I am the living bread which came down out of heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. Yes, the bread which I will give for the life of the world is my flesh. John 6:51 WEB
When the Israelites were in the wilderness after leaving Egypt, God provided for their needs with manna, what Christ called the living bread from heaven. This daily gift of bread from the Lord miraculously sustained the people. It was their salvation from starvation. The manna from heaven represented the Messiah to come and salvation for all who believed in the Son of God, Jesus Christ.
Up to the point of Jesus making this statement, his popularity had soared. The Jewish people saw Jesus as the promised Messiah and thought of him as a warrior. They wanted to make him king and were ready to use violence to do so. However, Jesus’ words revealed that his kingdom is spiritual and not physical. Due to their focus on material rather than spiritual things, the Jews misunderstanding of this statement caused them to lose their enthusiasm for Christ.
Of course, Jesus refers to sacrificing his life for the salvation of all. But the Jews who heard this message interpreted it as a call to cannibalism. Speaking of himself, Jesus says in John 6:58, “This is the bread which came down out of heaven—not as our fathers ate the manna and died. He who eats this bread will live forever. WEB” Missing the spiritual nature of Jesus giving his life as an atonement sacrifice for sin, they quickly descend into fighting and deep dissatisfaction with his message.
Jesus Gives Everlasting Life
As the living bread, Jesus gives himself to any who believe in him. We take this bread deep into our being and it transforms us. This is a metaphor for receiving Christ into our lives and giving up our worldly ways in exchange for eternal life in the Spirit of God. Jesus gives of himself that we might live. As we read in John 3:16, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. KJV”
As the manna from heaven extended life in the wilderness, Jesus came to do the same and more. Christ says in John 10:10, “The thief only comes to steal, kill, and destroy. I came that they may have life and may have it abundantly. WEB” Jesus, as the bread of life, gives eternal life to all who believe in him.
God sent physical bread to meet a physical need, but Jesus was sent from heaven to meet a spiritual need. Through his life, death, and resurrection, he paid the wages for our sin. In doing so, Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross reconciled sinners to God through faith in him.
Prayer: “Father God, thank you for the living bread, Jesus Christ. Thank you for my salvation. Help me to endure the trials of this life. Increase my faith and help me to live my life in a way that pleases you. In Jesus’ name – Amen”
Yesterday’s Devotional: The Ways of a Man
