Jesus has just fed a crowd of thousands with five loaves of bread and two fish. The next day, the crowd searches for him. They want more—but Jesus wants them to consider whether they are looking for the right thing.
1. Connect
We all look to something to make life satisfying or secure.
What are some things people expect will make them happy or satisfied, only to discover that they don't last?
2. Read
Read together.
As you read, notice what the people want from Jesus and what Jesus offers them instead.
(NET2)
25 When they found him on the other side of the lake, they said to him, “Rabbi, when did you get here?” 26 Jesus replied, “I tell you the solemn truth, you are looking for me not because you saw miraculous signs, but because you ate all the loaves of bread you wanted. 27 Do not work for the food that disappears, but for the food that remains to eternal life—the food which the Son of Man will give to you. For God the Father has put his seal of approval on him.”
28 So then they said to him, “What must we do to accomplish the deeds God requires?” 29 Jesus replied, “This is the deed God requires —to believe in the one whom he sent.” 30 So they said to him, “Then what miraculous sign will you perform, so that we may see it and believe you? What will you do? 31 Our ancestors ate the manna in the wilderness, just as it is written, ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’”
32 Then Jesus told them, “I tell you the solemn truth, it is not Moses who has given you the bread from heaven, but my Father is giving you the true bread from heaven. 33 For the bread of God is the one who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.” 34 So they said to him, “Sir, give us this bread all the time!”
35 Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life. The one who comes to me will never go hungry, and the one who believes in me will never be thirsty. 36 But I told you that you have seen me and still do not believe. 37 Everyone whom the Father gives me will come to me, and the one who comes to me I will never send away. 38 For I have come down from heaven not to do my own will but the will of the one who sent me. 39 Now this is the will of the one who sent me—that I should not lose one person of every one he has given me, but raise them all up at the last day. 40 For this is the will of my Father—for everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him to have eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day.”
NET Bible, Second Edition. © 2017 Biblical Studies Press. Used by permission.
What caught your attention?
3. Explore
Look back at the passage as you discuss these questions.
- According to verses 25–27, why does Jesus think the crowd is looking for him?
- What contrast does Jesus make between ordinary food and the “food that remains to eternal life”?
- In verses 28–29, the people ask what they must do. How does Jesus answer them?
- Jesus says, “I am the bread of life. The one who comes to me will never go hungry, and the one who believes in me will never be thirsty” (v. 35). What do you think he means?
- According to verses 35–40, what does Jesus promise to those who come to him and believe in him?
4. Consider
Jesus doesn't merely claim to give the bread of life. He says:
“I am the bread of life.”
- What does that claim tell you about who Jesus believes himself to be?
- What do you find attractive, surprising, difficult, or hard to believe about what Jesus says?
- If Jesus really can give the kind of life he describes, what difference would that make?
5. Respond
Jesus repeatedly uses two expressions in this passage: “come to me” and “believe in me.”
What do you think it would mean for someone actually to come to Jesus and believe in him?
As we continue investigating Jesus, consider our central question:
Who is this Jesus who claims that our deepest hunger can ultimately be satisfied in him?
Explore More
If you would like to keep reading, read . It tells the story that leads to Jesus' claim to be the Bread of Life.
Next Conversation: Out of Darkness — “I Am the Light of the World.”