Streetlights: I AM SeriesSample

The Truth of Two Stomachs

If you were starving, to what extreme would you go to eat and have a satisfied stomach?  Our stomachs can drive our decisions, our feeling, and our schedules.  Jesus understood that we as humans have an impulse to survive and live off food. The stomach is made for food and food was made for the stomach.  It's an essential and powerful picture of our dependence on something for survival.  In the John chapter 6, Jesus paints a picture of who he is, what we need and how he was the answer for our need.  Everyone has two stomachs, and both must be fed. 

Jesus sprung a new idea on this crowd.  You have two stomachs with two different needs that are similar, but one is more important, even more so than physically eating!  If you don’t eat food, you die.  In the same way, if you don’t have food for your spiritual stomach (which Jesus is using here as a metaphor to himself) then you also will starve and die eternally.  Now, this is a different concept to almost anyone.  He knew a need they had which they didn't even know they had.  Their deeper need was to eat eternal food to give them life forever.  He points them to himself as the eternal Bread that fully satisfies a person's spiritual stomach forever. 

Any baby understands picking up food and putting it in their mouth. But how about this eternal food of Jesus? If Jesus says we have to eat eternally to never be hungry or thirsty again - how do you do this?  Believe in Him.  "Believing is eating."  When it comes to Jesus Christ, believing is internally 'eating Jesus' claims of being the Savior who can give you the food to live forever.  Only God is eternal. No human can give this gift.  Jesus was also implying that if you reject Him as the food of eternal life, you will die. Jesus showed them His identity as the Savior who came to feed our deeper hunger for eternal life. 

Are there other sources of “food” that you are looking to give you eternal life and satisfaction beside Jesus? 

If so, what are they and do you think they will satisfy you in this life and after?

Do you think Jesus can quench your thirst and satisfy your deepest hunger?