GREAT “I AM’ DECLARATIONS OF JESUS
Who was Jesus? You will recall that He himself asked that question of His closest followers. First, He asked them, “Who do folks say I am?” Then He asked them a pointed question, “Who do YOU say I am?”
As we look back upon that encounter with His disciples, we soon realize that, just as it was wise for them to answer that very important personal question, it is wise for us to do likewise. It’s one thing to say that we are followers of Christ; it is quite another to know who He is.
As you know, it was the Apostle Peter who seized upon the question and blurted out the answer that all Christians ought to be able to give, “You are the Christ, Son of the living God.”
In this series of devotional messages, our focus is not on the question of who Jesus was based on public opinion; nor do we focus on Peter’s declaration of who Jesus was. Rather, we shall focus on who Jesus Himself said He was – and hopefully still is in the hearts and lives of each one of His followers.
"I Am" DECLARATIONS OF JESUS - SERMON I: “BREAD OF LIFE”
JOHN 6:22-35 . . .
The apostle John gives the context in which one of the great “I Am” declarations was given by Jesus --- John 6:22-29 . . .
One of the most famous miracles of Jesus occurred when He took the two loaves of bread and a couple of fish, gave thanks, and multiplied it so that there was enough to feed a crowd of five thousand - and have leftovers.
That miracle so excited the imagination of the crowd that many of them clamored to stay with this “miracle worker” - and to go wherever He went - so that they could receive more from Him.
John says that, on the morning after the miracle, many of the folks - those who had been fed the bread and the fish – saw the disciples get into a boat, without Jesus, and head back to Capernaum. Then these folks noticed that Jesus was no longer present either. So, as many as could hitched a ride with a fishing vessel headed for Capernaum; and, as they made their way by boat to the other side of the sea, they wondered where Jesus was.
When they got to the Capernaum sea shore, they set out to look for the disciples to ask them where Jesus was; and to their amazement, Jesus was already there. Out of curiosity, they asked Jesus how and when He got back to Capernaum since they had not seen Him get into a boat.
Jesus ignored their question as to how and when he arrived. To Jesus, this was not the issue that needed to be addressed; He pointed out to them that their main interest was in seeing Him perform another miracle that would provide them another free meal.
It is as if Jesus said, “You cannot think about your souls for thinking about your stomachs.” They had received bread because it satisfied their physical hunger – and that was the main thing they were concerned about.
Jesus suggested to them that they ought to have looked upon the bread as a GIFT of God; but, rather than give thanks to God and praise Him for His gift, they wanted more of the same. Give us some more of that bread!
Now, all of us experience physical hunger – which of course must and should be satisfied – but there is also spiritual hunger which can never be satisfied by the food we eat, as good as the food might be.
No one loves to eat any more than I do – and I try as best I can to eat the right kinds of food in order to stay as healthy as possible – and bread is one of my favorite foods. Nothing smells more delightful nor tastes better to me than freshly baked bread!
After I have eaten, though, and my stomach is filled and my hunger satisfied, there remains within me an emptiness of spirit which can only be satisfied spiritually.
There is a yearning within me for spiritual satisfaction. There is a hunger for righteousness. There is hunger for truth . . . love . . . a personal relationship beyond the temporal relationships between human beings . . . a good life – yes, the abundant life which Jesus said He came that we might have; but also, and more importantly, there is a hunger for life eternal.
At my age and stage in life, I have learned that the spiritual longings of my heart and soul can only be satisfied by a close relationship to the Son of God, sent from God, to show us the way to God, and therefore, to show us the way to happiness. I am happy because I know Him whom to know is life eternal; and my relationship to Him enables me to “walk and talk” with Him each day; nothing is more satisfying than my spiritual experience.
The folks that came to Jesus the day after He had multiplied the two little barley loaves, were anxious to know what kind of “work for God” they would have to do to earn the kind of bread that would provide them a never-ending supply of happiness. “Tell us how we can get some of that bread.”
It was their desire to know the “secret formula” for getting some of that “miracle” bread; and they wanted to know what they would have to DO to obtain it. Responding to their desire, Jesus puzzled them by saying, “The work of God is this: BELIEVE in the One God has sent.”
Do you see what Jesus was trying to get them to understand? Spiritual satisfaction is not a matter of what you DO to earn that satisfaction; no, it is a matter of who you believe in. He tells them that their work is to BELIEVE in Him as the One who can and will meet their spiritual needs.
“Okay, Jesus; if believing in YOU is the only way we can gain access to that kind of bread which will multiply itself, so that we will never again hunger, give us a sign that will enable us to believe you.” John 6:30-34 . . .
One of the folks who wanted to argue with Jesus tried to back Him into a corner by falling back on the strategy of referring to the familiar story of a miracle that occurred back in the days of their ancestors. This person reminded Jesus of the manna that fell from heaven when Moses asked God to perform the miracle of feeding the tribes wandering in the wilderness.
Jesus answered the man’s argument by explaining that “the bread of God” that He (Jesus) was talking about is the spiritual sustenance offered by the One who comes down from heaven to give real life – eternal life – to all who believe. Jesus explained that the new bread God was offering to them was of a spiritual nature – not edible. Obviously, Jesus is using the concept of “bread” as a metaphor – symbolic of spiritual LIFE.
Partaking of the new bread has to do with feeding yourself spiritually – through communion with God - so that you may live for God who is Spirit!
“Okay, then, give us that bread so that we may have spiritual LIFE.”
In response to their request, we have one of the truly GREAT “I Am” declarations of Jesus --- John 6:35 . . .
What did Jesus mean when He said, “I am the bread of life?” Without much elaboration by me, you could well figure it out for yourself.
I suggest to you that it makes sense to think of what bread is used for, and then it becomes clear as to His meaning.
Bread sustains life. All my life I have heard bread referred to as the staff of life. If you glance at a “food chart of essentials for healthy living,” you will notice that every chart always shows that bread is the most essential of all foods. We now know that wheat bread is better for you than white bread. What kind of bread did Jesus multiply? Barley loaves – a whole grain type of bread that was a staple of any diet for healthy living in those days.
Bread is essential to life. The life Jesus is talking about is life that is far more than mere physical existence. It is spiritual life - defined as our relationship with God our creator. Yet, the Bible makes it clear that there can be no such relationship with God apart from God’s Son, Jesus Christ.
To say that Jesus is the “bread” of life is to say that Jesus is essential for life that has no end. This is not telling us that Jesus is essential for mere existence as a human being. You and I exist. We were born into this world. Here we are.
Realize, though, that mere existence is not what real life is all about. God allows us to exist on His earth. God sent His Son into the world to give us life that goes on. Once we accept Jesus, God satisfies the deepest longing of my heart and yours - to know God and to serve Him forever. Amen.
