Stay Hungry for More: Christ the Bread of Life

Crowds chased Jesus for loaves, but he offered himself. John 6 unfolds with people seeking another free meal after the feeding of the 5,000, and Jesus confronting their motive: “Do not work for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures to eternal life.” He redirects hunger from temporary relief to himself: “I am the bread of life.” In the first century, bread was not a side—it was survival. By calling himself bread, Jesus claims to be essential for true life, not a spiritual garnish. He is not merely meeting a felt need; he is revealing the need beneath every need.

He also makes a divine claim. The phrase “I am” (ego eimi) intentionally echoes God’s self-revelation to Moses in Exodus 3:14. He is not presenting an inspiring metaphor but identifying himself as the eternal God who came down from heaven. That is why he contrasts manna—daily biological fuel that spoiled and could not save—with himself as the bread that grants zoe, the eternal, God-breathed kind of life. Biological life (bios) is not enough; souls are built with an ache for eternity, and finite goods cannot fill an infinite hunger.

The promise “never hunger, never thirst” is emphatic—an unbreakable assurance to those who come and believe. Yet the path is demanding. “Unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood…” is not a call to spectacle but to total participation in his crucified life—receiving his sacrifice, taking his words deep, chewing on his hard commands, and surrendering control. Many left because it offended their self-sufficiency. The invitation remains: stop grazing on spiritual appetizers—distractions, screens, even churchy comforts—and come to the table where Christ himself is the meal.

Eating is an act of trust. You do not get full by reading a menu; you must take and eat. To come and believe is to appropriate Christ—daily, concretely, with Scripture, prayer, obedience, and repentance. The bread is already on the table. True satisfaction is found not in what he gives, but in who he is.

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Key Takeaways

• 1. Seek the Giver, not the gifts. Our hearts easily chase loaves instead of the Lord. Jesus exposes motives and redirects desire toward himself as the enduring food. Good things become empty when they replace the One who gives them weight, meaning, and life. [43:04]
• 2. Belief is the work God requires. When asked for the “works of God,” Jesus pointed to one thing: believe in the One he sent. This is not passivity but a decisive entrustment of the self—mind, will, and loves—to Christ. Faith is the hand that receives the meal he alone provides. [43:29]
• 3. Only Jesus satisfies infinite hunger. Souls are built with eternity in them; finite pleasures cannot quiet that ache. The Bread of Life ends the endless cycle of craving by giving himself without measure. The promise to “never hunger” rests on his inexhaustible fullness, not our fluctuating strength. [59:40]
• 4. Embrace the scandal of dependence. “Eat my flesh…drink my blood” calls for deep participation in Christ’s cross and teachings, not a casual nibble. It offends self-rule because grace demands surrender—of control, image, and instant gratification. Dependence on Jesus is not weakness; it is wisdom aligned with reality. [63:04]
• 5. Move from appetizers to abiding. It’s possible to enjoy Christian community and never take in Christ himself. Move beyond belonging to believing; beyond smelling bread to eating it. Abide by coming and believing, chewing on Scripture, and letting his words reorder desires. [72:47]

Youtube Chapters

• [00:00] - Welcome
• [20:36] - Blood drive and community opportunities
• [35:15] - The restaurant-bread analogy
• [39:22] - Launching a series in John
• [41:13] - Feeding of the 5,000 backdrop
• [42:38] - Reading John 6:25-35
• [45:38] - Big idea: Stay hungry for more
• [47:43] - Why “bread” and not “wine” or “honey”
• [51:46] - Manna vs. Bread of Life; zoe explained
• [55:51] - “I AM” and the claim of divinity
• [59:40] - Promise: never hunger, never thirst
• [63:04] - Hard saying: eat my flesh, drink my blood
• [67:02] - Surrendering self-sufficiency
• [68:41] - A personal struggle and the Word
• [71:42] - How to respond: come and believe

Bible reading

- John 6:25-35

When they found him on the other side of the lake, they asked him, “Rabbi, when did you get here?”

Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, you are looking for me, not because you saw the signs I performed but because you ate the loaves and had your fill. Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. For on him God the Father has placed his seal of approval.”

Then they asked him, “What must we do to do the works God requires?”

Jesus answered, “The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent.”

So they asked him, “What sign then will you give that we may see it and believe you? What will you do? Our ancestors ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written: ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’”

Jesus said to them, “Very truly I tell you, it is not Moses who has given you the bread from heaven, but it is my Father who gives you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is the bread that comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.”

“Sir,” they said, “always give us this bread.”

Then Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.”

Observation questions

1. In verses 26–27, what motive does Jesus expose in the crowd, and what does he tell them to pursue instead of “food that perishes”? “You seek me not because you saw signs but because you ate of the loaves and were filled” [43:04].
2. What does Jesus call “the work of God” in verse 29? “This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent” [43:29].
3. Right after witnessing a miracle the day before, what did the crowd ask Jesus for, and what does that reveal about their expectations (vv. 30–31)? “What then do you do for a sign so that we may see and believe you?” [43:54].
4. What claim and promise does Jesus make in verse 35? “I am the bread of life; he who comes to me will not hunger, and he who believes in me will never thirst” [44:51].

Interpretation questions

1. If belief is called “the work of God” (v. 29), how is belief more than mental agreement? In what ways is belief an active entrusting of the whole self to Jesus? “This is the work of God, that you believe…” [43:29].
2. Given the first-century setting where bread meant survival, what is Jesus claiming by calling himself “bread” instead of a sweeter or fancier image? “In the first century bread was not just a side dish… if you didn’t have bread, you died” [47:43].
3. If Jesus’ “I am” echoes God’s name in Exodus 3:14, what does that say about who is standing before the crowd and what response is fitting? “I am who I am… and that’s the same verb that Jesus is using” [56:42].
4. The promise uses the strongest form of “never.” What does this tell us about the source and security of satisfaction in Jesus versus the cycle of cravings we chase? “You shall, by no means, under no circumstances, ever hunger again” [01:00:21].

Application questions

1. Where have you been chasing loaves more than the Lord—seeking gifts from Jesus more than Jesus himself? What might it look like this week to turn from the “free bread” to the Bread of Life? “You seek me… because you ate of the loaves and were filled” [43:04].
2. What “appetizers” tend to fill you up and dull your appetite for Christ—screens, scrolling, snacking, busyness? Share a recent moment like that and what a different response could have looked like. “I turned the TV on… scanning… then to the fridge… nothing was going to satisfy” [01:09:14].
3. It’s possible to admire the menu and never eat. What is one simple, concrete practice you will adopt this week to “take and eat” (e.g., a set time in John 6 with prayer, obeying one clear command)? “You can’t satisfy hunger by just studying the menu… you gotta eat the food” [01:12:20].
4. Dependence on Jesus challenges our self-sufficiency. Where is surrendering control hard for you right now—image, timing, outcomes? What one step of surrender will you take? “Believing… requires surrendering our desire for control, image, instant gratification” [01:07:29].
5. Which of Jesus’ “hard” teachings do you most resist right now—loving an enemy, forgiving someone, refusing jealousy, telling the truth? What Scripture will you “chew on,” and what obedience will you practice this week? “Love thy enemy… Forgive those that have sinned against you. Hard teachings” [01:06:22].
6. When your heart is stirred up (hurt, angry, anxious), what is your go-to? How can you turn faster to the Word and prayer, and which specific passage will you carry into that moment? “Sensible people control their temper… Love always protects… Forgive one another” [01:10:20].
7. Have you been “belonging” around Christian things but not yet “believing” in Christ himself? What would it look like to move from smelling the bread to eating it—today? “Many study the menu… They like the smell of the bread… but some are starving” [01:12:47].

Observation questions

1. In verses 26–27, what motive does Jesus expose in the crowd, and what does he tell them to pursue instead of “food that perishes”? “You seek me not because you saw signs but because you ate of the loaves and were filled” [43:04].
2. What does Jesus call “the work of God” in verse 29? “This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent” [43:29].
3. Right after witnessing a miracle the day before, what did the crowd ask Jesus for, and what does that reveal about their expectations (vv. 30–31)? “What then do you do for a sign so that we may see and believe you?” [43:54].
4. What claim and promise does Jesus make in verse 35? “I am the bread of life; he who comes to me will not hunger, and he who believes in me will never thirst” [44:51].

Interpretation questions

1. If belief is called “the work of God” (v. 29), how is belief more than mental agreement? In what ways is belief an active entrusting of the whole self to Jesus? “This is the work of God, that you believe…” [43:29].
2. Given the first-century setting where bread meant survival, what is Jesus claiming by calling himself “bread” instead of a sweeter or fancier image? “In the first century bread was not just a side dish… if you didn’t have bread, you died” [47:43].
3. If Jesus’ “I am” echoes God’s name in Exodus 3:14, what does that say about who is standing before the crowd and what response is fitting? “I am who I am… and that’s the same verb that Jesus is using” [56:42].
4. The promise uses the strongest form of “never.” What does this tell us about the source and security of satisfaction in Jesus versus the cycle of cravings we chase? “You shall, by no means, under no circumstances, ever hunger again” [01:00:21].

Application questions

1. Where have you been chasing loaves more than the Lord—seeking gifts from Jesus more than Jesus himself? What might it look like this week to turn from the “free bread” to the Bread of Life? “You seek me… because you ate of the loaves and were filled” [43:04].
2. What “appetizers” tend to fill you up and dull your appetite for Christ—screens, scrolling, snacking, busyness? Share a recent moment like that and what a different response could have looked like. “I turned the TV on… scanning… then to the fridge… nothing was going to satisfy” [01:09:14].
3. It’s possible to admire the menu and never eat. What is one simple, concrete practice you will adopt this week to “take and eat” (e.g., a set time in John 6 with prayer, obeying one clear command)? “You can’t satisfy hunger by just studying the menu… you gotta eat the food” [01:12:20].
4. Dependence on Jesus challenges our self-sufficiency. Where is surrendering control hard for you right now—image, timing, outcomes? What one step of surrender will you take? “Believing… requires surrendering our desire for control, image, instant gratification” [01:07:29].
5. Which of Jesus’ “hard” teachings do you most resist right now—loving an enemy, forgiving someone, refusing jealousy, telling the truth? What Scripture will you “chew on,” and what obedience will you practice this week? “Love thy enemy… Forgive those that have sinned against you. Hard teachings” [01:06:22].
6. When your heart is stirred up (hurt, angry, anxious), what is your go-to? How can you turn faster to the Word and prayer, and which specific passage will you carry into that moment? “Sensible people control their temper… Love always protects… Forgive one another” [01:10:20].
7. Have you been “belonging” around Christian things but not yet “believing” in Christ himself? What would it look like to move from smelling the bread to eating it—today? “Many study the menu… They like the smell of the bread… but some are starving” [01:12:47].