Satisfied in Christ as the bread of life
Transformed by the Word
with Lyn Wake
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.’ John 6:35 (NIV)
Throughout John’s Gospel, Jesus presented himself using seven ‘I am’ titles. With strong identification to God’s name in the Old Testament, in naming himself the ‘bread of life’, Jesus conveyed the ordinariness of his humanity to meet our physical needs, and the extraordinariness of his divinity as the only one able to satisfy our deep spiritual needs.
In the Bible, bread signifies something more than physical food. It represents our dependence on God for daily provision. Bread is also a symbol pointing to the reality that just as the body needs nourishment, so does the soul. Sharing bread is a rich concept throughout Scripture, pointing to connection and friendship. Broken bread relates to Jesus’ suffering, and our unity lived out with him.
Jesus was born in Bethlehem, which in Hebrew means the ‘House of Bread’. He alone can satisfy our hungry souls with the life-giving spiritual food we all crave and need to sustain life.
In this edition of Wycliffe Today, we will be inspired by several single people who have willingly gone to the nations to share Jesus as the bread of life. While the imagery of marriage can reveal union with Christ as our bridegroom, a satisfied single life, set within God’s loving family, can unveil Christ as our sufficiency. So, whether you are happy or unhappy in this season of singleness or marriage, we all share the same blessed work of satisfying our souls in Jesus as the bread of life, each and every day!
For Reflection: What’s on your ‘menu’ as you try to satisfy your inner hunger? How can you feast more fully on Jesus as the bread of life and be satisfied in him?
Be transformed by the Word as you engage with: John 6:22-59 & Psalm 90
Prayer: Jesus, as I sit at your table, teach me how to position myself to receive your daily provision and nourishment. Satisfy me in the morning with your unfailing love, that I may sing for joy and be glad all my days! Amen.
Thanks for your patience...