Teachings from Quest for God's Own Heart Ministry

I AM the Bread of Life
John 6

“After this, Jesus crossed over to the far side of the Sea of Galilee, also known as the Sea of Tiberias. A huge crowd kept following him wherever he went, because they saw his miraculous signs as he healed the sick. Then Jesus climbed a hill and sat down with his disciples around him. (It was nearly time for the Jewish Passover celebration.)”

Chapter six of John is the longest chapter in his gospel. In it, we find the most popular story of Jesus; The Feeding of the 5,000. Every gospel recorded this story, drawing on the significance of Jesus’ miracle of feeding the 5,000.

Chapter six covers a 24 hour period that saw the feeding of the 5,000, Jesus walking on water, Jesus teaching in the synagogue on the bread of life, the multitudes trying to make Him their king, and in the end; the multitudes rejecting Him.

The feeding of the 5,000 sets the background for Jesus’ sermon on Him being the Bread of Life. Jesus did not feed the 5,000 because they were hungry. Fasting was the religious thing to do during the Passover Feast, but Jesus wanted to show the crowd the difference between the simplicity of a relationship with God with the rituals of the Jewish faith, especially in the Temple.

Jesus’ focus in His ministry was primarily a relationship with God; a relationship with Him. He wanted the crowd, and He wants us today, to understand that our relationship with Him has nothing to do with rituals, but with our reliance on Him being our Savior. He chose us, we did not choose Him. We are drawn to a relationship with Jesus Christ, not because of what we are able to do for Him, but because He loves us. He wants to have a loving relationship with us.

That is why Jesus performed signs and miracles. He wanted to show the world that He was the True and Living God, sent to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. He came to fulfill the redemptive plan that was announced at the garden when the Father declared to the serpent that the seed of the woman would crush him. Jesus came to set us free.

When Jesus saw the crowd, He saw an opportunity to reveal to them who He was, and what He came to do for them. Look at verses 5-9:

The need identified (John 6:5–9). 

“Jesus soon saw a huge crowd of people coming to look for him. Turning to Philip, he asked, “Where can we buy bread to feed all these people?” He was testing Philip, for he already knew what he was going to do.

“Philip replied, “Even if we worked for months, we wouldn’t have enough money to feed them!”

“Then Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, spoke up. There’s a young boy here with five barley loaves and two fish. But what good is that with this huge crowd?”

Jesus not only was revealing to the 5,000 who He was, but, He was also testing Philip and the rest of the disciples. You would think at this point Philip would understand and trust that Jesus could feed the 5,000 without any resources. Philip’s response reveals his inner doubt. He still was faithfully serving Jesus, but at this point, he did not completely trust that Jesus was the Son of God.

Jesus was looking for faith from Philip. Instead, all He got were facts. Philip told Jesus, not only do we not have enough money to take care of the 5,000, but even if they worked for months, they still would not have enough money to feed them. I am sure at this point, Jesus was shaking His head.

At this point, Philip had seen Jesus: Turn water into wine, the nobleman’s son healed, a leper healed, centurion’s son healed, widow’s son brought back to life, demonic healed, Peter’s mother-in-law healed, paralytic healed, impotent man healed, man with withered hand healed, blind and dumb demonic healed, demons cast out, Jarius’ daughter brought back to life, issue of blood healed, two blind man given sight, and many more I’m sure that the authors of the gospels did not record.

Why did Philip not believe Jesus could feed 5,000? I could also ask us the same question: Why do we doubt that Jesus can take care of our needs, when He not only proved through actions that He is able to, but He also promised that He will take care of our needs:

In Matthew 6:25-33, Jesus said:

“That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life—whether you have enough food and drink, or enough clothes to wear. Isn’t life more than food, and your body more than clothing? Look at the birds. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, for your heavenly Father feeds them. And aren’t you far more valuable to him than they are? Can all your worries add a single moment to your life?

“And why worry about your clothing? Look at the lilies of the field and how they grow. They don’t work or make their clothing, yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are. And if God cares so wonderfully for wildflowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, he will certainly care for you. Why do you have so little faith?

“So don’t worry about these things, saying, ‘What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?’ These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.”

Just like Philip, we need to trust Jesus more. We like to think we can do everything on our own, especially in America, with the rugged individual mentality we have. We pride ourselves in our accomplishments, thinking that everything we have is because of what we have done, but Jesus is the reason for all that we have. He is the supplier of all our needs. Philip did not understand that, and too often, nor do we.

Andrew to the rescue? Andrew throughout his time with Jesus and after the resurrection was known for bringing people to Jesus. While Philip was questioning Jesus, Andrew found a boy with five barley loaves and two fish. Andrew took action, Philip asked questions.

Which one are you? Are you Philip, who doubted Jesus’ abilities, or are you Andrew, who heard the call of Jesus, and answered the call? I pray in my own life that I will be more like Andrew.

The miracle accomplished (John 6:10–13). 

Look at verses 10-13:

“Tell everyone to sit down,” Jesus said. So they all sat down on the grassy slopes. (The men alone numbered about 5,000.) Then Jesus took the loaves, gave thanks to God, and distributed them to the people. Afterward he did the same with the fish. And they all ate as much as they wanted. After everyone was full, Jesus told his disciples, “Now gather the leftovers, so that nothing is wasted.” So they picked up the pieces and filled twelve baskets with scraps left by the people who had eaten from the five barley loaves.”

“Jesus took the five loaves and thanked God for providing. The customary Jewish blessing before every meal is, “Blessed are You, Jehovah our God, King of the World, who causes to come forth bread from the earth.”

Those five loaves and two fish fed the 5,000. Jesus revealed to the crowd that He was their Provider. He was the One they can count on to provide for all their needs.

Jesus also taught His disciples a lesson. When the 5,000 were full, Jesus told His disciples to gather what was left. After the disciples had gathered what was left over, it filled twelve baskets. The baskets that are being referred to here are traveling baskets. Each of the disciples had a traveling basket. Twelve disciples, twelve baskets, God provides.

The life lesson? Take care of others first, and God will bless you with what you need. The disciples took care of the 5,000; God blessed them with their needs.

The response of the multitude (John 6:14–15). 

Now let us look at the response from the crowd in verses 14-15:

“When the people saw him do this miraculous sign, they exclaimed, “Surely, he is the Prophet we have been expecting!” When Jesus saw that they were ready to force him to be their king, he slipped away into the hills by himself.”

Some believe that the crowd saw Jesus as the prophet like Moses. Deuteronomy 18:15:

“Moses continued, “The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your fellow Israelites. You must listen to him.”

Others believed Jesus was Jeremiah. They believed Jeremiah would be the one who would find the Ark of the Covenant and give the people of Israel manna from the pot that was stored in the Ark.

I personally believe, as many scholars do, they saw Jesus as the coming Messiah, the One who would save them from their oppressors. That is why they formed a group, ready to force Jesus to be their king.

They were looking for the Conquering Messiah found in Zechariah 14:4, 16-17:

“On that day his feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, east of Jerusalem. And the Mount of Olives will split apart, making a wide valley running from east to west. Half the mountain will move toward the north and half toward the south…In the end, the enemies of Jerusalem who survive the plague will go up to Jerusalem each year to worship the King, the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, and to celebrate the Festival of Shelters. Any nation in the world that refuses to come to Jerusalem to worship the King, the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, will have no rain.”

Also, Daniel 7:13-14:

“As my vision continued that night, I saw someone like a son of man coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient One and was led into his presence. He was given authority, honor, and sovereignty over all the nations of the world so that people of every race and nation and language would obey him. His rule is eternal—it will never end. His kingdom will never be destroyed.”

The crowd was looking for the Conquering Messiah. They failed to pay attention to the other prophecies concerning the Messiah. Prophecies found in Psalm 22:14-16:

“My life is poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint. My heart is like wax, melting within me. My strength has dried up like sunbaked clay. My tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth. You have laid me in the dust and left me for dead. My enemies surround me like a pack of dogs; an evil gang closes in on me. They have pierced my hands and feet.”

Look at Isaiah 53:3,8:

“He was despised and rejected—a man of sorrows, acquainted with deepest grief. We turned our backs on him and looked the other way. He was despised, and we did not care… Unjustly condemned, he was led away. No one cared that he died without descendants, that his life was cut short in midstream. But he was struck down for the rebellion of my people.”

Of course, there are many more, but we do not have the time to read them all. Unfortunately for the crowd, they closed their eyes to Who the Messiah truly was. He will be the Conquering Messiah, but first He had to suffer for our sins. Jesus came first as the Suffering Messiah.

When Jesus saw they were going to try to force Him to be their king, he slipped away into the hills by Himself. You cannot force Jesus to be what you desire Him to be.

Jesus came first as the Suffering Messiah to die for our sins. In the future, Jesus will reveal Himself as the Conquering Messiah. The point is; we cannot put Jesus in a box. He is the God of the Universe. He is the Creator of all things. He is the Savior of the World, and He will come again as the Conquering Messiah.

We cannot, nor should not even try to make Him only what we desire Him to be. When we open our eyes to Jesus Christ, we will instead, find out that He is all that we need. Look at verses 16-21:

The Protection of Jesus (John 6:16–21)

“That evening Jesus’ disciples went down to the shore to wait for him. But as darkness fell and Jesus still hadn’t come back, they got into the boat and headed across the sea toward Capernaum. Soon a gale swept down upon them, and the sea grew very rough. They had rowed three or four miles when suddenly they saw Jesus walking on the water toward the boat. They were terrified, but he called out to them, “Don’t be afraid. I am here!” Then they were eager to let him in the boat, and immediately they arrived at their destination!”

When it was evening, the disciples went to the shore. They had no idea where Jesus was. They waited for Him until it was dark and decided to cross the sea toward Capernaum. A strong wind whipped across the sea, making it difficult for the disciples to row to the other side.

As they struggled, they saw Jesus walking on the water toward them. They responded like any of us would under the circumstance; they were terrified. But, Jesus called out to them, “Don’t be afraid. I am here!” The disciple’s fears went away as Jesus stepped into the boat, and they immediately found themselves on the shore of Capernaum.

He does the same for us today. When we are struggling in our lives, Jesus reminds us, “…I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” The storms of life may seem to get the best of us at times, but, through the storm, Jesus cries out, “Don’t be afraid. I am here!” Read verses 22-24:

Christ – The Bread of Life (John 6:22–34)

The next day the crowd that had stayed on the far shore saw that the disciples had taken the only boat, and they realized Jesus had not gone with them. Several boats from Tiberias landed near the place where the Lord had blessed the bread and the people had eaten. So when the crowd saw that neither Jesus nor his disciples were there, they got into the boats and went across to Capernaum to look for him.

When the crowd could not find Jesus, they also crossed the sea to Capernaum. The remainder of this chapter contrasts the people’s desire for physical bread and Christ’s offer of the Bread of Life. Verses 25-31:

Jesus answers questions from the crowd (John 6:25–31). 

“They found him on the other side of the sea and asked, “Rabbi, when did you get here?”

“Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, you want to be with me because I fed you, not because you understood the miraculous signs. But don’t be so concerned about perishable things like food. Spend your energy seeking the eternal life that the Son of Man can give you. For God the Father has given me the seal of his approval.”

“They replied, “We want to perform God’s works, too. What should we do?”

“Jesus told them, “This is the only work God wants from you: Believe in the one he has sent.”

“They answered, “Show us a miraculous sign if you want us to believe in you. What can you do? After all, our ancestors ate manna while they journeyed through the wilderness! The Scriptures say, ‘Moses gave them bread from heaven to eat.’”

When the crowds found Jesus in the synagogue, they asked Him first of all, “How did You get here?” Jesus did not tell them how. Instead, He told them the only reason they wanted to be with Him is because He fed them. In other words, Jesus was saying, “All you want from Me is a free lunch, but I have come to offer so much more.”

I have come to offer you eternal life, and God the Father has put a seal on Me, revealing My authority to conquer sin and death through My sacrifice. I have come to give you life.

The crowd was still blind to who Jesus was. Instead of asking Jesus how they can receive this new life He had to offer, they wanted to know how they could perform the same miracles He did. I love Jesus’ response, “This is the only work God wants from you: Believe in the one he has sent.”

When we strive to do things for God, we are failing to understand what He desires from us. In John 15:5, Jesus tells us, “Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing.”

It is not through our desires or abilities. It is only as we believe in the One, God has sent, that we are able to accomplish anything. When we remain in Jesus, we are doing the work of God.

The crowd still did not get it, so they pleaded, “Give us a sign that we may believe.”  He had already fed them, which was a sign, but they were not satisfied. They wanted Jesus to perform more miracles, as if that would persuade them, He was the Messiah.

The crowd even reminded Jesus that their ancestors ate manna while in the wilderness. They even tried to convince Him that it was Moses who gave them bread in the wilderness. In other words, they were telling Jesus He had to do more than just feed 5,000 people to convince them He was their Messiah. Jesus responded to them in verses 32-34:

The Bread of Everlasting Life (John 6:32–34). 

“Jesus said, “I tell you the truth, Moses didn’t give you bread from heaven. My Father did. And now he offers you the true bread from heaven. The true bread of God is the one who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.”

“Sir,” they said, “give us that bread every day.”

The crowd was not satisfied with the miracle He performed the day before. They wanted more. They were telling Jesus, “So what. Moses fed our ancestors in the wilderness. It is not a big deal that you fed us also. You need to show us a lot more than that.”

Do you find yourself saying the same thing? Jesus has promised He will provide for all of your needs. He has shown you in the past that His promises are always true. He has performed several miracles in your life, given you the things that you needed, yet, when you are facing a struggle, you question Him. “You know we need this, Jesus. You know we do not have enough food to feed our family. You know we do not have enough money to pay all of our bills. When will it happen, Jesus? Will it happen, Jesus? We need a miracle. Please help us!”

Have you ever prayed like that? I have many times. I prayed that way this week. When we do that, are we sincerely seeking His help, or are we testing Him, asking Him to prove once again that He cares for us that He loves us, that His promises are always true? Do we truly trust Him?

The crowd did not trust Jesus. They were acting like the woman at the well. Jesus told her that He had living water that would never run out. She was only thinking of her physical needs, when she asked Jesus for this living water so she would not have to go to the well every day to draw water. Jesus opened her eyes, and she did receive the living water of Jesus Christ.

After correcting the crowd, reminding them that it was God who fed their ancestors in the wilderness, Jesus told them that He was the True Bread from Heaven, for He had come to give life to the world. The crowd responded by asking Jesus to give them this bread. Verses 35-36:

The Bread of Life (John 6:35–36). 

“Jesus replied, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry again. Whoever believes in me will never be thirsty. But you haven’t believed in me even though you have seen me.”

Jesus said, I am the Bread of Life. I am the Bread that you are truly seeking. When you eat from this Bread, you will never be hungry again. He went on to say that if you believe in Him, you will also never be thirsty again. Jesus is not only the Provider of our physical needs, but He is also the Provider of our spiritual needs. He is the Provider of all our needs.

Jesus said, “I AM.” Jesus is the “I AM” of the Old Testament. Jesus is the “I AM” of the New Testament. Jesus is the “I AM” for you and me. Jesus is the “I AM” for all eternity.

In our passage, we find the first of the seven “I AM’s” of Jesus. Jesus said, “I AM the Bread of Life.” 1 John 1:2, John wrote:

“This one who is life itself was revealed to us, and we have seen him. And now we testify and proclaim to you that he is the one who is eternal life. He was with the Father, and then he was revealed to us.”

Jesus is the Bread of Life. He is the Bread of Satisfying Life. When you give your life to Jesus, not only has He promised that He would provide for all of your needs, but He also promised that the life He gives will be a satisfying life. Jesus, later told His disciples that His purpose was to give His sheep a “rich and satisfying life.” Jesus wants us to have a life filled with joy because of the blessings and promises He has given us. He just simply ask that we believe. Those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, will be satisfied.

Are you satisfied today? Look at verses 37-47:

The Bread of Resurrection Life (John 6:37–47). 

“However, those the Father has given me will come to me, and I will never reject them. For I have come down from heaven to do the will of God who sent me, not to do my own will. And this is the will of God, that I should not lose even one of all those he has given me, but that I should raise them up at the last day. For it is my Father’s will that all who see his Son and believe in him should have eternal life. I will raise them up at the last day.”

“Then the people began to murmur in disagreement because he had said, “I am the bread that came down from heaven.” They said, “Isn’t this Jesus, the son of Joseph? We know his father and mother. How can he say, ‘I came down from heaven’?”

“But Jesus replied, “Stop complaining about what I said. For no one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws them to me, and at the last day I will raise them up. As it is written in the Scriptures. ‘They will all be taught by God.’ Everyone who listens to the Father and learns from him comes to me. (Not that anyone has ever seen the Father; only I, who was sent from God, have seen him.)

“I tell you the truth, anyone who believes has eternal life.

Three times in this passage, Jesus said that He would raise up those who belong to Him. Not only did He declare that He would not lose or reject those who believe in Him, but that He will raise them up in the last days. Those of us who have believed in Jesus Christ will be raised up to be with Him for eternity. What a promise. What a blessing. What a Savior. He is the Bread of Life. Jesus is also the Bread of Indwelling Life. Look at verses 48-59:

The Bread of Indwelling Life (John 6: 48–59). 

“Yes, I am the bread of life! Your ancestors ate manna in the wilderness, but they all died. Anyone who eats the bread from heaven, however, will never die. I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Anyone who eats this bread will live forever; and this bread, which I will offer so the world may live, is my flesh.”

“Then the people began arguing with each other about what he meant. “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?” they asked.

So Jesus said again, “I tell you the truth, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you cannot have eternal life within you. But anyone who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise that person at the last day. For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink. Anyone who eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me, and I in him. I live because of the living Father who sent me; in the same way, anyone who feeds on me will live because of me. I am the true bread that came down from heaven. Anyone who eats this bread will not die as your ancestors did (even though they ate the manna) but will live forever.”

“He said these things while he was teaching in the synagogue in Capernaum.”

One thing you can say about Jesus. He knows how to draw a crowd, but He also knows how to disperse the crowd. Jesus declared at the end of His message, “I AM the Bread of Eternal Life.”

Jesus told them that the bread their ancestors received only satisfied them physically, for they in the end; died. But, Jesus said that the Bread that He offers, the Bread that came down from Heaven, is Bread that will satisfy them spiritually, and will give them eternal life.

Jesus took it a step further: “I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Anyone who eats this bread will live forever; and this bread, which I will offer so the world may live, is my flesh.”

Not shockingly, the crowd was confused. Who is this man? How can He give us His flesh to eat?

Jesus responded, “I tell you the truth, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you cannot have eternal life within you. But anyone who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise that person at the last day. For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink. Anyone who eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me, and I in him.”

Jesus is the Bread of Life. By believing in Jesus, we can have the Living Bread and the Living Blood that gives us life eternal. His flesh that was sacrificed for us, and His blood that cleansed us of all our sins is all that we need. God’s redemptive plan was fulfilled when Jesus died on the cross. Our belief in Him gives us the Bread sent down from Heaven, fulfilling all our needs, both physical and spiritual. He is all we need.

That reminded me of the song Steve Camp wrote many years ago. He is All You Need:

When you're alone, your heart is torn, He is all you need.
When you're confused, your soul is bruised, He is all you need.
He's the rock of your soul, He's the anchor that holds
Through your desperate time.
When your way is unsure His love will endure, a peace you will find.
Through all your years, the joy, the tears, He is all you need.

When you give into that familiar sin, He is all you need.
Guilt has you paralyzed, it slowly it eats you alive.
He is all you need.
He'll be faithful to you though your heart is untrue.
And your love's grown cold.
His forgiveness is real, it'll comfort and heal your sin-weary soul.
Well, God loves you so, He'll never let you go.
He is all you need.

Jesus is all you need. He is the Bread of Life. He is the Sustainer of Life. He is the One who can fill an empty soul. His forgiveness is real. He will comfort and heal you, even through your desperate times. Never doubt His love for you.

The crowd doubted Him and turned away. Verses 60-66:

Responses to Jesus (John 6:60–71)

“Many of his disciples said, “This is very hard to understand. How can anyone accept it?”

“Jesus was aware that his disciples were complaining, so he said to them, “Does this offend you? Then what will you think if you see the Son of Man ascend to heaven again? The Spirit alone gives eternal life. Human effort accomplishes nothing. And the very words I have spoken to you are spirit and life. But some of you do not believe me.” (For Jesus knew from the beginning which ones didn’t believe, and he knew who would betray him.) Then he said, “That is why I said that people can’t come to me unless the Father gives them to me.”

“At this point many of his disciples turned away and deserted him. Then Jesus turned to the Twelve and asked, “Are you also going to leave?”

“Simon Peter replied, “Lord, to whom would we go? You have the words that give eternal life. We believe, and we know you are the Holy One of God.”

“Then Jesus said, “I chose the twelve of you, but one is a devil.” He was speaking of Judas, son of Simon Iscariot, one of the Twelve, who would later betray him.”

The crowds would not accept His message. Jesus gave them words of spirit and life, but all they desired was to have their physical needs met. Jesus turned to His disciples when the crowds left. “Are you going to leave me, too?” Peter responded, “Lord, to whom would we go? You have the words that give eternal life. We believe and we know you are the Holy One of God.”

Jesus’ words give eternal life. He is the Holy One of God. Jesus is the Bread of Life. Jesus is the I AM. Who else can we turn to? He is all we need.