I.      Introduction

Who does Jesus say He is?

The Gospel of John describes Jesus beautifully, beginning with John 1:1: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” But for our lesson today, I want to begin a little later in John 1:9–13 because it provides a fitting introduction to what Jesus will say about Himself.

The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world.  He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him.  He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him.  Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God – children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.

John tells us that those who receive Christ, those who believe in His name, are given the right to become children of God. That is exactly the issue in John 6: will the people receive Him for who He truly is? Jesus gives us the right to become His children, and all we have to do is believe.

Seven times in John’s Gospel, Jesus makes a statement beginning with the words, “I AM.” In Scripture, seven often carries the idea of completeness, and these seven statements give us a full picture of who Jesus is and what He came to do.

When Jesus said, “I AM,” this was not vague religious language. The Jewish audience knew those words carried weight. In Exodus 3:14, when Moses asked God what name he should give to Israel, God replied, “I AM WHO I AM.” That is the language of divine self-existence. That is the language of God identifying Himself as the eternal One. I imagine thunder rolling from the clouds as God made that pronouncement.

The seven “I AM” statements of Jesus explain His ministry to us and His relationship to the Father. They are –

1. I AM the Bread of Life
2. I AM the Light of the World
3. I AM the Door
4. I AM the Good Shepherd
5. I AM the Resurrection and the Life
6. I AM the True Vine
7. I AM the Way and the Truth and the Life

We have probably all heard the phrase, “I AM the Bread of Life,” but today we are going to dig into it and understand what Jesus was saying. Jesus took a deep spiritual truth and expressed it in words simple enough to remember: “I AM the bread of life.” But the meaning behind it eluded many of the people following Him, and it still eludes many people today, despite its simplicity.

Discussion Question:  How do the “I AM” statements help us understand who Jesus claimed to be?  (Identity, Teaching, Connection to Exodus)

II. The Sign Before the Sermon — Bread for the Crowd

In John 6, which is all about food, large crowds are following Jesus. As He began His ministry of miracles and healing the sick, people started seeking Him. But the people misunderstood why Jesus was performing miracles. They just wanted Jesus to do more.

Jesus took His disciples across the Sea of Galilee, which is not a huge distance, about four miles across. Here are a few pictures from that sea when I went to Israel in 2011–

The crowd followed Him to the other side, and while the sea is not that large, it is a long way from any restaurant. There were 5,000 men, and maybe an equal number of women and children, and I imagine Jesus is grinning inside when He asks Philip in John 6:5,

When Jesus looked up and saw a great crowd coming toward him, he said to Philip, “Where shall we buy bread for these people to eat?”

You know the rest of this story. A small boy has what might be his lunch: five small barley loaves and two small fish. Jesus gives thanks, and then proceeds to feed the 5,000. Afterwards, in John 6:12–13,

When they had all had enough to eat, he said to his disciples, “Gather the pieces that are left over. Let nothing be wasted.”  So they gathered them and filled twelve baskets with the pieces of the five barley loaves left over by those who had eaten.

I believe Jesus intentionally used bread in this miracle, and also left an abundance of bread after everyone was filled, to prepare for His “I AM the Bread of Life” statement that He will make soon. This sign was not random. It pointed forward to what He was about to teach.

But how did the people respond? In John 6:14–15–

After the people saw the sign Jesus performed, they began to say, “Surely this is the Prophet who is to come into the world.”  Jesus, knowing that they intended to come and make him king by force, withdrew again to a mountain by himself.

After seeing the sign, the crowd did not stop to ask what it meant. They decided what they wanted Jesus to be. Surely this is the Prophet. Surely this is the king we have been waiting for. They were ready to take Him by force and make Him king.

But Jesus did not come to be the kind of king they wanted. They were looking for someone to overthrow Rome, feed their stomachs, and solve their immediate problems. Jesus came to do far more than that.

That evening, the disciples got into a boat to go to Capernaum. Jesus was still on the mountain. It grew dark and windy, the disciples became afraid, and then Jesus walked on the water toward them, a miracle just for the disciples.

Discussion Question: Why do you think Jesus performed the miracle of feeding the crowd before giving the Bread of Life teaching? (miracle for illustration, physical bread first, reveals misunderstanding)

III. The Crowd Seeks Jesus for the Wrong Reason

The next day, the crowd begins wondering where Jesus is. They know He did not get into the boat with the disciples. When Jesus does not return, they go looking for Him in Capernaum. And when they get there, there is Jesus. They are puzzled. They ask in John 6:25,

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

Now when they see Him, they are no longer calling Him “Messiah” or “King.” Now they call Him “Rabbi” or “Teacher.” Ok, so You are not the mighty warrior. You are just a teacher. A teacher who somehow magically appeared in Capernaum, but still just a teacher.

And Jesus begins to teach, completely ignoring their question. I love the deliberate ministry of Jesus. The question of how He arrived in Capernaum is irrelevant. Instead, Jesus immediately begins to teach.

Now, Jesus is not speaking to believers. He is speaking to people who are seeking Him, but not understanding Him. Remember, in verse 15, just after feeding the 5,000, these people tried to make Him king. They were looking for a messiah to overthrow Rome, and they thought Jesus was that man: “Jesus will save us from Rome, we will make Him king.” And remember, Jesus withdrew to the mountain by Himself after that.

I think we can find many people like that in churches today. People who attach themselves to Jesus because they believe Jesus will give them stuff and solve their problems and heal their sickness, but they have not understood what a relationship with Jesus really is. Jesus can do all things, but He does them for His purpose. Many people call themselves Christians because of material things, and Jesus is about to explain that this completely misunderstands why He came. In John 6:26, Jesus exposes their confusion:

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.

Jesus says the only reason the people are following Him is because they want stuff. They want to eat. They want their stomachs filled for a day. That is what the fall of man has produced: a broken connection with our Creator. Man cares about the natural, not the spiritual. Man cares about the temporal, not the eternal. Man cares about a full belly, not a clean heart. Jesus knows this. He knows what is in the heart of man because He created us. We want our food, our entertainment, our bread and circuses. Anything else? Nope, we’re good, thanks.

Jesus wants us to recognize that our sin nature separates us from God. People say, Jesus, fix my health. Jesus, fix my business. Jesus, fix my children. Jesus, fix my marriage. And Jesus says, “Hold on. I came to fix you.” Of course, Jesus cares about our physical circumstances, but that is not why He came. Jesus offers so much more. He wants to change us on the inside.

So Jesus tells these seekers in John 6:27–

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.

Jesus offers the bread of life. Jesus offers manna from heaven. There are two Greek words behind our English word “life.” Bios refers to physical existence. Zoe, the idea here, refers to life in its fullest sense, not merely existing, but life as God gives it, life with purpose, life that answers the question, “Why do we live?”

Jesus has the answer. He has the authority and dominion. He calls Himself here the Son of Man, a title that points back to Daniel 7:13–14–

“In my vision at night I looked, and there before me was one like a son of man, coming with the clouds of heaven.  He approached the Ancient of Days and was led into his presence.  He was given authority, glory and sovereign power; all nations and peoples of every language worshiped him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will never be destroyed.

Jesus is claiming far more than humanity. He is identifying Himself with the Son of Man of Daniel, the One who receives authority, glory, and an everlasting kingdom. Jesus can give life. He can give zoe, the answer to life. Instead, the people just wanted their physical bread. Instead of eternal life, they wanted a sandwich.

So how do you get eternal life? Verse 27 already tells us,

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.

Jesus gives it to us. It is a gift. We do not earn it, and we do not purchase it. We are saved completely, 100%, by the grace of God, not by works.

Discussion Question: What are some reasons people follow Jesus today that might still miss His real purpose?  (solving problems, prosperity, cultural, “genie” instead of Lord/Savior

IV. The Work of God — Believe

Did the crowd understand that eternal life was a gift? Do we understand that it is a gift? In John 6:28,

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

The crowd is still clueless. Jesus just said eternal life is something the Son gives, and the crowd responds, “Well then, how do we earn it?”

The human condition is fallen, and we all instinctively believe we have to do something to merit God’s favor. Christianity is unlike every other religion. In every false religion, man works his way to God. In Christianity, God comes to man. It is not a ladder we climb. It is a relationship He initiates.

Fallen man wants to earn salvation. Like the crowd asked, “What must we do?” Works, works, works. What do I have to do to please God? Immediately after the fall, mankind began trying to earn its way back to God. In Genesis 3:6–7,

When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it.  She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it.  Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves.

They realized they were naked, so they made loincloths. The fall had happened, and their instinct was immediate: we have to do something to fix this. That is the beginning of religion where there had once been relationship.

Paul understood how empty that path is. Before he knew Christ, he had every reason to boast in the flesh. In Philippians 3:4b–6–

If someone else thinks they have reasons to put confidence in the flesh, I have more: circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; in regard to the law, a Pharisee; as for zeal, persecuting the church; as for righteousness based on the law, faultless.

If anybody could have claimed righteousness by performance, Paul could have. He lays out every reason he thought God should owe him something.

But does God owe us something? So many people are angry at God because He has not provided what they want. Why does God owe you? If you died tonight, many people assume they should have eternal life because I go to church, because I’m a good person, because I give to the poor, I I I I, me me me me, I try hard, I go to Bible study, I have the Ten Commandments memorized. But our relationship with God is not based on I I I I, me me me me. It is not based on what we do, but on trusting what He did for us.

The crowd asks, “What shall we do?” Jesus answers in John 6:29 –

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

Jesus says, you wanna work? Then believe. That is the work of God: not earning, not boasting, not performing, but believing in the One He has sent.

Why do we want to work for our salvation? I think it is because we want something to brag about. We want to walk into heaven and say, “Look what I did.” But God does not share His glory with our self-righteousness. He hates boasting. Isaiah 64:6 says,

All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags.

Sing in the choir? Filthy rag. Tithing 15% instead of 10%? Filthy rag. Perfect Sunday school attendance? Filthy rag. Being a Sunday school teacher? Filthy rag. We have all become unclean. All of us wear filthy rags.

So how do we fix it? We can’t. How can He fix it? He already did. All we have to do is believe. Romans 4:4–5 says,

Now to the one who works, wages are not credited as a gift but as an obligation.  However, to the one who does not work but trusts God who justifies the ungodly, their faith is credited as righteousness.

It is our faith in the work of Jesus that saves. When Jesus said this to the crowd of seekers who wanted a sandwich instead of manna from heaven, it drove them away. The good news, the gospel, is a stumbling block. It is offensive to fallen man because it takes away my ability to boast about myself. We are all trying to earn something from God so that we can take credit for it. Fallen man hates that message that salvation is paid for by somebody else. We want to work for it so we can work harder than somebody else so that we can say, well, at least I’m better than that person.

But that’s not the gospel. John 14:6 –

Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”

And Acts 4:12,

Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.

God fixed our problem, and there is no other way. There is no way to fix it ourselves. Remember right after the fall, when Adam and Eve clothed themselves with fig leaves? Did that cover their nakedness? Did that restore their relationship with God? No. God provided a foreshadowing of the sacrifice of Christ in Genesis 3:21,

The Lord God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife and clothed them.

God fixed the problem. God covered their shame by providing what they could not provide for themselves. He clothed them with the skin of a sacrificial animal. In the same way, God provides the sacrifice for our sin. The gospel is that He did the work, not us, and we trust in Him.

Remember Paul, the man who once thought he was the perfect Jew, earning his way to heaven? After Christ saved him, how did he view all those achievements? In Philippians 3:7–9–

But whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ.  What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things.  I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith.

Our righteousness is found in Him, nowhere else. I have no righteousness of my own, only what comes through faith in Christ. My works are garbage. Filthy rags compared to the glory of Christ.

Discussion Question: Why do people instinctively want to earn their salvation instead of receiving it as a gift?  (pride, control, comparison, misunderstanding)

V. Moses, Manna, and the True Bread

John 6:30–34

So when Jesus told the crowd that all they have to do is believe in Him, did they understand? John 6:30–31 –

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.’”

The crowd is still confused. “Just believe?” Well then, give us a sign first. We need proof. We need something more.

This is what, the fourth or fifth sign in the last twenty-four hours? They are literally asking for a sign about bread the day after Jesus fed the 5,000. But like many seekers, and like many who follow prosperity teaching today, the crowd wants Jesus to perform according to their schedule.

And we still do the same thing. “Ok, so You’re Jesus. What have You done for me today? Show me a sign if You’re God.” Like balance gravity and centripetal force so that I can stand on the surface of the earth, neither being crushed by gravity nor flung into space. Like balancing the atmosphere with just the right amount of oxygen so I can breathe. Like making the sun rise so I can work and the sun set so I can sleep. Like giving me a soul that knows there’s more to life than just bread and circuses, that there must be a purpose. Seriously, Jesus, what have You done for me lately?

The crowd is effectively telling Jesus, “Your signs are not enough. Moses gave our fathers bread from heaven.” They are still stuck on Moses. They are still stuck on the past. They are still thinking about political rescue and physical provision. They still want Jesus to rescue them from Rome the way Moses led Israel out of Egypt.

What was manna, anyway? The Hebrew word manna literally carries the idea of “What is it?” The Israelites did not really know what it was. They just knew God gave it. And they had to gather it daily. They had to depend on the Lord daily.

So Christ corrects them again in John 6:32–33–

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.”

Jesus tells them their thinking is wrong in two ways. First, Moses did not give them bread from heaven. God did. Second, that manna was never the final bread. It pointed beyond itself. The people want a rescue from Rome, but Jesus is telling them that is like getting physical bread for one day. He is offering spiritual bread that feeds forever. He is offering the true bread that comes down from heaven.

Notice how Jesus says it: “Very truly” or in some translations “Truly, truly.” Or if you are using King James, “Verily, verily,” which for some reason always makes me want to add, “life is but a dream.” Literally, in the Greek, Jesus says, “Amen, amen.” It is a statement of certainty. No doubt. No question. This is absolute truth.

And Jesus says again that this bread is a gift: “My Father gives you the true bread from heaven.” Not “you earn it.” Not “you deserve it.” Not “you work for it.” The Father gives it.

And the crowd still does not get it. A lot of people still do not get it. In John 6:34,

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

First they wanted to make Him king. Then they downgraded Him to rabbi, or teacher. Now it is just “sir.” Their question is still confused: “Give it to us. Where is it? How do we get it?” They are still thinking in material terms, while Jesus is speaking about eternal life.

Discussion Question: Why do you think the crowd kept asking for signs even after seeing so many miracles? (spiritual blindness, wrong expectations, focusing on physical)

VI. The Declaration — I Am the Bread of Life

John 6:35–40

And then Jesus makes the first of the great “I AM” declarations, teaching us about His character, what He does for us, and how we can know Him. If you want to understand how to be close to Jesus, then get to know Him. John 6:35–40 gives us so much–

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.  But as I told you, you have seen me and still you do not believe.  All those the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never drive away.  For I have come down from heaven not to do my will but to do the will of him who sent me.  And this is the will of him who sent me, that I shall lose none of all those he has given me, but raise them up at the last day.  For my Father’s will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day.”

Jesus is the bread of eternal life. The phrase “I am” in Greek is ego eimi. These are not casual words. Jesus is using language that carries the weight of divine identity. And then He says, “I am the bread of life.” He is not merely offering bread. He is the bread. He is the source of life itself.

And notice the condition: “whoever comes to me” and “whoever believes in me.” That is the condition. Believe in Him. Receive what He gives. If you do, there is no more spiritual hunger or thirst. Sin no longer separates you from your Creator. What was broken is restored in Christ.

Remember the Samaritan woman at Jacob’s well?  Jesus said to her in John 4:13–14,

Jesus answered, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again,  but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”

This was Jesus’ purpose. It’s why He was born, lives, and died for us. Everyone who believes in Him has eternal life, saved eternally from damnation. And He will wipe every tear from our eyes, saving us from death and sorrow and pain, for the former things have passed away. Revelation 21:4 says,

‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”

He did not come to make us a sandwich, and yet people still demand things they think they are owed. I I I I, me me me me. But Jesus wants us to receive what He gives freely and abundantly: eternal life.

And yet after all the teaching and all the miracles, many still would not believe. In verse 36, Jesus says they have seen Him and still do not believe. Why? Because they are focused on the physical, not the spiritual. They are focused on Moses, not Jesus. They are focused on the temporal, not the eternal. They are focused on I instead of being focused on I AM.

But there is even more comfort here. Jesus says that all the Father gives Him will come to Him, and the one who comes to Him He will never cast out. He says He came down from heaven not to do His own will, but the will of the Father who sent Him. And what is that will? That He lose none of those given to Him, but raise them up at the last day.

That is not weak hope. That is not uncertain religion. That is security in Christ. The one who truly comes to Jesus in faith will not be turned away, and will not be lost. The Bread of Life not only gives life. He keeps His people and raises them up at the last day.

Discussion Question: What do you think Jesus meant when He said those who come to Him will never hunger or thirst? (spiritual satisfaction, forgiveness, restored relationship, eternal life)

VII. Conclusion — The Living Bread Given for the World

John 6:51

Jesus is the bread of life, life abundant, life eternal. He says in John 6:51,

I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Whoever eats this bread will live forever. This bread is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.”

Jesus is foreshadowing His sacrificial death for all of us, giving up His life so that we may live. It is no coincidence that Jesus gave this “I AM the Bread of Life” discourse during Passover season. The Jews would have been remembering that God provided manna during the Exodus, bread that represented His provision, His sustenance, and His care for His people.  And now Jesus is saying, in effect, “I AM that true bread.”

And there is another detail worth noticing. Jesus was born in Bethlehem, and Bethlehem literally means “house of bread.” The Bread of Life entered the world in the House of Bread.

The manna in the wilderness sustained physical life for a time. Jesus gives eternal life forever. The manna was a shadow. Christ is the substance. The manna had to be gathered again and again. Christ is received by faith, once for all. The manna could not save from sin. Jesus can.

This salvation is open to everyone who believes in Him and receives His sacrifice. Not because of I I I I, me me me me, look at me. We cannot boast about our salvation. If we boast, we boast in Christ and in the work He has done for us.

Are you still trying to earn your salvation? It cannot be earned.

Jesus is the only true bread of eternal life.

To God be the glory.