VERSE OF THE DAY
John 6:35 (New Living Translation)
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Jesus replied, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry again. Whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.
Jesus said I am the bread of life you shall not be hungry for I feed you the word of life. Whoever believes in me will not be thirsty for I am the living water
35 Then Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty. 36 But as I told you, you have seen me and still you do not believe.Mar 1, 2018
Why Is Jesus Called the ‘Bread of Life’?
After Jesus feeds the 5,000 with five loaves and two fish, He tells them “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger and whoever believes in me shall never thirst” (John 6:35). The bread of life is not physical bread, but the bread of spiritual renewal found in the salvation of the blood of Jesus Christ.
Bethany Verrett

After feeding 5,000 men plus women and children, Jesus speaks to the crowd again, this time offering them a different kind of bread, one that would never rot, and would always keep them full. When the people ask for this bread, the Bible records, “Jesus said to them, ‘I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger and whoever believes in me shall never thirst” (John 6:35).
Figurative and literary language exists in many places in the Bible. From the poetry in the Psalms to the parables of Jesus, imagery and metaphor are a part of how God speaks to the world in His Word. It communicates heavenly concepts that are difficult to put into words, or is a way for the Holy Spirit to speak to the soul, and provides concrete images to help individuals grasp abstract, metaphysical, ideas.
The bread of life is not physical bread, but the bread of spiritual renewal found in the salvation of the blood of Jesus Christ.
How is Jesus the Bread of Life?
One of the themes in the Book of John is who Jesus is, and not just what He did. The Apostle John opens his account with an explanation of Jesus’ deity. In chapter six, he focuses on one of Lord’s miracles, and its fallout. Because the Lord performed miracles of healing and taught the Scriptures with authority, there would sometimes be throngs following him.
In one of these instances, the Lord takes five loaves of bread and two fish and feeds thousands of people with it, with twelve baskets leftover. That night, He walks on water. The next day, those same thousands gather again to be fed. Jesus then offers them salvation – eternal nourishment – rather than just temporary sustenance.
“Truly, truly, I say to you, you are seeking me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves. Do not work for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you. For on him God the Father has set his seal… For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day” (John 6:26-27, 40).
The Lord presents His miracle as an opening act. In this life, mankind must toil and labor for food that only temporarily nourishes the body, which will eventually die. He had the power and authority to multiply that food and could do so much more.
If they put their faith in Him, then they would have eternal life. He reminds them about the manna the Father gave their ancestors in the wilderness after leaving Egypt. He then states, “I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. And the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh” (John 6:51).
The response to this offer for eternal life through the bread of life was not positive. The Bible recounts the people complaining, and even some of His disciples leaving, unable to understand the metaphor, or unwilling to accept Jesus’ explanation of who He is.
What Is the “Bread of Life”?
Bread is one of the essential foods of many cultures all around the world; it is a staple in many diets, and for centuries it would have been one of the most accessible foods for people of all wealth and social statuses.
At that point in history, especially in Jesus’ culture, bread would have been understood as a nutritional necessity. It also has historical significance for the Jewish people, harkening back to God’s life-sustaining manna, which kept their people alive in the desert. Jesus chose bread as His metaphor intentionally.
Salvation and a relationship with the Lord are not like a sweet treat – not necessary but enjoyable. It is not like meat, which one can survive without but is important to a well-rounded diet in many circumstances.
Salvation is essential to human existence and necessary for eternity. When Jesus says He is the bread of life, He is saying He is essential.
Just as God the Father provided nourishment, He was providing a path to redemption for mankind, separated from Him by sin, through Jesus Christ. The Lord underscores that He is the way to this redemption by foreshadowing the crucifixion. Without the crucifixion and the resurrection, the sins of the world remain unpaid, and mankind remains under the law.
As Paul would go on to explain, “For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit” (Romans 8:3-4).
In the context of the events of John 6, Jesus was telling the crowd to follow Him to the crucifixion and resurrection, to believe in the promised redemption.
Where Else Does Jesus Talk about Bread?
The relationship between bread and salvation appears in other parts of the Gospel as well. The Book of Matthew recounts Jesus’ temptation in the wilderness after He was baptized by John the Baptist. He fasted for 40 days, and Satan came to Him with three temptations.
The first one tried to target that physical hunger from the fast, challenging the Lord to turn stones to bread in order to satiate His hunger. Jesus resists temptation saying, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God’” (Matthew 4:4). As He would say to the crowds, earthly food may solve the temporary state of hunger, but does not solve the eternal problems of sin and spiritual darkness. The Word of God contains the answers to bigger questions.
An extension of this metaphor would extend to sin. There is a difference between leavened and unleavened bread. The first has been made to rise with yeast while the second has not. After an encounter with the Pharisees and Sadducees – political and religious leaders in Hebrew culture – the Lord Jesus warns His disciples, “Watch and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the Sadducees” (Matthew 16:6).
Despite having heard Jesus speak of bread in metaphorical terms on previous occasions, the disciples thought He meant literal bread. Jesus corrects them, and they understand the leaven represents the false teachings of both groups.
The culmination of this symbol of bread as the saving nature of Jesus comes at the Last Supper. “Now as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and after blessing it broke it and gave it to the disciples, and said, ‘Take, eat; this is my body’” (Matthew 26:26). Here, the Lord explicitly spells out the nature of His upcoming crucifixion and His role in restoring people to a right relationship with God for eternity.
The breaking of the Lord’s body and the spilling of His blood on the cross paid man’s debts for their sins, making eternal life in heaven available. The bread consumed at that Passover meal only staved off hunger for a few hours, but the relationship with Jesus Christ will sustain them forever.
Why Is This Important?
Jesus identified Himself as the bread of life, the living water, and the way. He did not present Himself a source of salvation but as the only way to salvation. Without Him, without the bread of life, there is no hope for salvation. By identifying Himself as the source of forgiveness, Jesus makes the path to repentance and a relationship with God, plain, simple, and available for everyone.
There are no additional sacrifices or works, “because if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved” (Romans 10:9). The bread of life will sustain the believer.
Bible Verses about Bread
Now as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and after blessing it broke it and gave it to the disciples, and said, “Take, eat; this is my body.”
Because there is one bread, we who are many are one body, for we all partake of the one bread.
Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.
Give us this day our daily bread,
Go, eat your bread with joy, and drink your wine with a merry heart, for God has already approved what you do.
Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes has eternal life. I am the bread of life. Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died. This is the bread that comes down from heaven, so that one may eat of it and not die.
Sources
Walvoord, John and Roy Zuck. The Bible Knowledge Commentary New Testament. United States of America: Victor Books, 1983.
Wiersbe, Warren. The Wiersbe Bible Commentary. Colorado Springs: David C. Cook, 2007.
Wilmington, H.L. Wilmington’s Guide to the Bible. Wheaton: Tyndale House Publishers, 1981.
Photo credit: ©Getty Images/Thomas Soellner
Bethany Verrett is a freelance writer and editor. She maintains a faith and lifestyle blog graceandgrowing.com, where she muses about the Lord, life, culture, and ministry.
‘I Am the Bread of Life’ Meaning and Scripture
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Jesus, The Bread of Life.
BevLinder / Getty Images
Updated October 27, 2020
Bread of Life is a title Jesus Christ used to describe himself in John 6:35: “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry again. Whoever believes in me will never be thirsty” (NLT). The phrase, “I am the bread of life,” is one of several “I Am” statements that Jesus spoke in the Gospel of John.
‘I Am the Bread of Life’
• Throughout the Bible, bread is a symbolic representation of God’s life-sustaining provision.
• When Jesus told the hungry crowds that he was the Bread of Life, he was teaching his followers that He alone was their true source of spiritual life, both in this present world and in the everlasting life to come.
• The Bread of Life that Jesus represents never perishes, spoils, or runs out.
‘I Am the Bread of Life’ Sermon – John 6:35
In John 6, Jesus fed a large crowd—far more than 5,000 people—with just five loaves of barley bread and two fish (John 6:1-15). This miracle astounded the people who declared that Jesus was a great prophet—the one they had been expecting. But when Jesus saw that the people wanted to force him to be their king, he quietly slipped away to be alone in the hills.
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The next day the crowds went in search of Jesus, not because they had understood his miracle, but because he had filled their appetites. The people were caught up in the day to day treadmill of getting their needs met and providing food for their hungry bellies. But Jesus was concerned with saving their souls. He told them, “Don’t be so concerned about perishable things like food. Spend your energy seeking the eternal life that the Son of Man can give you” (John 6:27, NLT).
Lesson: Believing in Jesus Christ as the source of our spiritual existence is how we gain eternal life (John 3:16). When we put our faith in him, he gives us spiritual bread that will not spoil and abundant life that will never end.
Jesus wanted the people to comprehend who he was: “The true bread of God is the one who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world” (John 6:33; NLT). Again, the crowd asked for a miraculous sign, like when Moses gave the people manna to eat in the wilderness.
The crowds still saw Jesus merely as someone who could meet their physical needs. So, Jesus responded with this powerful and profound truth: “I am the bread of life that came down from heaven” (John 6:41). Christ explained that anyone who came to him in saving faith would never be hungry or thirsty again. God would not reject them, for it was his will that all should come to faith in him (verses 37-40).
The listeners knew that Jesus, by claiming to come from heaven, was declaring that he was God. He was the real Bread of Heaven—the ever-present daily Manna—the lifegiving, eternal source of provision for today, tomorrow, and all eternity.
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The people wanted this bread, but when Jesus explained that he himself was the Bread, they became more and more offended. Their offense turned to revulsion when Jesus explained that he had come to give his flesh and blood—to sacrifice His life—so that the world could have eternal life (John 6:51).
He declared, “I tell you the truth, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you cannot have eternal life within you” (John 6:53, NLT). The teaching was so difficult to understand that many of his disciples deserted him.
Only those whose spiritual hearts had been opened could comprehend that to eat Christ’s flesh and drink his blood meant to grasp by faith the significance of Jesus’ death on the cross.
Lesson: It is the death of Jesus Christ that takes away the curse of sin and rescues those who receive his forgiveness from spiritual death. Christ’s sacrifice on the cross enables us to receive eternal life. To all who believe in him and accept him as Savior, He is the Bread of Life.
Bread of Life in the Old Testament
The idea of bread as a symbol of God’s provision and life was a well-developed concept in the Old Testament. Early on, when God established the wilderness tabernacle for worship among the people of Israel, he gave instructions to build a table called “the table of the showbread.” Every Sabbath, the priests of the tabernacle (and later, in the temple) would arrange twelve loaves of bread called “the bread of the presence” on the table near God’s presence in the holy place (Leviticus 24:9; Numbers 4:7).
This presentation of the bread symbolized God’s eternal, covenant relationship with his people and his constant care and provision for the tribes of Israel, represented by the twelve loaves of bread. When Jesus preached his sermon about being the Bread of Life, discerning Jews in the crowd would have connected the dots to this long-practiced aspect of their worship.
Commentary on John 6:35, 41-51
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The reading begins with one of the most well-known “I am” sayings from the Gospel of John: “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty” (verse 35).
The narrator adds “to see” alongside the verb “to believe.” The Johannine Jesus drives home the significance of what it means to come to Jesus and believe using a chiasm around seeing and believing:
A (verse 36) seeing and not believing
B (verse 37) Jesus will not drive away those who come to him
C (verse 38) I have come down from heaven
B’ (verse 39) Jesus will lose nothing of all that God gives him
A’ (verse 40) seeing and believing.1
In sum, it is not enough to see glancingly (for example, verses 19, 25, 34, 42, and 52). Seeing Jesus rightly leads to believing in Jesus deeply.
For the first time in John 6, the narrator singles out “the Jews” as being the source of conflict for Jesus (verse 41). John is of course in the middle of a conflict and we can understand how conflicts lead to distortions, but we don’t need to bless them. In terms of clearing the sightlines for communication, it seems best to translate the narrator’s “the Jews” as “the religious authorities” or “religious leadership.”
Jesus’ words in verse 35 spark controversy among the religious leaders: “They were saying, ‘Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know?’” (John 6:42). Jesus doesn’t address the complaint as such but instead begins with God’s action (verses 44-46): God sends, draws, raises, and teaches. In turn, Jesus’ coming and being sent by God the Father gives rise to healthy verbs of receptivity: seeing, believing, hearing, and learning.2
It is not unusual to experience John as almost unbearably repetitive. Maybe the present chapter is especially heavy on repetition. Even so, it is not fair to say that John is just a repetition of Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus. Gail R. O’Day calls our attention to how recurring themes contribute to the cohesiveness of John’s theological perspective. When Jesus repeats the crowd’s exegesis of “our ancestors” in verse 31, it becomes “your ancestors” in verse 48, thus putting distance between Jesus and the crowd. Then Jesus takes the bread image one step further—before, in verse 35, those who came to Jesus would be satisfied; now, in verse 51, those who eat the living bread, Jesus, will live forever. The language that had been metaphorical shifts: “the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.”3
But why go after theological cohesiveness in this peculiar way? Is there something in the medium of John that can help us grasp its message?
Mulling this over, perhaps we notice the contrast between those who show a “glancing” acquaintance with Jesus and the narrator’s insistence that we see Jesus repeatedly. See Jesus as the One sent, and as the One to whom people come, and from whom people learn, and by whom people will be raised on the last day. See Jesus who sees and knows the Father. See Jesus who gives his flesh for the life of the world.
Living in John’s world as a disciple feels like enchantment, or perhaps being held in the steady gaze of the Word. But stand for a minute in the shoes of those who shake their heads in disbelief. Is the complaint of verses 41-42 anything worse than the way we might “glancingly” evaluate a loaf of bread? It is good or bad or neutral … but from heaven? Really?
“Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How can he now say, ‘I have come down from heaven’?” (verse 42).
Imagine, for a moment, the agitated atmosphere of Jesus’ day, when hungry eyes searched for the one who would glow in the dark of this age. Consider the promiscuous gaze, always looking elsewhere, until, at last, it cannot look away. Or, in not looking away, decides to linger in the gaze of the one who lingers with us.
The “I am” sayings hold our gaze on a person who seems and is very human, maybe the first real human being. Maybe we wonder what it means to believe in Jesus whom we have not seen. It seems to be a problem. And yet, even if we do not “see” Jesus, we do “see” the symbols of the “I am” sayings: “I am the bread of life” (verse 35); “I am the living bread that came down from heaven” (verse 51); “I am the gate for the sheep” (John 10:7, 9); “I am the good shepherd” (John 10:11, 14). The sayings point to commonplace images: shepherd, bread, vines, a viticulturist, a gate, and a gatekeeper.
But is there anything really “common” about the human experience? Or, what’s there to see that we haven’t already seen?
Reflection
When we left the U.S. for England, we weren’t able to take much with us. For complicated reasons, our family pictures ended up with my parents in California, some 5,000 miles away. However, as we were packing, we did take along some pieces of art made by family members, especially our children. We also packed some of the sketches my mom has sent us over the years. We’ve framed them, and they are now hanging in our living room. Each picture consists of a few quick brushstrokes. The pictures include animals that you see in nature: a hummingbird, a school of salmon, a dragonfly, a wading bird, a deer.
It was only a few days ago when it dawned on me that we don’t have any pictures of my mom. We’ve been living here for five months at the time of my writing. Why hadn’t I missed her picture? As I looked again at those sketches, I knew the answer: when I see those paintings, I see them, but I “see” my mom. Or perhaps I see through my mom’s eyes, and I “see” her, almost as if she were here, in this place.
CHAPTER 6
Jesus feeds the five thousand—He walks on the sea—He is the living manna sent from God—Salvation is gained by eating living bread—Jesus explains how men eat His flesh and drink His blood—Peter testifies that Jesus is the Messiah.
1 After these things Jesus went over the sea of Galilee, which is the sea of Tiberias.
2 And a great multitude followed him, because they saw his miracles which he did on them that were diseased.
3 And Jesus went up into a mountain, and there he sat with his disciples.
4 And the apassover, a feast of the Jews, was nigh.
5 ¶ When Jesus then lifted up his eyes, and saw a great company come unto him, he saith unto Philip, Whence shall we buy bread, that these may eat?
6 And this he said to prove him: for he himself knew what he would do.
7 Philip answered him, Two hundred pennyworth of bread is not sufficient for them, that every one of them may take a little.
8 One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, saith unto him,
9 There is a lad here, which hath five barley loaves, and two small fishes: but what are they among so many?
10 And Jesus said, Make the men sit down. Now there was much grass in the place. So the men sat down, in number about afive thousand.
11 And Jesus took the loaves; and when he had given athanks, he distributed to the disciples, and the disciples to them that were set down; and likewise of the fishes as much as they would.
12 When they were filled, he said unto his disciples, Gather up the fragments that remain, that nothing be alost.
13 Therefore they gathered them together, and filled twelve baskets with the fragments of the five barley loaves, which remained over and above unto them that had eaten.
14 Then those men, when they had seen the amiracle that Jesus did, said, This is of a truth that bprophet that should come into the world.
15 ¶ When Jesus therefore perceived that they would come and take him by force, to make him a aking, he departed again into a mountain himself alone.
16 And when even was now come, his disciples went down unto the sea,
17 And entered into a ship, and went over the sea toward Capernaum. And it was now dark, and Jesus was not come to them.
18 And the sea arose by reason of a great wind that blew.
19 So when they had rowed about five and twenty or thirty furlongs, they see Jesus walking on the sea, and drawing nigh unto the ship: and they were aafraid.
20 But he saith unto them, It is I; be not afraid.
21 Then they willingly received him into the ship: and immediately the ship was at the land whither they went.
22 ¶ The day following, when the people which stood on the other side of the sea saw that there was none other boat there, save that one whereinto his disciples were entered, and that Jesus went not with his disciples into the boat, but that his disciples were gone away alone;
23 (Howbeit there came other boats from Tiberias nigh unto the place where they did eat bread, after that the Lord had given thanks:)
24 When the people therefore saw that Jesus was not there, neither his disciples, they also took shipping, and came to Capernaum, seeking for Jesus.
25 And when they had found him on the other side of the sea, they said unto him, Rabbi, when camest thou hither?
26 Jesus answered them and said, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Ye seek me, anot because ye saw the miracles, but because ye did eat of the loaves, and were filled.
27 aLabour not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life, which the bSon of man shall give unto you: for him hath God the Father csealed.
28 Then said they unto him, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God?
29 Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye abelieve on him whom he hath sent.
30 They said therefore unto him, What asign shewest thou then, that we may see, and believe thee? what dost thou work?
31 Our fathers did eat manna in the desert; as it is written, He gave them abread from heaven to eat.
32 Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Moses gave you not that bread from heaven; but my Father giveth you the true bread from heaven.
33 For the bread of God is he which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world.
34 Then said they unto him, Lord, evermore give us this bread.
35 And Jesus said unto them, I am the abread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never bthirst.
36 But I said unto you, That ye also have seen me, and believe not.
37 All that the Father agiveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise bcast out.
38 For I acame down from heaven, not to do mine own bwill, but the cwill of him that sent me.
39 And this is the aFather’s bwill which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose cnothing, but should draise it up again at the last day.
40 And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and abelieveth on him, may have beverlasting life: and I will raise him up cat the last day.
41 The Jews then murmured at him, because he said, I am the bread which came down from heaven.
42 And they said, Is not this Jesus, the son of aJoseph, whose father and mother we know? how is it then that he saith, I came down from heaven?
43 Jesus therefore answered and said unto them, aMurmur not among yourselves.
44 aNo man can bcome to me, except the Father which hath sent me cdraw him: and I will raise him up at the last day.
45 It is written in the prophets, And they shall be all ataught of God. Every man therefore that hath heard, and hath learned of the bFather, cometh unto me.
46 Not that any man hath seen the Father, save he which is of God, he hath aseen the Father.
47 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that abelieveth on me hath beverlasting life.
48 I am that bread of life.
49 Your fathers did eat amanna in the wilderness, and are dead.
50 This is the bread which cometh down from heaven, that a man may eat thereof, and not die.
51 I am the living abread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bbread that I will give is my cflesh, which I will dgive for the elife of the world.
52 The Jews therefore strove among themselves, saying, How can this man give us his flesh to eat?
53 Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye aeat the flesh of the bSon of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you.
54 Whoso eateth my aflesh, and drinketh my bblood, hath eternal life; cand I will draise him up at the last day.
55 For my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed.
56 He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, adwelleth in me, and I in him.
57 As the living Father hath asent me, and I live by the Father: so he that eateth me, even he shall blive by me.
58 This is that bread which came down from heaven: not as your fathers did eat manna, and are dead: he that eateth of this bread shall live for ever.
59 These things said he in the synagogue, as he taught in Capernaum.
60 Many therefore of his disciples, when they had heard this, said, This is an hard saying; who can hear it?
61 When Jesus aknew in himself that his disciples murmured at it, he said unto them, Doth this boffend you?
62 What and if ye shall see the aSon of man bascend up where he was before?
63 It is the aspirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.
64 But there are some of you that believe not. For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were that believed not, and who should abetray him.
65 And he said, Therefore said I unto you, that no man can come unto me, aexcept it were given unto him of my Father.
66 ¶ From that time many of his adisciples went back, and bwalked no more with him.
67 Then said Jesus unto the twelve, Will ye also go away?
68 Then Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the awords of eternal life.
69 And awe believe and are sure that thou art that Christ, the bSon of the living God.
70 Jesus answered them, Have not I achosen you twelve, and one of you is a devil?
71 He spake of Judas Iscariot the son of Simon: for he it was that should betray him, being one of the twelve.
What Does John 6:35 Mean? ►
Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; he who comes to Me will not hunger, and he who believes in Me will never thirst.
John 6:35(NASB)
Verse Thoughts
During his earthly ministry, Christ taught the multitudes that He was the promised Messiah. He authenticated His claims through many signs and wonders, such as the feeding of the 5000. The supply of bread and fish satisfied the crowd’s physical hunger and excited their carnal cravings, but they neglected to understand the deeper meaning of this miracle of Jesus.
Knowing that the Lord had crossed to the other side of the Galilee caused the people to pursue after Him, in the hopes that they would get more free food! But Jesus knew that they were following Him for the wrong reason. They were not seeking Him because they understood the sign, but because they ate of the loaves and were filled. They were not following Him because their soul was hungry for forgiveness, but to satisfy their physical appetite.
Jesus warned them not to work for the bodily food which perishes, but for the food which endures to eternal life… which He alone could give them… He was the One on Whom the Father set His seal. It was not being fed on bread and fish that these lost souls needed, but feeding on the Bread of Life from heaven – feeding on Christ, the Son of Man, in Whom is life eternal.
It must have saddened His heart when Jesus saw their proud, unbelieving attitude, especially when they asked Him to show them a sign that He was the Messiah as He claimed. They argued that their forefathers had eaten heavenly manna for 40 years, so by comparison Jesus had only done one paltry little miracle with earthly food, not daily manna from heaven!
They wanted Jesus to carry out a similar spectacle to Moses, as proof of His Messianic claims.”Give us this bread from heaven,” they demanded. “Give us that manna from above.” They clamoured for physical food but refused to acknowledge the astonishing truth He revealed to them. “I Am the Bread of Life,” He said. “I am the Bread that you are seeking. He who comes to Me will not hunger, and he who believes in Me will never thirst.” Jesus offered Himself to the people of Israel, but they turned Him down.
Jesus announced the most earth-shattering truth to these people and they misunderstood, through unbelief. He did not say he HAD the bread of life but He WAS the Bread of Life. In Him was eternal life and the one who comes to Him will never hunger nor thirst. Christ could satisfy their spiritual hunger and spiritual thirst because He is the Living Water and the Bread of Life from heaven… and these people missed it.
This was the first of seven claims Jesus made about being the Bread of Life from heaven. He told them that He is not only the Giver but the Sustainer of our lives. He becomes our living nourishment, day by day, strengthening and sustaining us, in and through His everlasting, life-giving power. Not only does Christ give us each day our daily bread, but He also imparts to us His life-giving Spirit, which is life everlasting.
This was the first of seven titles that Christ used about Himself that started with the sentence, “I AM..” I AM the Bread of Life which will satisfy and sustain you through time and into eternity. I AM the Light of the World to dispel the darkness of sin and death. I AM the Gate – the Entrance Door into security and means of fellowship with almighty God. I AM the Good Shepherd, to lead and guide, to feed and protect.
The Lord Jesus is the Resurrection and the Life. He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life, and He is the True Vine without Whom we can do nothing. Jesus is the centre and circumference of life. He is the Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the End, the Genesis and Revelation, the Source and Conclusion, and the Author and Finisher of our faith.
All are invited to feast at the banqueting table… to feed on Christ our Living Bread, Who came down from heaven from the Father of mercies. And all who feast upon the Lord are promised the eternal benefits of this life-sustaining heavenly Manna – that true Bread Who satisfies the hungry heart with all good things.
Every word uttered by our dear Lord Jesus is spirit and life to all who come to Him as Saviour. All those who feed on Christ will live forever, for Jesus said to those who followed Him, “truly I tell you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you.”
May we daily feed on the Bread of Life, by faith with thanksgiving as we journey through life, for He alone is our life-sustain er for in Him are the words of eternal life.
Source: https://dailyverse.knowing-jesus.com/john-6-35
Source: https://dailyverse.knowing-jesus.com/john-6-35
What does John 6:35 mean?
This verse AM” statement of John’s gospel. In each of these instances, Jesus uses the phrase “I AM” in reference to Himself, providing perspective on His mission and His ministry. This is the same reference used by God Himself when speaking to Moses from the burning bush in Exodus 3:13–14. It is the phrasing Jesus will use, to the same disciple writing this gospel, in Revelation 1:8.
The people have come to Jesus looking for another miracle, and for more free food (John 6:26). Instead, Jesus says they need to be seeking the “true bread from heaven” in order to obtain eternal life. Jesus has already clarified that this does not mean good works, but refers to belief in the One sent by God.
Here, Jesus explicitly declares that He, Himself, is the One sent by God. Eternal life is found only through belief in Jesus Christ (John 14:6; John 3:36; Acts 4:12). Jesus continues the analogy of food here, combining the ideas of spiritual hunger (Matthew 4:4) and spiritual thirst (John 4:13–14). Here, saving faith is seen as an analogy to food and drink: a person must take it inside of themselves—acceptance is a requirement for these blessings to have any effect!
Context Summary
John 6:22–40 describes the initial aftermath of Jesus’ feeding of thousands the previous day. The crowd’s actual desire is for another supernatural spectacle and more free food. In this passage, Christ begins to explain the true meaning behind His miracle and His ministry. This includes the first of seven ”I AM” statements in the gospel of John—moments where Jesus declares His own divinity. Jesus clarifies that physical things such as bread are meant to be symbols of a spiritual truth. In the following segment, the crowd will stop seeking and start complaining.
Chapter Context
In chapter 6, Jesus feeds thousands of people who had been following Him. He does this by miraculously dividing the contents of a small lunch, leaving more left over than He had to begin with. At first, the crowd is amazed and they enthusiastically praise Jesus. After sending the disciples across the Sea of Galilee, and rescuing them from a storm by walking on the water, Jesus once again addresses the crowd. This time, He emphasizes the spiritual lesson behind His prior miracle. In response, most of those who had been praising Jesus turn away from Him in disappointment
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