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Bread of Life

Bread of Life
Words of Faith 10-19-16
Dr. Jeffrey D. Hoy © 2016
Jeff.Hoy@faithfellowshipweb.com
Faith Fellowship Church - Melbourne, FL
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John 6
[30] So they asked him, "What miraculous sign then will you give that we may see it and believe you? What will you do? [31] Our forefathers ate the manna in the desert; as it is written: 'He gave them bread from heaven to eat.'"
[32] Jesus said to them, "I tell you the truth, it is not Moses who has given you the bread from heaven, but it is my Father who gives you the true bread from heaven. [33] For the bread of God is he who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world."
[34] "Sir," they said, "from now on give us this bread."
[35] Then Jesus declared, "I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty.

There is bread, and then there’s bread. And then there is Bread.
It is a constant theme in John’s gospel. We regularly see people thinking on a physical plane while Jesus is trying to communicate something on a spiritual plane. This is a good example.
It seems incredible after the miraculous feeding the day before, but the crowd continued to press Jesus for a miraculous sign! Some folks were still chewing on leftovers as they asked for more, something like the manna in the desert, which Moses provided.
We have to remember that this was a mixed crowd. Part of the group had just arrived from Tiberias across the lake and had only heard about the miraculous feeding. Others ate the day before but seemed to view that miracle as purely functional, just getting something to eat. Now they wanted some proof of Jesus’ claims.
So Jesus was patient. He first reminded the people that it was the Father that had provided manna in the wilderness. Jesus was always pointing to the Father. If anyone had the right to point to Himself it was Jesus but He constantly sought to reflect a human life surrendered to the Father.
But now Jesus pointed them to something even better than manna. “The bread of God is he who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world." Whatever this bread was, the people wanted it. "Sir," they said, "from now on give us this bread." In response, Jesus shared a powerful image of Himself. He declared, "I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty.”
Wow. We have to remember that bread was important in the ancient world. In many ways it actually sustained physical life. The staple diet was round flat bread baked on stones in ovens. No matter the meal, bread was used to wrap or dip into salads or other foods. When there was little else to eat, bread was the sustaining food of the people. In times of famine, man could live on bread alone if grain could be found or purchased.
This same flat bread was unleavened once a year during Passover and the Feast of Unleavened bread. This unleavened bread was what Jesus broke at Passover at the Last Supper as a symbol of His pure broken Body.
But now, Jesus says that there is something more than bread. There is even something more than manna bread. There is the Bread of Life: Jesus. He does not just bring us spiritual food; He is spiritual food. He is the bread broken for our transgressions. He is the staple of our very life. He feeds our spirit such that we will never go hungry and never be thirsty.
Are you feeding on the Bread of Life? Are you receiving your inmost sustenance in Jesus? Have you set aside your seeking and striving for anything other than Jesus? Let Him fill you today so that you will never go hungry and never be thirsty.

Lord, feed me. Sustain me with the Bread of Life. Nourish me that I may live. Nourish me that I may serve You. In Jesus’ Name.

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© Jeffrey D. Hoy 2002, 2016
Dr. Jeffrey D. Hoy - Faith Fellowship Church (EFCA)
2820 Business Center Blvd.
Melbourne, Florida 32940 (321)-259-7200
Jeff.Hoy@faithfellowshipweb.com
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The Words of Faith devotion is published five days a week by E-mail excluding Federal holidays. Please feel free to forward this devotion to a friend who might be blessed by this devotion. Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture is quoted from the New International Version (R) of The Holy Bible. Copyright (c) 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. All rights reserved. Words of Faith (c) 1997, 2010 Jeffrey D. Hoy. All rights reserved. Permission is granted to forward this copyrighted material or use portions of it with appropriate notation of the source for non-profit purposes.