The Lord Jesus Christ spoke very plainly to the people of His day, and that plainness of speech can still be heard as we read through the gospel accounts. Jesus made it clear to the people that we should be more concerned with the spiritual food than we are with the physical food that we put into our bodies.
Labour not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life, which the Son of man shall give unto you: for him hath God the Father sealed. (John 6:27)
A person may be well fed but without the spiritual food that brings the knowledge of everlasting life, they are doomed to a pointless existence (and an eternal Hell). It is a good thing to help a homeless person with a meal, but do not forget to hand them a Gospel tract about salvation along with that meal. Who knows if that person might not live to see another day.
Then said they unto him, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God? Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent. (John 6:28-29)
The people wanted to know what they could DO to work the works of God, and Jesus told them to simply BELIEVE on Him, whom He (the Father) had sent. Jesus cut right to the chase after they asked Him that question. He simply told them to BELIEVE! It is all about FAITH, and that FAITH must be in Him. That is the very crux of the matter, in this whole matter of SALVATION, and where a person is going to spend eternity. It is all about a persons attitude toward Jesus Christ. Do you BELIEVE in Him whom the Father has sent down from Heaven?
They said therefore unto him, What sign shewest thou then, that we may see, and believe thee? what dost thou work? Our fathers did eat manna in the desert; as it is written, He gave them bread from heaven to eat. Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Moses gave you not that bread from heaven; but my Father giveth you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is he which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world. (John 6:30-33)
The people wanted to SEE a SIGN, that would convince them that this person (Jesus) who stood before them was the real deal. When the Lord provided for the children of Israel with the PHYSICAL manna from Heaven, the children of Israel were able to survive. But Jesus told the people before him, that HE was the TRUE BREAD from Heaven, and that was a little difficult for them to comprehend.
Then said they unto him, Lord, evermore give us this bread. And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst. (John 6:34-35)
The people were interested in this BREAD that Jesus was now telling them about, but they are still thinking in the NATURAL, expecting to receive some type of PHYSICAL BREAD to ingest. Jesus made it clear to them that they needed to COME to HIM, and BELIEVE on HIM. It is all about FAITH in the person of Jesus Christ. The teaching regarding the BREAD of life has become twisted over the centuries and polluted by teachings such as the Roman Catholic Eucharist, and their Priests performing their Transubstantiation on their Catholic altars. I am sorry but this is not what the Lord had in mind when he spoke about the BREAD of Life. Many people do not realize that the Roman Catholic Church teaches that their Priests possess the God given ability to transform the physical bread, and wine, on their altars into the ACTUAL BODY and BLOOD of Jesus Christ. Not only that but there are over 100 Anathemas (curses) still upheld by Rome against people (Christians) who would disagree with teachings such as this! As a former Roman Catholic, I can attest to you that I did not receive everlasting life until I put my trust in Jesus Christ, and when I believed what the Word of God had to say about Him. I received the Roman Catholic Eucharist countless times but I never had everlasting life by doing that. I believed in the Lord Jesus Christ and I knew that He had justified me by His death on the cross (Romans 5:6-9), and that is the will of God for every person in this world in which we live.
Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life. I am that bread of life. Your fathers did eat manna in the wilderness, and are dead. This is the bread which cometh down from heaven, that a man may eat thereof, and not die. I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world. (John 6:47-51)
Once again the focus here is BELIEVING on Jesus Christ, and not EATING a physical piece of bread to receive everlasting life. You see FAITH is something that is done in the spiritual realm, and everlasting life is also in the spiritual realm. Many people talk about being spiritual and having faith, but where is the focus of that faith? Is it in the person of Jesus Christ? If not, then there can be no everlasting life for that person. Come on now, we are living in perilous times when people stand up in their pulpits and fail to give a clarion call of salvation for the fear of offending people. If you preach Jesus Christ, as being the only way of salvation, (John 14:6, Acts 4:10-12) it may get you into trouble in this ecumenical and compromising day in which we live. I am still amazed at how well known preachers are still able to skirt the issues and dance around the truth of Jesus being the ONLY way of salvation, and still get over on the people that follow them. It is so sad, because they are not fooling anybody but themselves. Don’t they realize that the Lord is watching over His own Word, and that He is aware of their gross compromise with the Gospel message?
As the living Father hath sent me, and I live by the Father: so he that eateth me, even he shall live by me. This is that bread which came down from heaven: not as your fathers did eat manna, and are dead: he that eateth of this bread shall live for ever. (John 6:57-58)
Jesus once again contrasts the PHYSICAL manna against the SPIRITUAL Bread of Life that is found in Him. It is all about FAITH in Jesus Christ. Do you know Him? Are you religious but lost and unsure of where you will spend eternity? Then, turn to the Lord, and BELIEVE ON Him, and put your trust in Him, and eat of the SPIRITUAL Bread of Life which is found in Him. The BLOOD that Jesus Christ shed on the cross was for all of the UNGODLY people in the world, and every person qualifies as being UNGODLY!
For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die. But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. (Romans 5:6-9)
