It’s Christmas today! And I really hope you have the best day!
I can remember being a kid and longing for all the gifts under the tree! I couldn’t wait to see what gifts Santa brought me! When Christmas morning came, my sister and I would quickly wake up our parents and head to the family room to see what Santa brought us! We would open up these long-awaited gifts and in the moment we would be so satisfied with all the gifts we had just received!
But then our birthdays would roll around, or even those random visits to the grocery store–when either one of us just HAD TO HAVE something.
Why? Why did we consistently all throughout life, not seem satisfied with what we had been given?
Could it be, everything this world has to offer will always leave me longing for more?
Jesus addressed this very thing–but he used bread to discuss this.
In John 6, Jesus mentions the first “I AM” statement. This is one of seven I am statements Jesus makes, which is significant because it shows Jesus’ divinity.
Why is it so important?
Well, these “I AM” statements reference God with Moses at the burning bush. When God talked with Moses, God introduced himself in Exodus 3:14 as “I AM WHO I AM” meaning he is the existing one. He doesn’t have a beginning or end. Usually when people say “I am” it’s followed by something afterwards like “I am a daughter, I am a wife” but God doesn’t give something after because he doesn’t need to define Himself further–God simply IS!
When Jesus shares these “I am” statements he is not only showing that He is the same God that appeared in the burning bush, but is the God who meets all our needs.
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. 36 But I said to you that you have seen me and yet do not believe. 37 All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out. 38 For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will but the will of him who sent me. 39 And this is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me, but raise it up on the last day. 40 For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.”
— John 6:35-40
To give you some context to this passage, Jesus says this right after the feeding of the 5000 (and that doesn’t include the women and children there). But there’s this HUGE crowd of people gathered together with FULL bellies! Jesus then speaks to the crowd, and He says to them: “I am the bread of life” (verse 35).
So what exactly is Jesus trying to get across to the crowd when he says, “I am the bread of life”?
Bread (or even think of food in general) will only temporarily satisfy. Even if you’re Thanksgiving full, there will eventually come a time when the hunger comes back and it’s time to eat again. Here, Jesus creates a contrast between physical food which leaves a longing for more versus a spiritual food that will give eternal life leaving you completely and eternally satisfied. He’s basically saying the physical food He just provided will leave you hungry again, but when he says HE IS the bread of Life, he’s saying He is the only one to truly satisfy.
Look back at verse 36. Remember Jesus is speaking to the crowd He just feed. Yet this crowd of people who experienced a divine miracle still don’t believe in Him. In essence, Jesus has given them a physical gift (the bread) they accepted. In the same way, Jesus is offering them an eternal gift (Himself–as the bread of life), and they chose to reject it.
Some are refusing to believe the truth–that Jesus will satisfy and give eternal life. But he makes it clear in the rest of this passage that anyone who believes in JESUS will have eternal life. This is the hope of the gospel! But it also reveals a choice:
You can accept it or reject it.
For anyone who rejects the Gospel will be eternally separated from God–with eternal death.
For anyone who accepts the Gospel–that Jesus came born of a virgin, lived a perfect and sinless life, to die a death you deserved, and resurrected from the grave–will have eternal life.
If you haven’t accepted the Gospel, you can do that right now!
If you have accepted the Gospel, you can’t ever get over the fact that God would give YOU eternal life. The temptation is to believe the lie you need Jesus plus something else OR Jesus isn’t actually going to satisfy every need.
What are some other “breads” you think will satisfy you? Maybe you think, if I watch more Netflix, then I’ll feel better. Or if I could just get a day off, I could be rejuvenated. Or some of the general topics: Sex, Relationships, Drinking, Money, Jobs, Kids, etc.
The Truth: Jesus is the only thing that satisfies.
When you start believing the temporary will satisfy you, you have to acknowledge you are believing a lie. This is where repentance comes in. You repent you have been looking for satisfaction in other places besides Jesus himself. And from there, you ask the Holy Spirit to remind you Jesus is the only thing that satisfies.
When Jesus is your satisfaction, your life starts to look different. There’s more joy, patience, less worry, more hope. You aren’t looking for people or the gifts under the tree to satisfy you. That’s good news!
Today as you celebrate Christmas, remember the ultimate gift you’ve been given is Jesus as the bread of life. Every other gift you open today is just like the physical bread–it will leave you longing for more.
MERRY CHRISTMAS!
Rachel Bland 