BREAD OF GOD

Man was created with certain hungers. In the physical, emotional, and spiritual realms he longs for satisfaction. John 6 begins with a story of the Lord Jesus miraculously feeding 5,000 men with just five loaves and two fishes. This marvel sets the scene for the dialogue that follows. Many people followed the Lord to Capernaum, hoping to receive another free meal, v. 26. The entire passage takes place against the backdrop of people apparently seeking Jesus, but not with genuine biblical faith. One would imagine that their pursuit of the Lord indicates real interest in Christ and His claims. However, they only follow Him out of a desire to have their physical needs met.

The Lord Jesus challenges them on their insincerity. They protest that they really are interested in doing good works to please God, v. 28. He replies that it is faith in Him that is the key to pleasing God. They once more exhibit their unbelieving hearts by demanding another miracle to prove His assertion. They invoke the memory of Moses and the manna which fed the Israelites in the wilderness. The Lord corrects their mistaken view that Moses ‘gave’ bread to Israel; instead, pointing out that God desires to provide better sustenance - namely, the true bread from heaven. He then tells them that ‘the bread of God is he which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world’, v. 33.

As the bread of God, the Lord Jesus is the spiritual food that is given by the Creator to His creatures for salvation and the ongoing nourishment of the inner man. God wants man’s legitimate appetites to be fed. Yet repeatedly humans seek fulfilment in material things. As the celebrated Christian philosopher- mathematician Blaise Pascal noted two centuries ago, ‘they are unable to fill the hole in their hearts, for it is something that only Christ can satisfy’. Today, He continues to invite men to feed on Himself. If they will have Him, He will bring contentment to their souls. Those who are already believers discover that the feeding continues after conversion. Initial saving faith is followed by on-going life in Christ, daily feeding on His grace and mercies through prayer and Bible reading.