Jesus’ emphasis upon Himself clearly comes across in what commonly are called the “I AM” statements of Christ. These statements are recorded in John’s Gospel.
“I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, he who believes in Me shall never thirst.” John 6:35
How astounding and how unlike anything anyone else has ever claimed! If you study world religions, you will find that no other figure in history ever made such a declaration.
Dependent On Christ For Life
Jesus is claiming to be the only one who can give sustenance and nourishment to the soul of man. He’s claiming to be the one who satisfies and refreshes man spiritually. Bread—a staple of the ancient Hebrew diet—was the most common and the most essential of foods. Essentially, Jesus is saying, what bread is to the body, I am to the soul and spirit of man. In other words, just as the body is dependent upon food to live, so man’s spirit is dependent on Christ for life.
The problem with the human race is that we have forgotten, or in some cases even denied, that we are spiritual beings, created in the image of God who is Spirit!
Our Spiritual Natures
God, in His mercy, has given to us an ever-present reminder of our spiritual natures. Each of us has an insatiable hunger within that no material thing can fill. All men have a void in their lives, and only Christ can fill that void! Jesus alone is the Bread of Life that satisfies the spiritual hunger in man. Are you spiritually hungry? Is there a void deep in your soul that nothing seems to be able to fill? Jesus is the Bread of Life.