Coming to Christ as God Brings Us Near

“Jesus replied to them, “I am the Bread of Life. The one who comes to Me will never be hungry, and the one who believes in Me [as Savior] will never be thirsty [for that one will be sustained spiritually]. But as I told you, you have seen Me and still you do not believe. All that My Father gives Me will come to Me; and the one who comes to Me I will most certainly not cast out [I will never, never reject anyone who follows Me]. For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but to do the will of Him who sent Me. This is the will of Him who sent Me, that of all that He has given Me I lose nothing, but that I [give new life and] raise it up at the last day.” (John 6:35-40, AMP)

I made four loaves of bread this weekend– unleavened bread to be exact. Sam has always wanted to use real bread in Sunday communion and so I offered to give it my best shot.

I researched recipes until I found something that seemed as intentional as possible. I made test loaves, one with regular, all-purpose flour and another with whole wheat flour. I decided to halve the recipe to make a thinner loaf, to use a cast iron skillet to try and char it a little, and sprinkled a little salt over top of the finished product, just to add a little bit of taste. 

I wanted that bread to be an act of worship to the Lord. And while I was making different tweaks as I went, I was tasting along the way. Small tastes, here and there. I didn’t realize that unleavened bread was so filling until I realized: I was fully satisfied off of grazing over what I was experimenting with. I actually was so full, I skipped dinner that night because I just didn’t feel hungry enough to justify a meal.

And I think I must have made a pretty good final product, because Saturday night, I wrapped up that loaf and left it in the kitchen while my family went to the town fair. Upon arriving home, I found the wrapper on the floor and our beagle licking his lips in full satisfaction. 

Which lead to having to make another loaf. But that bread, although wildly filling because of its density, will still only satisfy my body for so long. When I woke up the next morning, I still had the urge to have breakfast. 

But Jesus says “I am the Bread of Life.” In John 6, the crowds that watched Jesus feed 5000 men the day before followed Him across the sea of Galilee and started asking Him for another miraculous meal. Jesus makes this puzzling statement to try and get this crowd to put their focus on spiritual realities, and not on their grumbling stomachs. Because even though the miracle of the loaves and fish was a supernatural wonder, it wasn’t a meal that was meant to satiate their hunger in perpetuity. Yet Jesus says that the Truth He offers through salvation is a spiritual meal that will assuage spiritual hunger forever. This is not new information to most Christians. John 6 is a beloved passage of scripture.

What’s interesting is what Jesus says next: “But as I told you, you have seen Me and still you do not believe. All that My Father gives Me will come to Me; and the one who comes to Me I will most certainly not cast out [I will never, never reject anyone who follows Me].” (verse 36-37)

Following Jesus is as simple as coming to Him. You don’t have to strive or wait for the perfect chapter in your life. You don’t have to wrack up points or save up enough righteousness to sit at His feet. You just have to come. When my daughters want a hug from me, they don’t have to convince me to build up my affection for them. All they have to do is come to me. 

But more than our coming to Christ, God first has to draw near to us. Jesus Himself says that the Father gives Him everyone who will come to Christ. God calls those He will draw to Himself. God ordains those who will take that Bread of Life– His Son– and believe. The Father gives those souls to Jesus, and then we draw near because no one the Father wills to come can be rejected or evade His grace.

Everyone that comes fits into Jesus’ hand– that means no one slips through the cracks. No one is forgotten. No one eats of the Bread of Life and gets hungry again.

This is not because Jesus has willed it or because we have done anything to earn it. It is solely because the Father has willed it and sent His Son to accomplish it. 

We can find many comforts in just these four verses: First, that Jesus will satisfy our spiritual needs. We find rest, nourishment, and contentment for our soul in being close to Jesus. All we need to do is draw near to Him and come to Him. Next is that if you come to Jesus, it’s because the Father has called you to do so. There is not one thing that can discount you from embracing His grace and love, because God has called you to it. 

Last is that once you are saved and believe in the Lord, there is nothing that can pluck you from His hand. Those God calls to salvation cannot lose it. To “lose” it would mean that you never first had it. You are securely in the palm of His hand. 

Jesus came to earth to complete The Father’s plan to draw us near. He has asked us to come,