Study Guide
I AM, Part 2 / The Bread of Life / John 6:22-40 (NLT)
Jesus declares that He is the “bread of life,” revealing that while we naturally chase things we believe will satisfy us, nothing in this world truly meets our deepest needs. He invites us to shift our focus from temporary, physical fulfillment to the eternal life only He provides, calling us to trust Him as our true source of purpose, identity, and satisfaction.
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Icebreakers
- What’s one prayer you’ve been praying consistently lately?
- If you had to eat one meal for the rest of your life, what would it be?
Read John 6:22-40 (CSB)
Discuss It
In John 6:26–27, Jesus exposes the motivations for why the people are following Him. It wasn’t because they believed in Him or wanted Him as Lord, but because they wanted something from Him (in this case, a provision of food). What are some things people tend to chase when they feel empty or suspect something’s missing? Why do those things seem satisfying at first but don’t last?
Additional Scripture
Exodus 16:4 (CSB) – Then the Lord said to Moses, “I am going to rain bread from heaven for you. The people are to go out each day and gather enough for that day. This way I will test them to see whether or not they will follow my instructions.
Additional Thought
In John 6:30-31, the crowd brings up manna from the wilderness, remembering how God provided bread for the Israelites every day. But even then, it was never meant to fully satisfy them; it was temporary and had to be gathered daily. Manna was meant to teach them dependence on God. Still, they often focused more on the provision than the Provider. In the same way, we can fixate on what God gives us instead of actually pursuing Him.
Additional Question
What do you think God was trying to teach the Israelites through giving them manna daily instead of all at once?
In John 6:35, Jesus shares the first the I AM statement: “I am the Bread of Life.” As we established earlier, the things we often turn to for satisfaction don’t actually fulfill us. In fact, like eating junk food that never actually gives you sustenance, these things leave us wanting more (and we end up binging). Jesus uses this imagery to show that He doesn’t just temporarily satisfy, He fully and consistently meets our deepest needs. What does it look like in your life to actually be “filled” by Jesus in a way that makes other things less appealing?
Additional Thought
In this “I am” statement, Jesus isn’t just talking about physical hunger. He’s pointing to a deeper kind of hunger in life. In Greek, there are two different words often used for “life”: bios (physical, external life) and zoe (spiritual, eternal, soul-level life). We often try to solve a zoe need with bios solutions. Jesus is saying He came to give us zoe, the kind of life that actually fills and sustains our souls.
Additional Scripture
John 10:10 (CSB) A thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I have come so that they may have life [zoe] and have it in abundance.
Additional Question
Now that you know the Greek definitions of life, what do you think bios life includes, and in what ways does Jesus provide that? What do you think Zoe life includes, and how does Jesus meet that kind of need in a way nothing else can?
In John 6:22-40, the crowd may have missed what Jesus was offering them because their physical needs felt more urgent. Do you think the crowd was wrong for wanting physical bread over what Jesus offered? Is it possible to want good things from God but still miss God Himself?
Additional Scripture
Read John 6:60-69
Additional Thought
When Jesus’ teaching became difficult, many people in the crowd chose to walk away. What once felt exciting and beneficial no longer met their expectations, so they left. But the disciples stayed. Not because everything was easy to understand, but because they had come to realize that Jesus wasn’t just helpful, He was essential. They recognized that even if following Him was hard, there was nowhere else to go that offered real life.
Additional Question
What do you think Simon Peter meant when he said, “Where else would we go?” How do you think they got to that place of deep trust, and what might it take for us to reach that same place in our own lives?
Apply It
John 6:35 (CSB)
Jesus does not mince words when He makes this bold claim. He is not bashful or hesitant to make this concrete judgment call about Himself. He knows that when we truly taste and see that God is good, there is nothing that can compare and nothing that can satisfy our souls’ deepest longings like Him. How can you experience the sustaining life that flows from a deep relationship with Jesus?
Pray
How can we be praying for you this week?
About the Current Sermon Series
What if the God you’ve heard about is more personal, more present, and more powerful than you’ve experienced? In this 6-week series, we’ll explore the “I AM” statements found throughout Scripture—words God uses to reveal His character, His heart, and His invitation into relationship.
These statements aren’t just descriptions—they’re declarations of who God is for us. He is not distant or abstract. He is near, knowable, and actively at work in our lives.
Each week, we’ll uncover a different aspect of His identity: the Bread that satisfies, the Light that reveals, the Shepherd who leads, the Resurrection who brings life, the Way who guides, and the Vine who sustains. Along the way, we’ll wrestle with what it means to move beyond knowing about God to truly knowing Him—personally, deeply, and authentically.
This series is an invitation to trade shallow familiarity for real intimacy… to encounter the living God, not as a concept, but as a Person.