In this week’s passage, Jesus declares, “I am the bread of life.” Verse 25 begins with the crowd seeking Jesus after the miraculous feeding of the 5,000, but their intentions are more about their physical needs rather than their spiritual needs. Jesus quickly addresses this by urging them not to work for food that perishes, but for food that endures to eternal life which only comes through Him.
The people, still focused on their immediate desires, ask for a sign like the manna their ancestors ate in the wilderness. They weren’t necessarily there to hear Jesus’ teaching, but another miraculous provision of food. This is why Jesus tries to redirect their thinking by saying: it wasn’t Moses who provided the manna, it was God. He continues to explain that the true bread from heaven is not physical, but spiritual, and it can give new life to the world.
At this point, Jesus makes the profound statement: “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.” With these words, Jesus identifies Himself as the ultimate source of spiritual nourishment. While the crowd was focused on their physical hunger, Jesus points to a much deeper need—the hunger within their souls.
Can you see, how this passage challenges us to reflect on what we are seeking in life. As we often focus on the temporary, our material needs, instead of searching for the eternal satisfaction that only Jesus can provide. Just as physical food sustains our bodies, spiritual food also sustains us both in the here and now and the future. And this is why Jesus invites us to come to Him, to believe in Him, and to find lasting fulfillment in a relationship with God the Father through Him.