The Bread of Life
Yesterday we challenged our church to spend seven days reading through the "I Am" statements of Jesus in the Gospel of John. In each of these sayings, Jesus reveals something about who is he and the blessings he is offering us through our relationship with him.
Today's reading is John 6:25-59, where Jesus says that he is the Bread of Life. Here's a few key points to consider as you read this passage.
1. Jesus said this during the time of Passover (John 6:4), which commemorates God saving his people out of slavery and leading them to the Promised Land. There's something about the Passover story that helps us understand what it means for Jesus to be the Bread of Life.
2. Jesus specifically compares himself (the bread of life) to the manna the Israelites ate in the wilderness during their 40 years of wandering. But the bread Jesus offers leads to eternal life--not just a full stomach (John 6:58).
3. Jesus had just finished feeding a crowd of 5,000 people with just a few loaves of bread and some fish (John 6:1-15). This physical bread gave him an opportunity to talk about a different kind of bread that only Jesus can provide (John 6:51).
Jesus came to offer us life to the full. Part of the full and abundant life is feasting on Jesus, the bread of life, who sustains us on our journey and enables us to have eternal life.
Today's reading is John 6:25-59, where Jesus says that he is the Bread of Life. Here's a few key points to consider as you read this passage.
1. Jesus said this during the time of Passover (John 6:4), which commemorates God saving his people out of slavery and leading them to the Promised Land. There's something about the Passover story that helps us understand what it means for Jesus to be the Bread of Life.
2. Jesus specifically compares himself (the bread of life) to the manna the Israelites ate in the wilderness during their 40 years of wandering. But the bread Jesus offers leads to eternal life--not just a full stomach (John 6:58).
3. Jesus had just finished feeding a crowd of 5,000 people with just a few loaves of bread and some fish (John 6:1-15). This physical bread gave him an opportunity to talk about a different kind of bread that only Jesus can provide (John 6:51).
Jesus came to offer us life to the full. Part of the full and abundant life is feasting on Jesus, the bread of life, who sustains us on our journey and enables us to have eternal life.