John 6:48
Bread is a staple food in most cultures. Many of us can’t seem to eat a meal without bread. Jesus uses bread in John 6 to give us a lesson about Himself.
Jesus fed the 5,000 as a backdrop to this sermon (verses 5-14). The sermon is the next day (verse 22). The Old Testament background is the supply of manna in Exodus 16 and Numbers 11.
BREAD IS A GIFT FROM GOD
It is presumed that there is hunger. The hungrier we are, the more substance we need. Spiritually, man’s appetite is so strong, it needs something stronger to fill it (Verses 32-33).
This is the “true” bread because it satisfies man’s deepest needs. It gives spiritual life and it strengthens our spiritual life. This bread is also for everyone – the “world.”
THE BREAD DRAWS US
We love to smell fresh bread baking in the oven. God uses His nature and the nature and work of Christ to draw us to Him (Verses 44-45). See also Ephesians 5:2
YOU MUST TAKE THE BREAD
While Jesus told us to pray each day for our daily bread (Matthew 6:11), He also tells us to work an honest living to contribute our part (Ephesians 4:28). Spiritually, salvation is clearly a gift from God, but Jesus also tells us that we have to contribute our part.
Verse 35 – We have to “continue” coming to Jesus and continue believing in Him – the verbs are present tense.
In WWII, Germans impressed many 12-13 year old boys into the Junior Gestapo. The boys were treated harshly, given inhumane jobs to perform. When the war ended, most had lost track of families and wandered without food and shelter.
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As part of the Western-aid program for post-war Germany, many of these boys were placed in tent cities. Doctors and psychologists worked with the boys in an attempt to restore their mental and physical health. Many of the boys would wake up in the middle of the night screaming in terror.
One doctor had an idea – after feeding the boys a large meal, he put them to bed with a piece of bread in their hands, which they could save until morning. The boys then slept soundly because, after so many years of hunger, they finally had the assurance of food for the next day.
We need to take hold of Jesus and never let Him go.
THIS IS THE EXCLUSIVE BREAD
During the infamous 900-day siege of Leningrad (from September 1941-January 1944), the populace made bread out of anything they could find. They used wallpaper paste and sawdust. Hundreds of thousands starved to death because their meager diet afforded them no nutrients to maintain life.
Verse 53-58 – Jesus is the exclusive bread that fills our spiritual needs.
DO YOU SMELL LIKE “BREAD”?
2 Corinthians 2:14 – If we feed on Jesus – if we take His words into our lives – we’ll smell like bread!
Take home message: Feed on Jesus daily and you’ll share the aroma of Christ to your neighbors and family.
–Paul Holland
