A Daily Purpose Day 131

written by: Torrie Slaughter

John 6 tells the story of Jesus feeding the 5,000 with only five loaves of bread and two fish. But this miracle was just the beginning of Jesus’ teaching on the true bread of life. He said, “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 Greek word used for “bread” in this passage is “artos,” which refers to bread made from wheat or barley.

But Jesus wasn’t just talking about physical bread. He was talking about himself as the source of spiritual sustenance for our souls.

Later in the chapter, Jesus says, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you” (John 6:53). This statement caused confusion among his followers, but Jesus was using the Greek word “sarx” for flesh, which means not just physical flesh, but his entire being as the Son of God.

Similarly, the Greek word for “drink” in this passage is “pino,” which can also mean “believe.”

So Jesus was saying that we must not only physically partake of him through communion, but we must also believe in him as the only true source of eternal life.

In a world that offers many substitutes for true spiritual sustenance, it’s easy to get distracted and forget that Jesus alone can satisfy our deepest needs. But as we partake of him and believe in him, we will find the true bread of life that will sustain us through all of life’s challenges.

Let’s remember that Jesus is not just a physical bread or a spiritual concept, but a person to be known and experienced in our daily lives. As we come to him and believe in him, we will never hunger or thirst for anything else.

Important Greek words in John 6  include:

• Artos (ἄρτος), meaning bread
• Zōē aiōnios (ζωὴ αἰώνιος), meaning eternal life
• Sarx (σάρξ), meaning flesh
• Pneuma (πνεῦμα), meaning spirit
• Mnēmoneuō (μνημονεύω), meaning to remember
• Skandalizō (σκανδαλίζω), meaning to be offended or shocked.