Daily Devotional | The Bread of Life

“My wife is a great cook!” I imagine that most husbands say this about their wife’s cooking, but I really mean it. Every now and then, she will try a new recipe and the meal is delicious. The only problem is that it doesn’t last. The next day the hunger pangs return, and my boiled hot dogs don’t satisfy.

In John 6, Jesus fed the masses. Not only did His meal perfectly satisfy, but there also were abundant leftovers! John tells us that five thousand men were fed and that number didn’t include women and children (v. 10). That evening Jesus had crossed the Lake to Capernaum (v. 24). In the morning, some in the crowd crossed the Lake, found Jesus, and asked, “Rabbi, when did you get here?” (v. 25).

The people were seeking Jesus because He had completely satisfied them with food the previous day. Jesus said, “You are looking for me, not because you saw the signs I performed but because you ate the loaves and had your fill” (v. 26). Jesus used this opportunity to challenge them to work not for food that spoils but for “food that endures to eternal life” (v. 27).

The people wanted a sign to believe in Him (v. 30). They referenced their ancestors who ate manna from heaven (v. 31). Jesus clarified that the bread was not given by Moses, but by His Father that gives the true bread from heaven (v. 32). This bread gives life to the world (v. 33). When they requested “this bread” (v. 34), Jesus said, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty” (v. 35).