August 2, 2015
Sunday

“Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.” John 6:35

“The bread that comes down out of the heaven” is not an analogy between manna (God’s provision via Moses) and the feeding story (God’s provision via Jesus), but an analogy between manna and Jesus himself. At this point, they are looking at Jesus as the new and improved Moses. Like Moses, they see Jesus as one who can feed them as Moses once fed their fathers. Like an improved Moses, they see Jesus’ bread as an “always” kind of provision, not just a 40-years-in-the-wilderness provision.
Jesus is the bread that comes down from heaven, but instead of merely feeding “our fathers in the wilderness,” he is nurture for the cosmos and – drawing from the previous verses – instead of a 40 year provision his bread is into the ages.

Jesus continues this thought throughout John’s 6th chapter: “I am the bread of life. Your ancestors ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died. This is the bread that comes down from heaven, so that one may eat of it and not die. I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Whoever eats of this bread will live for ever; and the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.’” “Bread That Does Not Spoil” (“leftbehindandlovingit” web site)

Jesus is not only the “bread that comes down from heaven”, he is the bread that feeds us to live the kingdom life. Jesus is trying to get the people to change from thinking of bread as “bread”, and instead to thinking of his body (in terms of his ministry) as the bread that everyone needs to live. Bread will feed you today — his bread will bring you eternal life. But how do you get people who are chronically hungry to think of bread in this way? Those who are hungry now, want bread to fill their stomachs now. So, in giving the people bread now, will they be able to see how his teachings, his love, his mercy and his grace will lead to a life that not only feeds the body but also feeds the spirit as well? They will make the connection if they continue to follow, to listen and to learn — from watching us following, listening, and serving all people in the name of Jesus.

We look to Jesus to feed us words that help us make sense of this world right now. But if we stay on the journey with Jesus, if we continue to listen to his teachings, and to study his words, we will receive the words that lead to eternal life — and live a life of love and service along the way.

Pastor Dave