I am the bread of life

John 6:58-71

Over tea and cake, my friend explained how tough both her and her husband were finding things at work at the moment – she painfully leaving a job she'd taken on with high hopes, he working long hours and carrying huge responsibility for the future of a major project. Almost in tears, she asked 'how do you sustain faith in the midst of all this?' At the same time many Christians view the world changing at bewildering speed around them, challenging everything we stand for as a church and ask 'where will we find the strength to carry on?'

Jesus knows how tough it is to be a disciple in a fallen world. And seeing how hard it is to live as God wants us to, to be a change-maker in our world, part of God's solution rather than the problem, Jesus offers himself as 'bread' for our journey – he is the source of nourishment and strength for all that we'll have to face.

This story takes place in times of hunger and expectation. Many were physically hungry – taxes were high, harvests were poor, food was expensive; and many were spiritually and politically hungry – they wanted the land purged of the Romans, they longed for God to establish his kingdom and lead his people to freedom as he had in Moses' day. And here's Jesus, feeding an army with a boy's packed lunch. Passions ran high. The bread in the desert recalled the manna in the wilderness (31; Ex 16:4). It reminded people of Isaiah 55:1-3a where God speaks of provision for the journey home from exile. It was a sign of the coming messiah – hence the urge to make Jesus king (14-15, 27). This story shows Jesus' identity: he truly is full of grace and truth (1:14).

1) Word of God

Our world is awash with advice – from NHS Direct to TV shows like Extreme Makeover. Some of it's quite good; some isn't. Jesus, however doesn't give advice, he gives nourishment for the soul: he is the Word made flesh (1:1, 14), the bread of life (35, 48, 51, 63) come down from heaven. And in the midst of all the doubts about him, Peter sees it (68). He sees that Jesus is the word that:

i) saves me: Jesus is the difference living and dying on life's journey. Discipleship is tough because it's about receiving not doing. The crowd in the desert wanted to do something – march on Jerusalem, win their redemption through their efforts. Only Peter realised that the Kingdom of God is a gift not something we do(68); that it was about God's future made present in Jesus (63) which we will enjoy only through faith and in the power of the Spirit.

> Is there part of us that wants to contribute something to our salvation, help God out?

ii) sustains me: 48-59: everyday the manna came – just enough for each day (look at the Lord's prayer: 'give us today our daily bread'). Likewise, everyday we need Jesus' word to nourish our souls – hence the graphic image of eating his flesh and drinking his blood (53-56) with its echoes of communion, a picture of intimate fellowship.

> How do we take in Jesus' word each day?

iii) shows me way: Jesus won't be king on the crowd's terms but he will reign over us on his: (15 versus 27-35 and especially 62): God's way is not the way of violent uprising but of suffering love – a way Jesus will follow and which will be vindicated in the resurrection (this is what v62 means). Living this way needs bread of life and power of the Holy Spirit (63) – or it's impossible.

> What does it mean for me in my family, my school, my workplace

to follow Jesus' way rather than my way?

2) Walking with Jesus

As ever Jesus' words divide people (60,66): will we be like Peter (68) receive the bread of life each and every day and walk with Jesus in the power of the Spirit wherever that leads us as individuals and as a church or will we turn away because it's too hard?

Sadly, we are sometimes prone to try to live the Christian life on our terms rather than God's. We try to be good, keep the rules, attend church, go to home group because we think that by doing this we'll put ourselves in God's good books. Such attempts to work for our salvation come to nothing – as Jesus warns in v63; such people, he says, do not really believe in him or his Father (64) in the sense of trusting their lives fully to him.

Where do we stand?

Possible areas for discussion

What do you think Jesus meant by the 'bread that came down from heaven?' (58)

Do you think Jesus is comparing himself with the Law (58-59)? If so, how?

How do we eat the bread that came down from heaven?

What do we think Jesus is talking about in v62? If he's talking about his resurrection and return to glory, what is he claiming about himself?

In what ways are Jesus' words 'Spirit and life' (63)?

How do Jesus' words sustain each day at work, at home, in our relationships?

How does Peter's confession here compare with the one he made at Caesarea Philippi (Matthew 16: 13-20/Mark 9:27-30/Luke 9:18-22)?

what does Jesus mean that people can only come to him if the father enables them to (v65)?

How easy do we find it to confess Christ in our workplace, to our neighbours and friends? What would help us to do this more confidently?