Sermon: Jesus, The Bread of Life
Bible Passage: John 6:35

I. Intended Audience:

1. John, the Apostle of Jesus Christ wrote the Gospel according to John, around 90AD, 50 years after the actual event happened.
2. By now the temple has been demolished. John’s audience must be discouraged, demoralized.
3. Many were excommunicated from the Synagogue and some even faced death because they believe in Jesus Christ as the Messiah.
4. Christians faced persecution from both the unbelieving Jews as well as the Roman officials.
5. They were taxed heavily by the Roman government. It severely affected their economy.
6. They became economically poor and politically powerless.

II. Characteristics of the original audience –

1. They were desperately in search of an answer to their predicament.
2. Phillip responded to Jesus based on his intelligence/comprehension (6:7).
3. The crowd reacted to the situation based on their own calculation (6:15).
4. They were following Jesus because they experienced the miracle of Jesus feeding them (6:26).
5. The people were desperately looking for an answer to their long-awaited quest (6:28).
6. Their faith in God was based on signs and miracles (6:30).

III. The Response of Jesus to their Quest/Pursuit 

1. Jesus differentiates the temporary and the permanent (6:27).
2. The source (giver of manna/bread) is God, the Father (6:31-33).
3. Jesus declares, “I am” (6:35a)
4. Jesus drives home the point that, he is that bread, “the bread of life” (6:35).
5. “Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me, and I in them” (vs 56).

Take Away

Come, renew your love for Jesus, the bread of life, with a new perspective.