John 6:35, 41-51
35 Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty. 41 Then the Jews began to complain about him because he said, “I am the bread that came down from heaven.” 42 They were saying, “Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How can he now say, ‘I have come down from heaven’?” 43 Jesus answered them, “Do not complain among yourselves. 44 No one can come to me unless drawn by the Father who sent me; and I will raise that person up on the last day. 45 It is written in the prophets, ‘And they shall all be taught by God.’ Everyone who has heard and learned from the Father comes to me. 46 Not that anyone has seen the Father except the one who is from God; he has seen the Father.
47 Very truly, I tell you, whoever believes has eternal life. 48 I am the bread of life. 49 Your ancestors ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died. 50 This is the bread that comes down from heaven, so that one may eat of it and not die. 51 I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Whoever eats of this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.”
Jesus' Identity and Ministry
We continue with John's Gospel about the bread that Jesus multiplied to feed thousands in this perishable life, and the bread that He provides for the imperishable and eternal.
We notice the statement Jesus proclaims, "I am." The first time we hear this "I am" was when God revealed Himself to Moses and said, "This is what you are to say to the Israelites, 'I AM sent me to you'" Exodus 3:14. I AM became God's identity and sacred name.
Seven metaphorical times John uses "I AM" in his Gospel.
"I am the bread of life" John 6:35, 41, 48, 51
"I am the light of the world" John 8:12, 9:5 and creating light, Genesis1:3
"I am the door" John 10:7
"I am the good shepherd" John 10:11,14
"I am the resurrection and the life" John 11:25
"I am the way and the truth and the life" John 14:6
"I am the true vine" John 15:1,5
These statements deserve our ultimate reflection because they help us see who Jesus is in His Divine and Human nature and mission.
John 18:4-5 provides us with a last statement of Jesus speaking about Himself with "I am" at the Gethsemane Garden. When the mob comes to arrest Him, He asks them, "Who are looking for?" They said, "Jesus of Nazareth." He responded "I am He!" applying God's Convenant Name to Himself.
Jesus, the Divine and the Human, is the Only One who provides His faithful ones with the bread that guarantees their tomorrow's life, eternal life.
Those who eat this bread with faith and humility, even if they are not worthy to receive it, are promised life eternal. Receiving this bread, they become members of Jesus' Body.
They witness to Christ's Body through their daily acts and model of life. Happy are those who follow Jesus, the Incarnated Son of God, and reflect His presence by their acts.