Indeed, as clarification, Jesus told His disciples, "I and My Father are one!" (John 10:30) And also, Jesus said, "If ye had known Me, ye should have known My Father also ..." (John 14:6-12; John 8:58)
"Ye are from beneath, I am from above; ye are of this world, I am not of this world. I said therefore unto you, that ye shall die in your sins' for if ye believe not that I am HE, ye shall die in your sins." And this Jesus said shortly after being very explicit about who He was, having said, "Ye neither know Me, nor My Father; if ye had known Me ye should have known My Father also." (John 12:19)
It was Jesus who said, "I am the Light of the world. He that follows Me shall not walk in darkness but shall have the light of life!" (John 8:12)
JESUS -- the Bread of life!
The voice that came from heaven always pointed to JESUS, saying, "Hear ye Him!" As a consequence then, of the desire in our hearts to hear His Word -- the words that Jesus spake and commanded whilst on this earth, we can enter into His rest. We can come into the presence of the Lord all the time, even whilst we are still living in this world. The peace of our Lord God and Saviour Jesus the Christ dwelling within, and leading us into the knowledge of His goodness and grace and mercy.
Perhaps, this is why the scripture encourages us to pray without ceasing and rejoice evermore. But there is so much more to embrace when it comes to the kindness and love of our Lord God and Saviour Jesus the Christ. That is, His instruction and guidance and leadership that will lead us into all truth. Knowing that He can and will open the doors of heaven and pour out the many blessings from heaven if we remain faithful in His Word.
In Luke 11, there is an example of this. Jesus said, "If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall [your] heavenly Father give the holy Spirit to them that ask Him?" (Luke 11:13)
If we read on, we see Jesus describing the kingdom of God. After showing His disciples how to pray, Jesus then relates a parable of what happens when a friend, wanting to do a good deed for another friend who had been journeying and now staying at his house, comes to a neighbour at midnight, asking for three loaves of bread to feed this person. Note that the man was not asking for himself but for a friend. Also important is that the man who was asking had nothing to set before this friend.
The neighbour however, not wanting to be disturbed at midnight says from within the house, "Trouble me not!" Moreover, he said the door is now shut, and the children asleep with him in his bed. Still, because of persistence, the man does finally rise and give him what he needs. Jesus puts it this way, "Though he will not rise and give him because he is his friend, yet because of his importunity [persistence] he will rise and give him as much as he needs." (Luke 11:5-8)
In complete contrast to the worldly example above, wherein self-interests can become our motivation, Jesus, as our true friend never leaves us nor forsakes us. In fact, Jesus said, "And I say unto you, "ask and it shall be given you; seek and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you. For everyone that asks receives, and he that seeks finds, and to him that knocks, it shall be opened. If a son shall ask bread of any of you that is a father, will he give him a stone? or if he ask a fish, will he for a fish give him a serpent? or if he shall ask an egg, will he offer him a scorpion? If ye then, being evil know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask Him?" (Luke 11:9-13)
Matthew reaffirms Jesus' message in a similar account. There, Jesus says, "Ask and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock and it shall be opened unto you. For everyone that asks receives, and he that seeks, finds, and to him that knocks, it shall be opened. Or what man is there of you, whom if his son asks bread, will he give him a stone? Or, if he ask a fish, will he give him a serpent? If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask Him?" (Matthew 7:7-11; Proverbs 8:17; Genesis 6:5; Genesis 8:21)
In other words, the Lord wants us to rely on Him for our sustenance, trusting Him constantly by faith for our day to day. Conversely, the earthly/worldly always points to a man-made kingdom wherein you have to be a part of society to win. Wherein you have to be a part of the highways and byways crowd to have significance.
But what is Jesus saying here? Some might argue with me on this point, but I believe Jesus is encouraging us to take hold of the heavenly, to taste and see that the Lord is good. He is telling us that if a son asks a father for bread, is he going to give him a stone? Likely not. But too often we settle for the earthly bread instead of trusting the Provider of the manna from heaven.
Still, Jesus said, "I am the bread of life." (John 6:35-51) "For the bread of God is He which comes down from heaven and gives life unto the world." (John 6:33)
Jesus told those who followed Him (only because of the miracles He performed earlier) that this is the work of God -- "That ye believe on Him whom He hath sent." (John 6:29) And shortly after, when these same people were looking for yet another sign, "that we may see and believe Thee" -- 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." (John 6:32)
As we know Jesus is the bread of life, and those "that come to Me shall never hunger; and he that believes on Me shall never thirst .. 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 everyone that sees the Son, and believes on Him may have everlasting life; and I will raise him up the last day." (John 6:35-40)
Of course, this caused many Jews to murmur about who Jesus was, because these did not desire in their hearts for the Lord to evermore give us this Bread. But for those of us who desire the peace and joy that comes from repenting (turning away from the things of this world) and being water baptized in the precious Name of the Lord Jesus Christ, we receive the Bread of life -- this same Jesus resurrected, who now gives commandments THROUGH the Holy Ghost to those who love Him with all their heart, soul, mind and strength.
Hear O Israel the Lord thy God is One Lord! His Name is Jesus in this current dispensation of grace, and He desires to give you the Kingdom, if you would only believe on Him and follow His commandments. Indeed, don't let this day pass without taking hold of our Lord God and Saviour in your heart.
Stand in the offering plate.
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