Bread of Life

Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty." John 6:35

Bread is a gift from God. I know being gluten-free is all the rage these days, but I still am weak for the smell and taste of fresh bread. Bread comes in all shapes and flavors, but in its various forms it is a staple in diets across cultures and religions.  However, as satisfying as bread can be, even in massive quantities, it can never fully satisfy. If I eat an entire loaf of bread today, I will still be hungry tomorrow. This is the nature of our physical appetites. We can only temporary satiate our physical need for nourishment and each day we must fill and re-fill our body with nutrients.


When Jesus calls himself "the bread of life" he is not talking about physical needs or nourishment from food. Rather, Jesus is speaking about the spiritual hunger we have for meaning and purpose, and our deep desire to experience love and acceptance. Jesus offers us peace with God. This peace allows us to rest contently knowing we no longer have to strive for more or struggle to be accepted. In Christ, we have God's grace; in Christ we have God's mercy.

Jesus, as the bread of life, not only allows us to receive God's grace and mercy, but also provides us with ongoing spiritual nourishment.

I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Whoever eats of this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh. John 6:51

The flesh, or body of Jesus, was given as a gift of grace upon the cross, but also continues to be given to us at the table. When we receive Christ's presence in the Lord's Supper, we are not only reminded of God's grace but receive his presence in bread and wine. While the physical elements of communion may not fill our physical needs for nourishment, they fill us with God's grace and equip us to share God's love in the world.


This was a difficult and challenging teaching for those who heard it then (6:60-71) because it made clear that God's presence was breaking into our world. The Jewish faith had always claimed that God was transcendent and distant from humanity, while Jesus claims the exact opposite. In Jesus, God is made known and can been seen and even tasted. He came to satiate our appetites and make us whole. He is the best and most filling bread we could ever have.


Prayer: Lord, help me to receive the Bread of Life that satisfies my soul. Help me to receive Christ's presence so that I may be nourished with God's amazing love and share God's love with others, in Jesus' name, AMEN.