The Bread of Life - The Gospels

In this Bible Story, Jesus speaks hard truths about being the bread of life. He speaks of how he was sent by God from heaven, and whoever eats his flesh and drinks his blood would inherit eternal life. Although Jesus spoke metaphorically, his words cause many to leave. However the disciples stayed, for they knew that only Jesus held the words of eternal life. This story is inspired by John 6:22-71 & Matthew 15:21-28 & Mark 7:24-30. Go to BibleinaYear.com and learn the Bible in a Year.

Today's Bible verse is John 6:35 from the King James Version.

Episode 194: The very next day as He and His disciples were on the other side of the sea, the crowd had tracked Him down. They wanted another miracle but Jesus cared more about their hearts than their bellies. And as Jesus was trying to teach them these things, they became confused and frustrated. The teaching was too hard for many of those in the crowd to accept, so they left. Later on, the disciples that stayed learned a lesson about God’s grace to those outside of the family of Israel, as a Canaanite woman begged the Jewish Messiah for help, hope, and healing.

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Music by: Andrew Morgan Smith

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Let us pray, 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 six thirty five. Jesus, I thank you for being
the source of healing and redemption to those who were lost.

(00:24):
Just like bread was accessible to all people, no matter
the social economic standing, I thank you that your grace
and your forgiveness is available to all, no matter where
they are in life. Because you are the bread of life,
I thank you for nourishing every part of my being.

(00:45):
I thank you for making yourself available to rejuvenate and
restore those who are lost. In the same way you
offered healing to the gentile woman in today's reading, use
me also to offer your grace and mercy to those
who have yet to receive it. Because of what you

(01:05):
did on the cross, Jesus, we no longer have to
hunger and thirst for a connection to our heavenly Father,
but we have direct access into his kingdom and all
that he has laid up for us. Oh, thank you
that your word is the bread of life. Thank you

(01:26):
that I don't have to settle for crumbs of breakthrough
but I can experience it all in Jesus' name. Amen.
Thank you for praying with me today. Continue listening for
an incredible Bible story brought to you by Bible in

(01:47):
a Year dot.

Speaker 2 (01:47):
Com The Bread of Life. In our last story, Jesus
fed five thousand people with just five loaves of bread.

Speaker 1 (02:03):
And two fish.

Speaker 2 (02:04):
He fed all the people with more to spare, and
everyone awed at him. They wanted him to be made king,
so Jesus departed before the crowd became violent. The disciples
departed on a boat while Jesus stayed on shore to pray. Then,
in power and glory, Jesus walked on the water to
return with his disciples. Now we learn about the crowd

(02:27):
finding Jesus once again. Instead of feeding them food, he
feeds them the truth about who he is. He speaks
powerful truths hidden behind awkward metaphors, so awkward that many
depart from him. Inspired by the Gospels.

Speaker 3 (02:46):
Hello, Pastor Jack Graham here with another episode of the
Bible in a Year. We're so grateful for so many
of you who are listening and engaging with God's word
with us. In our last episode, we heard how Jesus
fed a multitude of people with just five loaves of
bread and two fish, showing the people that God brings
abundance even in the most unlikely of situations. The people

(03:10):
were amazed, but failed to recognize Jesus's true intent and identity.
They tried to make him king according to their own desires,
but he retreated to a quiet place to pray. Later,
Jesus walked on the water, striking astonishment, awe and adoration
from his disciples as they worshiped him. Today, we'll hear

(03:31):
as Jesus teaches about the bread that truly matters, not
the kind of bread that temporarily satisfies, but a bread
that gives life, eternal life, and abundant satisfaction. Let's listen
now to today's reading.

Speaker 2 (03:47):
The day after Jesus had fed the five thousand, he
was on the other side of the sea with his disciples.
They sat on the shore and ate together, enjoying the
solitude away from the crowds. The people had seen the
disciples part on their boat the day before, but they
knew that Jesus had not joined them. They searched all
night and day for Jesus, not knowing that he had

(04:07):
walked on the sea to join his disciples. The crowds
had finally sailed and walked to Copernium to find Jesus.
They saw him on the shore with his friends and
ran towards him. Rabbi, they exclaimed, when did you come here?
They were worried that Jesus had left the region. They
wanted to be near him to see more signs. Jesus

(04:29):
stood on the boat to speak to the whole crowd.
He was concerned about why they had followed him, so
he spoke clearly, saying, you are not seeking me because
you saw signs or listened to the teachings. You are
seeking me because your bellies were filled with bread and fish.
Jesus's words struck a chord with the people.

Speaker 1 (04:49):
He was right.

Speaker 2 (04:50):
They were so excited that Jesus was able to feed
them they came in expectation that he would do it again.
Jesus raised his voice again, saying, do not look fill
yourselves with food that perishes. You will be hungry again
and again for it. But seek the food that satisfies
your soul. Seek eternal life. The crowds were confused and

(05:13):
curious at Jesus's words. What shall we do then to
inherit eternal life. They asked, believe in him who God
has sent. Jesus responded, he was speaking of himself and
the work he would do on the cross. How are
we to know that you are the true one that
God has sent? They asked, Even Moses gave our ancestors

(05:34):
bread from heaven mana. Jesus shook his head and said,
it was not Moses who gave them mana. It was God.
God is the provider of all things, and he has
provided you with the true bread that gives life to
the whole world. The crowds were stirring when Jesus mentioned
bread that gives eternal life. They pleaded with Jesus, saying,

(05:55):
where is this bread? Could you give it to us?
For they thought that Jesus was speaking of a specific meal,
they did not understand the true meaning behind his words.
Jesus raised his arms and shouted, I am the bread
of life. Whoever comes to me shall never hunger again.
They will be satisfied. Whoever comes to me will be

(06:16):
taken care of. Whoever comes to me will never be
cast away. I have come from heaven to do the
will of him who sent me, and I am not
going to lose anyone who comes into my arms. For
the will of God is this, that whoever looks upon
me shall have eternal life. Some people awed at Jesus's words,

(06:39):
but others grumbled. Some of them spat on the ground
and said, I know this man. He is the son
of Joseph the carpenter. Who is he to now say
he is come down from heaven. Jesus could see the
crowd stirring. They disputed among themselves as to whether Jesus
was truly God himself. Jesus watched as they argued, Do

(07:02):
not grumble among yourselves. Jesus said, the Father will draw
those who come to me. Whoever has seen me has
seen God. Your forefathers ate Mana in the wilderness, and
they eventually died. However, whoever eats of my flesh and
drinks of my blood will never die. These words repulsed
many of the people. They cringed and said, now he

(07:25):
wants us to eat his flesh and drink his blood.
The closer followers of Jesus were also disturbed by this.
They found it hard to imagine themselves eating Jesus's flesh
and drinking his blood. It reminded them of the old
pagan rituals of the Canaanites. This is a hard saying, Jesus.
The people said, does this offend you? Jesus asked, I

(07:48):
speak in the spirit who gives life. There will be
some of you who do not understand and do not believe.
It was true, for many of the close followers of
Jesus had already been thinking of leaving his side. They
did not believe the words of Jesus and were looking
for any excuse to leave him. So as Jesus spoke,
many of them turned away and left him. Jesus watched

(08:10):
his dozens of his close followers left. All that remained
were the twelve. Jesus looked at Peter and said, are
you going to leave me as well? Peter shook his head.
Where would we go? He asked, you alone have the
words of eternal life. Peter gestured to the other disciples
and said, even though you may be hard to understand,

(08:31):
sometimes we have come to know that you are the
holy ones sent by God. So Jesus and his disciples
departed to the district of tire and side On. The
sun was high and hot in the sky. The streets
were busy with commerce and children played among themselves. As
the disciples were walking, they were approached by a Canaanite woman.

(08:53):
She was not a Jew, and therefore it was culturally
taboo for her to come to Jesus a rabbi. Please
have mercy on me, o, Lord, son of David, have
mercy on me. The woman pleaded, my daughter is severely
oppressed by a demon. She writhes in pain and is
tormented day and night. Jesus did not answer her. However,

(09:14):
she persisted and walked with the disciples. Jesus was listening
to her incessant cries. He heard her, but he was
waiting to see the response of his disciples. Finally, the
disciples leaned towards Jesus and said, you should send this
woman away. It is not right for us to mingle
with her. Jesus turned to the woman and said, you know,

(09:34):
I have come to shepherd the lost sheep of Israel.
His tone was impassive and seemingly out of character. However,
the woman did not waver. Please Lord help me. It
is not right for me to take the children's bread
and throw it to puppies. He said, yes, but even
the puppies get scraps from the table. The woman protested, please,

(09:55):
you are my only hope. Jesus smiled. The woman's answer
revealed a humble spirit. Although Jesus had always planned to
help her, he wanted her heart to be displayed among
the disciples. Great is your faith, Jesus said to her,
go home, your daughter is healed. Thus began the healing
power of God extended to the gentiles and not.

Speaker 3 (10:18):
Just the Jews.

Speaker 2 (10:19):
Soon the whole world would know that Jesus was the
source of life and healing. This woman and her daughter
were only the beginning.

Speaker 3 (10:38):
In today's scripture, Jesus and his disciples have sailed to
the other side of the Sea of Galilee, away from
the crowds. It was a moment of quiet that was
growing increasingly rare as the crowds continued to follow Jesus
wherever they could find him, and it wasn't long before
they found Jesus again on the shores of Capernaum. Jesus
knew their motives for seeking him were often misguided and

(11:01):
even selfish. They weren't always seeking words of truth or
even seeking miracles. They wanted physical comfort. So Jesus called
them out, saying they weren't interested in what he had
to say. They wanted to get their bellies full, to
eat more of bread and fish. They were only thinking
of today, of here and now, failing to see that

(11:23):
Jesus had so much more to give to them. He
told them that they should be looking for food that
brings life, eternal life, rather than chasing after the food
that will not last. To their credit, they asked Jesus
what they were to do to get this eternal life.
It was a good question, but one rooted in a
belief that works could somehow make one right with God.

(11:47):
But listen to how Jesus replied. In Matthew six twenty nine,
Jesus answered and said to them, this is the work
of God that you believe in Him whom he has sent.
This is the ultimate truth that Jesus is communicating to
us today. There's nothing we can do to gain or
inherit eternal life or salvation except by grace through faith

(12:10):
in Him, trusting and believing in Jesus and what he
has done for us his cross, his resurrection. This is
the message of the Gospel. Our actions, our behavior will
certainly flow out of belief, but the work of salvation
was done by Christ, and Christ alone on the cross.
There is nothing that you or I, any of us
can do to gain approval or right standing with God

(12:34):
on our own. This is why we desperately need Jesus
and that he gives eternal life, for it is by
grace that we are saved through faith. But as we heard,
the people still didn't understand. They ask how they were
to know Jesus was the Messiah. After all, Moses gave
them manna in the wilderness. Of course, it was not
Moses who gave people the manna, and Jesus told this

(12:57):
to the people very clearly. It was God gave the manna.
It is God who gives everything. He gives every good
and perfect gift that comes down from above. According to
the scripture, it's a reminder to all of us that
God works through people to bring blessings and provision. But
we must never forget that it is God who himself
provides for us. God is faithful, and he never forsakes us,

(13:21):
and he always provides for us. And now Jesus said,
God has provided the true bread of life, speaking of himself,
Jesus is the bread of life, and this bread satisfies
the deepest hunger of the human heart, the deepest hunger
of the soul. Jesus then told everyone that whoever would

(13:42):
come to him and believe in him would have eternal life. Clearly,
the people knew Jesus was special, very special, but to
hear him say that he came from God and that
he alone would give them eternal life was way too
much for some. They saw him as a carpenter's son,
just a man, just a carpenter. But Jesus went on.

(14:04):
It was time for the people to hear the word
of truth he came to give them. And when he
said that he was different from that manner which their
forefathers ate, he then said, anyone who ate his flesh
and drank his blood would never die. Of course, those
aren't the easiest words for us to understand. Jesus knew

(14:25):
that this was difficult for many to accept. Some would
even be offended. They could not understand he was speaking
of spiritual truth, but their minds were still focused on
the physical, on what they could see, what they could taste.
How often do we limit God by our own spiritual inadequacy?
And so many that day left, and they didn't follow

(14:47):
Jesus after that, so, looking to his disciples, Jesus saw
that they remained, and Peter's words are one of the
great confessions of faith that we find in the Bible.
Jesus asked them, will you also go away? And Simon
Peter said, where would we go? You have the words
of eternal life, such great truth. In Christ, and Christ

(15:11):
alone we have eternal life. His words are truth, and
his words are timeless. He gives eternal life. Peter's words
demonstrated why Jesus chose him and the other men. They
were far from perfect. They weren't educated men who knew
all of the laws of the religious group. But they
had faith, and they put their trust in Jesus, even

(15:32):
though they couldn't quite yet comprehend at all. They follow
Jesus because they did believe that he was the one
that God had said. They followed Jesus because he was
so compelling and so compassionate. All but one of the men,
and Jesus knew which one would betray him, chose to
follow him all the way and to fulfill God's plans

(15:53):
and purposes. Our reading closes with another encounter with an outsider,
a gentile woman in need of healing. She pled with Jesus,
believing he could make her whole. Jesus's actions and words
may seem harsh and uncaring, but they are far from it.
He was teaching the Disciples that his love, his grace,
his healing. Ultimately, the salvation that he offers was meant

(16:16):
for all, not just for Jewish people, not just for
people like the Disciples. It's some message for the entire world.
Let's pray. God, we do thank you for eternal life.
Thank you Jesus for providing this gift to us. For
your love, for your grace, for your help, for your hope.
We give you praise. Thank you that you bring the

(16:39):
words of eternal life to us every day. May we
take those words to the world as well. May we
bring the bread of Heaven to earth by preaching the
gospel and witnessing of your love and power to save
in Jesus' name. Amen. Thank you for listening to today's
Bible in a Year podcast. I'm Jack Graham of Dallas, Texas.

(17:00):
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(17:21):
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