Jesus, the ‘I Am’ and ‘the bread of life.’
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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.”
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The Church Persecuted and Scattered
On that day a great persecution broke out against the church in Jerusalem, and all except the apostles were scattered throughout Judea and Samaria. 2 Godly men buried Stephen and mourned deeply for him. 3 But Saul began to destroy the church. Going from house to house, he dragged off both men and women and put them in prison.
Philip in Samaria
4 Those who had been scattered preached the word wherever they went. 5 Philip went down to a city in Samaria and proclaimed the Messiah there. 6 When the crowds heard Philip and saw the signs he performed, they all paid close attention to what he said. 7 For with shrieks, impure spirits came out of many, and many who were paralyzed or lame were healed. 8 So there was great joy in that city.
Last week when we studied Jn 3:16, John explained that Nicodemus believed in JC because of the things he did, [miracles like water into wine] but he needed to be ‘born again’ by the HS of the risen Jesus indwelling. Not a guru Jesus but a personal Jesus. That was Jn 3. In Jn 6
Could the disciples of Jesus be falling into the same error? The warning is given Jn 6:26
“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.” Jn 6:26
This is a classic passage in the NT just 6 verses and we will look at what JC means by:
1]I am the bread of life, and 2] What it means to receive the bread of life
I Am the bread of life
[1] ‘I am the bread of life,’ is the first of the 7 ‘I am sayings recorded in John. Each echoes Ex 3:14 when God 1st gives his name to Moses at the burning bush: ‘I am who I am.’ By saying [x7] ‘I Am’ - ‘ego eimi’ he is confirming that he is divine, God incarnate. NB Jn 6:38 For I have come down from heaven not to do my will but to do the will of him who sent me.
‘I am the bread of life’ can mean that he is both bread that gives life and he is the living bread.
Jn 6:35 ‘I am the bread of life’ specifically refers to Ex 16:4 The Lord said to Moses “I will rain down bread from heaven for you.” John 6:31 is very clear about this: ‘Our forefathers ate manna in the desert.’
Then Jn 6:36 ‘As I told you, you have seen me and still do not believe.’ He told them in Jn 6:26 warning them about their unbelief. They have political aspirations for Jesus, they are amazed by Jesus and all he does and says but they must be changed by grace.
What it means to receive the bread of life
[2] ‘He who comes to be will never go hungry. He who believes will not thirst.’ When we receive Jesus, the bread of life, we are satisfied. It doesn’t mean we don’t need to keep eating daily. Just as bread is our staple daily diet, so too the bread of life [Jesus, the word made flesh] is a staple food. What they mean is we no longer have that emptiness within, like hunger. We have found what we are looking for. That ‘God-shaped hole’ [Pascal] in our lives is filled. Like St Agustine said, ‘Our hearts are restless till we find our rest in you.’ We could say ‘our hearts were hungry until we received the bread of life.’ Our life now has the purpose and reason we were always meant to find and worship, and daily bread, the word are the outworking of our peace and joy unspeakable and full of glory [1 Pet 1:8,9].
To receive the Bread of Life also means we are saved and secure even on our last day. Jn 6:37-39 All those the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never drive away.
Much can be said about this but Vip here is that it is the Father's gracious act that leads us to Jesus, not our own efforts, musings or good deeds. Taking HC will not do it either. Quote from the Hymn: I am the bread of life…he who eats of this bread, he shall live forever. But that’s not enough, taking Holy Communion will not ensure ‘you will live forever.’ John 6:35 says Come and believe, by grace you are saved [Eph 2:8]. Only by a personal relationship with Jesus. God moves in the human heart to seek him and it is the Holy Spirit who convicts us of pride and selfish ways. God initiates and we come to and believe in Jesus [v35] and he ‘will never drive us away.’
Hear the truth of John 6v39, ‘I will lose none of all that the Father has given me, but will raise them up at the last day.’ NB the repetition and emphasis in Jn 6:40 ‘My fathers will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life and I will raise him up on the last day.’ Exact same phrase in v39,40. Do you think this is a message for those of you who fear that you can accidentally backslide or be unsaved, or lost once you have been adopted in the family of God. ‘I will lose none..’
Today I am convinced that he is the bread of life, given for you & I. He is the staple diet we need for our everyday life. In this 3rd week of the Easter season, we declare that on that 1st Easter he defeated death & opened the door to eternal life and a life-long reln with him our living Saviour. He is the bread of life, believe it and share it. Lets Pray
Cover Photo Jason Swain Photography https://jasonswain.co.uk/
