January 4, 2026 - I Am the bread of Life (John 6 - John Shearhart)

Devotional

Day 1: Only Jesus satisfies your deepest spiritual hunger

You know the feeling of being full one night and hungry again the next day. The crowd followed Jesus for more bread, but He offered Himself instead. Physical gifts are good, yet they cannot touch the ache inside. Jesus names Himself the Bread of Life, the one food that does not run out and does not leave you empty. Come to Him not for the perks, but because He alone is the meal your soul was made to eat.

John 6:47–51 — I tell you the truth: the one who trusts in me already shares in everlasting life. I am the true bread that answers the deepest hunger. Your ancestors ate the manna in the wilderness and still died, but this bread comes from heaven so that the one who eats it will not die. I am the living bread that came down from heaven; whoever feeds on this bread will live forever. And the bread I give for the life of the world is my own flesh.

Reflection: Where have you been chasing perishable bread this week (approval, productivity, entertainment, or a specific habit), and what is one small shift you can make today to turn toward Jesus at that exact moment?


Day 2: See your hunger for what it is

We know how to feed the body but often overlook the soul. The neglected spirit keeps crying out, even while the body is well cared for. God planted eternity in the human heart, so nothing temporary can quiet that longing. Many try to fill the gap with relationships, accomplishments, substances, or endless busyness, but the ache remains. Name the hunger before God today, not to shame yourself, but to become honest about where you really are.

Ecclesiastes 3:11 — God makes everything fitting in its proper time, and He has placed a sense of eternity deep within the human heart. Even so, we cannot trace out all He is doing from beginning to end.

Reflection: When do you most feel the restless ache—late at night, during your commute, after conflict—and how could you invite Jesus into that specific window this week?


Day 3: Feeding on Jesus through believing and abiding

Jesus’ startling words about flesh and blood point to a deeper reality. To “feed on” Him is to entrust yourself to Him, receive His sacrifice, and remain in His presence. This is not about religious performance; it is about a living dependence that keeps returning to Him for life. Communion is a precious symbol of this, but the daily practice is trust, prayer, and obedience that says, “I need You.” Let your soul keep chewing on His promises until they become your nourishment.

John 6:53–57 — Unless you truly take me in—my life given for you—you do not have life within you. Whoever takes in my flesh and blood shares in my life now, and I will raise that person on the last day. My flesh is real food and my blood real drink. Whoever feeds on me lives in me, and I live in them. Just as the living Father sent me and I live because of the Father, so the one who feeds on me will live because of me.

Reflection: Which specific promise or command of Jesus will you ponder and practice today as an act of “feeding” on Him, and when will you set aside five quiet minutes to do it?


Day 4: Urgency of the cross: life through His blood

The way of Jesus is not a shortcut to an easier life; it is the road marked by His own blood. Sin pays out death, and no self-improvement can cancel that debt. Out of love, Christ gave His flesh for the life of the world, so forgiveness could be real and lasting. This sobers us, but it also sets us free, because the price has been fully paid. Receive the urgency not as panic, but as a clear invitation to move toward the One who has already moved toward you.

Hebrews 9:22 — Under the pattern God gave Israel, nearly everything is cleansed with blood; without blood being poured out, forgiveness does not happen.

Reflection: Where have you been using faith mainly to improve your circumstances, and what one concrete step of repentance or reconciliation will align you with the cross-shaped way this week?


Day 5: Believe: He is God, for you, forever

Three truths steady a hungry soul: Jesus came down from heaven as God, He offers Himself to anyone, and those who trust Him will live forever. This is deeply personal—no past failure removes you from “anyone.” Say to Him again, “You are the One I want,” and let that trust reshape your steps. When you wander, return quickly; He is faithful to satisfy you again and again. Walk today with the assurance that His life covers you and His promise holds your future.

John 3:16–17 — God loved the world in this way: He gave His only Son, so that everyone who puts their trust in Him will not be lost but will share in unending life. God did not send His Son to condemn the world, but to rescue it through Him.

Reflection: If you were to tell Jesus, “You are the One I want,” what is the very next step you will take in the next 24 hours to live out that trust?

Sermon Summary

In John 6, Jesus declares, “I am the bread of life,” confronting a crowd that chased Him not for truth but for another free meal. The narrative roots this claim in Israel’s memory: manna sustained Israel’s bodies in the wilderness, yet those who ate it still died. Jesus contrasts that temporary provision with Himself—the living bread from heaven that, when received, grants eternal life. He is not an add-on to a better life; He is life. The graphic language—“eat my flesh and drink my blood”—is not spectacle for shock’s sake, but a sober call to recognize that God’s salvation is drenched in blood. The wages of sin is death; there is no forgiveness without shedding of blood. Only union with the crucified and risen Son satisfies the deep ache no diet, discipline, achievement, or diversion can reach.

This hunger, often ignored, surfaces in restlessness and relentless self-medication—through respectable pursuits like work, sports, and travel, and through destructive ones like pornography and addiction. These are “empty breads.” The ache persists because humans were made for fellowship with God; eternity is set in the heart. As C. S. Lewis noted, innate desires imply real fulfillments; spiritual longing points to a real Bread.

How then does one “feed” on Jesus? Not by religious striving, but by believing. “The work of God is this: to believe in the One He has sent.” Faith looks, comes, gazes on the Son, and entrusts itself to Him. Three truths stand at the center of this believing: Jesus came down from heaven—He is God; Jesus is for anyone—no sinner excluded who comes; and Jesus gives eternal life—He will raise believers on the last day. This faith does not merely inform; it reorients appetite. Over time it moves a person to trust His promises and obey His commands, discovering that Christ truly fills the soul.

The Lord’s Supper becomes a merciful reminder. The bread and the cup do not feed the body for long; they point to the body given and blood shed that feed the soul forever. In receiving, believers remember the cost, reject empty substitutes, and renew their hunger for the One who alone satisfies.

Key Takeaways
  • 1. Only Jesus satisfies spiritual hunger The deepest ache of the heart is not cured by good food, good feelings, or good habits. It is healed by union with the crucified and risen Christ, who alone can fill the “eternity” within. Everything else is a snack that cannot keep you alive. Real life is in Him, and in Him alone.
  • 2. See your hunger for what it is It’s easy to care well for the body while starving the soul. Restlessness, numbing behaviors, or endless busyness can be symptoms of a neglected spirit. Recognize the ache as a relational lack—distance from the God you were made to know. Naming the real hunger is the first grace toward healing.
  • 3. Feeding on Christ means believing Jesus did not prescribe a ladder of tasks but a posture of trust: come, look, believe. Faith is not mental nodding; it is turning from self-sufficiency and entrusting oneself to the Son. Believing binds one to His death and life, and that bond nourishes the soul daily.
  • 4. Beware empty breads that kill Substitutes promise quick relief but thin the soul—whether morally “clean” distractions or enslaving sins like pornography. They are baited hooks that deaden appetite for God. Ask the Spirit to turn their taste to ash, so that desire is freed to seek the true Bread.
  • 5. Believe three truths about Jesus He came down—He is God. He is for anyone—no one is beyond His mercy. He gives eternal life—He will raise His own on the last day. Feeding on Him is embracing these truths until they reshape desire and direction.
Youtube Chapters
  • - Welcome
  • - Opening and the “I AM” series
  • - “I AM” and the Bread of Life
  • - Spiritual hunger illustrated
  • - Feeding 5,000 and manna connection
  • - Chasing food vs. believing
  • - Bread from heaven, life forever
  • - Only Jesus satisfies the soul
  • - Neglecting the soul’s needs
  • - Desire points to a real fulfillment
  • - Empty substitutes and their cost
  • - Graphic language and urgency of blood
  • - The work of God: believe
  • - Three beliefs that feed on Christ
  • - Communion: body and blood remembered

Bible Study Guide

Bible reading

- John 6:47-58

[47] Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes has eternal life. [48] I am the bread of life. [49] Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died. [50] This is the bread that comes down from heaven, so that one may eat of it and not die. [51] I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. And the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.” 

[52] The Jews then disputed among themselves, saying, “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?” [53] So Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. [54] Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day. [55] For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink. [56] Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me, and I in him. [57] As the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so whoever feeds on me, he also will live because of me. [58] This is the bread that came down from heaven, not like the bread the fathers ate, and died. Whoever feeds on this bread will live forever.”

Observation questions

  1. In John 6:22-71, what words or phrases are repeated (for example, “whoever,” “eat/drink,” “eternal life,” “last day”)? What do those repetitions highlight in the passage?
  2. What contrast does Jesus make between the manna in the wilderness and the “living bread” (vv. 49-51, 58)? What happened to those who ate manna, and what happens to those who eat the living bread?
  3. In verse 53, what condition does Jesus give for “having life,” and what promise does He attach to that condition in verse 54?
  4. Why did the crowd chase Jesus down, and what motive did He expose about their search?

Interpretation questions

  1. Verse 47 says “whoever believes has eternal life,” while verses 53-57 speak of “feeding on” Jesus. What does this suggest about the nature of faith—once-for-all moment, ongoing nourishment, or both? How might that reshape how a person thinks about daily dependence on Christ?
  2. Why does Jesus use such graphic language—flesh and blood—to describe salvation? What does that communicate about sin’s seriousness and the cost of life with God?
  3. The language “whoever/anyone” runs through the passage (vv. 51, 54, 56-58). How should that shape a person’s posture toward people who feel too far gone? What barriers might this knock down in our hearts?
  4. Jesus promises, “I will raise him up on the last day” (v. 54). How does that future promise reframe the value of things that offer short-term comfort but don't feed the soul?

Application questions

  1. It’s easy to care well for the body while starving the soul. Where have restlessness, numbing habits, or over-busyness been showing up for you lately? What might those be saying about your deeper hunger?
  2. Identify one “empty bread” you’re tempted to use—respectable or destructive (work, travel, endless scrolling, porn, substances, etc.). What would it look like to ask the Spirit to turn its taste to ash so your desire is freed to seek the true Bread? Be concrete about the first step this week.
  3. Feeding on Christ means believing. What is one simple way you will practice “come, look, believe” this week—such as meditating on a specific promise, obeying a hard command, or entrusting a worry to Him in prayer? Name the promise or command you’ll respond to.
  4. Three truths to embrace: He came down (He is God), He is for anyone (including you), He gives eternal life. Which of these needs to reshape your desires most right now, and why? What is one action you’ll take to lean into that truth (for example, confession, reconciliation, bold prayer, sharing your faith)?
  5. Jesus is not a means to a better life; He is life. Where have you been treating Him as a pathway to benefits rather than as the Bread Himself? What one obedience step will you take this week to seek Him, not just His gifts?
  6. “I will raise him up on the last day.” How might this promise give you courage to let go of a specific lesser bread this week? Name the action you’ll take and the moment you expect it to be hardest.
  7. The Lord’s Supper reminds us: the bread and cup point to the body given and blood shed. How has taking communion recently stirred your hunger for Jesus or exposed substitutes? What is one daily practice (Scripture, repentance, thanksgiving, or mercy toward someone) you will adopt to “remember the cost” between Sundays?

Sermon Clips

``What is the slice of bread for today? What are we gonna pull out of John chapter six? If you don't hear anything else, here's what I want you to hear and here's what I want you to know. The only solution to your spiritual hunger is Jesus. Let say it like this. Only Jesus can satisfy your deepest hunger. Only Jesus can satisfy your spiritual hunger. [00:31:04] (24 seconds)  #OnlyJesusSatisfies

the first step. See your hunger for what it is. You have to learn to see your hunger for what it is. So these people came along to Jesus, and they had full bellies. And they said, Jesus, we really liked the feeling that we got when we took that bread, and man, it was just some of the best bread I've ever had, and it would be wonderful because it was free, if we could get it every day. Jesus said, well, you got your bellies filled, but I wanna point out something else. Spiritually, you're starving. [00:31:48] (28 seconds)  #SeeYourSpiritualHunger

And people try all kinds of things to fill this need. You have sports. Some people can tell you, I mean, who made the field goal in 1970 whatever to beat whoever, and that's their whole life. And I'm not saying there's anything wrong with having that information in your head. I know a lot of actors and movies and plots and all that stuff, because I like movies. But if that's your life, if that's how you feed that hunger, you're starving. [00:38:01] (25 seconds)  #EarthlyPassionsFallShort

I think for one thing, he's trying to set the expectation, because these people think, oh, it's Moses two point o. Oh, more food. We get to be here this time to watch it. I I think that it's the the mentality that they have, he's trying to correct that because you're not going get an easy life, and that we need to hear that ourselves. Some of you are here this morning because Jesus is a pathway to a better life, and I wanna tell you right now, that is so far from true. The gospel and the religion of Christ are drenched in blood. [00:42:54] (33 seconds)  #GospelIsCostly

And if you've come in here this morning and you're saying, well, you know, I'm pretty good with God because I'm an okay person, I'm not as bad as other people, I mean, I haven't done, like, drugs, and I'm not into prostitution and pornography and that kind of stuff. I'm a pretty good person. The Bible says, if you sin even one time ever, God is so holy, and God is sin is so pervasive, and it breaks everything in such a way that God can't allow it. The wages of sin is death, and there's no forgiveness without the shedding of blood. [00:45:14] (31 seconds)  #SinDemandsSacrifice

I need you to believe three specific things. First of all, I came down. What does that mean if he came down? The bread of the bread came down from heaven. What does that mean? Who lives in heaven? Oh, God. Jesus is God. Is that what this is saying? Jesus is saying, I am the bread of life. I am that I am. I'm the one who can satisfy your spiritual hunger, and I came down from heaven. [00:48:44] (32 seconds)  #JesusBreadOfLife

It's personal to me. It's personal to you. You might have come in here and you're just like, I don't, you know, I I don't know. Jesus, I've done some bad things. I've done some things I'll never recover from. You know what? That is probably true. But Jesus is God and he can take away your sin. His word to you is anyone who comes to me, anyone who looks to me, anyone who wants to follow me, you can. [00:50:33] (29 seconds)  #JesusWelcomesAll

I remember when I first believed it, the dramatic change. Because in an instant, I knew I knew that God wanted me to go to a specific church. And it's a long story, but, you know, I knew. And I went, and God met me there. And the thing that happened to me, it's just so hard to put into words, it's so hard to describe. I have never gotten over it. Twenty four, five years later, whatever it is, all this time later, and I'm still satisfied. [00:51:29] (36 seconds)  #FoundSatisfactionInChrist

Ask a question about this sermon