JOHN 6:34-35
34 Then said they unto him, Lord, evermore give us this bread. 35 And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.
Essential needs include air to breathe, water to drink, food to eat; after these, clothing and shelter (1 TIM 6:8), and from there the list goes on to varying degrees of the necessities of life. We've all heard the phrase "essential worker" - those whose presence on the work force is required (not merely wanted), even in the midst of our current 'pandemic'.
From there we proceed towards wants and supplemental goals - a peaceful and prosperous life isn't required for life, but it sure is nice when it happens! We all want to have 'our best life now' from the human perspective, and when things happen to interfere with that objective, we can get pretty ornery.
When the LORD Jesus produced those loaves of bread by a miraculous display of supernatural power, there were those who said, "LORD, set us up with this deal forever! That will give us security and peace of mind, knowing that we'll always have enough to eat!"
They didn't have refrigeration in those days, so food such as bread, that had good staying power, and was highly nutritious (not like the stuff we eat today) and so, essential for anyone with a stomach to fill!
We here in the West have been riding on the tide of material success largely because of the centuries of Judeo-Christian ethics that promoted integrity, hard work and innovation, and it's because of this material success that we feel 'deprived' if we can't get a second car, or a speed boat, or our annual cruise vacation.
We get the idea that life isn't being fulfilled if we have to go without - but the LORD Jesus Christ told us about life in entirely different terms - and what it isn't:
LUKE 12:15
15 And he said unto them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth.
He then gave a parable of the rich man who had so much wealth, that he had to build bigger barns to store it all, and with that job done, decided to retire early and enjoy life, because he had material wealth to spare!
But GOD said to this man:
LUKE 12:20-21
20 ...Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided? 21 So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.
What did the LORD consider to be the true riches? Who is that person who is "rich toward GOD"?
The one who has the Bread of Life - Christ Himself! He is the One Who entered into the spiritual wasteland of this world - this barren desert of parched souls who succumb to the delusion of sinful mirages, and chase after air, filled with satanic seduction, having a desperate thirst - for they know not what.
They go throughout the length of their days in their search for that enigmatic, missing 'something' (ROM 8:20). And some are presented with He Who is the O.A.S.I.S. (Only the Almighty Savior - Immanuel Satisfies)! But many are offended when they're told that they are dying of (spiritual) thirst, that is, they are sinners. They stubbornly push on, looking for some satisfaction elsewhere, but without being convicted of their sin!
The LORD posed the question: "For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?" (MATT 16:26).
The spiritually sustaining Savior satisfies the soul both now and eternally: He is the ONLY One Who can make that boast! He said as much previously in JOHN 4:13-14 (see the FMF JEWELS From The GOSPEL Of JOHN: LIVING vs. WELL WATER - JOHN 4:10-15)!
Nothing physical can satisfy the spiritual - nor can the soulish or the emotions or the intellect, or any drug or meditatively induced euphoria.
We were created by GOD and for GOD's pleasure (REV 4:11) - and fulfilling GOD's purpose for our lives through the Spirit of grace and the shed blood of the LAMB of GOD - to love and worship Him - is what brings us peace with GOD (ROM 5:1) and profound rest and comfort!
MATTHEW 11:28-30
28 Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.
It is a kind of paradox that having Jesus, we hunger no longer for anything else, except for more of Jesus!
EPHESIANS 3:8-9
8 Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints, is this grace given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ; 9 And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ:
This mysterious and marvelous fellowship is that communion (1 COR 10:16) and love shared between our LORD and ourselves, and elsewhere Paul elaborates on this:
ROMANS 8:31-39
31 What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us? 32 He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things? 33 Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth. 34 Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us. 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? 36 As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. 37 Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. 38 For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, 39 Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
The Bread of Life was born in Bethlehem (meaning "house of bread") and now He Who is our beloved LORD and Savior has been born in our hearts, those who have become His children (JOHN 1:12-13), and we are well fed by His life, His love and His lavishing of all good things, granted to us by our Abba Father (1 TIM 6:17; ROM 8:32; JAMES 1:17).
2 CORINTHIANS 9:10-11
10 Now he that ministereth seed to the sower both minister bread for your food, and multiply your seed sown, and increase the fruits of your righteousness;) 11 Being enriched in every thing to all bountifulness, which causeth through us thanksgiving to God.
Next time we will consider JOHN 6:36 - Seeing Is Not Believing
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