there, nor His disciples, they got into the boats and went across to Capernaum to look for Him. When they arrived and found Him, they asked, “Teacher, how did You get here?”

Jesus replied, “The truth is, you want to be with Me because I fed you, not because you saw the miraculous sign. But you shouldn’t be so concerned about perishable things like food. Spend your energy seeking the eternal life that I, the Son of Man, can give you. For God the Father has sent Me for that very purpose.” …

What will you do for us? After all, our ancestors ate manna while they journeyed through the wilderness! As the Scriptures say, ‘Moses gave them bread from heaven to eat’.

Jesus said, “I assure you, 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.”

“Sir, “ they said, “give us that bread every day of our lives.”

Jesus replied, “I am the bread of life. No one who comes to Me will ever be hungry again. Those who believe in Me will never thirst. … For it is My Father’s will that all who see His Son and believe in Him should have eternal life – that I should raise them at the last day.”

John 6: 24-40

Jesus has said two things:

1. Moses did not give manna to Israel, God was the source of man’s blessing

2. man’s real food is not material food – as necessary as that is for physical life

The manna was merely a foreshadow.

Jesus is the real bread, the reality to which the manna pointed.

Also bread symbolized the Law in Jewish writings,

but Christ is the bread that fully satisfies, as the law cannot.

Indeed, Christ came not to destroy the law but to fulfill it!

So also, He satisfies the Law!!

The bread from heaven is given by God to give birth to and maintain true life.

This is the food which every Christian receives,

- to sustain them in fellowship with God, and

- to keep them focussed on God’s will.

Christ’s conversation here shifts from the material realm to the spiritual realm.

Jesus urged the crowd not to think merely of physical or temporary blessings,

but to seek the spiritual and eternal life that only He could offer.

Jesus is the bread of life.

He alone can satisfy man’s hunger and thirst for God and for true life –

where man’s every need is always met.

Jesus offers this food to all men, but not all have accepted this gift –

because they have not really believed in Him.

People cannot earn this life by doing good; they can only accept it by faith.

Each person must answer to God for their decision.

So you see, this bread from heaven is not an every day experience to simply satisfy an appetite.

Rather it is spiritual provision available to those who are drawn by the Father to the Son,

giving themselves completely over to Him in faith.

One empty vessel cannot fill another – so neither can one empty human fill another empty human.

So don’t pin your hopes on people or things, only the infinite One can fill men.

As bread gives nourishment to the body and keeps it alive,

so Christ imparts life to the soul and sustains it with complete satisfaction.

The true bread that Jesus came to give was His own flesh and blood offered in sacrifice.

Unless people eat and drink this ‘food’, they cannot be saved.

In other words, unless people accept Christ’s sacrifice for themselves – through faith –

they cannot have eternal life.

This bread is a reminder for us of that sacrifice and of our faith ...

once merely a foreshadow …

hidden from our understanding …

but now revealed for us to believe and live.

Bread of life

10.Ap.98