GOSPEL OF JOHN—John 6

30 Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; 31 but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name. John 20:30-31 ESV

Seven “I Am” Statements in the Gospel of John:

“I am the bread of life” John 6:35

“I am the light of the world.” John 8:12

“I am the door of the sheep.” John 10:7

“I am the good shepherd.” John 10:11

“I am the resurrection and the life.” John 11:25

“I am the way, and the truth, and the life.” John 14:6

“I am the true vine.” John 15:1

25 When they found him on the other side of the sea, they said to him, “Rabbi, when did you come here?” 26 Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, you are seeking me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves. 27 Do not work for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you. For on him God the Father has set his seal.” 28 Then they said to him, “What must we do, to be doing the works of God?” 29 Jesus answered them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent.” 30 So they said to him, “Then what sign do you do, that we may see and believe you? What work do you perform? 31 Our fathers ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written, ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’ ” 32 Jesus then said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, it was not Moses who gave you the bread from heaven, but my Father gives you the true bread from heaven. 33 For the bread of God is he who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.” 34 They said to him, “Sir, give us this bread always.” John 6:25-34 ESV

35 Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life.” John 6:35 ESV

What will “I am the bread of life” teach us about Jesus?

“Whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst. 36 But I said to you that you have seen me and yet do not believe. 37 All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out. 38 For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will but the will of him who sent me. 39 And this is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me, but raise it up on the last day. 40 For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.” 41 So the Jews grumbled about him, because he said, “I am the bread that came down from heaven.” 42 They said, “Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How does he now say, ‘I have come down from heaven’?” 43 Jesus answered them, “Do not grumble among yourselves. 44 No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. And I will raise him up on the last day. 45 It is written in the Prophets, ‘And they will all be taught by God.’ Everyone who has heard and learned from the Father comes to me— 46 not that anyone has seen the Father except he who is from God; he has seen the Father. 47 Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes has eternal life. John 6:35-47 ESV

Don’t miss this. Jesus repeats:

48 I am the bread of life. John 6:48 ESV

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.” 59 Jesus said these things in the synagogue, as he taught at Capernaum. 60 When many of his disciples heard it, they said, “This is a hard saying; who can listen to it?” John 6:49-60 ESV 

Why is “I am the bread of life” so offensive?

1) The crowd was more interested in:

• eating food (v.26)
• a political messiah (v. 14-15)
• manipulating miracles (v. 30-31)

     than the spiritual reality the miracle pointed to.

Why is “I am the bread of life” so offensive?

2)  The crowd was unprepared to stop trying to act like God and humble
      themselves to take the initial steps towards authentic faith. (v. 41-46)

Why is “I am the bread of life” so offensive?

3)  The crowd was unwilling to accept the claims of Jesus:

• greater than Moses
• sent by God 
• authorized to give life (v. 32, 58)

Why is “I am the bread of life” so offensive?

4)  The crowd rejected the “bread of life” metaphor which they
      understood as a clear taboo of “eating flesh” and “drinking blood.”

61 But Jesus, knowing in himself that his disciples were grumbling about this, said to them, “Do you take offense at this? 62 Then what if you were to see the Son of Man ascending to where he was before? 63 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. 64 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.) 65 And he said, “This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted him by the Father.” 66 After this many of his disciples turned back and no longer walked with him. John 6:61-66 ESV

67 So Jesus said to the twelve, “Do you want to go away as well?” John 6:67 ESV

What will we do with Jesus the Christ, the Son of God?

68 Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life, 69 and we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God.” 70 Jesus answered them, “Did I not choose you, the twelve? And yet one of you is a devil.” 71 He spoke of Judas the son of Simon Iscariot, for he, one of the twelve, was going to betray him. John 6:68-71 ESV

There are only two choices in life: 

1)   Believe and come to know Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God

2)  Turn away from Jesus, betraying God and yourself.

Who will you share a verse with today?