I Am The Bread of Life: What Did Jesus Mean? (John 6:35 Explained)

Jesus declared to be the "Bread of Life" who came to give life to mankind. This means that He is to the soul what bread is to the body: its nourishment. Just as bread feeds the physical body, Jesus Christ satisfies the spirit of those who believe in Him.

The message about the "Bread of Life"

In the passage of John 6:25-59, Jesus teaches about the Bread of life. This Bread gives life, not only materially but spiritually and eternally. The context of the story shows us that the crowd was looking for Him because He had performed the first multiplication of the loaves and fishes. The people had eaten abundantly of the bread given by Jesus and expected to receive it again.

The Jews eagerly awaited the promised liberating leader who could free them from Roman rule (John 6:14-15). The material need was great, many families lived with scarce resources. And, seeing that Jesus had fed a multitude of thousands of people, they imagined a revolution: a miraculous king who gives food to all has arrived! But, much more than feeding the bodies, Jesus came to bring nourishment for the human soul.

Bread as a symbol of Christ

• Bread is a necessary food. Other things can be dispensed with in human nutrition, but everyone needs bread. Jesus is not a luxury that only the rich can have. He is the bread without which man cannot live.
• It is a simple and nutritious food. Bread is accessible to everyone: all age groups and all types of people. Jesus is simply life for everyone, young, old, weak, strong...
• Bread is a food we need daily. Some foods can be occasional. But "our daily bread," every day, is important to keep the body healthy.
• Bread to be shared in abundance. At tables, even if simple, what is expected is an abundance of bread to strengthen those who eat it. Jesus is this abundant food that must be absorbed and shared in abundance.
• Bread for personal and communal consumption. Personally, we need Jesus, and we need to share this Bread with other hungry people. Bread was not made to be hidden in a cupboard or displayed in a showcase. It needs to be consumed daily to give sustenance and life.

The "hungers" of man

Man lives in search of satisfying his needs. And considering his entirety, we know that he has at least 3 types of hunger:

1. Natural hunger - This type is related to all of man's basic needs. It is the quest for physical and personal satisfaction. That is, hunger of the body (bread, water - basic needs), emotional hunger (happiness, peace, belonging, meaning, security), and mental hunger (intellect, will, truth, justice, etc.).
2. Unnatural hunger - This is the type of appetite created by our fallen nature, contrary to the will of the Creator (who made us in His image). It is a need fed by things that harm us. Instead of seeking the legitimate satisfaction of our existence, it longs for "false foods," illusions, excesses, drugs, delusions, evil desires, and things without real/original meaning.
3. Supernatural hunger - This is a hunger diminished and suffocated by many people. It is the hunger of the soul. Those who do not notice it are still "spiritually dead" (Ephesians 2:1). This longing is revived by Christ when we come to Him in faith. This real hunger (spiritual that projects for all of life) is satisfied when we feed on the "Bread of Life" - Jesus. Thus, through Him, we are completely satisfied (John 6:35), our hunger and thirst for righteousness will be quenched (Matthew 5:6). If Jesus is our only nutritional source, we will never feel the desire for the world's "junk foods."

The bread of God

The origin of all good comes from God. He is the ample provider of all the blessings, both spiritual and temporal, that we have. Besides the sun, air, water, bread, and nature, He gave us what is essential for full existence. He provided the One who, in His view, is central and necessary for everyone to have life: Jesus Christ.

God, the author of creation, revealed what was needed for us to "function" properly. Jesus is the key that keeps us connected to life always. He is the nourishment capable of sustaining mere humans until eternity.

Satisfaction in Christ

Jesus is superior to Manna. The bread that fell from heaven and supplied the people of Israel in the desert was not the greatest provision given freely. The manna satisfied their bodily needs for a time (Exodus 16:35), but Jesus satisfies spiritual needs forever (John 6:57-58).

The crowd listening to Jesus clearly associated His words with the testimony of their ancestors about the Manna sent in the desert (John 6:30-31; Exodus 16:4). Jesus distinguished the true source of provision: it was not Moses, but God Himself who gave them the bread from heaven (John 6:32-33).

Feeding on Christ

Feeding on the "Bread of Life" is the communion of the spirit with the Savior, not physical nourishment. Faith is the means of absorbing God's provision. This means feeding on the truth of Christ through faith (Romans 10:17; Psalms 37:3).

This implies going to Jesus in faith, just as the hungry seek to feed on bread. Having the food on the table does not satisfy anyone unless it is ingested and internalized by the body. But once eaten, the bread becomes vigor, strength, and life. The worker who has eaten and internalized the bread has the strength to carry out his activities with good cheer and vitality. Similarly, Jesus needs to be internalized by those who believe in Him. This transforms life completely.

Jesus Christ is the spiritual food that gives life to those who approach Him and internalize His Word by faith (in their minds, hearts, with trust, love, and fear). In the Bible, there are other associations linked to the idea of the Bread of Life:

• Tree of Life (Genesis 2:9, Revelation 2:7; 22:2),
• Water of Life (John 4:14, Revelation 22:1; 7:17, 1 Corinthians 10:3-4)
• True Vine (John 15:1-7)

Feed on the Bread that is Christ. He who comes to Him and believes in Him will never hunger or thirst again.

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