Suggested Lesson Development

Attention Activity

As appropriate, use the following activity or one of your own to begin the lesson.

Draw the following illustrations on the chalkboard:


Image


Rock Light Bread


Allow class members to briefly discuss possible answers to the question. Then have them read Helaman 5:12, in which Helaman refers to Jesus Christ as “the rock,” and John 8:12, in which Jesus declares that he is “the light of the world.” Explain that later in the lesson you will discuss how Jesus is “the bread of life” (John 6:35).

Scripture Discussion and Application

As you teach this lesson, help class members “search the scriptures” (John 5:39). Encourage them to share experiences that relate to the principles they discuss.

1. Jesus heals a man on the Sabbath and declares himself the Son of God.

Discuss John 5. Invite class members to read selected verses aloud.

2. Jesus miraculously feeds more than 5,000 people.

Read and discuss selected verses from John 6:1–14 and Mark 6:30–44. Display the picture of Jesus feeding the multitude.

3. Jesus walks on the sea, invites Peter to come to him, and calms the winds.

Read and discuss John 6:15–21 and Matthew 14:22–33. Explain that after Jesus fed the multitudes, he instructed his disciples to get into a ship and go to the other side of the sea. He then sent the multitudes away and went up a mountain to pray. As the disciples were crossing the sea, they were caught in strong winds.

Display the picture of Christ walking on the water.

4. Jesus declares that he is “the bread of life.”

Read and discuss selected verses from John 6:22–71.

Point out that some people did not believe Jesus because they saw him only as “the son of Joseph” (John 6:42). Some who had claimed to be Jesus’ disciples murmured and turned away from him, saying that they did not understand the spiritual meanings of his declaration that he was the bread of life and his teaching about the need to eat his flesh and drink his blood (John 6:51–66).

Conclusion

Testify that Jesus Christ is “the bread of life” and that he has “the words of eternal life” (John 6:35, 68). Encourage class members to apply his promises from the Sermon on the Bread of Life: “He that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst. … He that believeth on me hath everlasting life” (John 6:35, 47).