Then Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty. — John 6:35 (NIV)

Mouth watering with anticipation, I flew down the stairs to buy my breakfast baguette. Living above a boulangerie (bakery) in Paris definitely had its perks. The sweet aroma of baking bread was the best alarm clock I’d ever known. Those first morning morsels confirmed, for me at least, that the French bake the best-tasting bread in the world. 

French bread is not only delicious, it plays an important role in the history of France. In 1788 and 1789 grain crop failures created famines and economic disorder. Many historians attribute the lack of bread as one of the factors which led to the French Revolution in July of 1789. Before the revolution, poor people ate bread made from inferior grains like barley and millet. But after the revolution bread became a symbol of equality as all people began eating the same type and quality of bread. In fact, for years the French people considered bread to be such an essential staple, they regulated the price of baguettes. 

Bread played no less important role in the history of Israel. In fact, the first of Jesus’ I Am Statements revolves around bread:

Then Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty. (John 6:35 NIV)

Prior to this declaration, Jesus multiplied the provisions of a small boy and miraculously fed over 5,000 people. The next morning, the crowd searched for Him because they wanted more physical food (John 6:22-24). Rather than satisfy their physical hunger, Jesus challenged the people to see their need for spiritual nourishment, “Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you” (John 6:27a NIV).

Jesus called the Israelites to see the importance of their spiritual needs ~ and He asks the same of us. But just like the Israelites, lifting our eyes from the physical realm to the spiritual one does not come easily. 

Wanting clarification, the Israelites ask Jesus what they must do to meet God’s requirements. All of their lives they struggled to obey the many laws in the Torah and the traditions of the elders. So I can imagine their surprise to hear Jesus’ answer, “The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent” (John 6:29 NIV).

For the Israelites, and any of us who have tried to earn our way into heaven, Jesus’ simple requirement seems too good to be true. So the Israelites asked Jesus to prove His authority by giving them a sign, like the manna received by their ancestors (John 6:30-31).

After the Israelites fled Egypt, they wandered in the desert for forty years. During this time, God rained down manna from heaven which fulfilled their physical hunger (Exodus 16:4-5). In the same way, God sent Jesus to be our spiritual bread ~ the staple which will sustain us for eternity (John 6:32-33). Jesus doesn’t ignore our physical needs, He promises God will take care of these (Matthew 6:31-33). But Jesus also promises to meet our deeper spiritual need ~ to be found righteous in God’s sight (2 Corinthians 5:21). Only Jesus can meet this need ~ we cannot be righteous on our own ~ no matter how hard we try (Romans 3:10-12). But even more, the bread Jesus gives saves us from eternal death (John 6:58). And like the baguettes after the French revolution, this bread is available to all. 

Dear Lord, thank You for being the bread of life. Just as bread sustains us physically, You satisfy our spiritual hunger. Help us to see our spiritual needs and to lean on Your promise to present us as righteous before God. Sustain us each day, and for all of eternity. In Jesus’ name, Amen.