Leader Packet
THE I AM STATEMENTS OF JESUS: “I AM THE BREAD OF LIFE”
John 6:35
Getting Started
1. Describe your favorite kind of bread. Do you like bread alone or with a meal? Have you ever made your own bread?
2. Read John 6:35. Why do you think Jesus used bread as an illustration of Himself? What makes bread a good example? Max Lucado has written, “What bread is to hunger, Jesus claims to be for the soul… We should let him nourish our hearts, not just in certain months or on special events, but daily. Bread is served in many forms. It is toasted, jellied, buttered, flattened and grilled. It can be a sandwich, sweet roll, hot dog bun, croissant, or dinner roll. Bread can meet many needs. So can Jesus. He adapts himself to meet our needs.”
Digging Deeper
1. Read John 6:25-33. Describe the difference between trusting Jesus as a provider of physical food and trusting Him as the feeder of our souls. In what way is trusting Jesus to provide for our physical needs too narrow a view of Him? What does He actually seek to do for us? From the passage, we learn that they were merely enamored with Jesus and what He had done for them in feeding them. They had full stomachs yesterday and now that they were hungry again they sought Him out. He alludes to the manna in the desert that came from Heaven and says that He has such bread to give. Still not understanding, they request it from Him. Read John 4:10-15. How is this exchange similar? How is it different?
2. Re-read John 6:28-29. How are people drawn to “doing” something to be redeemed? What are ways that people work to earn the salvation that Jesus is offering? In what way can the Gospel feel too simple? Our whole culture is built on this idea of good works (actions/behaviors/attitudes) being rewarded. This shows up in most religions, too. And yet, the Bible tells us that it is not something we do, but it is something that God has done. The only work God asks of us is to believe that He has already done it for us. It’s not a work at all as we understand work, but it’s faith in Jesus Christ who has already done the work for us. Bonus: Why do you think this is so hard for people to grasp?
3. Read John 6:30-31. Many modern people want to see something supernatural before they will believe it. How does wanting to see something spectacular (in the present or future) limit our ability to believe in something supernatural that has already happened (in the past)? It’s interesting that in our world we say that seeing is believing. But in the world of the spiritual, it’s exactly the opposite. Believing is seeing. The people who sought after Jesus wanted to reverse that too, and demanded that He perform signs to prove Himself to them like God did in the desert with manna. While God does cause miracles that increase our faith and show His power off, He does not take challenges like “do this or else I won’t believe” lightly. This attitude is what Deuteronomy 6:16 is referring to when it says not to test God.
4. We heard, “The more a man has in his heart, the less he will require from the outside; excessive need for support from without is proof of the bankruptcy of the inner man.” What is the “more” that a person needs in his/her heart? How do people try to fill the missing “more” in their hearts with excess from outside of their hearts? Without Jesus, we are constantly trying to gather up all kinds of support and stimuli from the world in which we live just to keep us propped up for one more day. Quite a few have gone to the world of entertainment. Many have gone to the world of drugs, alcohol, and other vices. Some manufacture that support system from their quest for wealth, popularity, prestige, and power. But so often, it is simply more external activity practiced in a futile attempt to deaden the pain of an empty life inside.
5. Re-read John 6:35. From what you learned in this week’s sermon, what did Jesus mean when He said, “I am the bread of life?” In essence, Jesus is saying, “Just as you take physical bread, and you digest it into your being, and it becomes a part of you, so in the spiritual realm. I want you to take Me as your personal Savior and receive Me. And when I come in to live with you, I become to you, in the spiritual realm, what bread is to you in the physical realm.”
Applying the Message
1. How regularly are you eating the spiritual bread of life that Jesus provides? In what way does this sustenance metabolize into your attitude, thoughts, and behaviors? What part of your life feels like it needs a little more spiritual bread?
2. What might taking in more of Jesus’ bread look like? How much time should you appropriate? Where should this be done? With whom (or alone)? Describe your next step of faith for your spiritual nourishment.