Real Hope: Why Jesus Came to EarthSample

To Give Eternal Life

‘I’m hungry!’ The child bangs through the door at the end of the school day. ‘What’s to eat?’ The fridge door opens; the fridge door closes. The pantry door opens; the pantry door closes. ‘There’s nothing to eat.’ Eventually a decision is made, and several slices of bread are slapped down onto a plate, and various toppings are applied. Thank you, Lord, for bread.

In John 6, Jesus feeds five thousand. They are fed, and they are satisfied. But it is temporary relief for their hunger. As my ravenous teenager knows, he’ll be back peering into the fridge sometime later in the afternoon. Jesus offers us something more.

Jesus offers us Himself. He tells us He is the bread of life, and if we eat of Him, we will be filled. He is the living bread who has come down out of heaven. It isn’t a comfortable metaphor, is it? Jesus is trying to shock us out of our single-minded focus on earthly needs. In referring to bread from heaven, He deliberately makes the connection to those who ate the manna in the wilderness – bread from heaven given to sustain. And yet, those who ate of it are dead.

When Jesus breaks the bread and hands it to those who are hungry, He’s giving them life. What He’s offering is for our spiritual hunger. Only through faith can we partake of the bread Jesus is referring to. Only by taking Jesus into our innermost selves are we nourished through faith. And only by faith are we saved to eternal life.

Written by CHRIS PARFOOT

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