Good morning,
In the Gospel of John, Jesus makes seven statements beginning with the words I am. Each of these “I am” proclamations furthers our understanding of Jesus’ ministry in the world. They also link Jesus to the Old Testament revelation of God.
In the Old Testament, God revealed His name to Moses: “I AM THAT I AM. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: ‘I AM has sent me unto you’” (Exodus 3:14). Thus, in Judaism, “I AM” is unquestionably understood as a name for God. Whenever Jesus made an “I am” statement in which He claimed attributes of deity, He was identifying Himself as God.
Jesus states, I am the bread of life, light of the world, the door, the good shepherd, the resurrection and the life, the way, the truth, and the life, and the true vine.
This week we will at each of these I AM statements.
“I am the bread of life.”
“Our fathers did eat manna in the desert; as it is written, He gave them bread from heaven to eat.32 Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Moses gave you not that bread from heaven; but my Father giveth you the true bread from heaven.33 For the bread of God is he which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world.34 Then said they unto him, Lord, evermore give us this bread.35 And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.” (John 6:31-35)
“Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life. 48 I am that bread of life.49 Your fathers did eat manna in the wilderness, and are dead.50 This is the bread which cometh down from heaven, that a man may eat thereof, and not die.51 I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.” (John 6:47-51)
Jesus had just fed the five thousand men besides women and children with just two barley loaves and five small fish, yet the people were asking for another miracle for Jesus to prove who He said He was.
Jesus did not say he was like the bread they had just eaten. That would have been a simile whereas He compared Himself to bread. Instead, He said He was bread which is a metaphor. By saying that, He was emphasizing that He wasn’t just bread to fill someone’s hungry belly, but He was the bread that sustains. He said He was the bread of life, the living bread and the bread that was offered then and today as Jesus’ flesh.
As bread sustains physical life, so Christ offers and sustains spiritual life.
He also said He is the “…living bread…” He came in the flesh, to die for our sins, that we might have eternal life.
The “…living bread…” gives eternal life!
Partake in the “…bread of life.”
Tom Stearns, WASI Chaplain, 907 715-4001
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