The Bread of Life

John 6:24-35

²⁴... when the crowd saw that neither Jesus nor his disciples were there, they themselves got into the boats and went to Capernaum looking for Jesus.

25 When they found him on the other side of the lake, they said to him, ‘Rabbi, when did you come here?’ ²⁶Jesus answered them, ‘Very truly, I tell you, you are looking for me, not because you saw signs (σημεια), but because you ate your fill of the loaves. ²⁷Do not work for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures for eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. For it is on him that God the Father has set his seal.’ ²⁸Then they said to him, ‘What must we do to perform the works of God?’ ²⁹Jesus answered them, ‘This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent.’ ³⁰So they said to him, ‘What sign (σημειον) are you going to give us then, so that we may see it and believe you? What work are you performing? ³¹Our ancestors ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written, “He gave them bread from heaven to eat.” ’ ³²Then Jesus said to them, ‘Very truly, I tell you, it was not Moses who gave you the bread from heaven, but it is my Father who gives you the true bread from heaven. ³³For the bread of God is that which^* comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.’ ³⁴They said to him, ‘Sir, give us this bread always.’

35 Jesus said to them, ‘I am (εγω ειμι) the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never hunger, and whoever believes in me will never thirst. 

Our gospel lesson for the upcoming Sunday continues Jesus’ “Bread of Life” discourse with the signifying features that we noticed in the beginning of John chapter 6 yesterday morning. The people have been fed, bread and fish, a creating event that signifies who Jesus is. All they can think about is filling their bellies, that they got a free meal; while Jesus tells them that they are overlooking the signs (σημεια). The signs of what? The signs of who Jesus is.

And who is he? 

John’s gospel is a masterful composition. First Jesus says that the true bread comes from heaven, from God. Then he says that he is that bread that comes from God, the bread of life. Most significantly perhaps, in saying that, Jesus refers to himself using God’s Name: I AM.

I AM the bread of life.

It is not simply predicate nominative in a compositional sense. It is the essence of John’s theological assertion about Jesus.

Who is Jesus?

I AM -- the Bread of Life. 

TW+