Jesus Our Provider

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The God Who Provides

John 6:26-40

“Jesus said to them, ‘I am the bread of life; he who comes to Me will not hunger, and he who believes in Me will never thirst.”

            In an insecure world, we seek someone to provide security and stability. Central to the character of God is His providential care for us and for all creation. Christ not only created the universe, but He also sustains all by providing for its needs.  In Hebrews 1:3, we are reminded that Christ “is the radiance of His (God the Father) glory and the exact representation of His nature and upholds all things by the word of His power.  When He had made purification of sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high.”  Christ provides for all our needs, and He cares for us.  In Matthew 6:25-33 Christ challenges us not to worry about the future, for if He provides for the physical needs of the birds of the air, how much more will He provide for our daily needs?

            In John 6:26-40, Jesus extends His providential care from our physical to spiritual life.   At the start of the chapter, Jesus provided food for the crowds.  While we commonly refer to this miracle as the feeding of the 5000, in reality, it was much more, for the number only refers to the men present. Some suggest that when we include the women and children the number may have been over 20,000.  As Jesus now again addresses the people, He confronts them with their motivation for following Him.  They were now clamoring to Him because He provided them with food, a basic necessity of life.  However, Jesus changes the narrative by pointing to an even greater need.  Far more important than our physical food is our spiritual food.  The food they desire only brings temporary satisfaction, but Jesus points to that which gives complete and eternal satisfaction.  He promises to provide bread from heaven.  Intrigued, the people begged for the bread.  Jesus was response was startling.  He states that He is the bread, and those who come to Him will not hunger.  Jesus raises their focus from the physical realm to the spiritual, from physical hunger and satisfaction to spiritual hunger and contentment. In His statement, “I am the bread of life; he who comes to me will not hunger,” Jesus makes two profound statements.  First, in the “I am” statement (one of seven found in the book of John), Jesus makes an explicit declaration that He is the great “I am” in Exodus 3:14.  Jesus is affirming that He is God Himself.  Not only does He affirm that He is God, but He then goes on to assert that He is the God who provides for our every physical and spiritual need. Spiritual life and wholeness are found only in Christ and by embracing His salvation. Jesus not only cares for us and provides everything we need for our physical life, but He also provides everything we need for our spiritual life.

This promise requires that we place our complete trust in Him. We only receive His satisfaction and contentment when we, by faith, fully embrace Him as our savior and surrender to Him as our Lord.  While He gives us the offer of life, that offer must be received by faith.  When we find ourselves dissatisfied with life and longing for something more,  it indicates that we are looking in the wrong place.  Are you satisfied in life?  Are you genuinely content so that there is no need for anything else?  If not, perhaps you are looking in the wrong place.  Instead of looking for these things in this world's pleasures, possessions, and achievements, look to Christ and continually surrender to Him.  When we fully trust in Christ, we find genuine and complete contentment. 

 

 

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