I AM … The Bread of Life
John’s gospel: Evangelistic (“Believe”) – 20:31 … that believing you might have life…
Life – not just for eternal sustenance, but beginning NOW.
7 I AM’s of John: YHWH “I am/ I exist” – “The LORD” (“self-existent one.”)
- Used when God was introducing an aspect of His nature and plan to provide for the needs of His covenant people – His nearness being described – an intimate name.
John 6:22-59 I AM the bread of life
26-29 “This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He has sent.”
- You seek me because you got free food…seek me for something more enduring
- What must we DO? It has ALWAYS been by faith – from the beginning of time!
Dead religion is always seeking ways to perform for God, assigning us to a permanent relationship of servant-master. God has only ever sought those who would walk in trust, believing Him at His word.
30-34 the bread of God is that which comes down out of heaven, and gives life to the world.
- Show us a sign? (Feeding 5000 was not enough!) – religion wants God who can be controlled.
- It is not Moses – the Jews replaced God with Moses bread…and his Law.
35 I AM the bread of life; — same as the tree of life – the source of sustenance
he who comes to Me will not hunger, — don’t wait for Him – GO to Him!
and he who believes in Me will never thirst. – only on thing can satisfy the spirit’s thirst
48-50 Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died
The Law of manna: Exodus 16:19 Moses said to them, “Let no man leave any of it until morning.”
Jesus taught us to pray, “give us this day our daily bread.” If we do not eat, our bodies will not function properly. This is also true of our inner man, which requires a different sort of “bread.”
Signs of spiritual malnutrition: Hopelessness/ negativity, Increased fear / anxiety, Self-centered worldview, Inability to forgive, Increase of sinful cravings, Loss of spiritual appetite
The solution for spiritual malnutrition is not to feed our flesh, or even just our soul, but to give attention to our inner man! Give it its daily bread!
51-54 the bread also which I will give for the life of the world is My flesh.
(v.4 — Now the Passover, the feast of the Jews, was near.)
- Passover – commemorating death “passing over” the homes of those who were feeding on the Passover lamb. – by tradition, drinking wine (the “blood” of the grape – Gen 49:11)
The shadow of a Passover Lamb preserved a generation from death in Egypt. The fulfillment preserves all who “eat” of His life from eternal death!
55-56 He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me
To abide in Jesus means to live in constant communion with Him. It is when we break free of this communion and life on our own strength that we re-discover how impossible His life is to live without Him.
57-58 he who eats this bread will live forever.
The issue of eternity is not “heaven or hell.” It is “life or death.” Eternal life now is gained the same way it was in the beginning — by eating from the tree of life. That tree is Jesus. Jesus is life. You are what you eat.
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