In His Own Words – I Am the Bread of life

Joke:  After the birth of their first child Tom and Sarah decided it was time to write a will and get their affairs in order. They went to a lawyer and outlined for him their ideas about how their estate should be handled.

The lawyer then asked them some questions about what medical means should be employed should they become severely injured.

Tom spoke up, “I don’t want my life regulated by some machine. And I just can’t stand the idea of receiving my nourishment from a bottle.”

Sarah couldn’t have agreed with him more so she took Tom’s words to heart and when they got home. . .she cut the TV cord and dumped out all of Tom’s beer.

—————————————————————————————

In His Words – Week 1: I Am The Bread Of Life

Today I’m starting a new series called, In His own words.  I plan to look at some of the I Am statements that Jesus said about Him and today I want to begin Will His statement. . .I Am The Bread Of Life

I heard someone say once, that a good sermon is like a woman in a dress, it needs to be short enough to attract attention, but long enough to cover the subject.

And my prayer is that it’s not just good, but that God is glorified and changes lives today as well.   If a sermon is just good but not effective it’s really not that good at all.

The world has always offered its own version of what it thinks gives us fulfillment and sustenance.   But in Jesus’ own words we find that he is the only true source of nourishment and life. When we find ourselves settling for counterfeit versions of fulfillment, we will always find ourselves searching for something else.

Solomon in his search for fulfillment said this. . .

Ecclesiastes 2:1–11 (NIV): I said to myself, “Come now, I will test you with pleasure to find out what is good.” But that also proved to be meaningless. 2 “Laughter,” I said, “is madness. And what does pleasure accomplish?” 3 I tried cheering myself with wine, and embracing folly—my mind still guiding me with wisdom. I wanted to see what was good for people to do under the heavens during the few days of their lives. 4 I undertook great projects: I built houses for myself and planted vineyards. 5 I made gardens and parks and planted all kinds of fruit trees in them. 6 I made reservoirs to water groves of flourishing trees. 7 I bought male and female slaves and had other slaves who were born in my house. I also owned more herds and flocks than anyone in Jerusalem before me. 8 I amassed silver and gold for myself, and the treasure of kings and provinces. I acquired male and female singers, and a harem as well—the delights of a man’s heart. 9 I became greater by far than anyone in Jerusalem before me. In all this my wisdom stayed with me. 10 I denied myself nothing my eyes desired; I refused my heart no pleasure. My heart took delight in all my labor, and this was the reward for all my toil. 11 Yet when I surveyed all that my hands had done and what I had toiled to achieve, everything was meaningless, a chasing after the wind; nothing was gained under the sun.

Solomon tried pleasure, riches, he denied nothing his eyes saw, or he heart desires Scripture tells us and after trying everything what did he conclude.  It all was meaningless.

Solomon is letting us know that the world can offer you nothing to fulfill your hunger.   Yet so many of us in the Body of Christ are still convinced that it can.

But watch this Solomon continues. . .

Ecclesiastes 3:11 (NIV): He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end.

The longing will never be satisfied by anything the world offers because He, God, the Creator of all things has set eternity in the human heart.

Let me begin this series with a couple questions.  Have you ever wondered what Jesus might say to us if He were here today?  How would He handle todays political environment?  Our woke culture, the rainbow flags hanging over church doors?  How would He manage a broken relationship?  What would He say about social media?

There are so many issues I know I would love for Him to weigh in on.

Well here’s some good news the bible is relevant still today to everyone at all times because it is the source of all truth.    And His words no matter how much our culture changes, His word never does.   It is the same yesterday, today, and forever.   It ‘s not just a book.  It is the book.  His word changes not.  And in so many of Jesus’ own words we can find comfort, guidance, and strength for any and every situation we may encounter.

In this series we’ll look at several of Jesus’ I AM statements from the gospel of John where Jesus reveals Himself. . .His true nature, to us. And as we begin to understand who Jesus is my prayer is that it will help us understand how He is working in our world still today.

Speaking of our world – it is one filled with unsatisfied and hungry people. We long for connection, understanding, love, compassion, and so much more.

I have already shared what Solomon said about searching for satisfaction outside of God and. . .

• Lewis put it so beautifully when he said, “If I find in myself desires which nothing in this world can satisfy, the only logical explanation is that I was made for another world.”

We were created for His Kingdom.   Not this kingdom, and certainly not your own kingdom.   Yet sometimes that how we try to live.

What would Jesus say to people who are both spiritually and physically hungry? He’d probably say, “I am the bread of life, Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.”

So, let’s open our hearts to receive the Bread of Life as we navigate through the word today

 The Bread of Life is a powerful metaphor that Jesus uses to describe Himself and His role in our spiritual sustenance.

This metaphor is not just about physical hunger and thirst but speaks to the deeper spiritual hunger and thirst that exists in every human being.

It exists because He has placed eternity in the human heart.

In the ancient world, bread was a staple food, a basic necessity for survival. It was the primary source of nourishment and was often used symbolically to represent life itself. When Jesus declares, “I am the Bread of Life,” He is saying that He is essential to our spiritual life.   As a matter of fact Acts tells us that it’s in Him we live, and move, and have out being.

Without Him, our souls starve and wither.

We all know the feeling of hunger and the satisfaction that comes from eating a good meal. But Jesus is not talking about a temporary satisfaction that comes from physical food. He is talking about a deep, lasting satisfaction that only He can provide. When we come to Him, when we believe in Him, we will never hunger or thirst again. This is a promise of spiritual fulfillment that the world cannot offer. It’s a promise of true fulfillment which is only found in Him.

The world offers many things that promise to satisfy our hunger and thirst. Wealth, success, power, pleasure – these are the things that the world tells us will make us happy. But as many of us have experienced, these things still often leave us feeling empty and unsatisfied. They are like junk food or candy that tastes good for a moment but leaves us hungry again soon after.

But then, Jesus offers us Himself, the Bread of Life.  And just as physical bread gives us the energy and strength we need to live, so Jesus gives us the spiritual nourishment we need to live a life of faith, fulfillment, and abundance.  He feeds our souls with His word, His love, His grace, and His presence. He strengthens us in our weakness, comforts us in our sorrow, and guides us in our confusion. He is the source of our spiritual life, the one who can sustain us in our journey of faith.

When Jesus says that He is “The Bread of Life” we must know that this is not just a metaphor, it is a reality we can experience in our daily lives. When we come to Jesus and we believe in Him, we experience His life-giving presence in our lives. We taste that He is indeed good and we find a deep satisfaction that the world cannot offer.

Listen church I have tried some of those things Solomon told us were meaningless.   I thought I could find happiness in the parties, in having stuff, but ultimately I left unfulfilled still.  There were so many things I’ve tried, bought, had that I thought for sure would bring about fulfillment, happiness, and satisfaction but like Solomon I’ve come to realize all is meaningless because. . .

Unlike Jesus, the things of this world make promises that simply don’t come true.  And truth is these false promises are often times alluring. They come in many forms and can be found in the pursuit of wealth, power, fame, pleasure, and even in the pursuit of knowledge or wisdom.

The world tells us that if we just have enough money, if we just have enough power, if we just have enough popularity, if we just have enough pleasure, if we just have enough Facebooks friends, Instagram followers, or if we just know enough of anything, then we will be truly satisfied.   And many of us have fallen for the lie that if we have enough, we’ll be enough.

But, the truth is church you are enough.   (Talk about that)

And chasing after those things the world offers we still often leave feeling empty and disappointed. The pursuit of wealth can lead to greed and materialism, the pursuit of power can lead to corruption, the pursuit of fame can lead to vanity, the pursuit of pleasure can lead to pleasure-seeking and addiction, and the pursuit of knowledge and wisdom can lead to arrogance and pride.

But the truth is church, these worldly pursuits are momentary and fleeting. Wealth can be lost, power can be overthrown, fame can fade, pleasure can become dull, and knowledge and wisdom can be surpassed.

1 John 2:17 (NIV): The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever.

False promises pass away, but the promises of God never fade.

2 Corinthians 1:20 (NIV): For no matter how many promises God has made, they are “Yes” in Christ. And so through him the “Amen” is spoken by us to the glory of God.

Saint Augustine once said, “You have made us for yourself, O Lord, and our hearts are restless until they rest in you.”

That  quote captures the essence of our human condition. We were created by God and for God, and our hearts are restless until they find their rest in Him. The world’s false promises cannot satisfy our hearts because they are not aligned with our ultimate purpose, which is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever.

Isaiah 43:7 (NIV): everyone who is called by my name, whom I created for my glory, whom I formed and made.

You were created for His glory.   Not your bosses, not your spouse, for His.

The world has given us a bunch of promises that are mostly false.

But Jesus tells us. . .

Matthew 6:33 (NIV): But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.

If will seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness,  we will find true satisfaction, fulfillment, and happiness not in stuff, or in people, but in Him alone.

The satisfaction we find in Christ is a life-changing truth that we find in the Gospel of John.

When Jesus declares, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty,” He is offering a satisfaction like none other and that the world cannot give.

So, what’s the context of this I Am statement and why did Jesus even say it?

Jesus had just fed five thousand people with five loaves and two fish, a miraculous sign of His divine power and provision. The people were amazed and followed Him, not because they understood who He was, but because they wanted more of the physical bread and the miracles they experienced.

In response, Jesus pointed them to a greater reality – Himself, the Bread of Life.

The bread He offers is not physical but spiritual. It’s not about satisfying our physical hunger or thirst, but about fulfilling our deepest spiritual needs.  Listen he supplies the other but He wants us to know Him for who He is, not just what He can do.

That is a shift from the worlds perspective, it  often tells us satisfaction comes with something physical or something material.

Paul said it this way. . .

1 Corinthians 2:2 (NIV): For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified.

The satisfaction that Jesus offers is rooted in a relationship with Him. It’s about coming to Him, believing in Him, and finding our identity and purpose not in a job, a spouse, or a bank account, but in Him.

This is a satisfaction that transcends our circumstances, our feelings, and our understanding. It’s a satisfaction that is grounded in His unchanging character, His unfailing love, and His eternal promises.

When we come to Him, we will never go hungry or thirsty again. This doesn’t mean we won’t have physical needs or face challenges in this life. The rain falls on the just and the unjust.  But it means that in Christ, we have everything we need for life and godliness.

2 Peter 1:3–4 (NLT): By his divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life. We have received all of this by coming to know him, the one who called us to himself by means of his marvelous glory and excellence. 4 And because of his glory and excellence, he has given us great and precious promises. These are the promises that enable you to share his divine nature and escape the world’s corruption caused by human desires.

We have the assurance of His presence, the comfort of His love, and the hope of eternal life.

We can experience true contentment.

Watch this. . .

Philippians 4:11–12 (NIV): 11 I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. 12 I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want.

And with learning that for ourselves we too can rest in Christ.

In contrast to the fleeting and superficial satisfaction that the world offers, the satisfaction that Christ offers is lasting, and fulfilling. It’s not dependent on our performance, our possessions, or the approval of others. It’s based solely on His grace and His work on the cross.

It’s not about us, it’s all about Him.  Jesus, the Bread of Life.

Have you ever found yourself wondering if there was more to life?

Have you ever come to the end of your week and thought, “Wow, was that it?”

If so, you’re in good company. We weren’t made for this world and its systems of progress, production, and efficiency. To quote CS Lewis once again, “If I find in myself desires which nothing in this world can satisfy, the only logical explanation is that I was made for another world.”

This place leaves us wanting. . .This place leaves us unsatisfied and hungry.  Because this world is not our home.    We are just passIng through.    But while we are here we are called to be ambassadors for Christ, and a light to the world.

And If you’ve been trying to fill your life with the empty promises of this world and its systems, then I’ve got good news for you. Jesus is the bread of life.  Jesus is the sustenance and provision you’ve been seeking.

And He says, “Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.”

 He is the answer, the only answer.

As Andre Crouch sang. . .

Jesus Is The Answer For The World Today
Above Him There’s No Other Jesus Is The Way

If You Have Some Questions In The Corners Of Your Mind
And Traces Of Discouragement And Peace You Cannot Find
Reflections Of The Old Past, They Seem To Face You Everyday
There’s One Thing I Know For Sure That Jesus Is the way

Jesus Is The Answer For The World Today
Above Him There’s No Other Jesus Is The Way

I Know You Got Mountains That You Think You Cannot Climb
I Know That Your Skies Have Been Dark, You Think The Sun won’t Shine
In Case You Don’t Know
I’m Hear To Tell You That The Word Of God Is True
And Everything That He Promised
I Tell You He Would Do It For You

Let Me Tell You that Jesus Is The Answer For The World Today
Above Him There’s No Other Jesus Is The Way

And church that was true in 1995 when he sang it and it’s still true today.   Jesus is the answer above Him There’s No Other Jesus Is The Way.