I AM the Bread of Life
John 6:35 Then Jesus declared, “I am the
bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in
me will never be thirsty. (NIV)
God
sent His son, Jesus, on a mission to save a dying world. During that time,
Jesus taught many lessons about God and showed those who followed Him numerous signs
and miracles that displayed the power of His Father. The life Jesus lived was
not one of prestige and entertainment, but was one of simplicity as an example
for those who chose to be faithful disciples.
Luke 9:58 Jesus replied, “Foxes have holes and birds of the air
have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.” (NIV) He
did not come with money and fame, but taught His disciples to feast on the word
of God. One of the devil’s first temptations for Jesus was to tempt Him with
self-indulgence by commanding stones to become bread. But Jesus resisted the
devil and did not fall prey to his lies. Matthew 4:3-4 The tempter came to him
and said, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.” Jesus
answered, “It is written: ‘Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word
that comes from the mouth of God.’ ” (NIV) The devil failed to
acknowledge that Jesus was and still is the Bread of Life because he is the I AM that I AM.
When
teaching the disciples how to pray, part of Jesus’ prayer included the phrase, “Give
us this day our daily bread,” Luke 11:3. What is that daily
bread? John 1:1-2 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with
God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. (NIV) The
Word of God is our Daily Bread on which we are to feast. Jesus is the Word and
through Him we have access to the spiritual nutrients that we need to help us
flourish spiritually. Just as the body needs food for fuel, we also need a supply
of God’s Word daily in order to sustain us as the body of Christ. 1
Corinthians 12:27 Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a
part of it. (NIV)
During
the days of Moses, I AM sent the
Children of Israel manna from Heaven to eat, which was a sign of I AM’s ability to provide all of their needs.
However, there were skeptics during Jesus’ time who still wanted to live off of
the signs of old instead of just believing who He was. I AM provided the Children of Israel with physical manna, while
Jesus appealed to their need for spiritual bread as part of His divine mission
while on earth. John 6:30-33 So they asked him, “What miraculous sign then will
you give that we may see it and believe you? What will you do? Our forefathers
ate the manna in the desert; as it is written: ‘He gave them bread from heaven
to eat.’ ” Jesus said to them, “I tell you the truth, it is not Moses who has
given you the bread from heaven, but it is my Father who 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.” (NIV)
As
part of feasting on the I AM, who is
the Bread of Life, we must remember
to keep His Word in our hearts, so that we exemplify who He is. Psalm
119:11 I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against
you. (NIV) Food in the natural fills the stomach to nourish the body,
and I AM as our daily bread fills
the soul in order to nourish His body. Without Him, we would spiritually die. I AM is the food that we need for
spiritual survival, and in Him our bodies are sustained. 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 Do
you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you whom
you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price.
Therefore, honor God with your body. (NIV)
I AM the Light of the World
John 8:12 When Jesus spoke again to the people, he
said, “I AM the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in
darkness, but will have the light of life. (NIV)
In the beginning of the world, I AM created light. He spoke it into
existence, and it became so. Genesis 1:3 And God said, “Let there
be light,” and there was light. (NIV) Once there was light, the
darkness that encompassed the world had to leave. For light and darkness cannot
occupy the same space. I AM is the
eternal light, for darkness cannot dwell in His mist. When Moses had gone up to
Mount Sinai and received the Ten Commandments, the Children of Israel could not
stand to look upon him because his face shined from the glory of I AM. Exodus
34:29 When Moses came down from Mount Sinai with the two tablets of the
Testimony in his hands, he was not aware that his face was radiant because he
had spoken with the Lord. (NIV) Moses had to put a veil over his face
whenever he had been in the presence of God, and only then did he speak to the
Children of Israel. Therefore, there will be no need for a sun or moon in
Heaven because I AM is the Light
that radiates to all. Revelation 21:23 The city does not
need the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light,
and the Lamb is its lamp. (NIV)
Jesus
let us know that He is the Light that had become flesh and dwelt on the earth,
but the world as we know it today is becoming increasingly dark. This is why it
is important to allow the Light of I AM
to shine through us. John 9:4-5 “As long as it is day, we
must do the work of him who sent me. Night is coming when no one can work.
While I am in the world, I am the light of the world.” (NIV) The world
needs the Light and because Jesus lives in us, the world should be able to see I AM’s glory in us just as the Children
of Israel saw it with Moses. It should be so bright that it draws people to
Him. John 12:46 I have come into
the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in
darkness. (NIV) Nevertheless, there will be those who will reject I AM’s light, and therefore, will be
lost as a result of choosing to be in eternal darkness. John 3:19-21 This is the
verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light
because their deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil hates the light and will
not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. But whoever
lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that
what he has done has been done through God. (NIV) No one has to live
in darkness. I AM’s light is available to all who wants to see.
Awesome message! 🙌
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