The Jews therefore strove among themselves, saying, "How can this man give us [his] flesh to eat?"
Then Jesus said unto them, "Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink His blood, ye have no life in you. Whoso eats My flesh, and drinks My blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day. For My flesh is meat indeed, and My blood is drink indeed. He that eateth My flesh, and drinketh My blood, dwelleth in Me, and I in him. As the living Father hath sent Me, and I live by the Father: so he that eateth Me, even he shall live by Me. This is THAT bread which came down from heaven: not as your fathers did eat manna, and are dead: he that eateth of this bread shall live for ever."
These things said He [Jesus] in the synagogue, as He taught in Capernaum. Many therefore of His disciples, when they had heard [this] said, "This is an hard saying; who can hear it?" When Jesus knew in Himself that His disciples murmured at it, He said unto them, "Doth this offend you? [What] and if ye shall see the Son of man ascend up where He was before? It is the Spirit that quickens; the flesh profits nothing: the words that I speak unto you, [they] are Spirit, and [they] are Life. But there are some of you that believe not." For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were that believed not, and who should betray Him.
And thus Jesus said, "Therefore said I unto you, that no man can come unto Me, except it were given unto him of My Father." From that [time] many of His disciples went back, and walked no more with Him. Then said Jesus unto the twelve, "Will ye also go away?" Then Simon Peter answered him, "Lord, to whom shall we go? Thou hast the words of eternal life. And we believe and are sure that Thou art that Christ, the Son of the living God." (John 6:50-69)
Before now, when the passover (a feast of the Jews) was nigh, we see that Jesus had fed the 5,000 with five barley loaves and two small fishes. Jesus had walked on the sea. Jesus had turned the water into wine at a marriage in Cana of Galilee. Indeed, Jesus had found those in the temple -- those that sold oxen and sheep and doves, and the changers of money sitting -- and threw them out for making "My Father's house an house of merchandise." (John 2:16)
As well, Jesus had spoken to Nicodemus, a man of the Pharisees, a ruler of the Jews and informed him that "except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God!" (John 3:3,5, 1-24) Jesus had met the woman at the well, and told her that "Whosoever drinks of this water [from the well] shall thirst again. But whosoever drinks of the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well [fountain] of water springing up into everlasting life." (John 4:14, 1-41)
By now, also, we see that Jesus had healed the son of a certain nobleman whose son was sick and at the point of death in Capernaum. (John 4:46, 45-54) And that, when Jesus saw a certain man at the pool (which is called in the Hebrew tongue Bethseda, having five porches) which had an infirmity thirty and eight years, He made the man whole. In fact, in that example, Jesus simply told the man to "rise, take up thy bed, and walk." (John 5:8, 11, 1-15)
So when Jesus told the multitudes (the 5,000) who followed Him after they were fed, that they sought Jesus "not because ye saw the miracles, but because ye did eat of the loaves and were filled," He is remarking on their state of heart. (John 6:26) How do we know this? Because Jesus told them to ... "Labour not for the meat which perishes, but for that meat which endures unto everlasting life, which the Son of man shall give unto you: for Him hath God the Father sealed." (John 6:26-27; Matthew 6:19; John 4:14; Acts 2:22)
When the people then ask Jesus, "What shall we do, that we might work the works of God?" Jesus tells them, "This is the work of God, that ye believe on Him whom He hath sent." (John 6:29; I John 3:23)
But instead of believing on Jesus, these desired a sign, "that we may see, and believe Thee? What dost Thou work?"
You see, while these at this point sought a sign to believe, we see that Jesus had already given numerous mighty signs and wonders, and unexplained miracles too, for them to believe in Him for whom He said He was. All of the miracles Jesus performed -- that had taken place before this point -- should have been sufficient. Indeed, these should have marveled at what Jesus had done, and was doing.
And yet, instead, these still sought a sign. These desired to know what they should do "that we might work the works of God!" (John 6:28) And, similarly in asking the question, these referred to the time when their fathers did eat manna in the desert; as it is written, "He gave them bread from heaven to eat!" (John 6:29-31;Exodus 16:14-15; Nehemiah 9:15; Psalm 78:24; John 3:13, 16)
Then Jesus said unto them, "Verily, verily, I say unto you. Moses gave you not that bread from heaven; but My Father gives you the true Bread from heaven. For the Bread of God is He which comes down from heaven, and gives life unto the world." (John 6:30-33)
When these ask the Lord to "evermore give us this bread," Jesus tells them outright -- "I am the bread of life; he that comes to Me shall never hunger, and he that believes on Me shall never thirst. But I said unto you -- that ye also have seen Me and believe not. All that the Father gives Me shall come to Me; and him that comes to Me I will in no wise cast out. For I came down from heaven, not to do Mine own will but the will of Him that sent Me. And this is the Father's will which hath sent Me, that of all which He hath given Me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day. And this is the will of Him that sent Me, that every one which sees the Son, and believes on Him, may have everlasting life; and I will raise him up at the last day." (John 6:35-40)
However, again, instead of accepting that Jesus is the Bread of Life which came from heaven to redeem them, the Jews murmured at Him because He said -- "I am the Bread which came down from heaven." (John 6:42; Matthew 13:55)
In spite of the numerous miracles performed, these could only see Jesus as a man -- the son of Joseph who is a carpenter. It is with this earthly mindset that these could not understand "how this man could give [His] flesh to eat?" (John 6:52)
Nevertheless, for those whose hearts had changed at the coming of the prophesied Messiah, the promised Christ, they gladly received His Word. Just as the first 3,000 souls saved on the day of Pentecost had. These did not murmur among themselves but heartily accepted what Jesus said. That is, "No man can come to Me except the Father which hath sent Me draw him; and I will raise him up at the last day. It is written in the prophets, "And they shall be all taught of God. Every man therefore that hath heard, and hath learned of the Father comes unto Me. Not that any man hath seen the Father, save He which is of God, He hath seen the Father.
Verily, verily, I say unto you -- He that believes on Me hath everlasting life. I am that bread of life. Your fathers did eat manna in the wilderness and are dead. This is the bread which comes down from heaven, that a man may eat thereof and not die. I am the living bread which came down from heaven. If any man eat of this bread, he shall live forever, and the bread that I will give is My flesh, which I will give for the life of the world!" (John 6:43-51)
The Son of man which is the Lord of glory. It is no wonder that Simon Peter said, "Lord, to whom shall we go? Thou hast the words of eternal life. And we believe and are sure that Thou art that Christ, the Son of the living God." (John 6:68-69; Acts 5:20; Luke 9:20)
There is much, much more to glean from what Jesus is saying herein, but let it suffice as a starting point to understanding that Jesus is indeed the Bread of Life. He is the Living Water that satisfies beyond measure, quenching our thirst.
And "this is the work of God that ye believe on HIM whom He hath sent." (John 6:29)
And this is His commandment, that we should believe on the Name of His Son Jesus Christ and love one another, as He gave us commandment. And he that keeps His commandments dwelleth in Him and He in him. And hereby we know that He abides in us, by the Spirit which He hath given us." (I John 3:23-24)
Stand in the offering plate.
No comments:
Post a Comment