“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.” – John 6:35
Part of my Sabbath routine is making a loaf of bread. There is something so satisfying and therapeutic in taking ordinary ingredients and with a little time, watching them transform into something both life-sustaining and delicious.
Bread has been a standard for life for a long time. For basic survival needs, even from the harshest captors, bread has been the provided source of nourishment. Bread is simple and satisfies hunger.
Just before Jesus tells His disciples that He is the bread of life, He has physically fed thousands of people who had gathered from a single portion. These people were here because they had heard of the miracles He was doing, and they wanted to see for themselves. They had a physical hunger that was satisfied, and they went away understanding they had a deeper hunger.
I can’t help but notice the compassionate way that Jesus meets the physical needs of the people, even though He has the answer to their greatest need. They are able to understand more about WHO He is after they experience HOW He cares about their basic needs.
When Jesus says He is the bread of life, He is acknowledging His ability to satisfy a hunger much greater than the physical. Our spiritual hunger is a deep need to know the One we were created for and to trust Him completely.
Once we taste of His goodness, we will never hunger again. When we trust Jesus with our life, we can have the confidence that He is always at work.
As we seek to share the bread of life to those around us, how are we first meeting those basic needs they may have? What is one way you can provide both “bread” and share the bread of life with someone today?
Melissa, such a wonderful article. I went to Zimbabwe on a missions trip in college for most of the summer. And one thing we learned in training classes was how the people won’t listen to a message about Jesus until we show them Jesus. Ever since, I try to remember to strive to be Jesus with skin to others. He is the only thing that satisfies the hunger we each have in our souls…the bread of heaven.
YES – Jesus with skin on. The closer I draw to him, the more I learn what this looks like. His love drew in the marginalized, oppressed, and sinner. And love often looks like a loaf of bread – it opens so many doors. Grateful you stopped by!
I think one way is to listen to and care for people. Show them you see them. Then they are much more receptive to hearing about and seeing us.
Theresa – yes! You’re exactly right! People want to be seen and known – grateful for the reminder to slow down and SEE.
I can definitely see how you’d feel that strong connection between making bread and Jesus. It’s something so ancient and timeless, tying the past and the present together through bread. I don’t make it, but I do enjoy eating it. 🙂 I love that Jesus used bread as one of the metaphors for who he is.
I love that too. I think I’ll make a loaf today!