Jesus, the Bread of Life, Gives Eternal Life

Jesus declares in John 6 that whoever continues to believe on Him has everlasting life. Jesus is not talking about these natural bodies living forever, because God will give His people a new spiritual body. Jesus is the bread of life, the spiritual sustenance that feeds the real person, the spirit living inside the body. The word of God, prayer, and staying connected to Christ keep the spirit from being weak, famished, and anemic.

Jesus compares Himself with the manna in the wilderness. The manna came down from heaven and sustained Israel for a time, but those who ate it still died physically. Christ is the true manna, the living bread from heaven, and those who partake of Him will not experience the second death. God used natural manna to show something spiritual, because natural bread only takes a person so far, but Christ takes a person into eternal life.

Jesus says that the bread He gives is His flesh, given for the life of the world. Communion remembers Christ’s body broken and His blood shed, but the bread and juice by themselves are nothing apart from obedience. Obedience to Christ’s command makes the partaking meaningful, because it identifies believers with His body, His blood, His death, and His coming again. Christ bore the stripes, the mockery, the crown of thorns, and the punishment for sin as the sacrifice that atones for the world.

The Jews stumble because they hear Christ naturally and think He is speaking about cannibalism. Offense clouds understanding, and people holding grudges can misinterpret even plain words. Jesus drives the point home: His flesh and blood must be received spiritually. The words Christ speaks are spirit and life, calling people to partake of His character, put on His mind, walk in humility, and become more like Him. A person becomes like what that person eats, and a spirit fed on Christ becomes more like Christ.

Jesus lets many disciples walk away when they refuse to receive His words in the spirit. Peter remains and confesses, “Lord, to whom shall we go? Thou hast the words of eternal life.” Christ alone is the Messiah, the Son of the living God. Judas remains among the twelve, yet his love for money leads him to betray the innocent Christ.

Luke 22 shows Christ giving the communion example at Passover. Christ fulfills the old Passover, so no lamb must be slain and no blood must be sprinkled on the door anymore. Jesus is the Passover Lamb, slain according to God’s determined plan before the foundation of the world. The cup is the New Testament in His blood, and the bread is His body given for His people in remembrance of Him.

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Key Takeaways

• 1. Christ feeds the real person Jesus calls Himself the bread of life because the spirit needs nourishment just as the body needs food. Natural food sustains a body for a little while, but Christ’s words sustain the hidden person of the heart. Prayer, Scripture, and communion keep a believer connected to the Vine rather than living spiritually weak. [22:22]
• 2. Natural manna cannot give eternal life Manna was a real provision from God, but it was never the final provision. Christ is the true bread from heaven, and He delivers believers from the second death into life forever with Him. The comparison warns against being satisfied with temporary blessings while missing the One who gives eternal life. [28:10]
• 3. Communion is obedience to Christ The bread and cup do not become meaningful because of their material substance. Communion becomes a holy partaking because believers obey Christ’s command and remember His sacrifice. Christ uses this act to draw His people into abiding in Him and receiving anew what His body and blood have accomplished. [31:24]
• 4. Offense can blind spiritual understanding The offended disciples heard Christ’s words but could not receive His meaning because they remained trapped in natural thinking and past offense. Jesus does not call people to merely hear words, but to receive them in the spirit. A heart that refuses correction or holds grudges can miss God while standing close to holy things. [36:41]
• 5. Christ alone has eternal-life words Peter does not claim that every moment has been easy to understand, but he knows there is nowhere else to go. Christ’s words lead beyond temporary life, earthly provision, and human wisdom. Faith holds fast to Christ because He is the Messiah, the Son of the living God.
  
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Youtube Chapters

• [00:00] - Welcome
• [17:32] - John 6 and the Bread of Life
• [21:03] - Believing on Christ for Everlasting Life
• [22:00] - Feeding the Spirit Every Day
• [24:51] - Manna in the Wilderness and True Bread
• [30:37] - Communion and Christ’s Body
• [34:38] - Natural Thinking and Spiritual Understanding
• [39:55] - Partaking of Christ’s Character
• [45:10] - Dwelling in Christ and Christ in Believers
• [53:38] - The Hard Saying and the Four Soils
• [60:03] - The Words of Christ Are Spirit and Life
• [65:05] - Disciples Who Walked Away
• [67:34] - Peter’s Confession of Eternal Life
• [71:43] - The Passover and the Lord’s Supper
• [84:12] - The New Testament in Christ’s Blood

Bible Reading

John 6:47-71
“Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes has eternal life. I am the bread of life. Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died. This is the bread that comes down from heaven, so that one may eat of it and not die. 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. The Jews then disputed among themselves, saying, 'How can this man give us his flesh to eat?' 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. Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day. For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink. Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me, and I in him. 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. 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.' Jesus said these things in the synagogue, as he taught at Capernaum. When many of his disciples heard it, they said, 'This is a hard saying; who can listen to it?' But Jesus, knowing in himself that his disciples were grumbling about this, said to them, 'Do you take offense at this? Then what if you were to see the Son of Man ascending to where he was before? It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh is no help at all. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life. But there are some of you who do not believe.' (For Jesus knew from the beginning who those were who did not believe, and who it was who would betray him.) And he said, 'This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted him by the Father.' After this many of his disciples turned back and no longer walked with him. So Jesus said to the twelve, 'Do you want to go away as well?' Simon Peter answered him, 'Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life, and we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God.' Jesus answered them, 'Did I not choose you, the twelve? And yet one of you is a devil.' He spoke of Judas the son of Simon Iscariot, for he, one of the twelve, was going to betray him.” [17:23]

Luke 22:7-22
“Then came the day of Unleavened Bread, on which the Passover lamb had to be sacrificed. So Jesus sent Peter and John, saying, 'Go and prepare the Passover for us, that we may eat it.' They said to him, 'Where will you have us prepare it?' He said to them, 'Behold, when you have entered the city, a man carrying a jar of water will meet you. Follow him into the house that he enters and tell the master of the house, 'The Teacher says to you, Where is the guest room, where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?' And he will show you a large upper room furnished; prepare it there.' And they went and found it just as he had told them, and they prepared the Passover. And when the hour came, he reclined at table, and the apostles with him. And he said to them, 'I have earnestly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer. For I tell you I will not eat it until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God.' And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he said, 'Take this, and divide it among yourselves. For I tell you that from now on I will not drink of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes.' And he took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to them, saying, 'This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.' And likewise the cup after they had eaten, saying, 'This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood. But behold, the hand of him who betrays me is with me on the table. For the Son of Man goes as it has been determined, but woe to that man by whom he is betrayed!” [01:11:43]

Matthew 4:4
“But he answered, 'It is written, "Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.” [22:05]

Observation questions

1. In John 6, what contrasts does Jesus make between the manna Israel ate in the wilderness and Himself as the bread from heaven? [27:43]
2. What response do many disciples have after calling Jesus’ words a hard saying, and how does Peter respond when Jesus asks the twelve if they will also leave? [01:05:07]
3. According to John 6, what does Jesus say about the relationship between receiving Him and abiding in Him? [45:39]
4. In Luke 22, what do the bread and cup represent, and what does Jesus ask His disciples to do with them? [01:25:49]

Interpretation questions

1. Why is it important that Jesus explains His words about His flesh and blood as spirit and life rather than something to be understood in a merely natural way? [59:40]
2. Jesus connects manna, which sustained people for a time, with Himself, who gives eternal life. What does this reveal about the difference between temporary blessings and the salvation Christ gives? [27:47]
3. Communion involves bread and a cup, but it also involves obedience and remembrance. How does this help believers approach communion as more than a religious routine? [31:24]
4. Many disciples walked away when they could not receive Jesus’ hard words, while Peter stayed because he knew Jesus had the words of eternal life. What does Peter’s response show about faithful trust when every question is not immediately answered? [01:07:34]

Application questions

1. Jesus is the bread of life, and God’s Word nourishes the spirit. What are some signs that a person’s spirit is becoming weak or spiritually famished? What practice could help strengthen your time in God’s Word this week? [22:51]
2. Prayer and staying connected to Christ keep believers from trying to live on natural strength alone. Where have you been relying mainly on your own strength lately, and how can you bring that area to God in prayer? [23:24]
3. Offense can cloud a person’s understanding and cause them to misread another person’s words. Is there an offense, hurt, or grudge that may be shaping how you hear someone in your life? What would it look like to bring that honestly before the Lord? [36:36]
4. To partake of Christ spiritually means growing in His character, humility, and way of life. What part of Christ’s character do you most need to put on right now—in your home, work, church, or relationships? [40:13]
5. Peter’s question reminds believers that there is nowhere better to go than Christ, because He has the words of eternal life. When have you been tempted to look elsewhere for lasting satisfaction, comfort, or direction? [01:08:14]
6. Jesus gave His body and shed His blood for the forgiveness of sins. How can remembering His sacrifice change the way you respond to guilt, temptation, or the sins of others this week? [32:31]