The Bread of Life

The Bread of Life

 When Jesus called Himself the “bread of life” (John 6:35; also 6:32, 33, 41, 48), He was using as an image more than a staple of the diet, He was drawing on a rich symbol of Jewish life.

 Bread played an important role in Israel’s worship. During the celebration of Pentecost, two loaves of leavened bread were offered as sacrifices (Lev. 23:17). In the tabernacle, and later in the temple, the Levites placed twelve loaves of unleavened bread, or bread without yeast, before the Lord each week to symbolize God’s presence with the twelve tribes (Ex. 25:30).

 Throughout the Exodus, God miraculously sustained His people by sending manna from heaven each morning (Ex. 16). The bread-like manna was a “small round substance as fine as frost” (16:14). It looked “like white coriander seed” and tasted like “wafers made with honey” (16:31) or “pastry prepared with oil” (Num. 11:8).

 It was this manna that Jesus was recalling when He called Himself “the true bread from heaven” (John 6:32), “the bread which came down from heaven” (6:41), and the “bread of life” (6:48–51, 58). Symbolically, Jesus is the heavenly manna, the spiritual or supernatural food given by the Father to those who ask, seek, and knock (6:45; Matt. 7:7, 8).

 However, it’s also interesting that Jesus’ “bread of life discourse” (as John 6:26–58 is called) was given during Passover, also known as the Feast of Unleavened Bread (6:4, 22; see “Passover” at Luke 22:7). Passover celebrated the deliverance of Israel from slavery in Egypt. On the night before leaving Egypt, the Israelites made unleavened bread, as they had no time to let their bread rise before taking flight (Ex. 12:8; 13:6, 7).

 In this context, Jesus had just fed at least 5,000 people (John 6:1–14), an event that led directly to the bread of life discourse (6:22–27). Clearly, He was indicating that He was God’s provision for the people’s deepest spiritual needs. Just as God had provided for His people as they came out of Egypt, so Jesus had provided physical food for the 5,000 and was ready to provide spiritual nourishment and life to all of them as well.

 Tragically, the people balked at His teaching (6:30, 31, 41, 42, 52, 60). Their hearts were hardened in unbelief. Soon, many began to turn away (6:66). But to those who believed, like Peter who declared, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God” (6:69), Jesus gave abundant and eternal life.