The Bread of Life

The Bread of Life and the Certainty of Salvation

John 6:35–40 (ESV)

In John 6:35–40, Jesus makes one of the most profound and comforting declarations in all of Scripture. He does not merely offer bread. He declares that He Himself is the Bread of Life. This passage anchors our understanding of salvation not in human effort, decision, or endurance, but in the sovereign will of God and the sufficiency of Christ.

Jesus begins by saying, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to Me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in Me shall never thirst” (v. 35). The hunger He speaks of is not physical but spiritual. Fallen humanity is starving for righteousness, yet incapable of producing it. Christ alone satisfies the deepest need of the human soul. Coming to Him and believing in Him are not works that earn salvation, but the fruit of God’s gracious drawing.

This becomes clearer in verse 37. “All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and whoever comes to Me I will never cast out.” Here we see the doctrine of divine election plainly taught. Those who come to Christ do so because they were first given to Him by the Father. Their coming is certain, not possible, not probable, but guaranteed. At the same time, Jesus assures that none who come will ever be rejected. The security of the believer rests not in the strength of his faith, but in the faithfulness of the Savior.

Jesus then grounds His mission in the will of God. “For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will but the will of Him who sent Me” (v. 38). Redemption is not a divine reaction to human initiative. It is the outworking of an eternal plan. Christ’s obedience is perfect, purposeful, and complete. He does not fail in His mission because it is the Father’s will that He accomplish it.

Verse 39 provides one of the strongest assurances of perseverance in Scripture. “And this is the will of Him who sent Me, that I should lose nothing of all that He has given Me, but raise it up on the last day.” The preservation of the saints is not left in human hands. Jesus Himself guards every soul entrusted to Him. Not one will be lost. Not one will slip through His grasp. The resurrection on the last day is as certain as Christ’s finished work.

Finally, Jesus declares, “For this is the will of My Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in Him should have eternal life, and I will raise Him up on the last day” (v. 40). Faith is the means by which eternal life is received, but even faith is a gift of grace. The object of faith is Christ alone. Eternal life is not merely future hope. It is present possession, secured forever by the will of God and the power of Christ.

John 6:35–40 leaves no room for boasting. Salvation is of the Lord from beginning to end. Christ is the Bread given by the Father, received by faith, and secured for eternity by sovereign grace. For the weary sinner, this passage offers not uncertainty, but rest.

We always encourage everyone to check everything through the lens of the Scriptures. Be like the noble Bereans of Paul’s day. Please visit us here for much more, and remember, Christ is enough.

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