Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.

John 6: 35

The first of Jesus’ “I AM” statements is found in the verse above, but I think it is important to also consider the context of His statement.

Just a day earlier, Jesus had performed one of His most significant miracles in the feeding of the five thousand with just a couple of fish and five pieces of bread and the people wanted more, food that is. But Jesus had something much more important to offer.

Yes, it was true that God had provided bread in the form of manna while Moses led their ancestors, but Jesus isn’t content just to meet the physical needs of the people.

For the bread of God is he who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.”

John 6: 33

Jesus’ mission was to give “life to the world” and that means much more than meeting our needs at the moment, but how many of us are guilty of asking Jesus, “what can you do for me right now?” The people of Jesus’ day were looking for another meal, but he was offering much more.

Could it be that we are too focused on having our appetites filled and our physical needs met instead of seeing the big picture of what God has provided for us?