Wednesday, June 20,
2012, 8:04 a.m. – The Lord put the song “You
are Loving and Forgiving” in my mind this morning. Speak, Lord, for your
servant is listening. I read John
6:25-71 (quoting vv. 25-51 in the NIV 1984): http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John%206&version=NIV1984
When they found him on
the other side of the lake, they asked him, “Rabbi, when did you get here?”
Jesus answered, “I
tell you the truth, you are looking for me, not because you saw miraculous
signs but because you ate the loaves and had your fill. Do not work for food
that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man
will give you. On him God the Father has placed his seal of approval.”
Then they asked him,
“What must we do to do the works God requires?”
Jesus answered, “The
work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent.”
So they asked him,
“What miraculous sign then will you give that we may see it and believe you?
What will you do? Our forefathers ate the manna in the desert; as it is
written: ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’”
Jesus said to them, “I
tell you the truth, it is not Moses who has given you the bread from heaven,
but it is my Father who gives you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of
God is he who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.”
“Sir,” they said,
“from now on give us this bread.”
Then Jesus declared,
“I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who
believes in me will never be thirsty. But as I told you, you have seen me and
still you do not believe. All that the Father gives me will come to me, and
whoever comes to me I will never drive away. For I have come down from heaven
not to do my will but to do the will of him who sent me. And this is the will
of him who sent me, that I shall lose none of all that he has given me, but raise
them up at the last day. For my Father’s will is that everyone who looks to the
Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise him up at the
last day.”
At this the Jews began
to grumble about him because he said, “I am the bread that came down from
heaven.” They said, “Is this not Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and
mother we know? How can he now say, ‘I came down from heaven’?”
“Stop grumbling among
yourselves,” Jesus answered. “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent
me draws him, and I will raise him up at the last day. It is written in the
Prophets: ‘They will all be taught by God.’ Everyone who listens to the Father and
learns from him comes to me. No one has seen the Father except the one who is
from God; only he has seen the Father. I tell you the truth, he who believes
has everlasting life. I am the bread of life. Your forefathers ate the manna in
the desert, yet they died. But here is the bread that comes down from heaven,
which a man may eat and not die. I am the living bread that came down from
heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. This bread is my
flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.”
My Understanding: The
people were looking to Jesus to fill their physical bellies, yet Jesus was much
more concerned about giving them the bread of heaven that would last for
eternity, and that would transform their hearts and minds for God. He told them
not to work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life,
which he, the Son of Man, would give to them. And, then he let them know that
God the Father had placed his seal of approval on himself, Jesus Christ.
Now Jesus was certainly not telling them that they should
not work to provide for their families. Obviously we must eat to survive. The
true issue was one of focus and priorities. The people were coming to Jesus to
get their physical needs met. He wanted them to be less concerned about the
physical, and to be more concerned about the spiritual. We should not spend all
our time, resources and energies on the things of this world while neglecting
our spiritual needs. We should do what we need to do to survive, yet our main
focus and purpose in life, as well as our time, resources and energies should
have Jesus Christ and our relationship with him as our primary and central
focus. Jesus said that we are to seek first his kingdom and his righteousness,
and then all these other needs will be provided.
The people asked Jesus what they must do to do the works God
requires. Jesus said that the work of God is to believe in the one he has sent.
The word “believe” had a definite meaning for the people of Jesus’ time. Today
its meaning has become much more obscure. To believe in someone means to accept
that person is telling the truth or that something about them is true; to give
your support, trust and/or to put your confidence in that person. To believe in
Jesus Christ is not merely to acknowledge that he died on the cross for our
sins so that we can go free from the penalty of sin (eternity in hell). To
believe in Jesus means to have faith in everything he taught and is and said,
and to do what he has said we must do if we are to be his disciples. It means
we must repent (leave our lives of sin behind us) and we must obey Christ and
his commands on a day-to-day basis. It is a total heart and life commitment to
everything Jesus stands for, holding nothing back.
Bread from Heaven
The word “bread” is often given a much broader meaning than
just a loaf of bread made from flour, water and yeast. It also means “food,
sustenance, or a means of survival or support” (Encarta). The word “food” also
has a much broader meaning than just what we take into our stomachs. Food can
mean “source of nutrients; substances providing nourishment; or something that
stimulates or sustains the mind or soul” (Encarta). Nutrients provide
nourishment that keep the human body healthy and that help it to grow (Encarta).
Spiritual nutrients, as well, provided through a vital relationship with Jesus
Christ, time in his word, in prayer, in obedience to his commands and through
service to him and to others helps the body of Christ, his church, to grow
spiritually and to keep it spiritually healthy.
Jesus said that God the Father gives us the true bread from
heaven, and that “the bread of God is he who comes down from heaven and gives
life to the world.” The people wanted this bread. Then Jesus said, “I am the
bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in
me will never be thirsty.” He was speaking of spiritual nourishment for our
lives. When we invite Jesus Christ into our lives, by faith, he fills us with
his Holy Spirit who gives us all we need for life; and to live the Christian
life. The Spirit of God is like a spring of water welling up within us to
eternal life. That well never runs dry. Yet, even though the people were
presented with the truth about Jesus – who he was – still they did not believe.
They were following him, but they were not his true followers. We can say we
believe and not really believe, because we only accept the surface stuff.
Jesus said that if we come to him in faith, he will not
drive us away. He came from heaven to do the will of the Father who sent him.
And, it was the Father’s will that Jesus should not lose any the Father had
given to him. It was also the will of the Father that all who look to the Son
and believe in him should have eternal life. So, what does it mean that Jesus
should not lose any the Father had given him? Jesus continued by saying that no
one can come to Jesus unless the Father first draws him (or her) to Christ. We
cannot come to Christ on our own accord. The Father initiates our relationship
with Jesus Christ, so it is the Father who gives us to Christ, and it is his
will that none of us should be lost.
Eating the Bread
This is where the rubber meets the road, i.e. the moment of
truth. Jesus said that he was the living bread that came down from heaven. “If
anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever,” said Jesus. He continued, “This
bread is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.” The people
were flabbergasted! How could this man give them his flesh to eat?
I believe if we were standing there listening to Jesus’
words, we might react the same way. It is one thing to read his words in the
Bible, but it is another to try to put ourselves in the place of these people. I
hear many people today say something like, “We should just follow the teachings
of Jesus,” and “Jesus was all love and peace.” Really? He said, “I tell you the
truth, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have
no life in you.” Wow! Jesus said his flesh was real food and his blood was real
drink. Boy, the literalists must have a hay-day with this speech! He continued,
“Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me, and I in him.” Now we
are getting somewhere. Does any of this sound familiar?
Jesus said, as recorded in John 15: “Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can
bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit
unless you remain in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains
in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.”
He said it was to his Father’s glory that we bear much fruit, showing ourselves
to be his disciples. He continued, “If you obey my commands, you will remain in
my love, just as I have obeyed my Father’s commands and remain in his love.”
So, obeying his commands allows us to remain in him, and bearing spiritual
fruit (results; produce; outgrowth) comes from remaining in him. Also, included
in this is the importance of his words remaining in us so that he will grant
our prayer requests.
So, what does it mean to remain? It means to continue; endure;
persist; keep on; and stay. And, what does it mean to eat or to drink? It means
to consume, ingest, believe, accept, absorb, engulf, engage, learn from, be
immersed in, partake, and/or to participate, etc.
Jesus Christ gave his body and blood for us on the cross, in
dying for our sins, so that we can be free from the penalty of sin, so we can
be free from the daily control of sin over our lives, and so we can be free to
walk in victory, to be overcomers, and to live our lives for Jesus Christ and
for his will and purposes for our lives. So, when we eat (partake) of his body
and blood, we are participating in his death, burial and resurrection. It means
we die to our old lives of sin and we are resurrected to new lives in Christ.
Jesus said that daily we must take up our cross and follow Christ if we are to
be his disciples. He said we have to lose our lives (our selfish wills) if we
want to find our lives in Christ. And, this is not a one-time experience. This
is a daily process of dying to sin and living for Jesus Christ. It means
obeying Christ and having our lives bear results that show we are truly his
followers. It means being in his word daily, drinking in its truth, and
applying what we learn to our daily lives. It means total heart commitment
(being immersed and consumed with Christ). And, it means continuing, enduring,
persisting and keeping on in our faith day in and day out.
The Cost of
Discipleship
This is a radical change of life! Yet, many of those who
were following Jesus felt the teaching was too hard to accept. They considered
themselves to be his disciples, and they were willing to follow him to a point,
but when they realized the true cost of following Jesus, many of Jesus’ disciples
turned back and no longer followed him. Yet, Jesus knew all along who his true
followers were, i.e. who truly believed, and who would betray him. So he said, “This
is why I told you that no one can come to me unless the Father has enabled him.”
Judas was one of the twelve, yet Jesus said he was a devil.
Not all who have the appearance of being followers of Christ are truly his
disciples, but only those who are willing to eat of his flesh and to drink of
his blood, i.e. to die to sin and to choose to walk in faithful obedience to
Christ, following all of his teachings and all his commands. When we refuse to
accept the hard teachings of the cross in our lives, then we have left him,
too, even if we give the appearance of still following him by holding on to what
suits us and our lifestyles. Jesus asked the twelve, “You do not want to leave
me too, do you?” I believe Jesus is asking of us today, “Will you leave me,
too?” We can’t just go half way. Jesus wants total commitment!
You are Loving and
Forgiving / An Original Work / February 19, 2012
Based off Psalm 86
You are loving and
forgiving,
Jesus, Savior, King of
kings.
You provided our
redemption.
By Your blood You set
us free.
You are gracious; full
of mercy.
No deeds can compare
with Yours.
Great are You; there
is none like You.
Glory be to Your name.
Teach me Your way, and
I’ll walk in it.
O Lord, I will walk in
Your truth.
May I not have a heart
divided,
That Your name I give
honor to.
I will praise You, O Lord,
my Savior,
For great is Your love
toward me.
You have delivered me
from my sins.
Your grace has
pardoned me.
You, O Lord, are full
of compassion,
Slow to anger,
bounteous in love;
Faithful to fulfill
all You promise;
Glory be to Your name
above.
Hear, O Lord, and
answer Your servant.
You are my God. I
trust in You.
Turn to me and grant
Your strength to me.
You are my comforter.
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