Walking Through Ephesians
“What Are You Hungry For?”
Categories: A Month with JesusWhat Are You Hungry For? - John 6
What are you hungry for? The question seems simple, but at its heart it reveals what our true desires are. Some hunger for fame. Some for success. Some for wealth. Some for approval. Some for sensual desires.
John 6 is a chapter about hungry people. It starts with the large crowd who are hungry for food (v. 1-14). Some were hungry for truth (v. 26-40). Some were hungry for validation and praise for their lineage, proving they were right and showing up this “would-be” Messiah (v. 41-58).
What Jesus does through this chapter is show the people how He is the true source of what we truly desire and need. He did this through the incredible statement, “I am the bread of life.” With the Apostles and the conundrum of finding enough food to feed 5000 people, Jesus shows them that He is the source of our sustenance, our greatest needs, and that He can provide, even when it seems impossible. With the group of people who came with honest questions (v. 28), Jesus is showing them that there is a greater source of strength and healing in this life – it is Him. And ultimately with the Jews who grumbled, when Jesus spoke about eating His flesh and drinking His blood, He wasn’t speaking about the Lord’s Supper, but rather showing them that unless they truly embrace Christ (believe His words, trust in His will, etc.) they’ll end up like their fathers, temporarily sustained on perishable bread. Only in Christ is there true, never-ending, all-sustaining, life.
So let me ask again, what are you hungry for? Much of what we desire is like the manna God provided from heaven. It serves a temporal purpose but can’t sustain us in the long run. Our families, brethren, friendships, jobs, material blessings – they truly are gifts from the almighty, and can be great sources of encouragement through life’s journey. But they can’t be what I build my life upon. They can’t be the only source I am drawing my strength from.
Christ is the bread of life. Knowing Christ, and being known by Him, can satisfy the soul, can strengthen the heart, can renew the mind, like nothing else that exists. Paul calls it the surpassing value (Phil. 3:8). There’s a peace in knowing the God who created the world, and remembering His will and purpose in life. There’s a real confidence I can have in knowing the God who can do all things, who can provide for my greatest need, even when it doesn’t seem possible for me. There’s a blessed reassurance in knowing Christ, realizing in Him, life lasts. He is the bread of life, not death. His strength never fades. His promises stand true and endure through time. Knowing Christ is knowing that the loss of today pales in comparison to the promise of life here and to come in Him.
Do you remember what Jesus said in the model prayer? “Give us this day our daily bread…”. Yes, He was talking about our physical needs that God provides – but look at that request through the lens of John 6. What if we prayed this prayer each morning, thinking of Christ. Give me this day my daily bread – my daily Christ – the one who sustains, who empowers, who restores my soul. That’s the bread I hunger for.
My Blessed Provider, the true Bread of Life, I need you every day. I need your strength. I need reminded of your promises. I’m reminded today that you can provide for my greatest needs, even when it seems impossible. Help me to hunger for you. Be my daily bread. Sustain my life. Renew my spirit. Strengthen my faith. Reinforce my hope. Let the source of my power be You – my living stream, my water of life, my bread, my God!
