Our ancestors ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written: ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’”
Jesus said to them, “Very truly I tell you, it is not Moses who has given you the bread from heaven, but it is my Father who gives you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is the bread that comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.”
“Sir,” they said, “always give us this bread.”
Then Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty. But as I told you, you have seen me and still you do not believe. All those the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never drive away. For I have come down from heaven not to do my will but to do the will of him who sent me.”
Before Jesus preached, he took a moment to correct an incorrect interpretation offered by those who had tracked him down. They asserted that Moses had given their ancestors manna, but Jesus reminded them that it wasn't Moses who did the work, it was a gift from God.
The connection here is profound. God had redeemed the people of Israel from Egypt and rather than allow them to starve while they traipsed through the wilderness, each day he sent manna for them to eat. They couldn't collect it or save it because the next day, what they had saved would be rotten; except on the Sabbath. Then they were allowed to collect two days’ worth of food so they could worship God rather than look for something to eat.
As their redeemer, God cared for his children, ensuring they would never go hungry.
Jesus comes as the redeemer; the Messiah. The people of Israel are no longer in need of physical food to get them through a literal desert, but were in desperate need of spiritual food to get them through a spiritual desert. He offered himself as the bread of life which would fill every need they might have.
What do you hunger for today?
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