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What did Jesus mean when he said, 'I am the bread of life'?
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.
Where did Jesus say I am the bread of life?
Jesus said in John 6:41-59 “I am the bread of life.” The crowd murmured in disagreement. But that didn’t stop Jesus from teaching truth. What did this statement mean to the Jewish people and what does it mean for us today? Let’s unpack this together.
What does the Bible say about Jesus bread of life?
Jesus said in John 6:41-59 “I am the bread of life ... How can he say, ‘I came down from heaven’?” They didn’t understand what Jesus said, so their response was to dismiss His authority. As WE study the Bible and apply it to our lives ...
What do you mean when you say that Jesus is the bread of life?
By bread of life, Jesus means the teaching that he is, by what he says, how he acts, and in fact, who he is, the Word of God. Jesus is the Word spoken by God, who reveals God to us in the most complete way possible, that we come to know God when we hear this Word who is Jesus,...
What is the meaning of Jesus is the bread of life?
Biblical account For the bread of God is that which comes down from heaven and gives life to the world." They said to him, "Sir, give us this bread always." Jesus said to them, "I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty."
What is meant by the Bread of Life?
Jesus says, “I am the bread of life.” He is saying that ultimately, he can satisfy our deepest needs and longings. He can make us feel “full” and overflowing with blessing.
What does bread mean spiritually?
Bread is also a gift from God: when Moses fed his people in the desert with food which fell from heaven, and during the last supper, when bread became the body of Christ. When Jesus multiplied the bread to feed the crowd, bread became a sign of sharing. It also symbolised the Word of God which nourished the crowds.
What is Jesus bread called?
Sacramental bread, also called Communion bread, Eucharist wafer, the Lamb or simply the host (Latin: hostia, lit. 'sacrificial victim'), is the bread used in the Christian ritual of the Eucharist. Along with sacramental wine, it is one of two elements of the Eucharist.
What does the Bible say about the bread of life?
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.
What is the difference between the bread of life and ordinary bread?
The analogy between earthly and heavenly bread lies in the ability to sustain life; the difference lies in the inability of ordinary bread to sustain life in the presence of death (Blank 1981:361; Rusch 1978:388), while the Bread of Life sustains life eternally (Bultmann 1978:168; Keil 1997:111).
What does eating of the Living bread mean to us?
Jesus is the bread of life. Jesus declared that He is the living bread that came down from heaven. The living bread is referred to Jesus' flesh, his body to be eaten by those who want to live forever, and his blood as the drink.
What is the meaning of this biblical quote man does not live by bread alone?
The proverb man does not live by bread alone is a quote from the Bible that means the soul needs nourishment (through spirituality) just as the body needs food.
What did Jesus mean by bread?
Jesus overturned traditional Jewish beliefs by referring to Himself as the bread of life. Jewish leaders also referred to bread, or manna, as spiritual food. In this text, John records Jesus explaining He is the Bread of Life, the very Word of God made flesh. “As the people yearned for the heavenly bread and as the rabbis reinterpreted this bread ...
What is the bread of life?
God is our Provider, and Jesus is the Bread of Life. John recorded Jesus’ promise that all who freely accept this bread will no longer hunger. The first of the “I am” statements of Jesus , which solidify His nature as fully God and fully man is “I am the bread of life,” which describes the way we find full satisfaction in and through Christ alone.
Why Would Jesus Use the Analogy of Bread for Himself?
Their understanding of exactly what He meant, however, was divinely appointed. Through the relation of hunger, a physical need, Jesus explained the recalculation of our every desire -not just for physical food but spiritual - to be satisfied in Him.
What does "I am the bread of life" mean?
John begins his gospel account with, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God” ( John 1:1 ). Manna was the miraculous bread given to the Israelites as they traveled through the desert. Enough was given to them to satisfy their hunger for the day.
What did Jesus say about hunger?
Through the relation of hunger, a physical need, Jesus explained the recalculation of our every desire -not just for physical food but spiritual - to be satisfied in Him. The Israelites in the desert were required to trust God daily for manna, their literal daily bread.
What is the root of bread?
The Greek root of the word bread refers specifically to the manna in the desert, but also to food of any kind. Paul wrote about our strength coming from Christ, and Scripture echoes that the purpose of our lives is to honor and bring glory to God in all we do.
Why was Jesus crucified?
Christ took on human skin and was crucified to eliminate the separation between God and His people. The NIV Application Commentary explains, “the idea is not about Jesus’ welcoming people, but about Jesus’ welcoming people whom the Father has given into his care.”. Photo credit: Pexels/Mariana Kurnyk.
Why is Jesus called the Bread of Life?
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 ...
How is Jesus the Bread of Life?
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.
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.
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.
What does the Bible say about bread?
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 ). 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 many loaves of bread did Jesus take?
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.
Why did Jesus use bread as a metaphor?
Jesus chose bread as His metaphor intentionally. Salvation and a relationship with the Lord is 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.
What does Jesus say about bread?
Jesus said to them, “ I am the bread of life. The one who comes to me will never go hungry, and the one who believes in me will never be thirsty.” ( John 6:35 NET)
What does bread mean in the Bible?
People have eaten bread for breakfast, lunch, and dinner along with some other things like cheese and fruit. To them, bread means life . Without it, they starve. When their grain crops fail because of drought or disease, they have no bread. That was true for the people in Jesus’ crowd. There were no grocery stores.
How many loaves of bread did Jesus give to the crowd?
One day Jesus saw a huge crowd of people coming towards Him as He was teaching. He knew they would be hungry so His disciples found a boy with 5 small loaves of bread and 2 small fish. That’s all Jesus needed to feed the crowd of more than 5000.
What is the bread of life lesson 2?
Lesson 2: Jesus Is the Bread of Life. Lesson 1 covered Jesus as the “I am.”. He is the answer to the spiritual needs of every person. In this lesson, we will look at Jesus as the bread of life. Jesus said to them, “ I am the bread of life. The one who comes to me will never go hungry, and the one who believes in me will never be thirsty.”.
Why did Jesus fuss at the crowd?
When they found Him, Jesus fussed at them because they were only looking for Him to give them more food, not to believe in Him as the Son of God. He said they should not be hungry just for physical food but for the bread that comes down from heaven to give life to the world.
How to talk to Jesus about thirst?
Talk to Jesus about any feelings of spiritual hunger or thirst that you might have. Tell Him you are ready to begin to experience being satisfied by His abundant love that He gives to those who come to Him and follow Him.
What does it mean to eat bread?
Since bread is usually meant to be eaten, that means you must personally take it into your body so that it nourishes you for life. That’s physical bread giving physical life. Jesus refers to Himself as spiritual bread that gives spiritual life through a relationship with God. 8.
What does the bread symbolize in the Bible?
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.
What does the Bible say about bread?
'I Am the Bread of Life' 1 Throughout the Bible, bread is a symbolic representation of God's life-sustaining provision. 2 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. 3 The Bread of Life that Jesus represents never perishes, spoils, or runs out.
What did Jesus want the people to understand?
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. ...
What did the crowds see Jesus as?
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.
How many loaves of bread are there on the Sabbath?
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).
How did Jesus show us the importance of relying on God's Word?
Jesus showed us the importance of depending on God's Word when Satan tempted him in the wilderness. After the Lord had fasted for 40 days and nights, the devil came and enticed him to rely on his own resources and turn stones into loaves of bread to eat. But Jesus resisted the devil's seduction with a powerful declaration of God's truth: "No! The Scriptures say, 'People do not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.'” (Matthew 4:4, NLT).
How many people did Jesus feed?
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.
What does Jesus say about bread of life?
I am the bread of life. Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died.”. First of all, Jesus uses the Old Covenant Name for God…saying “I Am” the bread of life.
What does the bread that I will give for the life of the world mean?
And the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh” (John 6:50-51). We see the bread taken at Communion as symbolic of Jesus’ own body given for us so that we might receive eternal life.
Why does Jesus say "This is the bread that comes down from heaven"?
The reason I say that is because Jesus said, “This is the bread that comes down from heaven, so that one may eat of it and not die. 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 6:50-51).
What does the Bible say about cannibalism?
That’s called “cannibalism,” and the Bible forbids it, so this is clearly a reference to the bread and the wine that we receive during Communion, so as Jesus said that “whoever feeds on me, he also will live because of me.”.
Why does Jesus say "whoever believes in me, though he dies, yet shall he live"?
Because they didn’t obey God, but now, whoever believes in Jesus, even if they die, they will live again. He is the God of the living and not the dead. Our Lord said, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die.
Who feeds on me will live forever?
Jesus main point is, “whoever feeds on me, he also will live because of me. This is the bread that came down from heaven, not like the bread the fathers ate, and died. Whoever feeds on this bread will live forever” (John 6:57-58).
What does Jesus say about hunger?
First, notice that Jesus says: “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.” (John 6:35).
What did the Israelites eat?
In short, eating bread was a key portion of most Israelites’ daily nourishments. Today, the food equivalent in parts of Asia would be rice or noodles, potatoes in the UK, meat in South Africa, and so on – each widely consumed by the respective people of the regions.
Can we earn spiritual bread from our own merit?
Moreover, we cannot ‘earn’ this spiritual bread from our own merit or ‘good deeds’ (Ephesians 2:8-9); it is only by our belief in Jesus as our Lord and Savior that we allow ourselves to be fed.
What does Jesus mean by bread from heaven?
Though they seemed to understand the connection between the bread given by Jesus and the manna eaten by their fathers in the desert, Jesus knew that they could not see that bread from heaven was a metaphor for his own body. He said in verse 33, “For the bread of God is the bread that comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.”.
Why is bread important?
Bread, sustenance, is a pointer to the one who satisfies us not only physically by giving us each day “our daily bread,” but vastly more important he is the one who satisfies spiritual hunger.
What is the Lord's Supper?
This whole conversation prefigures the institution of the Lord’s Supper, which, not by accident, was instituted at the Passover meal, celebrating the salvation of the Jews from Egypt by God’s mighty hand when he passed over the houses of those who trusted in the shed blood of the Passover lamb on the doorways.
What did Jesus say about feeding the masses?
#1 “Then Jesus declared,”#N#Upon hearing the request, “Sir…always give us this bread,” Jesus made his statement. It seems as though the point of feeding the masses the day before was to lead up to this powerful, and life-giving statement.
What is Jesus' life?
Jesus is the life-giving sustenance that we need if we are to live and not die. There may be intentionality in his beginning the declaration with, “I am.”. Jesus is God the Son, one and equal with the I Am, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel. Like bread, he is a fundamentally important means of life, and he is the energy for existence.
What is the story of the miraculous feeding of the five thousand?
John tells the story of the miraculous feeding of the five thousand. Jesus and his disciples were being followed by great crowds, and Jesus perceived that the crowds were following him because he had given them food, and they had eaten their fill.
Who is the ultimate Passover lamb?
Jesus is the ultimate Passover lamb, the ultimate manna from heaven, and the bread of life. Whoever believes will never be hungry or thirsty, and will even live forever with him.
What does Jesus mean by bread?
It is all about Jesus as the bread. So Jesus has come to give a sign in the multiplying of these loaves that he himself is the bread of heaven, not mainly that he can make enough bread to feed everybody. He calls this a “sign.”.
What is the point of the loaves?
The point of the loaves being: let your eyes run up the beam of glory to see the one who, with a simple word and a prayer, can feed five thousand people with a little basket full of food. See him, love him, know him, make him your treasure. That is what I hope is happening in your heart now.
Why did Jesus come into the world to change your desires?
He has got to take bread out of a lot of people’s hands so that they will trust him as the bread. “Jesus came into the world to change your desires so that he would be your main desire.". Secondly, he did not come to be useful, but to be precious. Oh, how many Christians receive him as useful.
What does Jesus say to those who are seeking?
Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you who are seeking that you are seeking me not because you saw signs, but because you ate your fill of loaves.”. Do not labor for the food that perishes. You have been cut off from so much. But for the food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you.
What does Jesus say when he sees him walking on the sea?
The boat is about to be sunk. They are three miles out from land. Nobody is swimming to shore in this kind of water. It is dangerous. They can lose their lives. Jesus comes walking on that tortured sea and they see him and he says, “It is I.” And they gladly welcome him into the boat. The next thing you know they are at the shore. That story is over.
What does "He is going to raise the body from the dead" mean?
He is going to raise the body from the dead, make you young forever, handsome forever, healthy forever, so that you can enjoy him in the fullness of your humanity. That is coming. But that is not the main point of this world.
Did Jesus come to be bread?
Here is the main point: Jesus did not come into the world mainly to give bread, but to be bread. “I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will not hunger. He who believes in me will never thirst” ( John 6:35; he repeats himself in verses 48 and 51). He came into the world not to give bread, but to be bread.
