ANCHOR DEVOTIONS (DECEMBER 23, 2012)

The Bread of Life

John 6:25-51

'For the bread of God is he who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.'"
(JOHN 6:33)

Matthew 14. Mark 6. Luke 9. John 6. Only one story makes its way into all four Gospels: the feeding of 5,000. Again Jesus was on the north side of Galilee, near Capernaum, and the crowds were now coming from great distances to be near the famed teacher. Jesus went up on a mountainside and sat down with His disciples to teach. But this was not just preaching or healing. This was both because it would be a miracle to teach about life.

The people were hungry, and as a test, Jesus asked Philip, "Where shall we buy bread for these people to eat?" Andrew saw the young boy with five little barley loaves and two small fish... such an insignificant answer to such a great need. Yet, after this meager amount was blessed, the Lord continued handing out food until all had their fill. He then taught the people that He was the true bread, the life they needed. They could eat and be satisfied. "I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty" (v. 35).
INSIGHT
THE JEWS THOUGHT THE COMING MESSIAH WOULD RENEW THE MIRACLE OF MANNA IN THE WILDERNESS. THIS TRUE BREAD DOES MORE, BRINGING US LIFE TODAY.

READ THROUGH THE BIBLE IN A YEAR
Numbers 16
Psalm 69
John 10

John 6:25-51

New International Version (NIV)

Jesus the Bread of Life

²⁵ When they found him on the other side of the lake, they asked him, “Rabbi, when did you get here?”
²⁶ Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, you are looking for me, not because you saw the signs I performed but because you ate the loaves and had your fill. ²⁷ Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. For on him God the Father has placed his seal of approval.”
²⁸ Then they asked him, “What must we do to do the works God requires?”
²⁹ Jesus answered, “The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent.”
³⁰ So they asked him, “What sign then will you give that we may see it and believe you? What will you do? ³¹ Our ancestors ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written: ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’^[a]”
³² Jesus said to them, “Very truly I tell you, it is not Moses who has given you the bread from heaven, but it is my Father who gives you the true bread from heaven. ³³ For the bread of God is the bread that comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.”
³⁴ “Sir,” they said, “always give us this bread.”
³⁵ Then Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty. ³⁶ But as I told you, you have seen me and still you do not believe. ³⁷ All those the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never drive away. ³⁸ For I have come down from heaven not to do my will but to do the will of him who sent me. ³⁹ And this is the will of him who sent me, that I shall lose none of all those he has given me, but raise them up at the last day. ⁴⁰ For my Father’s will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day.”
⁴¹ At this the Jews there began to grumble about him because he said, “I am the bread that came down from heaven.” ⁴² They said, “Is this not Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How can he now say, ‘I came down from heaven’?”
⁴³ “Stop grumbling among yourselves,” Jesus answered. ⁴⁴ “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws them, and I will raise them up at the last day. ⁴⁵ It is written in the Prophets: ‘They will all be taught by God.’^[b] Everyone who has heard the Father and learned from him comes to me. ⁴⁶ No one has seen the Father except the one who is from God; only he has seen the Father. ⁴⁷ Very truly I tell you, the one who believes has eternal life. ⁴⁸ I am the bread of life. ⁴⁹ Your ancestors ate the manna in the wilderness, yet they died. ⁵⁰ But here is the bread that comes down from heaven, which anyone may eat and not die. ⁵¹ I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Whoever eats this bread will live forever. This bread is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.”

Footnotes:

1. John 6:31 Exodus 16:4; Neh. 9:15; Psalm 78:24,25
2. John 6:45 Isaiah 54:13.

PREACHING THE GOSPEL TO YOURSELF
with Milton Vincent

After preaching for 10 years he realized he was striving to please God through his works. Milton had forgotten the good news that Jesus was pleasing to God on his behalf.