When Jesus miraculously fed the 5,000 people with a few fish and a few loaves of bread, the people loved it. They said to him, “Sir, give us this bread always.” And why not? Who doesn’t like free food? When my wife worked as a nurse, she never complained about the drug reps who came around with free lunches every day.
But Jesus turned the whole thing around, and he said, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.”
How did the people respond? Predictably. It says they grumbled.
Because most people want Jesus plus bread. Jesus plus a good job that pays well and isn’t too boring. Jesus plus a perfect marriage. Jesus plus well-behaved kids. Jesus plus the house and the car and…and… and we’re usually more interested in the plus than we are in Jesus. We’re always looking for the bread, and Jesus says, “No! I’m the bread! I’m all you need!”
Jesus came to satisfy our hunger and thirst, simply through himself.
Maybe you thought Christianity was all about Jesus dying on the cross so you could go to heaven after you die. That’s part of the good news, but that’s not all of it. The really good news is that Jesus died so he could satisfy your hunger and thirst right now through his grace.
What’s the bread you’re looking for? How has Jesus already provided for you in ways you don’t yet recognize?