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Jesus said, “I am the bread of life” (John 6:35). Jesus said this to people who were hungry and who were looking for food. Jesus had given them so much free food the previous day that they could not eat it all. When they came to Jesus again, looking for more free food, Jesus taught them a lesson about the kind of food that only he can provide. You see, all the food in the world cannot truly satisfy people. They eat, but they get hungry; they eat some more, but they will soon hunger again. All earthly things are like that food. People get money, but they want more. People have homes, but they want nicer ones. People have holidays, but they want to extend them. No amount of money, homes, holidays, food, entertainment, or any other material thing can satisfy people forever. Jesus called all these things the food that perishes.

But Jesus provides a food that can satisfy us forever. That is what he meant when he said, “I am the bread of life.” Listen to his explanation: “I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.” (John 6:35) Jesus is talking about satisfaction in our souls. He is talking about the satisfaction of knowing that no matter what happens to us here on earth, we have eternal life that can never be taken away. God gave Jesus as a gift to his people to comfort us and assure us that we will live with him forever. “And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day.” (John 6:40)

Jesus gives us the satisfaction and comfort of eternal life by taking away the guilt of our sin. Whenever we sin—by being proud, by blaspheming God’s name, by failing to help our neighbour when we could, by lustful thoughts and fornicating actions, by coveting, by failing to worship God, or by committing any other sin—we are guilty of transgressing against the holy God. God is so majestic and holy that every sin, no matter how small it seems, is terribly wicked. Every person, no matter how good he seems, deserves to die forever because of his wicked sins against such a holy God. But God’s love for his people is so great that he sent Jesus to die in our place. By Jesus’ death on the cross, he paid the full penalty of all the sins of all his people. “I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.” (John 6:51)

What a marvelous gift of God for his people! Jesus, the bread of life! “He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him. As the living Father hath sent me, and I live by the Father: so he that eateth me, even he shall live by me.” (John 6:56-57) And what does it mean to eat Jesus’ flesh and drink his blood? It means to come to Jesus in faith and to trust that what he says is true. “I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst” (John 6:35).

Many of you who read this will not believe Jesus. You will doubt that what Jesus says is true. You will not come to Jesus for true and everlasting satisfaction, but you will continue seeking fulfillment in money, in travel, in politics, in pleasures, in idols that cannot see or hear or walk, in traditions, in empty entertainment. All these things seem so nice now! But none of these things will ever truly satisfy you. All these things will perish, and finally you will perish too.

In Jesus Christ alone is life and salvation. For Jesus is the bread of life! Believe on him! Trust that Jesus is the saviour from sin! And remember what Jesus said: “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life. I am that bread of life.” (John 6:47-48)

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