JESUS IS THE GREAT “I AM!” JOHN 6 "Little is much!” John 6:1-15 The disciples had just returned from their first mission, where they told the nation of Israel that the kingdom of God was here. John the Baptist had just been beheaded by a wicked king who wanted to please a wicked woman. The Lord Himself had just spent the whole day teaching the large crowd of people who were now following Him wherever He went. Instead of resting for a while as they had planned, spiritual needs still needed to be met. It may be that because of the rejection the Lord Jesus Christ faced in Jerusalem and Judea, He didn't go to the Passover there. It is now called a feast of the Jews rather than one of the feasts of Jehovah.
The things of God we have been taught can become so familiar that they turn into just a formality that "we do in our church." Spiritual and fleshly things do not go hand in hand, even though the events in different denominations often seem similar to those observed in scripturally gathered assemblies. When a spiritual practice declines into mere tradition or an act done to please people, it loses its spiritual significance. Like the Jewish people who would think of unleavened bread and manna because the Passover was near, we can “see the signs, but see not Him.” He is “The Bread of Life” who came down from heaven. The first of the seven “I AMs” in John’s Gospel is “I AM the Bread of Life.”
Even though "He Himself knew what He would do," the Lord Jesus used the needs of a hungry crowd as a teaching moment for His disciples. Philip knew that the worth of a man's labor for a year wouldn't meet the needs of all those people. There is no human solution for hunger apart from God. God alone can sustain human life. Yet, for all mankind's dependence on God—whether they acknowledge Him or not—in grace, "He Himself" knows what He will do for us today. The whole earth and its hidden supply of everything we need to live are the work of the Life-Giver.
On that mountain where 5000 men, along with women and children, were gathered, Jesus quickly altered the usual way of providing for human needs. In His divine work, all of those people ate as much as they wanted, and this happened right at that moment. The One who controls the order of the universe has the power to make what normally takes a long time happen instantly. Only God can do that. Jesus truly is God.
It did not happen because some people are prone to say, "Selfish people were moved to share their lunch that day." The people were hungry and unable to meet their own needs; they were told by the disciples, whom the Lord had commanded to sit down in an orderly fashion by their fifties. The disciples distributed the food that came from Jesus’ hand until everyone was filled. In fact, there was more than they could eat. The disciples learned a further lesson: Jesus is God who can meet every need. That is a characteristic of God, who can produce all that is needed by His power in any situation and time. Every person there who had eaten knew Jesus was unique, yet the greatest need they had they didn’t seek.
This was not a lesson in unselfishness, as some claim. People didn't pull their personal lunches out from under their coats and start sharing what they had with others. There wouldn't have been twelve baskets full left over if that had been the case. No, Andrew, in feeble faith, brought a young boy with five loaves and two fish to Jesus and said, "But what are they among so many?" He knew his Lord's ability. He didn't know the Lord's intention. His faith was in the right Person. He wasn't sure what Jesus would do—hence the feeble question. The Lord Jesus knew what He was going to do. He can take a little and make it much. "Little is much when God is in it." A person's age is not a limitation for God to use either. A small boy, with small loaves of bread and small fish, was all Jesus needed to testify to His deity again and His ability to keep the food flowing to thousands of people. He did what others could not do and simultaneously expected His disciples to do what they could.
He gave the disciples the privilege of sharing with Him in the work of His grace, and He does the same with us. That principle still holds true today. His storehouse is abundantly full of grace to give when grace is needed. But He expects us to do our part by faith. If the supply came as the food passed through His hands or if it was multiplied as the disciples were distributing it is not stated. However, everyone there who ate that food knew it was a miracle from Jesus.
We can taste all the good things of God, but we still hold back and do not submit to Jesus Christ as Lord. He has provided for our spiritual needs by offering us divine life and expects us to believe and follow Him by faith, not sight. Taking for granted all the spiritual blessings He has given and thinking we deserve them shows we are very short-sighted, because we are not worthy of even the least of His mercies. We owe everything to Him, in whom “we live and move and have our being.” Whether we realize it or not, miracles of provision for our entire person—body, soul, and spirit—come from Jesus alone. He is the One meeting every need through the riches of His grace. A wise person will humbly bow in gratitude, faith, praise, and worship to our Lord for the abundance of His grace.
The valuable gifts from God should not be wasted. He does not give blessings so they can be ignored or dismissed as unimportant. The lesson He was teaching about receiving eternal life was shown by how people received the blessing of physical, life-sustaining bread. It came from a person who might seem insignificant—because he was just a young boy. The boy had received what he had from God and was willing to give it back to Him. He can take our small offerings and turn them into blessings for others. What we give to God can be used in ways and places we never imagine. Who would have thought that five loaves and two small fish could feed thousands? Let us never overlook or underestimate any act of faith, whether ours or someone else’s.
Even then, the blessing continued. Disciples who had been tired from their service to the Lord now found a new and successful way to serve Him. Carrying baskets of food to people sitting in an orderly manner on the grass, who gratefully accepted what was offered, would have renewed their enthusiasm and reassured them that the Lord could use them in many ways. When they went around collecting the leftovers, they would have realized that the Lord Jesus, the Son of God, could do "exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think."
They were likely sustained by the food from that miraculous sign for several days afterward. Each of the four Gospels records the sign of the feeding of the 5000, confirming that the Lord Jesus Christ is the Son of God and demonstrating His ability to produce much from little when given to Him in faith. He can meet the needs of humanity willing to come to Him. In His wisdom, He knows exactly what we need and offers us the choice to accept what He provides by faith or to reject it. He is also ready to let those who believe in Him personally participate with Him in His work.
His day of reigning over the world is approaching. He will not be made king by humans. He was born King of the Jews - the only one born with all power, authority, and dominion over every kingdom. In His wisdom and grace, He has left these proofs of His deity and His personal understanding of humanity so each of us can put our faith in Him. He wasn't performing magic tricks to push people to change their ways. The miracle of feeding the 5000 reveals His understanding of basic human needs and His willingness to meet them. God is still working on our behalf today. Every bit of food we eat and every drop of water we drink come from His gracious hands, who are the Source of every good and perfect gift we enjoy.
"It is I (AM)." John 6:16-34 Sometimes in life, a significant event where the Lord Jesus Christ reveals Himself opens the door to experiences that are even more impactful than expected. When someone first "tastes and sees that the Lord is good," it is received with enthusiasm. The experience itself and its blessing affect us because we have personally tasted and seen that it is good. But the important truth is often overlooked or not considered - "the Lord is good." When the large crowd who had eaten are watching the disciples of the Lord go into the boat to cross to the other side of the lake and see the Lord Jesus go up the mountain to be alone with His Father, they go their own way for the night. Some experiences the Lord's followers have are not meant for public display or awareness. The fifth sign of the Lord's deity, walking on the water, was meant to strengthen the weak faith of His disciples.
The disciples were likely happy when the people wanted to make Jesus their King. They wanted that too. They hoped Israel would once again thrive as a nation and that Jesus would rule as the prophets predicted the Messiah would. As those obedient to the instructions of the One they believed would be their King, they kept rowing against the storm. He had told them to go to the other side so they wouldn't turn back. Most sailors in a similar situation would have turned around to return to shore and seek shelter, trying again when the wind calmed, but these men were loyal to their Master and rowed hard to reach the other side.
Seeing a figure walking on the water, bending into the wind, and catching up with them when they were three or four miles from shore would certainly fill anyone with fear. Their strenuous rowing was still slower than the One walking on the water, and He was gaining on them. Undoubtedly, their fear grew the closer He got, and they feared a ghostly spirit was coming toward them—until they heard His voice. "It is I (AM), be not afraid."
They had been with Him long enough to understand that He identified Himself as God with those words. By speaking briefly and directly, He clarified their understanding of His Person, which the feeding of over 5000 people did not do. Not only can Jesus accelerate natural processes and make natural things happen instantly, but now they would also see that He is King over nature, not just the coming King over a nation.
The universe is subject to Him, not just people and a nation. As soon as they received Jesus into the boat, they reached the shore they had been heading for. The Lord Jesus is the Lord God of people, the Master of nature no matter how contrary it may be, and He is also Lord over time and space because Jesus is truly the Son of God—the great I AM. That sign was seen only by the disciples, who learned that His purpose in coming to earth was not just to be their King and to feed the hungry, but to establish His authority over people and nature as the Great I AM.
The material blessings we receive from God are not because people have trusted Him as the Giver of Life and of "every good and perfect gift." Many people, and maybe even most, believe they deserve these blessings and take them for granted without genuine gratitude. The good things that come to us from God constantly are meant to lead us to repentance. Those who had eaten bread and fish from the Lord's hands and knew He had multiplied two fish and five loaves of bread to be more than enough to feed them all still didn't believe in Him. They didn't see Him as anything more than a miracle worker who had come to bring benefits to them.
Those same people went to the place where they knew the disciples had gone in the boat and got their own boats to cross over to where Jesus was. On the other side, there was only the one boat the disciples used, and they wondered aloud how He had arrived there. He did not answer their question but quickly revealed their true motive for seeking Him. They wanted Him as a King to provide for their desires. Even though they had eaten physical food the day before, which came from Him, and received the Father's approval and endorsement, they still were not satisfied. Physical life alone does not meet the true needs of a person.
They came from all directions, eager to hear Jesus and have Him meet their needs. He had healed them, taken care of them, taught them, and fed them with five loaves and two fish. It’s hard for me to understand why they wouldn’t listen to His teachings after eating such a miracle meal; they didn’t seem to recognize His deity.
It is now very similar. People do not believe in the Lord Jesus, and they refuse to accept that each person must personally receive the Savior who came down from heaven for their own salvation. Out of love for lost souls, Jesus bled and gave His life on the cross at Calvary so that everyone who trusts Him can be freed from the bondage of sin.
The proof of His identity as God is evident wherever an honest seeker looks. Evidence can be clearly seen in creation, conscience, and God's goodness—even in the transformed lives of those who are saved. It is worth every effort to investigate and conclude that the one these people have forsaken is truly the Holy Son of God, revealed to us in God’s Bible.
Those people wanted to find Him again because they had eaten and were satisfied. They ate miracle food but did not understand that Jesus was the Bread of God who had come into the world. He is the Source of life itself, and through Him, God is revealed to us. All our blessings come through Him, and God in Christ is unveiled to us as the great “I AM.”
People are still trying to earn their way to God and want God to accept them on their own terms. Some wish they could boast about what they've done to reach heaven. Those people had just eaten food Jesus made, which was a sign of His deity because He has power and ability over natural things. Yet, in their self-centeredness and hypocrisy, they still believed they could do God's work by themselves. It is impossible for us to do what God does. Jesus had demonstrated that right before their eyes, and they participated in the provision He created. How bold it was for those same people to suggest that Moses was greater because, instead of multiplying what was already there—five loaves and two fish—Moses brought bread down from heaven by his own power, in their view. Jesus explained to them that Moses did not give the children of Israel manna; God was the one who provided it.
This way of thinking hasn't changed much in many people's minds today. People still want physical evidence before they believe in the Lord Jesus Christ. They want to see something, and then they say they will believe. They want to feel something and think, then they will know they are saved. "Seeing is believing" is a common phrase for people who do not understand what faith in God is. God intends people to do what He says the way He said it. The work of God, or what God intends from us, is that we believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and add nothing else to it. Assurance of salvation and knowing what is true come after believing in the Lord Jesus Christ, not before.
Seeing isn't believing. Seeing is only seeing. Feelings aren't salvation; they're just feelings. Believing involves trusting a Person, the Lord Jesus Christ, without seeing Him. That is the faith that pleases God. Faith isn't just belief without proof—it's trust without reservation. Even after the Lord Jesus explained that the manna was not spiritual food but physical food, literal food that met the physical needs of the children of Israel in the desert, those listening to Jesus still didn't understand. They continued to miss the fact that He is the True Bread of God from heaven that gives life to the whole world, not just the Jews.
It is challenging for those with fixed ideas to listen to what God has to say. Miracles serve as evidence of who the Lord Jesus is. The signs He performed confirmed His claims of deity. However, it is faith in Him personally that brings life. Everyone must accept what is already provided - the True Bread - the Lord Jesus Christ.
The bread of God is Life and Light. It comes from heaven to us as day by day, we gather it, feed our souls on it, and taste its goodness. The soul is fed, and life’s needs are fully met. The Living Bread is pure and white. He fully satisfies the needs of the hungry soul who comes to Him and believes in Him. Daily, strength flows from the Father’s table. Rise, stretch out the hand of faith, and eat—be filled!
"How is it... How can... Who can...? John 6:36-71 The seven great "I AM" statements in John's Gospel regarding Jesus' deity leave no doubt about what He meant when He said, "I AM the Bread of life: he that cometh to Me shall never hunger, and he that believeth on Me shall never thirst." In these statements, He clearly identified Himself as God in every area of human experience and need. As the Giver and Sustainer of life, the Bread of Life has come and been given to us so that we can live forever. Hunger and thirst are two things men cannot do for themselves, and we cannot survive without either or both.
Our hunger is only satisfied by what God provides from the earth, and our thirst can only be quenched when we find the water He placed in, on, or above the earth. Similarly, the need for our spiritual hunger and thirst can only be met by God. Knowing and doing the will of God satisfies our souls, and the Lord Jesus promised lasting security to those who come to Him.
It is true that God chooses people to be saved, but He does not choose people to be lost. In His grace, and by His grace, He saves those He chooses. On the other hand, we must accept our responsibility to repent and believe the Gospel. Our belief doesn't save us, but when we willingly trust in the Lord Jesus Christ, God Himself saves us. We believe in Him and continue to believe in Him throughout our lives, not to maintain our salvation but because God has already saved us, and our faith is in Him. God guarantees eternal life to all who come to Him by faith. Our salvation is secured by the One in whom we have placed our trust. Faith goes before sight and prepares our souls to understand the Gospel, our hearts to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and our will to obey Him.
Most people during the years Jesus Christ was on earth only thought of Him as a man, a carpenter from Nazareth, and they would not accept His message or commit themselves to Him or submit to His demands to believe in Him and come to God. He brought a message that was rejected by most of the people of His time. To reject the message is to reject the Messenger—a serious choice. When we receive Him, His life becomes our life. When He said, "I AM the Bread of Life...," He declared the truth of His deity. The facts of His Person are shown to us in the early verses of this scripture, and His Purpose is clearly explained.
The purpose is for us to have everlasting life. Eternal life is only in Christ; we receive this gift when we accept Him. All the religious pretense people have used to make themselves acceptable to God has no place in the Christian life. The questions about "How"—such as "How is it..." regarding Jesus coming down from heaven; "How can..." about eating His flesh; and "Who can..." concerning Him and the Father as one—are often asked when we submit to the Lord Jesus Christ by faith, even though we do not understand everything He says and cannot answer every tricky question people might ask.
When we believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, His death on the cross for our sins and His resurrection from the dead for our justification unite us with Him. As the Living Bread, He gives and sustains our spiritual life. When we trust Him by faith, the Holy Spirit gives us the desire and power to do His will, reveals God's truth, and enables us to represent our Lord where we live. The spiritual nourishment of His person and His life in us makes the reality of godly, holy living possible. To eat His flesh and drink His blood is clearly not physical but spiritual nourishment. The people who heard Him speak at that time understood what He meant but excused themselves from the commitment of partaking in His life and following Him by claiming it was a hard saying.
It is now considered abhorrent by many to submit to being a follower of the Lord Jesus because it conflicts with the lifestyle of pleasure and self-interest that the worldly are drawn to. There is no way to serve both God and self. Eternal life and the way of living that comes with it are offensive to God's enemies. Many of these people reject the interest and friendship of those who walk in the Spirit. Some who seemed initially interested in spiritual things when they first heard the Gospel soon realize that faith in Christ transforms our life from being in harmony with the world and flesh to one that is contrary to those influences.
The people the Lord spoke to that day were offended when they heard Him say He was the Living Bread that came down from heaven. What would they say if they saw Him ascend into heaven? Some things are only understood through the Spirit's teaching, not by our fleshly instincts and experience. Who are we really, and what are we willing to do when the lines between the flesh and the Spirit are clearly drawn? Peter's answer to the Lord was simple and direct: "Lord, to whom shall we go? Thou hast the words of eternal life. And we believe and are sure that Thou art that Christ, the Son of the Living God." There is no one else we can go to for eternal life. The blessings of eternal life are not fully realized when we first trust the Savior. The conflict and tension that come with faith in Christ alone, apart from religion and man's ideas, cannot be avoided. We must go to the Living Bread and commit ourselves to follow Him.
Meeting the greatest human needs was planned before the foundation of the world. Before there was human life or the stars and galaxies swirling in the universe, the Eternal God had devised a way to foster reciprocal love. This plan centered on a method for God to give eternal life to others. To many, bread is the “staff of life,” the main part of many meals. “Give us bread!” is the cry of the hungry. The same is true of the soul; there is a hunger there that the world cannot satisfy. One can taste all of earth's riches, yet there is still hunger in the soul, which only God can fill.
When the time was right, Christ came, sent by His Father to save us from our sins and bring us to God. That salvation could only be made possible if He was willing to give His sinless life as a perfect substitute for us. That is exactly what our Lord did when He died for our sins on the cross. The bread of His life is made available to us through that sacrifice He offered. The hungry are not forced to eat, though bread can sustain their life. The person who longs for righteousness will find their spiritual appetite satisfied when they seek the Bread that came from heaven with their heart.
The Bread God provides brings peace paid for by Christ's blood on the cross. The sustenance it offers to meet our spiritual needs and hunger comes at the highest possible cost. The satisfaction that can fulfill every person's need is given to us when our souls and spirits feed on the Living Bread. May I never neglect the Living Bread for the light junk food the world offers. The world and the scoffers despise the Bread of God, but to me, the Bread from heaven satisfies my appetite, and the results of that Living Bread are life, strength, and light.