A few days ago, I came across my bread having mould on it. I was shocked how come there’s actually mold on my bread and it’s not even expired. This led me, after a while a few days later—I think God reminds me about Him. Bread of life. He is the bread of life. There’s no mould in Him. And it also reminds me about don’t work for others, work for Him and He provides.
And also the story where He fed over 5,000 people actually. Uh yeah, as stated in the Bible, let me read to you the verse about the bread of life that Jesus claims that He’s a bread of life. Allow me to read to you from the Bible: John chapter 6, starting from verse 23.
Scripture Reading: John 6:23–71
Then some boats from Tiberias landed near the place where the people had eaten the bread after the Lord had given thanks. Once the crowd realized that neither Jesus nor his disciples were there, they got into the boats and went to Capernaum in search of Jesus.
When they found him on the other side of the lake, they asked him, “Rabbi, when did you get here?”
Jesus answered, “I tell you the truth, you are looking for me, not because you saw miraculous signs but because you ate the loaves and had your fill. Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. On him God the Father has placed his seal of approval.”
Then they asked him, “What must we do to do the works God requires?”
Jesus answered, “The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent.”
So they asked him, “What miraculous sign then will you give that we may see it and believe you? What will you do? Our forefathers ate the manna in the desert; as it is written: ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’ ”
Jesus said to them, “I tell you the truth, it is not Moses who has given you the bread from heaven, but it is my Father who gives you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is he who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.”
“Sir,” they said, “from now on give us this bread.”
Then Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty. But as I told you, you have seen me and still you do not believe. All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never drive away. For I have come down from heaven not to do my will but to do the will of him who sent me. And this is the will of him who sent me, that I shall lose none of all that he has given me, but raise them up at the last day. For my Father’s will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day.”
At this the Jews began to grumble about him because he said, “I am the bread that came down from heaven.”
They said, “Is this not Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How can he now say, ‘I came down from heaven’?”
“Stop grumbling among yourselves,” Jesus answered. “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him, and I will raise him up at the last day. It is written in the Prophets: ‘They will all be taught by God.’ Everyone who listens to the Father and learns from him comes to me. No one has seen the Father except the one who is from God; only he has seen the Father. I tell you the truth, he who believes has everlasting life. I am the bread of life. Your forefathers ate the manna in the desert, yet they died. But here is the bread that comes down from heaven, which a man may eat and not die. I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. This bread is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.”
Then the Jews began to argue sharply among themselves, “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?”
Jesus said to them, “I tell you the truth, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. For my flesh is real food and my blood is real drink. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me, and I in him. Just as the living Father sent me and I live because of the Father, so the one who feeds on me will live because of me. This is the bread that came down from heaven. Your forefathers ate manna and died, but he who feeds on this bread will live forever.”
He said this while teaching in the synagogue in Capernaum.
On hearing it, many of his disciples said, “This is a hard teaching. Who can accept it?”
Aware that his disciples were grumbling about this, Jesus said to them, “Does this offend you? What if you see the Son of Man ascend to where he was before! The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you are spirit and they are life. Yet there are some of you who do not believe.” For Jesus had known from the beginning which of them did not believe and who would betray him. He went on to say, “This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless the Father has enabled him.”
From this time many of his disciples turned back and no longer followed him.
“You do not want to leave too, do you?” Jesus asked the Twelve.
Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We believe and know that you are the Holy One of God.”
Then Jesus replied, “Have I not chosen you, the Twelve? Yet one of you is a devil!” (He meant Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot, who, though one of the Twelve, was later to betray him.)
What This Reminds Us About Life
This is a reminder from God.
This bread was once fresh.
It looked good.
It was useful.
It could satisfy hunger.
But now… it’s spoiled, even though it is not expired yet.
Mouldy.
Perishable.
And had to be thrown away.
And I thought about how much of what we chase in this life is like this bread:
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Money
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Success
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Comfort
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Possessions
Even things we think will finally make us happy… they may satisfy us for a moment, but none of them last forever.
The Eternal Promise
But Jesus said something completely different. In John 6:35, Jesus said:
“I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry.”
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Physical bread can satisfy your stomach for a few hours. Jesus offers something deeper.
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He satisfies the soul.
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Physical food becomes stale. Jesus never does.
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Physical things perish. God’s Word remains.
The things of this world eventually fade away… but what Jesus gives us is eternal.
Reflection
So today, this little piece of mouldy bread became a reminder for me:
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Don’t build your life around things that won’t last.
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Don’t let temporary comforts become more important than the One who gives eternal life.
This spoiled bread had to be thrown away. One day, everything temporary will pass away. But Jesus is still faithful. Jesus is still enough. Jesus is still the Bread of Life.
So the next time you see something as ordinary as bread… remember what Jesus said:
“I am the bread of life.”
And ask yourself: What am I feeding my soul with today?
A Prayer
My dear Lord Jesus Christ, let us pray.
Dear Jesus Christ, forgive me for pursuing life’s pleasures and chasing things that don’t last. Help me turn away from what is temporary. Focus my eyes on You and find my true nourishment in You that will never fade, never die, and always stay fresh and alive.
In Your name I pray, Amen.
Reflection Sermon By Janice Ong
