Unit 1 LESSON 2

December 14, 2025

Study Text: John 6:22-40

Central Truth: As the bread of Life Jesus provides spiritual nourishment for believers.

     KEY VERSE--John 6:33 The bread of God is he which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world (KJV).

"The true bread of God is the one who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world" (NLT).

LET'S GET STARTED

Consider this quote from C.S. Lewis: "WE are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and se and ambition when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We are far too easily pleased," On John 6, Jesus challenges His listeners to change their focus from temporary things to eternal things, from the physical to the spiritual. When they seek for what truly endures, they will find it in Him. The account of Jesus miraculously feeding 5,ooo men--not even counting the women and children in the crowd--is told in all four Gospels. But only John recounts Jesus' words describing himself as the Bread of Life.

DISCUSSION STARTER--Far Too Easily Pleased

Can you think of an example of someone being "far too easily pleased" and settling for something less than what they might have received or achieved?

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PART 1- Work for Lasting Bread

Ask not What Jesus Can Do for You            John 6:22-26

The crowd in John 6 wanted more miraculous bread but did not grasp its significance. They saw the miracle but did not see the meaning (John 6:26). This would lead to the first of Jesus's seven great "I AM" saying in John's Gospel: "I am the bread of life" (verse 35). Knowing that Jesus had not departed in the boat with His disciples, the people naturally wondered how He had made it across the Sea of Galilee to Capernaum (verses 22-25). Jeus did not answer this question; rather, He addressed their unspoken question, getting at the heart of the matter. They wanted  more bead and the tangible security it would bring. And if jesus, who was clearly able to provide this, would become their king, what more might He do to free them from Roman dominion? But they had missed the point.

DISCUSS?  What kind of worldly needs or issues tends to sidetrack us from truly grasping who Jesus is? How can we overcome such distractions?

Instead Ask What Truly Endures                   John 6:27

Since the people did not grasp the significance of the miraculous sign, Jesus spelled it out for them (John 6:27). Don't focus on temporary needs, Instead, seek the eternal life only He  can provide. As John reminds us, Jesus is the only One who is qualified to reveal "heavenly things" (3:13). He has God's seal of approval, like the imprint of a signet ring on wax verifies the authenticity and authority of an ancient document (verse 27). When Jesus tells us what is worth our effort to purse, we can trust Him.

 Discuss?  Is Jesus saying we should not work to provide for the physical needs of our families? Explain.

Part 2-- Recognize the Source of Life

                         Moses and Manna           John 6:28- 31                   

Like the rich young ruler in the other Gospels (Matthew 19:16-30; Mark 10:17-31; Luke 18:18-30), the crowd in John's Gospel asked Jesus what asked Jesus what they need to do. In each instance, Jesus looked to the heart of the issue. For the rich young ruler, it was reliance upon his wealth that kept him from following Jesus Here it was a matter of simply believing in Jesus (John 6:29). The rich young ruler rejected Jesus and went away sorrowful, while the people's response here in John 6 was to ask for additional signs (verse 30). Instead of simply believing in Jesus, they wanted a transactional, supply-and demand relationship with Him. The crowd's ancestors had received bread in the wildness from Moses--the Lord's steward or managing servant. But  now the crowd had encountered Jesus himself--the Master of the house. Instead of asking for more bread, they should have been feasting on the Bread of life right in front of them!

DISCUSS? The crowd in John 6 asked Jesus for one more meal instead of believing they could be sustained by the Bread of Life. What are some other ways people ask for too little from God?

The Bread of Life                  John 6:32-35

One would hope the crowd understood the clear sense of the Old Testament Scripture they cited in John 6:31, that the "he" who gave bread from heaven was God, not Moses. The crowd clearly missed Jesus' point in 6:33, asking, "Give us that bead every day" (verse 34). Jesus spoke with absolute and powerful clarity in verse 35. "I am the bread of life." Jesus declared himself to be the bread of life (6:35, 48, 51). It also contain clear invitation: to partake of the bread, step into the light, enter through the gate, know the shepherd's voice, experience the resurrection, live in truth and abide fruitfully in the vine. Only through Jesus can people find the abundant, fulfilling life we were created to embrace,

Discuss? What do you think it means to be sustained by Jesus, the bread of life, and never hunger or thirst again (John 6:35)?

      Part 3- Salvation's Everlasting Work

        Welcome by Jesus     John 6:36-37

In John 6:36, Jesus laments the crowd's lack of  faith. Even after witnessing Jesus' sign that revealed His identity, they still failed to believe in Him. Jesus would later tell Thomas that those who believe without seeing would be especially blessed (20:29). But the crowd in 6:36 had not even excised the lesser faith based upon sight. It is likely that some among the crowd eventually did believe in and serve Jesus. Those who do come to Jesus are welcomed fully and unreservedly: "I will never reject them, " Jesus says, KJV ("I will never in no wise cast out") may prompt us to think of those who, by contrast, will be cast out: unclean spirits, Satan (12:31), and "anyone who does not remain in me." If a person chooses to abandon Jesus, they can do so, But Jesus does not initiate the separation.

Discuss? How much evidence do you require before you believe what Jesus says?

Eternal Life and Resurrection         John 6:38-40

Jesus' purpose was to do the will of His Father. John 6:39 might seem to imply a disconnection between God's will and Jesus' ability to carry it out.  It is not that Jesus] protection fails, but individuals can choose to remove themselves from his care. As Jesus assures us in John 10:29, "My Father has given them to me, and he is more powerful than anyone else. No one can snatch them from the father's hand." John 6:36--40 builds on John 3:16, emphasizing God's will that people would not perish, but believe in Jesus, receive salvation, and be resurrected to eternal life. In this regard. God's will is crystal clear.

DISCUSS? How do you understand the tension between God's sovereignty and human responsibility when it comes to salvation?

WHAT IS GOD SAYING TO US? 

Jesus is the Bread of Life. Whether we realize it or not, every one of us desperately needs the spiritual nourishment only He can give. He stands before us with outstretched hands, graciously willing and powerfully able to answer the deepest cries of our hearts. Let us look to Jesus instead of being consumed with worldly things. Let us experience the eternal, abundant life that only comes from a relationship with Him.

LIVING IT OUT

(1). Be especially intentional in your prayers this week. Are you truly focusing on the things that matter most? Or are you "too easily pleased"? (2). Share with someone what the blessed hope of Jesus' return means to you.

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               DAILY BIBLE READING

               Monday: Bread from Heaven. Exodus 16:14-18  

             Tuesday: The Sacred Shewbread Lev. 24:5-9

                                      Wednesday: David Sustained by Holy Bread. 1 Sam. 21:1-6

                                  Thursday: God's Word Is Spiritual Food. Matthew 4:1-4

                     Friday: Breaking Bread with Jesus. Luke 22:14-20

                      Saturday: Partakers of the Bread. 1 Cor. 10:15-17

Gospel Publishing House. 1445 N. Boonville Ave. Springfield, Missouri 65802 Volume 107 Number 2. Dec. Jan. Feb 2025-26