In Jo. 6:35 Jesus said “I am …the bread of life”. What exactly did he mean by that? It is obvious that life requires food. Without food we would soon starve to death. In addition to food being essential for life, it is also a part of life that can bring great enjoyment and satisfaction. Food is an important element in social and family activities that bring us great joy and happiness. When Jesus says “I am the bread of life” he is saying that our ability to be truly satisfied and fulfilled in this life depends on our understanding that our greatest need is a kind of spiritual food …that only He can supply.
What prevents people from understanding that their greatest need is for spiritual food? Jesus gives a couple of reasons in John 6:26-27.
“Most assuredly, I say to you, you seek Me, not because you saw the signs, but because you ate of the loaves and were filled. Do not labor for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to everlasting life, which the Son of Man will give you, because God the Father has set His seal on Him.” John 6:26-27
Just the day before Jesus had miraculously feed 1,000’s of people with a few loaves of bread and a few fish. Jesus made the above comment the very next day when these huge crowds followed him across the Sea of Galilee.
First note that Jesus says “you seek me not because you saw the signs…” One reason why so many do not understand that spiritual food is essential to true fulfillment in this life is because they see Jesus’ work in primarily self-serving terms. They only think about following Jesus because they see some sort of immediate reward for doing so. Like getting a free lunch. I will admit that getting a free lunch is pretty cool, especially in the way that Jesus went about providing that free lunch. But such is precisely the problem, the people were just focusing on the free lunch, and were totally missing what the free lunch was trying to point out to them, which was the way he provided the free lunch! Jesus provided them food in a way which is impossible for any mere mortal to do. It was a miracle. And the miracle was a “sign” that pointed to the fact that He was exactly who he claimed to be, that He indeed is the Messiah, and that we must listen to Him!
Jesus then goes on to point out that people shouldn’t just labor for food that perishes, but for food that can last for all of eternity. In saying this Jesus is not advocating an absolute rejection of all material concerns, instead he is emphasizing the importance of prioritizing. His teaching here in John 6 is in complete agreement with what he taught in Matthew 6:33 where he said: “seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you”. Jesus is teaching us that in order for us to be truly satisfied we must stop this fruitless pursuit of “things”! Jesus is saying that while money may indeed be important, it is not as important as your need for a right relationship with God. And the reason for that is because money cannot truly satisfy you. Jesus is saying that while eating good healthy food is important, it is not as important as your spiritual diet. And the reason for that is because the key to being truly happy and feeling fulfilled in this life is your spiritual health and not your physical health.
Being satisfied and content, feeling “full” is not something that results from the attainment of material pursuits. Rather such fulfillment comes from the spiritual food that we gain from listening to and implementing the teachings of Jesus. Can you read the signs?