I AM THE BREAD OF LIFE

".....I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst" (John 6:35)

The Gospel of Matthew records that the second time the Saviour fed the multitudes was to the inhabitants of Decapolis which were presumed to be Gentile. Besides prefiguring the future presentation of the living bread to the Gentile nations (Bruce R. McConkie, Doctrinal NT Commentary, Vol 1, p 375), the Saviour fed this multitude out of compassion. The people had been with Him for three days and had nothing to eat and He did not want to send them away fasting 'lest they faint in the way' (Matt 15:32) . This multitude numbered 'four thousand men, beside women and children' (Matt 15:38). They followed him bringing with them 'those that were lame, blind, dumb, maimed, and many others' casting them at Jesus' feet that they might be healed giving no thought to the necessity of sustenance. When the dumb were made to speak, the maimed made whole, the lame enabled to walk and the blind to see, 'they glorified the God of Israel' (Matt 15:31). Jesus then proceeded to feed this multitude with 'seven loaves and a few little fishes' (Matt 15:34). When all were fed, there were seven baskets full that remained. This mixed multitude from the east of the Jordan proved more receptive than the members of the chosen seed.

The first time Jesus fed the multitudes, He did so to the House of Israel with a calculated purpose which was to proclaim himself as 'the bread of life' (Matt 6:6). By performing the miracle of feeding this multitude with five loaves and two fishes, He bore record of 'heavenly bread' of which all men must eat if they are to gain eternal life. The Gospel of John records that in this instance there were 5,000 men gathered 'because they saw his miracles which he did on them that were diseased' (John 6:2). This feeding of so many with so little signaled to the multitude that this indeed was the promised Messiah (John 6:14) who they should crown as the King of the Jews (John 6:15). Had they not been subject for centuries to the Jewish tradition which taught them that the Messiah, when He came, would reveal Himself by repeating the miracle of 'manna from heaven' so prolific in Jewish history? "As the first Saviour - the deliverer from Egyptian bondage, said the Rabbis, caused manna to fall for Israel from heaven, so the second Saviour - the Messiah - will also cause manna to descend for them once more" (Geikie, pp. 516-17, as quoted by Bruce R. McConkie,  The Mortal Messiah Book 2, p. 368). This Messiah who could provide bread from heaven, as in the days of Moses, would break the Gentile yoke and fulfill all their expectations. He would give them 'corn without sowing, harvests without reaping, bread without baking. No longer need we labour at our oars and struggle with our nets when two small fish, at the Messiah's touch, will feed thousands. The Deliverer is here; he will feed us as Moses fed our fathers. Give us loaves and fishes forever and in thy beneficent goodness add raisins and oil and wine to our diet. Surely we shall now feast more sumptuously than Herod himself' (Bruce R. McConkie, The Mortal Messiah Book 2, p 371).

When the crowds pursued Him wanting to make Him King, Jesus answered them: "Verily, verily, I say unto you, Ye seek me not because ye desire to keep my sayings, neither because ye saw the miracles but because ye did eat of the loaves and were filled. Labor not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life, which the Son of man shall give unto you: for him hath God the father sealed" (John 6:26,27, JST). This is not something the crowds wanted to hear let alone wished to understand that the only crown that would adorn His head would be one of plaited thorns. As the Saviour proceeded to deliver His sermon on the Bread of Life He sealed His fate that would eventually bring Him to the cross of Calvary. By proclaiming Himself to be the only 'bread of life' that the Father would ever send them (John 6:35), He refused to conform to their concept of a temporal Messiah. Where up to now people followed Him and flocked to Him with emotional frenzy, from this time 'many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him' (John 6:66). The miracles forgotten, the healings ignored, the spirit rejected. Thus the Bread of Life sermon marked the saddest and the most heartbreaking point in the Saviour's mortal life for it instigated the parting of ways between Him and the common people. Whereas previous opposition was primarily contained within the circles of the scribes and Pharisees, the Rabbis and rulers, the Saducees and Herodians, now even some of his nearest followers hardened their hearts against Him with bitter disappointment, rejecting the gift of eternal life that He alone could give. Even though He knew well that He was headed up the lonely path to Calvary, the rejection must have been devastating to the gentle heart of the Saviour who had loved them, taught them and healed them of their infirmities; who had come to give His all that they might have all.

"He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him. As the living Father hath sent me, and I live by he Father; so he that eateth me, even he shall live by me. This is the bread which came down from heaven; not as your fathers did eat manna, and are dead: he that eateth of this bread shall live for ever. (John 6:56-58)

To keep us, His saints, who have taken upon ourselves His name and accepted His teachings, in constant remembrance of our commitment to accept and obey Him, the Lord has given us the ordinance of sacrament.  Those who love Him and serve Him and keep His commandments observe with diligence the ordinance to 'eat his flesh and drink his blood' which they do in the spiritual sense rather than the literal one. This we must do for His body broken for us, is the very spiritual food which gives life, thus we must eat and drink if we are to be His and have life with Him in the mansions of our Father who has sent Him. 

No doubt, among the disciples who fell away when they heard the Saviour's discourse on the Bread of Life, were both investigators and those who had entered into the covenant of baptism. "By the simple expedient of teaching strong doctrine to the hosts who followed him, Jesus was able to separate the chaff from the wheat and choose out those who were worthy of membership in His earthly kingdom....Unable to believe and accept His strong and plain assertions about eating His flesh and drinking His blood, even many classified as disciples fell away" (Bruce R. McConkie, Mortal Messiah Book 2, p 385). This process of sifting continues with us today. Those of us who are unwilling to 'drink His blood and eat His flesh', rejecting the spiritual life force the Saviour can give, will when the tests of time come, fail in our love for Him who has given His all that we might live. May we be as Peter, who replied when the Saviour asked the Twelve:  'Will ye also go away?': 

"Lord, to whom shall we go? Thou hast the words of eternal life"