John 6:22-35
In John 6:22-35, we are presented with a new portrait of the Lord Jesus Christ. In this passage, Jesus is presented as the Bread of Life.
This is an interesting portrayal, since
bread is a substance known and used by every
society on earth. Bread is one of the few
foods that most digestive systems can tolerate.
Also, bread has a satisfying quality that
few other food products have. When all this
is taken into consideration, it is obvious why
Jesus is portrayed as the Bread of Life.
I want you to see that Jesus is still the
Bread of Life. He is what the whole world
needs. He satisfies all those who partake of
Him. There isn’t a person in the world who
can’t tolerate Him, and there isn’t anyone
anywhere who won’t like Him when they meet
Him. Therefore, let’s spend a few minutes
with these verses and look together at Jesus,
the Bread of Life.
I. THE PERSONALITY OF HEAVEN’S
BREAD
A. Heaven’s Bread is a person (verses 34, 35). According to these verses, the Bread of heaven is not a system or a denomination but a Person. This truth reminds us that we can never be saved by some religious system or method; salvation comes through Jesus and Jesus alone (Acts 4:12).
B. Heaven’s Bread has power (verse 35b). This heavenly Bread has the power to save, secure, and satisfy every sinner who comes to Him by faith.
C. Heaven’s Bread has a great promise (verses 47-51). These verses tell us that heaven’s Bread will give life to humanity. Physical bread can sustain human life for long periods of time; however, after a time, the body will die even though it has been wellfed. On the other hand, Jesus is Bread that gives everlasting life.
D. Heaven’s Bread has a price (verse
53). Before heaven’s Bread can be enjoyed by
the sinner, it must be received by the sinner.
This sounds simple enough, but many seem
to stumble here. They believe that Jesus was
real, that He died on the cross, and even that
He arose from the dead, but it is difficult for
them to accept His sacrifice and the salvation
He offers. But to be born again, they must
come to Him by faith and accept His sacrifice!
II. THE PRESENTATION OF HEAVEN’S
BREAD
A. Illustrated by the miracle (verses 1-13).
In feeding the 5,000, Jesus presented a type of
Himself. He cared for the multitude, provided
for the multitude, and satisfied the multitude.
The implication is that Jesus, like the physical
loaves and fishes, is sufficient for the needs
of mankind. Jesus is the all-sufficient Savior.
Notice that everyone took “as much as they
would” (verse 11), and after they had filled
themselves, there was still an abundance left
over (verse 13).
Jesus is sufficient for the needs of the entire
world! All the multitude had to do was take
what the disciples passed their way. It works
the same way for sinners! Lost souls need only
receive Jesus by faith, and they are assured of
salvation (Eph. 2:8, 9).
B. Illustrated by the manna (verses 30-
33). The Jews came to Jesus and requested
a miracle (apparently the feeding of the 5,000
didn’t count!). They reminded Jesus of the OldTestament
miracle of the manna. They told Jesus
that Moses gave manna to the children of
Israel, and they wanted to know what He was
going to do for them. Christ’s response was to
remind them that Moses was not responsible
for the manna—the manna was provided by
God. He went on to tell them that the true Bread
from heaven was a person. In fact, Jesus Himself
is the Bread of life (verse 33). Jesus was
saying that the manna was a type of Himself.
1. Manna was misunderstood by those who found it (Exod. 16:15). They called it “manna,” which means “What is it?” Jesus was misunderstood by the very people He came to save (John 1:11; 10:20).
2. It was sufficient for every man’s need (Exod. 16:17, 18). This reminds us that Jesus is the all-sufficient Savior. He meets the need of each person’s soul. Some go deep in the Christian life while others get in but choose to play around the edges, but wherever you find yourself, as long as you are in Jesus, you will find that He is sufficient to save your soul.
3. It was sweet to the taste (Exod. 16:31).
Those who partook of the manna found it sweet
and satisfying. In the same way, all those who
receive Jesus as their Savior find Him to be
sweet to the soul and satisfying to the life. That
is why David encouraged us to “taste and see
that the Lord is good” (Ps. 34:8).
4. It was to be kept and passed on to others (Exod. 16:32). It is the same with Jesus; He is to be shared with those we encounter. We are to share Him with those who don’t know Him (2 Tim. 2:2).
C. Illustrated by the Master (verses 52-
58). Jesus says that He is the ultimate bread.
The Israelites ate manna in the wilderness, but
they eventually died. The crowd partook of the
loaves and fishes, yet eventually, they too died!
Jesus is the antitype of the manna. All that it
was, He exceeds. Jesus is greater than the
bread distributed on the mountainside. All who
partake of Him will live forever. He guarantees
that they will never die! He guarantees eternal
life to all who come to Him (John 10:28).
III. THE PERFORMANCE OF HEAVEN’S
BREAD
A. It grants salvation (verse 51). One of the great privileges of being human is that we can try any method of salvation we choose. God created us with free will. We have the ability to choose how we will live our lives. But regardless of how we live or what path we choose, salvation will never be produced in our lives unless we come to Jesus Christ by faith (Acts 16:31; 4:12; John 3:16).
B. It gives satisfaction (verse 35). Those who come to the Lord Jesus Christ are eternally satisfied. They no longer have to drink from the broken cisterns of this world. Instead, they find themselves tapped into a Source of life and blessing that never runs dry. There is abundant satisfaction in the Person of Jesus.
C. It guarantees our security (verses 37-
40). These verses tell us beyond a shadow of
a doubt that those who place their trust in the
Lord Jesus Christ don’t need to worry about
being cast away or forgotten—along the way
or in the end. Faith in Jesus guarantees us perfect
and absolute security in our salvation.
CONCLUSION
From these verses, we can see that Jesus
is the only hope for this world. He is what our
souls need before we can experience eternal
life. What have you done with Jesus? Have
you received Him into your heart and life? Do
you know Jesus the Bread of Life in a personal
way?
