John 6:15-41 has Jesus running. The crowd was ready to grab him and make him king, and that was definitely what the plan was, so he slipped off and went back up the mountain to be by Himself. Now most would have welcomed that outcome – to get power and become king – but not Jesus – not at this time. The disciples headed back across the sea to Capernaum, leaving Jesus behind. A storm was coming up churning the sea. “They were maybe three or four miles out when they saw Jesus walking on the sea, quite near the boat”.
Can you imagine it? The disciples are in the middle of a storm with seas tossing them to and fro, and Jesus comes strolling on the water toward them. He was walking on the water. And He wasn’t really on a mission to join them – He was walking to the other side. But the disciples were scared and wanted Jesus to come join them and keep them safe. So He did, telling them not to be afraid, and before they knew it they arrived exactly where they were headed in spite of the raging seas that had tossed them around. Yet another miracle of Jesus.
A number of boats came to the place Jesus had fed the 5000, and they all realized that Jesus was gone so boarded the boats and headed across to try and find him. When they did they asked how He got across, because they knew He hadn’t left with the disciples. They pressed Him saying “Rabbi, when did you get here”? He chastises them for only wanting to get more miracles – more free bread. And then He tells them why He is there. “The Bread of God came down out of heaven and is giving life to the world”. Jesus came to give life, and to give it abundantly.
The crowd cries out asking for that life. Jesus makes this statement that defines how we receive eternal life. “I am the Bread of Life. The person who aligns with me hungers no more and thirsts no more, ever”. We receive eternal life when we run to Jesus and receive Him as our Savior. And then He gives us assurance of that salvation when He says “once that person is with me, I hold on and don’t let go”. Jesus hangs on to us, He clings tightly. We won’t fall out of His hands. Once He saves us, we will be held by Him. Jesus is the bread of life that takes away the sin of the world, and saves us when we receive His gift of eternal life!
Arlin Sorensen's Thoughts on Scripture 