They waffled: “Why don’t you give us a clue about who you are, just a hint of what’s going on? When we see what’s up, we’ll commit ourselves.” John 6:30 MSG

I grew up in an old country farmhouse surrounded by the aroma of various things baking. Homemade bread is one of our family specialties, and I’ve witnessed my mom going through the process to make it countless times. The mixing of ingredients, the kneading, the rising, the kneading again, the rising again, the baking, the eating! A slice of Mom’s bread, warm out of the oven with a little bit of butter...it simply can’t be beat. That is, until you’re hungry for the next slice, and I can guarantee you that you’ll want another piece!

The crowd in John 6 had just seen Jesus do something amazing, and they witnessed the process, too: the small loaves and fish taken, given thanks for, broken, multiplied, and eaten by thousands of people. They saw Jesus do all of these things with their own eyes, they ate the very bread that had been multiplied, and yet they still asked him for something more.

“Jesus, that was super cool what you did back there with all that food, but we’re gonna be hungry again tomorrow. Feed us a few more times, and then we’ll believe what we’re seeing.”

The multiplication of the fish and loaves brought to their minds manna, the bread God sent from heaven when the Israelites wandered in the desert (Exodus 16). That bread appeared every single morning for years, so when Jesus fed the crowd using bread...they expected the same from him in their present state. What they didn’t expect was his response.

“Jesus said, “I am the Bread of Life. The person who aligns with me hungers no more and thirsts no more, ever.’” (John 6:35 MSG)

Say what? It was a radical idea that a person could be consumed, but Jesus didn’t mean it in a literal sense. How do we “consume” the Bread of Life? By believing what He says! After aligning ourselves with Him, He lives in us, we live in Him, and we hunger and thirst no more, ever.

Have you been expecting just *one more thing* from God to clue you in on what He’s all about? Earthly bread, no matter how heavenly it tastes, will only temporarily satisfy. A true taste of heaven requires belief, and we in turn share the “bread that gives life to the world (v34)” each time we smile at a stranger, hug a friend’s neck, or help a neighbor in need.

If you’d like to read or re-read the overview/summary of this week’s passage, you can find it here.