Read John 6:30-40. Circle the words that stand out to you. What is the Lord saying to you?
30 So they asked him, “What sign then will you give that we may see it and believe you? What will you do? 31 Our ancestors ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written: ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’”
32 Jesus said to them, “Very truly I tell you, it is not Moses who has given you the bread from heaven, but it is my Father who gives you the true bread from heaven. 33 For the bread of God is the bread that comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.”
34 “Sir,” they said, “always give us this bread.”
35 Then Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty. 36 But as I told you, you have seen me and still you do not believe. 37 All those the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never drive away. 38 For I have come down from heaven not to do my will but to do the will of him who sent me. 39 And this is the will of him who sent me, that I shall lose none of all those he has given me, but raise them up at the last day. 40 For my Father’s will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day.”
Digging Deeper.
If you’re thirsty, what do you grab to quench your thirst? Is it a can of soda, Gatorade, or a bottle of tea or water? If you’re hungry, what do you want to eat to fill your stomach? It’s too much trouble to cook something and it is so much easier to grab something at some fast-food place or at our favorite restaurant. I love burgers and beef flat noodles. Mmm. But if we’re health conscious, we’ll select something that is good for our bodies.
We’re constantly hit with thirst and hunger pangs. Unfortunately, that never ends. But what if there was something deeper within us that is thirsting and hungering that physical food can’t satisfy? Many of us don’t realize that there is a spiritual hunger in us. We think having more wealth will give us satisfaction and peace. But has it? We think doing charitable work will give us lasting contentment. But how long does it last? Nothing physical can fill a spiritual void in one’s life.
Jesus makes an incredible claim. He says that He can fill the spiritual void in people’s lives. “I am The Bread of Life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty” (NIV). That’s an incredible claim. For those of us who seriously consider Jesus’ words, we pause and wonder whether that is genuinely true. We may ask ourselves, “How do we test His statement to see if it is really true?”
One can reason that if water and food only temporarily satisfy physical thirst and hunger, then likewise, shouldn’t Heavenly Bread only satisfy our spiritual and thirst temporarily as well? There is only one way to discover if Jesus’ words are genuinely true or not. One must partake of that Bread to believe in that Bread and accept it into our lives. That’s the ultimate test.
Observing others or hearing of other’s testimony may be questioned. Some will assume that the person doesn’t know what (s)he is talking about. That they are lying to me or is self-deceived. In other words, testimony alone can’t prove anything, it needs to be verified.
The Jews demanded a sign from Jesus. According to their own history, their forefathers ate manna from heaven for 40 years. Those who ate the manna passed down their history to testify that they ate and were filled by God’s hand. Just as God provided food for Israel in the past, here, Jesus Himself by His own hand provided food for their physical hunger by feeding them. Shouldn’t that be enough of a sign or proof? Unfortunately, it was not because even though they saw the miracle and ate of it, they did not believe in Him.
There is only one test. A person must come by faith to Jesus, to “eat” the Bread. To hear about this spiritual food or even learn about it is not enough. One must “eat” or believe the words of Jesus. As a person who “ate” or believed the words of Jesus, I can say that He has filled the spiritual thirst and hunger in my life. Can you say the same? Or are you still thirsty and hungry because you have yet to come to the table by faith? The spiritual food of Jesus is real. Know that there is nothing physical in this world that can fill your spiritual need besides Jesus. Have you eaten/believed in Jesus as your personal Savior? I hope you will.
-Kingston