Bread!

Bread!

John 6:35 AMP

[35] Jesus replied to them, “I am the Bread of Life. The one who comes to Me will never be hungry, and the one who believes in Me [as Savior] will never be thirsty [for that one will be sustained spiritually].

Jesus had just done a miracle, where He fed more than 5,000 people with just 5 loaves of bread and 2 fishes. He had done this in the full view of all who were present, so it was not one of those secret mysteries that happened when no one was watching. The crowd saw what had happened, and there were some interesting reactions to this miracle. Some people wanted to make Him king by force, maybe to guarantee a constant supply of food this way, and some actually believed He was the promised prophet that was to come into the world. You find these interesting reactions everywhere Jesus is mentioned today. Some will sneer out of ignorance of who He is and what He can do, and some are only in it for what they can get out of it. Today's verse is a reminder of who Jesus is, and as we know of all reminders, the response is always mine to determine and apply. 

God does not force Himself on anyone, and He will not go against the exercise of my freewill. He lays down the law, and waits for me to respond. In that is a warning: I have a lifetime to sort out my allegiance, but I do not know how long that lifetime is. Jesus calls Himself the Bread of Life. Bread represents that which sustains life. It was what He used to feed over 5,000 people, and it is what He continues to use to spiritually sustain those who have surrendered their lives to Him. It is almost like a double investment: bread also sustains human life, then you get the version that also sustains and guarantees eternal life with God. You get all that you need for this physical space, and you also get all that is required for the spiritual space of life. What other area of life is left out? What challenge can come that will surprise the One who has already taken care of all phases of life? 

Having done His bit, He invites me to respond the right way. He invites me to come. I note that He does not ask me to bring money or presents; He just says COME TO ME; and BELIEVE IN ME. The results of adhering to His instructions are also laid out in the verse above. He says all who come to Him will not be hungry again, and all who believe in Him will never be thirsty again. How do these work out? Coming to Jesus means accepting that you cannot survive on your own, and need His help. Believing in Him means that you have considered all available options and are sure that He alone has the answers that you seek. 

Know the pedigree of the One who speaks, what He is asking you to do, and what is promised to all who obey and make the approach. He does not make empty promises or lie; if He has said it, not even the powers of this present world can cause His Word to fail. Trust Him; you have nothing to lose. God's time of favour is here.