On Second Thought
“I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.” — John 6:35, NIV.
Picture the last few minutes of a church cookout. Someone is stacking chairs, the children want one more turn at a game, and a volunteer is looking for a container for the leftovers. It’s tempting to measure the day by how many people came and whether there was enough food to go around. Those are reasonable things to notice. I’d also like to know whether anybody had a conversation they’d be glad to continue. Did we learn the name of the neighbor who came alone? Did someone feel safe enough to tell us why it had been years since they’d set foot in a church? A meal freely given is already an act of love. When there’s time to sit down and listen, the table can also become a place to speak honestly about the One who taught us to make room.
In John 6, Jesus feeds a hungry crowd, and the next day people come looking for Him again. He knows the meal is still on their minds. When they bring up the manna their ancestors ate in the wilderness, Jesus directs their attention to His Father, who gives the true bread from heaven. Then He tells them that He Himself is the bread of life. I find it helpful to notice how the two halves of John 6:35 work together. The Greek expressions ho erchomenos and ho pisteuōn mean “the one who comes” and “the one who believes.” Each helps explain the other. Coming to Jesus is entrusting ourselves to Him, and Jesus promises to receive those who come and raise them up at the last day (John 6:37–40). The crowd had eaten its fill the day before. Now Jesus was offering life that would endure beyond the next meal and even beyond the grave.
Alistair Begg suggests three verbs that help us put the invitation into words: admit, believe, and come. I begin by admitting what Paul says in Romans 3:23. I have sinned and fallen short of God’s glory. That includes the wrong I remember clearly and the habits I’ve grown comfortable excusing. Then I believe what God has done for me. According to Romans 5:8, Christ died for us while we were still sinners. The gift of eternal life comes through Him (Romans 6:23). And then I come. I bring the sin I’ve admitted and the burden I’ve been carrying to the living Lord who invites the weary to Himself in Matthew 11:28. I can understand the gospel well enough to explain it to someone else and still need to entrust my own life to Jesus. If you recognize yourself there, you can begin with a plain prayer in your own words. Tell Him where you need mercy and ask Him to teach you to follow Him.
John 6:35 explains why Jesus calls Himself the bread of life. Those who come to Him in faith receive the life only He can give. For a church serving its neighbors, the passage gives us reason both to care for people’s immediate needs and to speak about Jesus with the warmth and honesty appropriate to a shared table. For further reflection, see Alistair Begg’s Gospel ABC.
On Second Thought
One of the more surprising ways to share the bread of life is to admit how hungry we’ve been ourselves. At a church gathering, I can fall into the habit of being the person who knows where everything is, who has an answer ready, and who keeps things moving. Then a guest asks how I learned to pray when life was hard, and the conversation changes. I may need to say that someone once sat with me when I could hardly find the words, or that I still need other people to pray with me. There is something freeing about that moment. A neighbor may hear Christ’s invitation more clearly when we speak as people who still depend on His mercy. We can tell the truth about Jesus and let the other person see where that truth has met us.
There may be a second surprise. The conversation we hope for at the church’s table may happen later at someone else’s. In Luke 19, Jesus went to Zacchaeus’s house and received his welcome. I wonder how often I would discover more about a neighbor by accepting a cup of coffee in their kitchen than by inviting them to another event on our calendar. The person who first came as a guest now has something to offer, and I have the chance to receive it gladly. Think of someone you’ve served or welcomed recently. If the opportunity comes, make time to see them again. Let them tell you something about their life. If they ask where you find hope, tell them plainly about Jesus, the bread you still need every day.
If you know a teenager or young adult who enjoys honest questions about everyday life, invite them to visit Keaton Talks on Facebook.
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