Jesus - The Bread Of Life
Jesus had quite a following. Wherever He was, the people found Him. They weren’t necessarily followers in the sense of recognizing Him as the Messiah, even though they followed Him wherever He went. This day was no different. These people had just been fed by Jesus not more than 24 hours earlier. They were among the five thousand Jesus fed with five loaves of bread and two fish. And yet the miracle they witnessed was not why they came. They came searching for more of what He had to give them, hoping for more material blessings. While they were looking for manna, much like their Old Testament ancestors, Jesus offered them true bread from heaven. Bread that gives life. “I am the Bread of Life; whoever comes to Me shall not go hungry and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.” (John 6:35)
The bread that Jesus offers is so much better than manna. No need for daily pick-up as this bread nourishes for all eternity. The Bread of Life satisfies the deep spiritual longings of your soul. Matthew 5:6 says, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.” Are you looking for manna that will get you by from day to day? Or do you want the bread that will satisfy you every day for the rest of your life? Do you run after God for what He can do for you? Or do you run after God because of who He is for you? Jesus is the Christ. The Savior. The Messiah. The Light of the World. The Bread of Life. Jesus know your every need. And He will nourish and sustain you in a way that nothing else ever will. Anyone who eats this bread, Jesus says, will live forever. To eat the bread that He offers is to accept Him as the Messiah and call upon His name to save you; to take Him up on His offer to eternally satisfy your soul.
This Holy Week contemplate what this means for you. What are you hungry for? And where are you looking to be satisfied? We are seeing firsthand that the things of this earth are passing away. We are experiencing Holy Week in the midst of a worldwide pandemic. Adjust your focus. Turn your eyes toward Jesus, the Bread of Life, the One who satisfies the longing soul and the hungry soul He fills (Psalm 107:9) both now and for all eternity.
