Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; he who comes to Me will not hunger, and he who believes in Me, will never thirst.” (Jn. 6:35)

As possessors of a physical body we need food to survive; without it we will die. When our body hungers it tells us; it growls and groans until it is filled. To satisfy the hunger pains our body expresses we eat. Food tastes good to a hungry stomach. Not only does food taste good, it also (depending on the type of foods we eat) provides much needed proteins and nutrients for the body. Eating too many of the wrong foods can weaken the body and increase our chances for sickness.

But man also has another hunger that needs to be filled... the hunger of the soul. A spiritual hunger that growls and groans to be satisfied. Man has constantly been in search of that which can fill him internally; and in that he has tried a variety of different diets (cf. Ecc. 2:1-11). Some have fed on money, only to find that it still leaves them hungry. Others have fed on possessions, or power, or hobbies, or certain worldly practices; but they too fail to provide what man needs. Man still hungers. So what will truly satisfy his pains for fulfillment?

In this lesson we want to look at Jesus as the Bread of Life. He is the One who can fully satisfy what man needs. As the right types of foods are important for a healthy physical body, so it is with the soul; it too must be properly fed... we need the Bread of Life.

Scriptures: Ps. 42:1-3; Ex. 16:1-4; Matt. 5:6; Jn. 6:1-35

1. How important is food to the body?

2. How important is a properly fed soul?

3. What was the reaction of the multitude to the miraculous

feeding? What did Jesus do?

4. Why did the multitude seek Jesus the next day? (Jn. 1:26)

5. What is the food which perishes? (Jn. 1:27)

6. What is the food which endures? (Jn. 1:27)

7. If this Jesus is the Bread of Life, how can I feed on Him?

(cf. Ps. 19:7-11; Isa. 55:1-3; 1 Cor. 11:23-29; Heb. 5:12-14; 1 Pet. 2:2-3)

8. What did Jesus ask Philip? (Jn. 6:5)

Has He asked similar of us? (cf. Matt. 28:19-20; Rom. 10:13-15)