Dear Christian friends:

In our text today Jesus tells us about the Bread of Life. Do you know what the "Bread of Life" is? Do you know what it means to "eat" the "Bread of Life." If you listen carefully and if God's Spirit will come and help you today, you will understand what it means. I wonder if the deaf who belong to the Bread of Life Lutheran Church in Minneapolis understand what that means.

Next time you meet one of them ask them if they understand what their church name means? Ask them if they know where to find it in the Bible. You may be able to tell them something they don't know.

But don't be too proud, they may ask you about our church, "Prince of Peace." Do you know where to find that name in the Bible? Do you know what it means? Anyway, today we will consider:


What kind of "bread" is that? It is not bread like we buy in the store. It's not the bread which Jesus took from the boy and blessed and multiplied it 1,000 times to feed 5,000 people. If we eat that kind of bread made from wheat flour we will die now or later. The "Bread of Life" here in our text is a much more wonderful bread than that. Jesus says, "If anyone eats that "Bread" He will not die, but live forever. Truly a wonderful Bread.

What kind of Bread is it? In verse 48, Jesus says, "I am the Bread of Life." Jesus Himself is the Bread of Life. Then He explains it more in verse 51, "I am the living Bread that came down from heaven." He means that He is the everlasting, almighty Son of God, not only the Son of Mary. The Jews we read in John 6:41-42 grumbled because He said, "I am the bread that came down from heaven." They said, "Is this not Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How can he now say, ‘I came down from heaven’?"

The Jews did not understand. They thought Jesus was only a Man. They did not believe what the angel Gabriel said to Mary before Jesus birth. (Luke 1:26-35) Also many people today do not know that wonderful truth. Many have heard it but they think it's foolish and simple, they can't accept. They don't know that Jesus is the Bread which came from heaven.

He says in verse 51, "The Bread I'll give to bring life to the world is My flesh." When Jesus here says that the bread is His flesh which He will give to the world He means His suffering and dying. His wonderful sacrifice upon the cross. On Mount Calvary He gave His body and blood to pay for all people's sins, also your sins and my sins.

Again the Jews argued with one another and asked, "How can He give us His flesh to eat?" They didn't understand. They didn't want to believe that they were such bad sinners and that only God's Son from heaven could pay for them. So Jesus says again to them, "Very truly I tell you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life." (John 6:53-54)

This wonderful bread from heaven gives us everlasting life. Jesus says, "I will raise you up on the Last Day." Although we get sick, old and die, we still live and on the Last Day of the world Jesus will come again and call us to awake and go with Him into heaven. So now you know what the "Bread of Life" means. But it is not enough for us to know and understand about the Bread of Life, we must "eat" it also Jesus says.

Jesus impresses that on us in John 6:53-54. How do we eat this wonderful Bread?" Maybe you say, "When we go to the Lord's Supper." Yes, that's one way we "eat" the Bread of Life. We can eat the Bread of Life without going to the Lord's Supper. Children "eat" the Bread of Life, even babies eat the Bread of Life. When you receive Baptism you "eat" the Bread of Life. When you sit in Church and listen to the preaching of God's Word, you can "eat" the Bread of Life. When you read your Bible at home you can "eat" the Bread of Life.

What does that mean "eat" the Bread of Life? It means believe in Jesus Christ! Believe that He is God who came from heaven to be our brother and then suffer and die on the cross for our sins. It means to stop doubting and humbly confess our sins and trust in Jesus for full and free forgiveness.

When Jesus told these wonderful things to the Jews they thought He was crazy. Many of His disciples went back to their old life and refused to go with Him anymore. (John 6:66) Then Jesus asked the twelve, "Do you want to leave Me, too?" How about you? Jesus says to you today, "Do you want to leave Me, too?" Do you think Jesus is crazy?

Do you think His Bread is worthless? Do you work hard to get earthly bread and despise that heavenly Bread? Many people also many deaf spend much time working to get the bread of death that grows on the earth and spend little or no time working to get the Bread of Life from heaven.

Which is better: The bread of death that grows on the earth or the Bread of Life that came down from heaven? You better think about that question and all the things you have heard today and then do something about it.

Amen.