“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 6:35 KJV

Bread has been an important staple of life for thousands of years. There are few foods that are more satisfying than warm fresh bread!  Most people enjoy bread of some kind. One of the things that we do in the South when we hear that a snow event is coming is to go out and buy bread so that we will have bread to eat during the storm.  Bread fills, nourishes, and satisfies us.

Jesus made this statement about bread the day after  He had fed over 5000 people with 5 loaves of bread and 2 small fish. (John 6: 1-13). The news of that miracle quickly spread throughout the region. Many more people had now come out to see and hear Him.  Some hoping,  perhaps,  to also be given free bread.

This time, however,  instead of providing them with free physical bread that is only temporary, He offered them bread that would last forever.    Jesus offered them Himself!  Jesus wanted them to know that He had come to do more than satisfy their physical hunger. He had come to fill and satisfy the emptiness of their soul.   

What Jesus offered to them, He still offers to us!   He offers us Himself!  Jesus alone fills the emptiness of our heart.  We were created to be filled with the joy of His abundant life!  We were created to know Him and to fellowship with Him!   Unlike the natural bread, Jesus never grows stale.  His Life is always fresh and new each day! 

It was no accident that Jesus was born in Bethlehem. (Luke 2:4). The meaning of Bethlehem is “House of Bread”.  It was a declaration,  from the very beginning,   of His purpose for entering our world.   He came to offer us only what He can offer.  That is eternal life.   May each of us “taste and see that the Lord is good.” (Psalm 34:8).