In his sermon on the first of Jesus's seven "I am" statements, Pastor Matt explores the profound metaphor in John 6:35 where Jesus declares, "I am the bread of life." He connects this statement to how God provided manna for the Israelites in Exodus 16, showing how Jesus fulfills and surpasses this Old Testament foreshadowing. While the manna met temporary physical needs for one nation, Jesus as the bread of life meets eternal spiritual needs for the entire world at the cost of His life.
Pastor Matt clarifies that when Jesus speaks of "eating His flesh," He's not suggesting cannibalism but using a metaphor for faith. To feed on Jesus means to believe in His death and resurrection, nourish ourselves with God's Word, draw close to the Father through prayer, and obediently live out His commands. In our modern context, we hunger for identity, security, meaning, and love—needs that only Jesus can truly satisfy, not success, relationships, pleasure, or distractions. Just as the Israelites gathered manna daily, we must be nourished by Jesus every day.
