The Bread and the Light - Your Daily Forward Devotional

The Bread and the Light

May 29

Read John 6:35 and John 8:12 (ESV)

Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.”

Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”

Reflect

What do you think Jesus meant when He compared Himself to bread and light?

When someone wants to get to know you, the first question they usually ask is, “What is your name?” When Moses asked God for His name, the Lord responded: “I AM WHO I AM” (Exodus 3:14).

So when Jesus used “I am” statements to describe Himself, He was clearly claiming to be equal to God and His listeners knew it! In his Gospel account, John recorded seven “I am” statements of Jesus. These statements were metaphors to help His followers understand who He is and why He came.

Today, we’ll look at Jesus’ first two “I am” statements. First, Jesus said that He is the bread of life (John 6:35). Jesus said this the day after He fed over 5,000 people with just five loaves and two fish. Now, think back to Moses again. How did God provide food for the people of Israel during the Exodus? “Then the LORD said to Moses, ‘Behold, I am about to rain bread from heaven for you’” (Exodus 16:4). God provided manna, bread from heaven, for the people to gather each day. They always had enough to sustain their lives day by day.

When Jesus told the crowd that He is the bread of life, He reminded them: “’Truly, truly, I say to you, it was not Moses who gave you the bread from heaven, but my Father gives you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is he who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world…I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst’” (John 6:32-33, 35).

You see, the people were only seeking Jesus because they were amazed at the signs and wonders He was performing and because they wanted their physical needs met. But Jesus told them, “’Do not work for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you’” (John 6:27). Jesus had so much more to offer them than just a miraculous meal to sustain them for another day. Jesus came to offer Himself as sustenance for all eternity! In Him, we have everything we need for everlasting life.

Jesus’ second “I am” statement is found in John 8:12 when Jesus said that He is the light of the world. This time, think back to the very beginning in Genesis. Do you remember the first recorded words of God? “Let there be light” (Genesis 1:3). Before that the world was “without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep” (Genesis 1:2). God’s first act of creation was to bring light into the darkness.

Throughout Scripture, darkness is a symbol of evil, deception, and death while light is a symbol of goodness, truth, and life. Before God even created the sun, moon, and stars, He was the light shining in the world. In 1 John 1:5-7, John wrote: “This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice in the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all our sin.”

If you’ve ever tried to walk around in the dark, you know it is dangerous. Proverbs 4:19 tells us that “the way of the wicked is like deep darkness; they do not know over what they stumble.” Those who do not have the light of Christ, stumble around dangerously—lost in the dark. Conversely, “the path of the righteous is like the light of dawn, which shines brighter and brighter until full day” (Proverbs 4:18).

Remember how God led His people through the wilderness at night as a pillar of fire to light their way (Exodus 13:21-22). Without the Lord, we would all be stumbling around in the darkness like blind men. It probably isn’t a coincidence that after this teaching back in the Gospel of John, Jesus’ very next miracle was healing a blind man. This man once walked in darkness, but then he saw the light. Friends, one day, we will live forever in His light (Revelation 22:5) perfectly sustained in Him. He is the bread of life and the light of the world.

Respond

Lord, I know that only You can truly satisfy. Thank You for not only providing for my daily, physical needs but for my eternal, spiritual need as well. Because I follow You, I know that I will never have to walk in darkness but will always be able to live, fully satisfied, in Your light. Amen.

Reveal: Who do you know who is walking in darkness and hungry for God? How can you shine Jesus’ light into their life?

~ Pastor Nat Crawford