Simple Thoughts on a Beautiful Reading – John 6:22-35 awaits you on Sunday.
God gives us all our Daily Bread. He created the world and He cares for the world. He gives to all people the food and clothing and shelter and health and safety and family that they need. For all this we should thank and praise Him, serve and obey Him!
But sin has broken this world. The Daily Bread that God gives comes by hard work and the sweat of our brows, but He is still the One who provides. Working by the sweat of the brow for the food we need is hard. It is part of the curse on the world because we have sinned (Genesis 3:17-19). The people who ate the bread when Jesus fed the 5000 (John 6:1-15) liked the idea of being free from the hardships of work and labor, thorns and weeds. They wanted a world with no brokenness due to sin. They wanted Jesus to give it to them. To them, that meant free bread.
But God wanted to give them much more than just bread – barley loaves and fish. He gave them His only-begotten Son. Jesus took the sin of the world into His flesh and paid for it at His death on the Cross. He rose again to life. All who believe in Him, have eternal life. They have much more than Daily Bread in this world.
Those who believe in Jesus also have the Living Bread who gives them life forever. Jesus fed the 5000 so that the people might understand who He is and would look to Him for something greater than a free lunch. But they were unable to move past the day to day hunger of their bellies to appreciate the eternal life God offered them in Jesus Christ. Before you judge them for short sightedness, recognize that this text is here to challenge you too to look to God for both Daily Bread in this life and the Bread of Life for salvation – Jesus. God wants to give you HIMSELF.
Are you interested? I tell you the truth, His love and forgiveness is sweet beyond words.
He is here for you. Come and listen, come and live.