The Book of John: God Became FleshSample

A four-tiered fountain spurts water out of the top, which fills the basin beneath. This overflows to fill the basin beneath that. And that basin overflows to fill the large pool at the bottom. This is a picture of what Jesus offers everyone who believes in him.

That’s where we find Jesus and his disciples in John 6. They faced a crowd of thousands of people who needed their evening meal, but all the disciples had among them were five small loaves of bread and two fish. Not nearly enough!

Jesus, however, carried on like nothing was wrong. Jesus blessed the food, it was passed around, and at the end of the day, like a fountain overflowing, there were basketfuls left over! It was an incredible miracle. (So incredible that it’s one of the only ones recorded in all 4 accounts of Jesus’ life in the Bible.) And the people noticed.

As Jesus continued to perform miracles, more people began to follow him. But Jesus noticed they were only interested in what he could do—not who he was. Jesus reprimanded them, saying they only wanted him for his miracles. For the material things he could give them.,

Jesus declares to the people that he is the Bread of Life. He could keep giving them bread to eat, but only by believing and following him would they truly never go hungry again.

There are many places in the Bible where God promises abundance, overflowing, like the cascading water of a fountain. But this passage shows us that Jesus wants to give us more than the things – the money, the security, the friendships; he wants to give us himself. He doesn’t only give us bread to eat. He is the Bread of Life.

Pray: Dear God, you have always given me everything I need. I want to know you more. I want to build this relationship with you. Amen.