When Jesus makes this declaration about being the bread of life, He has just fed the 5,000 people with five loaves and two fish. Jesus often used miracles to teach a lesson, using a physical picture to teach a spiritual truth. He teaches us that He not only has the power to create life (John 5:24,26), but also to nourish, feed and sustain the spiritual life of all who come to Him. All of us are created with spiritual need. Just as we feed our physical bodies daily, so should we feed our spiritual body daily. We wouldn't eat a big meal on Sunday and then say, "Okay, I've had my meal for the week," and then not eat again til the next Sunday. We need spiritual nourishment daily! A. Wetherell Johnson said, "Only Jesus can satisfy the human hunger which He placed in the human heart when He created a human personality."

Jesus said, "He who comes to me will never go hungry." The word "comes" is used interchangeably with believe. It involves action. We come to Him for salvation and then we continue coming to Him (abiding in Him) for strength, nourishment, comfort, teaching. We have His wonderful promise in verse 37 "...and whoever comes to me I will never drive away." He is always there, ready and waiting for us with open arms filled with spiritual blessing--soul food!

I have a friend who went to see a physician because she was not feeling well. It was difficult to pinpoint exactly what the problem was, but after testing and questioning, he determined that her problem was malnutrition. In an effort to keep her weight down, she didn't eat much, and most of what she did eat had little or no nutritional value. In this day of education, with her economic status, and grocery stores full of healthy food, she was starving! Please, let's not do this to ourselves spiritually.

Jesus realized that many people in the crowd followed Him for the spectacular miracles He did for them. People today may do the same. But what He really wants to say is, "This is not about what I do. This is about Who I Am!"* To the Israelite in Jesus' day, bread was not an accessory to the meal, it was an absolute staple. If bread was all they had, they had enough. If Jesus is all we have, we have it all! Come to Him--and be fed!

Becky
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*Beth Moore, Jesus, The One and Only, p. 76-77, Living Proof Ministry.