Jesus is the Bread of Life

Short Talk (SHT110a) Jesus is the Bread of Life © Jane Hulme 2018 Aim of Short talk: Use of Short talk: Main themes: Biblical references: Lectionary: Props: To teach that Jesus is the bread of life and that He alone can satisfy the deep hunger within each human heart. This is a short All Age talk picking out one issue from the Lectionary Gospel reading of the Sunday main service. The talk stands alone and assumes that the Gospel Bible reading may not yet have been read to the congregation. It could be used for example, for the whole congregation before the children go out to their age specific groups, leaving the adults with a full sermon later. Jesus, Hunger, Life John 6:35, 41-51 Year B – The 10th Sunday after Trinity A table containing various loaves of freshly baked bread on plates. SHORT TALK: “Jesus is the Bread of Life” .................................................................................................................. Are any of you hungry today? (Receive responses) • As you can see I have some delicious freshly baked bread on my table. • If you are hungry why don’t you come forward now and join me at the table. (Hungry volunteers come forward. Ensure that you have at least one adult) So let’s break the bread up into some pieces (Break up a couple of loaves and give people large chunks of bread to eat while they are standing with you) • Is the bread good? (Volunteers answer the question) • Is the bread starting to satisfy your hunger? (Volunteers answer the question) Bread is important isn’t it? • Without bread or other foods, we wouldn’t live for very long would we? • In fact you can only survive for about 60 days without something to eat. • Food is vital for life and bread symbolises basic food. Now that the bread has satisfied your hunger, I want to ask you a few questions: • Has the bread you have eaten satisfied your hunger to be loved? (Volunteers answer the question) • No, I wouldn’t expect bread to satisfy that hunger. Has the bread you have eaten satisfied your hunger for truth? (Volunteers answer the question) • No, I wouldn’t expect bread to satisfy that hunger. Has the bread you have eaten satisfied your hunger for meaningful life? (Volunteers answer the question) • No, I wouldn’t expect bread to satisfy that hunger. © Jane Hulme 2018 2 As well as the hunger we feel for food, all of us have a deep hunger within our hearts. • This deep hunger is a hunger for love, for truth, for meaningful life, for forgiveness, for hope, for peace with God. • Eating bread or other food for that matter won’t satisfy that kind of hunger. • I wonder what will. Listen to what Jesus said after He had fed five thousand people with five loaves of bread and two fishes. • “Then Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.” (John 6:35) Jesus says that He is the bread of life. • He is the One who can satisfy the deep hunger in our hearts for life. • We may find other things satisfy us for a short period of time, but only Jesus can truly satisfy us deep within and the reason for that is because Jesus is the Son of God. • Only God can truly satisfy the people that He has created. So next time you eat a piece of bread, which will feed your body, • remember that Jesus is the essential of life. • He is the One that you need even more than bread. © Jane Hulme 2018 3