Names of God Series: Nourished by the Bread of Life

 By: Rebekah Hargraves 

Photo Courtesy of: James Coleman

“I am the bread of life,” Jesus told them. “No one who comes to me will ever be hungry, and no one who believes in me will ever be thirsty again."

~John 8:35

In our study of the names of God, we come next to another name Jesus ascribes to Himself - the name "The Bread of Life", singling for us the fact that Jesus provides us with spiritual nourishment and satisfies our deepest soul-level needs.

Just as we so often turn to junk food as opposed to good, nutrient-dense nourishing bread and wonder why it is we do not feel healthy or satisfied, so, too, we so often make it our habit to turn to anything and everything but Jesus for deep soul-satisfaction - Netflix, earthly relationships, social media, various addictions, etc. - and still wonder why we are not soul-satisfied at the deepest level.

 The reasoning is the same behind both ailments. There is a way of eating that truly nourishes our bodies, and there likewise is a way of looking to and relying on Jesus to meet our needs that truly satisfies our souls and spirits.

When we think about Jesus as being our Bread of Life and ponder the spiritual implications thereof, it can be helpful to first think of the implications for our bodies of eating nourishing bread.

Bread strengthens us. Without eating, our bodies perish. And even without eating just one meal or two here or there, we already begin to feel the effects. The same is true when we eat food that is less than healthy. We feel weak, lethargic, and exhausted. The same is true for us spiritual when we do not rely on Jesus to meet the needs of our spiritual life. We become weak, lethargic, complacent, spiritually tired, and unable to fight back against the attacks and temptations of the enemy.

Bread also nourishes us, providing us with the vitamins and minerals we need to be healthy and full of vitality. Jesus, too, provides us with everything we need, in Himself, for us to be healthy and full of vitality spiritually. Peter attests to this in 2 Peter 1:3, "His divine power has given us everything required for life and godliness through the knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness."

Do you need to be spiritually healthy, whole, and strong? Do you feel you are lacking something spiritually? Then turn to Jesus, your Bread of Life.

Reflection Questions:

1) What does it mean for you that Jesus is your Bread of Life?

2) What aspect of bread and its benefit to our bodies most stands out to you in terms of how Jesus Himself fills that need?

3) Have you been looking to Jesus to be your Bread of Life? Why or why not? How can you begin to do that today if you haven't made it a habit before?