John 6:35
“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.’”
Explanation and Commentary of John 6:35
John tells the story of the miraculous feeding of the five thousand. Jesus and his disciples were being followed by great crowds, and Jesus perceived that the crowds were following him because he had given them food, and they had eaten their fill. Though they seemed to understand the connection between the bread given by Jesus and the manna eaten by their fathers in the desert, Jesus knew that they could not see that bread from heaven was a metaphor for his own body. He said in verse 33, “For the bread of God is the bread that comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.” Hungry to fill their bellies, they said, “Sir…always give us this bread” (34). To this, Jesus declared the statement above.
Men are enslaved to their cravings and their lust for comfort. Bread, sustenance, is a pointer to the one who satisfies us not only physically by giving us each day “our daily bread,” but vastly more important he is the one who satisfies spiritual hunger. Just as Jesus told the woman at the well that he had living water (Jn 4:10) to give, he is the bread by which those who partake will never go hungry. This whole conversation prefigures the institution of the Lord’s Supper, which, not by accident, was instituted at the Passover meal, celebrating the salvation of the Jews from Egypt by God’s mighty hand when he passed over the houses of those who trusted in the shed blood of the Passover lamb on the doorways. Jesus is the ultimate Passover lamb, the ultimate manna from heaven, and the bread of life. Whoever believes will never be hungry or thirsty, and will even live forever with him.
Breaking Down the Key Parts of John 6:35
#1 “Then Jesus declared,”
Upon hearing the request, “Sir…always give us this bread,” Jesus made his statement. It seems as though the point of feeding the masses the day before was to lead up to this powerful, and life-giving statement.
#2 “‘I am the bread of life.’”
Jesus is the life-giving sustenance that we need if we are to live and not die. There may be intentionality in his beginning the declaration with, “I am.” Jesus is God the Son, one and equal with the I Am, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel. Like bread, he is a fundamentally important means of life, and he is the energy for existence. All things exist in him, and for him, and through him (Ro 11:36).
#3 “‘Whoever comes to me will never go hungry,’”
Jesus told the disciples in John 4:34, “My food…is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work.” To obey God, seeking first his kingdom, his righteousness, and carrying out his will for us, trusting him to provide for our daily needs will fill us in a way that is more satisfying than physical food, as we cultivate a deep and loving relationship with the one who created us for himself and for his glory.
#4 “‘and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.’”
Streams of living water were what Jesus promised to those who follow him. The Holy Spirit would be poured out as a river of life that can empower the believer for ministry and life, and even more so can raise the dead to live forever on the banks of the heavenly river of life that heals the nations (Rev 22:2).
Bible Study on John 6:35
Expert Overview of John Ch. 1-12
Biblical Translations of John 6:35
NIV
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.”
NLT
Jesus replied, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry again. Whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.”
ESV
Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.”
KJV
And Jesus said unto them, “I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.”
NKJV
And Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst.”
Natalie Regoli is a child of God, devoted wife, and mother of two boys. She has a Master's Degree in Law from The University of Texas. Natalie has been published in several national journals and has been practicing law for 18 years.