True bread

Once the crowd realised that neither Jesus nor his disciples were there, they got into the boats and went to Capernaum in search of Jesus.

When they found him on the other side of the lake, they asked him, ‘Rabbi, when did you get here?’

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. 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.’

Then they asked him, ‘What must we do to do the works God requires?’

Jesus answered, ‘The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent.’

So they asked him, ‘What sign then will you give that we may see it and believe you? What will you do? Our ancestors ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written: “He gave them bread from heaven to eat.”’

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. For the bread of God is the bread that comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.’

‘Sir,’ they said, ‘always give us this bread.’

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.’

John 6:24–35 (NIVUK)

Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Last week, we began a four-week run in John 6 where the overarching theme is bread. When the people come in search of another miracle, Jesus proclaims himself to be the Bread of Life. Let’s pray…

Lord Jesus, you declare that you are the Bread of Life that satisfies eternally. Give us this bread always, and particularly right now as we receive it through your Word. In your name we pray. Amen.

When we were in the midst of COVID lockdowns a few of years ago now, social media blew up with all kinds of weird obsessions that people were getting into. Since we had so much time on our hands, a lot of people took up hobbies and projects that they otherwise wouldn’t have had the time for.

One of those viral obsessions was making sourdough bread. Social media feeds were flooded with sourdough starter recipes and how-to videos. For whatever reason, people enjoyed the challenge of making a food that they were otherwise used to buying off the shelf. A few years later, we’ve got a sourdough starter brewing in our house, though it’s a bit slow to get going.

Bread is an absolute staple in our diets and it has been for thousands of years. These days, even those who have an intolerance to gluten have access to bread they can eat.

Some people still choose to make their own bread at home, but that’s fairly rare. Most of us buy the square loaf off the shelf that generally only acts as a vehicle for other things. In my opinion, a nice thick slice of sourdough with a bit of butter or olive oil is something to be enjoyed all on its own.

Jesus has a way of using images and analogies that stand the test of time. He uses vineyards, wine, water, grain storage, and even sheep to describe God’s kingdom to us. Today, he teaches us using the timeless example of bread.

The people wanted more bread

When they found him on the other side of the lake, they asked him, ‘Rabbi, when did you get here?’

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.’

John 6:25–26 (NIVUK)

For the thousands of people that had just been fed with five loaves of bread and two fish, bread is far more than just an analogy or illustration. They had just eaten the bread that Jesus had given thanks for and somehow provided for all these people. The next day, they come searching for more.

At first, the people go back to the place the miracle had happened, but he wasn’t there. They also figured that there was only one boat on the shore, last they saw, and the disciples went without Jesus. When they eventually find him in Capernaum, across the lake, they wonder how on earth Jesus got across so quickly. If you paid attention to the gospel reading last week, you’ll know that the disciples didn’t know how either.

This interaction also happens in the Capernaum synagogue—these people know their Scripture. So, a very clear connection is made to the manna from heaven, which we heard about in our Old Testament reading this morning. God, through Moses, had given the people bread from heaven to sustain them in the desert. The people wondered whether Jesus could possibly be even greater than Moses, so they are seeing if he’ll do a bigger and better version of that.

They want the gift that Jesus gives. They come with their physical need—hunger, in this case—and they expect Jesus to meet their need.

Humanity has always had this problem and we sure still do today. We see ourselves as consumers, purchasing things that we need or want, using them, and then expecting more to be provided for us. This consumerist way of thinking shows in our attitude towards restaurants, government, schools, and even churches. Let’s ponder that for a moment.

• Restaurants: We arrive at a place with a physical hunger, and we expect to get what we ask for at a reasonable price, to a tasty and safe standard, and all within a reasonable time frame. When any one of these expectations aren’t met—the price is too high, the flavour is too bland, the quantity is too small, it seems unsafe to eat, or it takes too long—we either complain or we simply don’t come back.

• Government: We use public services—health services, schools, parks, libraries, roads—with an expectation that these things will be cheap (if not completely free of charge), run efficiently, not under-staffed or over-staffed, won’t keep us waiting, won’t annoyingly over-communicate with us, and offer us a world-class standard of living.

• Schools: We expect our schools to educate our children with the basic literacy and numeracy skills for life in the world. We also expect schools to teach our children how to be good citizens in the community, know between right and wrong, regulate their emotions, and be given the freedom to express themselves while also not allowing them to do certain activities. In Christian schools, we also expect our children to be taught the basics of the faith in a way that they’ll desire it and hold on to it.

• Churches: Maybe I’ll let you ponder that one.

The people came to Jesus in search for more bread. They wanted what Jesus could give.

When you come into this place on a Sunday morning, what do you expect from Jesus? When you come to Him in devotion and prayer, what do you expect to receive?

It’s well and good to come to church week-to-week, but how you come is important. Are you like the crowds, having received great things from Him before, come wanting more of what He can give? 

We need both physical and spiritual bread

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.’

John 6:27 (NIVUK)

Jesus knows full well that human beings have physical needs. He has plenty to say about giving to those in need, whether that be financial or practical. We give an offering each week which helps us to keep the doors open, continuing to operate so that we can meet the needs in our community as they arise. We also give physical food to those in need through our Foodbank bin. There are plenty of other projects we do at St Martin’s to help to meet the needs of others.

In His own prayer, Jesus also teaches us to ask God to provide our daily bread. This petition is about our physical needs, not our spiritual needs. We are asking God to give us what we need to get through the day physically—food, water, shelter, and the financial provisions to obtain those things.

It is in the next line of the Lord’s Prayer that we ask for our spiritual daily bread: the forgiveness of sins.

Jesus is the giver, but also the gift

Our physical and spiritual bread are two entirely different things and they meet entirely different (though both critical) needs. When we have both of these kinds of bread, life can be sustained.

A square loaf of bread off the supermarket shelf can’t forgive your sins. You’ll still need lunch after church even though your sins have been forgiven. However, our physical bread and spiritual bread intersect at one point and one point only. It is no accident that, when Jesus instituted the meal that would give us forgiveness, life, and salvation, he chose bread to be His body.

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.’

John 6:35 (NIVUK)

Friends, when you came to church this morning, I hope you expected to receive God’s gifts—forgiveness of your sin, light in this dark world, hope in your hopelessness, and peace in the chaos of life. You may have expected the gifts, and rightly so, but did you expect to also receive the giver?

It is Jesus, the Bread of Life, who we receive when we come into His presence. When we leave this building, He doesn’t leave us. Through His Holy Spirit, He is always present with us.

Getting bread takes work, whether you’re making it yourself or earning money to buy it off the shelf. To obtain the Bread of Life, the only work necessary is the work of faith. To believe that He is the Bread of Life that sustains us is enough. We don’t need to go anywhere, and we don’t need to do anything. He gives Himself freely and abundantly, never running out and never going stale.

May we open our hands and our hearts to receive this bread often, so that our faith is strengthened, our joy is made complete, and our life is made whole in His.

Let us pray.

Lord God, you graciously and abundantly provide all we need, both physically and spiritually. We thank you for giving us the Bread of Life, you Son, so that we never need to be hungry or thirsty again. Always give us this bread, we pray. Amen.