The Bread of Life

Speaker A: 00:00:06

00:00 — [COLD OPEN] The Metaphor of Bread

Jesus is simply carrying the metaphor of bread to its logical conclusion: bread must be eaten in order to do us any good. And so it is with Jesus.

[Theme Music Intro]

The Deep Waters Way: Where scripture, theology, and transformation meet.

00:22 — Introduction: The First Predicate "I AM" Statement

What if someone offered you something that would sustain you forever?

What if that same person had previously provided what you needed physically in greater abundance than you could have possibly imagined?

And what if now they were telling you they were all you really needed?

In John 6, Jesus feeds a group of 5,000 people. Then later in Capernaum, when some of them come looking for him, he shocks them by pointing out what they are really looking for—food to fill their bellies. And then when pressed for a sign like Moses, He tells them he is really all they need.

Today we're looking at the first of Jesus' predicate "I AM" statements in the Gospel of John. These statements are seven occurrences where Jesus uses the phrase ego eimi—I AM—and then attaches a descriptive statement to the end of it: the bread of life, the light of the world, the gate, the good shepherd, the resurrection and the life, the way, the truth, and the life, and the true vine. These statements are often contrasted with the absolute "I AM" statements where Jesus simply says, "I AM."

Now, we've talked before about the significance of Jesus saying, "I AM." We've also talked about various names of God and how those are revelations of God's character as he interacts with us. Today, we're beginning a series looking at those specific "I AM" statements of Jesus and how he relates to us in our own lives.

Before we get into that though, I'm Ray and this is The Deep Waters Way. Thank you for joining me on this ongoing journey into the depths of faith. I hope that as you and I make this journey together, both of us experience a greater understanding of God's will for our lives as well as developing a deeper relationship with him. If that sounds like something that you've been looking for and you haven't already done so, then hit follow or subscribe wherever you're listening so that you never miss an episode.

Now, grab a cup of coffee or hot tea and settle in. It's time to slip the moorings and head for the deep waters.

03:15 — Structural Framework: Categories & Escalation

Oftentimes when we look at scripture, we see patterns or we see things fitting together in ways we haven't seen before. Now, this in itself is not unusual and it really shouldn't be unexpected because we humans are really good at spotting patterns—so good in fact that our brains sometimes create patterns where none exist in the first place. That's why we can look at the random craters and highlands on the moon and see a face or a rabbit.

Scientists call this phenomenon apophenia and describe it as seeing something meaningful in random, meaningless data. Sometimes, however, we look at things and see a pattern that really is there, and that can bring a moment of epiphany or a sudden realization or understanding that we've never had before.

As I began to look at this series, I had this exact same thing happen to me. I began to see a pattern emerging from what I was looking at. And honestly, it was actually two different but related patterns. First, I realized that these seven predicate "I AM" statements could be grouped into categories, and second, I realized that there seems to be an escalation in the nature of them with each one building on the previous ones.

As far as the categories go, I see three—or at least I've identified three for the purposes of this episode. And I've deliberately chosen alliterative names for these categories so that they're easier to remember. The first two statements fit into the category I'm calling Provision. The second two then fall into the category of Protection, and the last three are what I'm calling Participation. Now granted, there is some overlap here, and you could easily fit these statements into multiple categories, or you could even divide them up differently than I have. This is simply a way that I've seen it that I think is helpful in the way that we look at it.

Now as far as the escalation goes, I see each category and each instance showing a movement of our life in relation to Christ. First, we have things that are given to us. Then, there are aspects that are done for us. And finally, there are those that are done in us and that we must actively participate in. And just like the categories, there is real overlap here as well. So, this is not really distinct, but there is this escalating movement across the entire book of John.

06:40 — John 6 Narrative: Signs vs. Spiritual Reality

Now, as I said, we're looking at John 6 today and Jesus' statement that he is the bread of life. We find that direct statement in John 6:35. However, before we get into that, let me bring you up to speed quickly. John 6 begins with Jesus feeding the 5,000. And John tells us that the people who were there tried to seize Jesus so that they could make him king by force. Jesus sends the disciples away and then goes up on a mountain to pray. And later that night during a storm, he walks to the boat that the disciples are in.

Beginning in verse 22, John tells us that the next day the people realize that neither Jesus nor the disciples is around. And seeing this, they head across the lake to Capernaum. There they find Jesus and they ask when he arrived. Jesus calls them out on their reason for even looking for him, saying that they want more bread, not because they saw and believed the sign that he had given.

He then goes on to tell them that they should not work for food that perishes, but for food that endures to eternal life. This eventually leads to the people asking what sign Jesus would do so that they would believe in him. Which, when you stop and think about it, is really kind of a tone-deaf thing to ask, since just the day before they all saw him multiply bread and fish for them to eat, and it produced not only enough to fill them, but enough to fill many baskets full of what they didn't eat. I think this is the kind of pressed down, shaken together, cup running over kind of blessing that Jesus talks about elsewhere in the gospels.

But what makes their question even more ridiculous, I think, is that they point to the wilderness experience of Israel and the manna that God gave them there. Now, I want you to hang on to that thought for a minute, because we're going to come back to it. For now, though, all of this brings us to verse 32. So, let's pick up there:

"Jesus then said to them, 'Truly, truly, I say to you, it was not Moses who gave you the bread from heaven, but my Father gives you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is he who 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 shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst. But I said to you that you have seen me and yet do not believe.'"

10:15 — The Repeated Offer of Life

One of the things that I find striking in this passage is that if you read through the entire discussion, Jesus says three more times that he is the bread of life or some variation of that phrase. And each time that he does, it comes after a disagreement, grumbling, or misunderstanding by the people. Their minds are stuck on the physical signs, while Jesus has moved on to the spiritual reality behind the signs. And yet every time they miss it, he extends the offer once again, only with more depth and urgency behind it.

So what is that offer? I mean, obviously it has something to do with bread and heaven and the will of God and believing in Jesus, right? I mean, those are the things he talks about throughout this passage. And yes, all of that is true. But put all of that together and think about what bread is for. Think of those statements Jesus made in verses 27, 33, and then 47 to 51. Here's verse 27:

"Do not work for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you."

And then verse 33:

"For the bread of God is he who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world."

And then 47 to 51:

"Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes has eternal life. I am the bread of life. Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died. 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."

Do you see it? Those verses give a bit of a summary of what Jesus is talking about. And when you look at them this way, brought together rather than spread across the entire passage, I think it begins to stand out a little bit more. Jesus is saying that he is the source of life that they need. Notice what he says in verse 27: the Son of Man will give what is necessary for eternal life to those who seek it out. Now, this isn't proclaiming some idea of works-based salvation, but it is very consistent with God's promise to Israel in Isaiah 55:6 and 7:

"Seek the LORD while he may be found; call upon him while he is near; let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; let him return to the LORD, that he may have compassion on him, and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon."

And this idea becomes a thread as it weaves through Jeremiah 29 and Joel 2. Jesus isn't just making a random statement or isolated proclamation here. He's showing that he is the answer for every need, and it was foretold by multiple prophets stretching back some 700 years. Then as if that's not enough, Paul picks up on that same theme and applies it directly to Jesus' life, death, and resurrection in Romans 10. And then this really begins to tie everything back in to when Jesus says that he is the bread of life and those who come to him and believe will never hunger or thirst. And he makes it clear that the will of the Father is those who believe in the Son will have eternal life. So what Jesus is ultimately offering is eternal life found only in him. And it is a consistent message that's been part of Israel's history for centuries.

14:50 — Receiving the Bread: Incorporation & Alexander MacLaren

There's something else I see looming throughout this passage that we need to discuss, and that's how we're to receive the bread Jesus offers. And I think that this helps to explain why Jesus repeats the "bread of life" phrase so many times. He wants us to understand a key truth: you don't get to dictate the way in which you gain eternal life.

The people came to Capernaum looking for bread. Prior to that, they had tried to seize Jesus and make him a king all because he gave them their fill. They were chasing after signs and full bellies and hoping he could continue to supply what they desired. But that isn't how we receive what Jesus offers. Jesus makes that clear when he begins to talk about consuming his flesh and drinking his blood and him giving his flesh for the life of the world, and the people becoming upset at this because it's frankly an absurd way of talking about things.

Now, it shouldn't have to be said, but let's say it anyway: Jesus is not endorsing or implying any kind of cannibalism here. We don't literally consume his flesh and blood. Jesus is simply carrying the metaphor of bread to its logical conclusion: bread must be eaten in order to do us any good. And so it is with Jesus.

Alexander MacLaren in his Expositions of Holy Scripture says:

"When a man eats, he appropriates to himself and incorporates into his very being the food of which he partakes. And when a man trusts Christ, he appropriates to himself and incorporates into his inmost being the very life of Jesus Christ."

In other words, it's necessary that we lay aside our own desires, choices, and perceived needs and fully trust in what Christ desires to give us. And if we're going to continue that bread metaphor, then we also have to remember that we don't eat once in our lifetime in order to have physical life. No, we have to eat repeatedly, because what we had yesterday is not sufficient for today. And the same is true with Christ.

Now this gets into the idea of what does it mean to believe. Believe, very much like faith, biblically means more than giving mental agreement to. If you truly believe something, you act upon that belief. You live it out. That's part of what MacLaren is getting at when he says that when we trust Christ, we incorporate into ourselves the very life of Christ. Belief and obedience go hand in hand. But that's not to say that belief and obedience are equivalent to constantly striving. No. As we trust Christ and seek to fully commit ourselves to him, the Holy Spirit works in us to make us actually like him. And in that, we receive the bread of life that has come down from heaven.

19:10 — The Warning of Manna & Chasing Substitute Breads

Ironically, the manna the people point to as the gold standard for signs should have told them this truth to begin with. What do I mean? Well, think back to Exodus and the manna. It was freely given by God, but it came with rules. Follow the rules and you ate. Work outside them and you might just go hungry for a day. In fact, that's exactly what we see in the text. There were some in the camp who tried to receive the manna under their own terms. What did that look like?

Well, God said the manna would fall in the morning for 6 days. On days 1 through 5, the people were to gather enough for one day before the sun got hot and it melted away. On day six, they were to gather enough for two days so that they wouldn't have to gather it on the Sabbath. And yet, as it always seems to be the case, there were some who sought to do things their own way. They gathered twice as much as they needed during the first 5 days of the week, and when they woke up the next morning, it was spoiled. And then on the Sabbath, there were some who went out looking for manna, and they didn't find any.

Another thought that the manna points us to is this: we need to recognize what kind of bread we're seeking. Jesus states it clearly: the manna, while called bread from heaven, was not the true bread from heaven. It was a sign, a foreshadowing that pointed to the true bread to come. And here we see the people chasing after something equivalent to manna, looking for a sign rather than the reality behind it.

Jesus clearly states this in verse 27. He tells them to not work for food that perishes. Instead, they should work for or seek that which does not perish. Now, Jesus is echoing Isaiah 55:2, where God asks the people through Isaiah why they spend money on that which is not bread and labor for that which does not satisfy.

You see, God knows what we need, and he knows that we often allow ourselves to chase after things that have no spiritual value in them. Don't get me wrong, that doesn't mean we shouldn't have hobbies or pursue leisure activities. It does, however, remind us that we need to be careful what we're chasing after—that is, what we are dedicating our lives to. We can find ourselves absorbed in the pursuit of worldly goods—food, drink, houses.

And in the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus says to instead pursue—that is, devote our being towards—the kingdom of God. And again, that doesn't mean those things are bad. In fact, they are necessary for life. But Jesus is direct on this point: what bread we chase after is important. Not everything that is good or pleasing to the eye will sustain us eternally. We have to learn to differentiate between signs and shadows and the reality behind them, because a sign or shadow cannot sustain us. It cannot produce in us the life we truly need.

23:40 — Religious Substitutes & The Call to Transformation

So what makes the difference? It comes down to where our trust is placed. We have to learn to fully trust in Jesus. The sad part of this is we can even find ourselves pursuing shadows—that is, substitute bread in the church. Think of all the things we do in the church. Think of the things that John Wesley would call the means of grace. And we're talking about things like reading scripture or studying scripture or going to church or doing the work of the church—that is, helping take care of people, or preaching, or teaching, or taking care of children's church, or leading worship, or tithing. These things are all good, and I would argue that they're even necessary for us to walk in holiness. But they are not the bread come down from heaven. They are meant to point us to it. But if we're not careful, we can let them become our focus and miss the real bread.

Years ago, Larnelle Harris had a song called "I Miss My Time with You." Part of the chorus has God speaking and saying:

"And it hurts me when you say you're too busy—busy trying to serve me. But how can you serve me when your spirit's empty?"

When we allow other things to come between us and the pursuit of Christ, when we start pursuing other things, when we allow ourselves to become too busy, our spirits run dry. Those things we're chasing after may make us feel good. They may even offer us satisfaction for a time, but they will ultimately leave us dying inside because we're trying to live beyond what we have received.

It's kind of funny. Today, there are all kinds of alternative breads on the shelf: high protein, gluten-free, low carb, ancient grain, grain-free. And that's not even all there is—that's just a few things. But just like that physical bread, there are all kinds of things that can become substitutes or alternatives for the bread of heaven—that can become counterfeit bread. The problem is those counterfeits allow us to die spiritually while making us feel full.

So, what are you pursuing? What are you allowing to be an alternative bread in your life? Are you seeking a sign, or are you seeking the one the sign points to?

Jesus is the bread of heaven. And he guarantees that when we receive him and him alone, on his terms, he can give us eternal life.

Thank you for joining me today. I hope you have found this episode useful or encouraging in some way. If you have, would you do me a favor and share it with a friend or family member? Your support like this is truly the best way to help this show grow.

Now, it's time to slip the moorings and head for the deep waters.

The Deep Waters Way: Where scripture, theology, and transformation meet.