What Did Jesus Mean by I Am the Bread of Life? (John 6:1-35) | Daily Devotional & Bible Study

Today I share a replay of my teaching on John 6 from our Gospel of John series, as an example of what I found in the same passage we have been marking with the color method. We look at the feeding of the crowd, Jesus walking on the water, and why He told the crowd they were following Him for the bread. It all leads to a question worth asking yourself: am I following the miracle or the Miracle Worker?

"Jesus said to them, "I am the bread of life; he who comes to Me will not hunger, and he who believes in Me will never thirst." (John 6:35)

Questions this episode answers

What did Jesus mean when He said I am the bread of life?

He meant that He Himself is what satisfies, not just what He hands out. The crowd chased Him for another meal, but physical bread only lasts a few hours. Jesus offers Himself as the bread that leads to eternal life for everyone who comes to Him and believes.

How many people did Jesus feed with five loaves and two fish?

John says there were about five thousand men. In that culture women and children were not counted, so many estimates land somewhere between fifteen and twenty thousand people. The gap between a small lunch and that crowd is the whole point of the story.

What does it mean that the work of God is to believe?

When the crowd asked what work they should do, Jesus said the work of God is to believe in the One He sent (John 6:29). Our efforts are not a replacement for faith. Real obedience flows out of a heart that trusts Him.

Timestamps

01:11 Reading John 6:1-35

06:16 The mountain and the Passover

07:13 Philip runs the numbers

08:23 Andrew, the boy, and barley bread

10:07 Twelve baskets, one for each disciple

13:40 The work of God is to believe

15:11 I am the bread of life

18:41 The miracle, or the Miracle Worker

Links

If walking through the Gospels stirs your heart, Bible Study Live in Rome lets a small group of women study Scripture together, including a visit to a room connected by tradition to Luke's house.

Bible Study Live is a small-group Bible study trip with Rachael Groll. Study Scripture where it happened in Rome, or slow down for a contemplative Bible study retreat in Maui. Dates and details at BibleStudyLive.org

Listen ad-free, plus the full library of past series, on Patreon: patreon.com/HearingJesus

Questions or prayer requests? Leave me a voicemail: SpeakPipe

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices