In this second article of this three-part devotional series, we’ll consider a divine title corresponding to the second letter of the alphabet. The titles selected for these articles each draw our attention to His provision of the “so great salvation” that we enjoy.
The Bread of Life
“I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst” (Joh 6:35).1 “Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you. Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life” (vv53-54).
This divine title represents the first of seven metaphorical “I AM” statements from the Lord Jesus found in John’s Gospel, and which are, in themselves, an essential study for every believer. The occasion of this declaration of His Person comes right after the miracle of the feeding of the five thousand, which led to the people’s desire to forcefully make Him king because they had eaten of the loaves and were filled. The Lord took this opportunity to instruct them to labor not for that food which is temporal and perishes but for that which endures to everlasting life (v27), and proceeded to introduce Himself as the Bread of Life.
As the literal loaves and fishes brought satisfaction to that multitude, the One who is the Bread of Life brings spiritual satisfaction to the hungering soul. This satisfaction comes first when a seeking soul comes to Christ in faith, enjoys a fresh sense of sin forgiven, and enters into a relationship with God. Perhaps many other avenues toward satisfaction were pursued, only to find emptiness. Such pursuits may bring a short-lived and false sense of satiety and a temporary quenching of thirst, but only Christ can satisfy them in such a way that they will “never hunger” and “never thirst.”
The Lord spoke of this initial apprehension of Himself by faith in verse 53 when He said, “Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you.” Attention should be drawn to the words “eat” and “drink,” which speak of the initial coming to Christ in faith, entrance into eternal life and into the satisfaction that the Bread of Life gives. The language is figurative; the words are not hard, and the Lord interprets His saying by emphasizing that one appropriates the Bread of Life by “coming” to Him and “believing” in Him. The burden of sin is lifted, enmity with God becomes peace with God, and longing turns into satisfaction!
In verse 53, the Lord is speaking of that which is initial, but verses 54 and 56 speak of that which is continual. This satisfaction that the Bread of Life brings is an enduring, continuing, ongoing satisfaction. The Lord uses different words and tenses in the two separate references, and the latter refers to a continual appropriation of the Bread of Life. The one who has initially eaten of the Bread of Life then continues to feed upon that same Bread of Life for ongoing satisfaction, and presently and forever possesses eternal life, that abundant life of John 10:10. The believer also dwells, abides and remains (v56) in close communion with the Lord Jesus, the Bread of Life.
How, then, does one continually feed on the Bread of Life? It is profane to suggest that the “eating” and “drinking” of the flesh and blood of Christ are literal, either in the initial or continual sense. And while it may be tempting to see the Lord’s words as referring to the believer’s ongoing participation in the Lord’s Supper, that’s not what the Lord was referring to. Each believer has a God-given, Spirit-driven appetite for Christ to develop and nurture. Just as our body draws nourishment from the physical food we eat, and that nourishment becomes an essential part of our body and gives us strength and energy, so it is spiritually; the continual feeding on Christ, the Bread of Life, brings spiritual nourishment, sustenance and satisfaction.
In our daily reading of the written Word, we search for Christ. In our habitual prayer life, we return to God in worship what we’ve gleaned of Christ in our reading. In our regular meditations, we direct our minds to expand on what we’ve “eaten” and “drunk” of Him in our reading and worship. Each morsel of truth related to His Person makes us grow stronger, each moment in prayerful communion with Him brings deeper satisfaction to our spirit, and each thought of Him that occupies our mind brings us more into conformity to His image. All of this is feeding on Christ, the Bread of Life, and brings renewed satisfaction so that we’ll “never hunger” and “never thirst.” As important as eating literal food is to our bodies, even more vital is this feeding, for the fathers ate manna in the wilderness and are dead, but the one who “eateth of this bread shall live for ever” (v58).
Throughout this discourse on the Bread of Life, the Lord emphasized that His incarnation and birth, and Calvary, are essential to this provision of eternal life. He states five times that He “came down from heaven” (vv33,38,50-51,58), thus showing His incarnation and birth as a true man, that “the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us” (1:14). And as “God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son” (3:16), so also the Son said in this discourse of chapter 6: “The bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world” (6:51). The One who is the Bread of Life gave Himself to the death of the cross so that we might enjoy eternal life and “never hunger” and “never thirst.” Well might we join with the Psalmist and exclaim, “Blessed be the name of the LORD from this time forth and for evermore” (Psa 113:2).
We trust this brief article on Christ as the “Bread of Life” has led you to a deeper love for Him. We could also explore Christ as the “Bright and Morning Star” (Rev 22:16), and consider the Old Testament references to Him as the “Branch.” May we all resolve to learn more of Him and to ever be more like Him!
1 Bible quotations in this article are from the KJV.
