I AM JesusSample

“I AM THE BREAD OF LIFE.”

The day before, Jesus miraculously fed thousands of people with five loaves and two fish. You'd think after witnessing something so incredible His disciples would start to understand who He is. The opposite happens. Assuming He's merely another wonder-worker on behalf of God, they tell Jesus they want to do the works of God too. Jesus responds by telling them they're way too concerned with the food He multiplied and missed the point of the miracle. The disciples escalate even further by saying, “Show us a sign. God fed our ancestors with manna, what can you do?” Hello! Remember yesterday when Jesus provided a miraculous buffet? Nope. Instead, Jesus declares to them, “I am the bread of life.”

Their response? “Isn’t this just Jesus, the son of Joseph?”

Have you ever had God do a miracle, healing, or deep work in your life only to allow a situation moments later to cause you to doubt Him? I remember when medical bills for one of our children were piling up and we saw no end in sight. Shortly after draining our entire savings, a friend of mine called and asked to meet. When I arrived, he handed me an envelope and told me God told him to do this several months ago (right when the bills started). Inside was the exact amount we had depleted from our savings on the bills. In one day, God returned what had taken us years to establish. So what did I do the next time a medical bill arrived? I wish I could say I prayed, trusted God, and ate from the bread of life. Unfortunately, I was worried and ate stale crackers instead.

That’s the heart behind the bread of life. Jesus is saying He’s not merely a moment-by-moment miracle worker, but the all-sustaining nourishment our soul needs to never hunger again. Feast on that bread, it never runs out.