35 Jesus said to them, "I am the bread of life; he who comes to me shall not hunger, and he who believes in me shall never thirst. 36 But I said to you that you have seen me and yet do not believe. 37 All that the Father gives me will come to me; and him who comes to me I will not cast out. 38 For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will, but the will of him who sent me; 39 and this is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me, but raise it up at the last day. 40 For this is the will of my Father, that every one who sees the Son and believes in him should have eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day."
Why did Jesus call himself the bread of life? The Jews understood that God promised them mana from heaven to sustain them on their journey to the promised land.
Bread is the very staple of life. We could not live without food for very long. Bread sustains us.
But what is life? Jesus clearly meant something more than mere physical existence. The life Jesus refers to is connected with God, the author of life.
Real life is a relationship with the living God, a relationship of trust, love, obedience, peace, and joy.
This is what Jesus makes possible for us – a loving relationship with God who created us for love with him. Apart from Jesus no on can enter that kind of life and relationship.
Are you satisfied with mere physical existence or do you hunger for the abundant life which Jesus offers?
Jesus makes three claims here. First he offers himself as spiritual food which produces the very life of God within us.
Second, he promises unbroken friendship and freedom from the fear of being forsaken or cut off from God.
Third, he offers us the hope of sharing in his resurrection.
Those who accept Jesus as Lord and Savior will be raised up to immortal life with Jesus when he comes again on the last day.
Do you know the joy and hope of the resurrection?
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