30 So the people asked, “What miraculous sign will you do for us? If we can see you do a miracle, then we will believe you. What will you do? 31 Our ancestors were given manna to eat in the desert. As the Scriptures say, ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’a”
32 Jesus said, “I can assure you that Moses was not the one who gave your people bread from heaven. But my Father gives you the true bread from heaven. 33 God’s bread is the one who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.”
34 The people said, “Sir, from now on give us bread like that.”
35 Then Jesus said, “I am the bread that gives life. No one who comes to me will ever be hungry. No one who believes in me will ever be thirsty. 36 I told you before that you have seen me, and still you don’t believe. 37 The Father gives me my people. Every one of them will come to me. I will always accept them. 38 I came down from heaven to do what God wants, not what I want. 39 I must not lose anyone God has given me. But I must raise them up on the last day. This is what the one who sent me wants me to do. 40 Everyone who sees the Son and believes in him has eternal life. I will raise them up on the last day. This is what my Father wants.”
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“Jesus meant when you’re hungry, he is there and will take care of you forever.” Elijah, 8
“Bread of life is a symbol that stands for something else. Jesus was not talking about real bread, but was teaching His listeners that he was the one who could give them spiritual food and keep them alive forever.” Allye, 8
“Jesus said that whoever goes with Him will never become hungry of love.” Amber, 8
“It is like life is the ham and cheese, and Jesus is the bread. He protects you from the devil (which is the germs) and he loves you forever.” Patryk, 8
Americans consider George Washington to be the father of their country. He led the fight against the British for America’s independence. He served as America’s first president and served as model for future presidents to follow.
In a similar way, the Jewish people of Jesus’ day considered Moses to be the founder of their nation. Because he talked directly with God and received the law from God, the Jews had a much higher opinion of Moses than Americans do of George Washington. Moses led the Jewish people in the desert for 40 years while God gave them bread from heaven to eat. This bread that they found on the ground in the morning was called manna.
Some Jewish religious teachers called rabbis taught that God’s messiah would provide bread from heaven for all of Israel to eat. “Messiah” is the Jewish word for Christ. Wouldn’t God’s messiah do more than Moses? This is the way they thought.
When Jesus fed thousands in the desert from a boy’s lunch of five barley loaves and two small fish, some thought that Jesus could be God’s messiah. Jesus performed a miracle to feed the Jews on the previous day. But that miracle or sign was not enough for them.
The Jews asked Jesus, “What miraculous sign will you do for us? If we can see you do a miracle, then we will believe you. What will you do? Our ancestors were given manna to eat in the desert. As the Scriptures say, ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat’” (John 6:30-31).
Here is the way they thought: Jesus fed 5,000 men from a boy’s lunch, but Moses fed hundreds of thousands in the desert. Christ fed them one time, but Moses fed them for 40 years. Jesus fed them with loaves from the earth (barley) and fish from the sea, but Moses fed them with bread from heaven (manna).
Even though their Jewish ancestors ate bread from heaven for 40 years and saw God perform many miracles, the Bible says they developed a bad attitude: “They began complaining against God and Moses. The people said, ‘Why did you bring us out of Egypt? We will die here in the desert! There is no bread and no water! And we hate this terrible food!’” (Numbers 21:5).
If you harden your heart toward God, it doesn’t matter how many miracles you see. It will not matter.
The Jews of Jesus’ day had something far greater than all the miracles God performed for their ancestors. They had the entire Old Testament Bible. They had the first five books of the Bible called the Pentateuch. God inspired Moses to write these five books. Also, they had all the writings of the prophets. Hundreds of years before Jesus was born, Moses and the prophets wrote many things about him as God’s messiah.
Would you rather see many miracles without an Old Testament Bible or one miracle with the entire Old Testament Bible? I would choose one miracle with the entire Old Testament every time.
We are responsible for what God has revealed to us. The people in Jesus’ day should have known that Jesus was God’s messiah. Even non-Jewish wise men from the east knew that Israel’s messiah was born. They came to Jerusalem asking for him and found him in Bethlehem as the prophet Micah predicted (Matthew 2 & Micah 5:2)).
Today, we have God’s complete Bible (New Testament and Old Testament). If we do not recognize Jesus as the savior of the world, we have no excuses.
We have the written record of the Messiah’s birth, life, death and resurrection. Jesus’ birth was a miracle. His life glorified his Father. In his death, he sacrificed himself for our sins. He rose from the dead to defeat death forever.
In answering the Jews, Jesus told them that God provided the bread from heaven, not Moses: “I can assure you that Moses was not the one who gave your people bread from heaven. But my Father gives you the true bread from heaven,” (John 6:32).
Moses was God’s servant. The Jews of Moses’ day made a golden calf and worshiped it as an idol while Moses talked with God on the mountain. Jesus had to remind the Jews that God, not Moses, supplied bread to their ancestors. It appears that the Jews of Jesus’ time made an idol out of Moses. Do not make an idol out of a man or woman that God uses. It’s very easy to make an idol out of pastors and evangelists whom God uses.
After Jesus reminded the Jews that God gave their ancestors bread from heaven, he said, “God’s bread is the one who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.” The people said, “Sir, from now on give us bread like that,” (John 6:33-34).
The Jews were still thinking of bread for their stomachs, even though Jesus told them he would give them food that gives them eternal life: “But earthly food spoils and ruins. So don’t work to get that kind of food. But work to get the food that stays good and gives you eternal life. The Son of Man will give you that food. He is the only one qualified by God the Father to give it to you.” (John 6:27).
These meal seekers must have been shocked when Jesus said: “I am the bread that gives life. No one who comes to me will ever be hungry. No one who believes in me will ever be thirsty,” (John 6:35).
“He did not say He had the bread of life but that He was that bread,” writes Bible scholar Thomas Constable.
When people believe in Jesus as their savior, God gives them eternal life. The search for true meaning in life is found in Christ. When you find Jesus and believe in him, your soul can rest in him. You know you will live forever with him. As Jesus said, you will not be hungry or thirsty. Just as food and drink satisfies the needs for your body, Jesus satisfies the needs for your soul and spirit. Without Jesus, we are lost and spiritually hungry for true meaning and purpose in life.
If you look carefully, you will notice that people without Jesus are restless. They sometimes do crazy things because they are trying to fill their inner emptiness. They are hungry and thirsty for reality, but they are looking for it in the wrong places. This is why so many people get drunk and use drugs. They are empty inside.
After Jesus said, “I am the bread that gives life,” he said this: “All that the Father gives me will come to me, and the one who comes to me I will by no means cast out” (John 6:37, NKJV).
In addition to giving us eternal life, Jesus wants us to enjoy a full, abundant life. You will never know the joyful life that God has for you unless you are secure in your relationship with Christ. God wants all his people to be sure of his love. Good parents will never kick their children out of their family. God is better than good parents. He will never disown his children. If you have good parents, they will discipline you when you disobey. God is the same way with his children (Hebrews 12:6).
In addition to not kicking you out of his family, God will never lose people who have trusted Jesus Christ as their savior. There are millions of people over many centuries who have placed their faith in Christ. God knows every one of them.
Here is what else Jesus said about your safety: “I must not lose anyone God has given me. But I must raise them up on the last day. This is what the one who sent me wants me to do. Everyone who sees the Son and believes in him has eternal life. I will raise them up on the last day. This is what my Father wants” (John 6:39-40).
When Jesus returns to Earth, he is going to raise from the dead everyone who has believed in him. All believers will receive their new, resurrection bodies like the one Jesus has. When Jesus appeared to the disciples in his resurrected body, he did not use the door. He suddenly appeared to them (John 20:19).
Can you imagine appearing suddenly in a room without opening the door to walk into it? Wow! This will be fun!
You can rest easy when you go to bed tonight because Jesus said, “I must not lose anyone God has given me.” If you have trusted the Lord Jesus as your savior, God has given you to Jesus. You belong to him. You can be sure that Jesus will never lose you. God could never lose someone that he loves as much as he loves you.
Think about this: Jesus is the Bread of Life! The only way to receive the benefits of good bread is to eat it. If you only look at bread, it can never help you body grown. Learning about Jesus is like looking at bread. You must believe in Jesus as your savior to receive the eternal life that he offers. Believing in Jesus is as simple as trusting him alone as the one who died for your sins and rose from the grave to offer eternal life all who believe in him.
Memorize this truth: “I am the bread that gives life. No one who comes to me will ever be hungry. No one who believes in me will ever be thirsty,” (John 6:35).
Ask these questions: Have you eaten the Bread of Life? Have you trusted the Lord Jesus as your savior?
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