Herein, Jesus instructs us not to labour for the meat which perishes, but for the meat which endures unto everlasting life. What does Jesus say is the work of God? "This is the work of God, that ye believe on Him whom He hath sent." (John 6:26-28) Who is the "Him" that He hath sent, referred to herein? The Lord Jesus Christ who is the Alpha and Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the ending, the King of kings and Lord of lords. He is the Great I Am. The Lord of glory who willingly sacrificed His humanity so that we - His beloved creation -- could have life everlasting in Him. (Revelation 1:8; 11; Isaiah 41:4; Revelation 4:8; Revelation 11:17; Isaiah 9:6)
This is why Jesus could legitimately state, "I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life. No man comes unto the Father but by Me" because Jesus is the ONLY way to eternal life. In another place, Jesus further clarified what He was saying when He said, "... for if ye believe not that I Am [He], ye shall die in your sins." (John 8:24) Therefore, if we do not believe on Him -- and His perfect sacrifice on the cross, wherein God was manifest in the flesh, having made a body for Himself (the Word made flesh and dwelt among us) so that we can have life in Him, we also will die in our sins. (I Timothy 3:16; John 1:1-18; John 3:16)
"He was in the world and the world was made by Him and the world knew Him not. He came unto His own and His own received Him not." (John 1:10-11)
But as the scriptures note, this was not sufficient for these same people to whom Jesus said, "Ye seek Me not because ye saw the miracles but because ye did eat of the loaves and were filled." These same asked Jesus, "What sign showest Thou then, that we may see and believe Thee? What dost Thou work? Our fathers did eat manna in the desert: as it is written, "He gave them bread from heaven to eat." (John 6:30-31) Then Jesus said unto them, "Verily, verily, I say unto you, Moses gave you not that bread from heaven; but my Father giveth 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 6:26, 30-33)
Yes, Jesus is the Bread of life. And as Jesus continually said, "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)
"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that WHOSOEVER BELIEVES ON HIM should not perish but have everlasting life." (John 3:16)
Sadly, the world/modern day religious culture has focused on Jesus only as the Son of God, and similar to the Jews at that time, have not accepted that Jesus also said, "I am the Bread which came down from heaven." I am He that came forth from the Father and will return to the Father.
Rather, like the Jews, we murmur at Him, asking, "Is not this Jesus the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How is it then that He saith, "I came down from heaven?' Often, because we have accepted the false religious teachings that speak of God as a triad, a trinity, a tri-une god, a god in three persons, or divide God into thirds, we have failed in the very first commandment. That is, to love the Lord our God -- the One and Only God Almighty with all our mind, heart, soul, and strength. (Mark 12:29-31; Deuteronomy 6:4; II John 1:9)
The One and Same God who came forth like a mighty man. (Isaiah 42:13; Isaiah 9:6) The same God who clothed Himself in sin-prone flesh (and yet without sin) so that we can find real life in Him. (I Timothy 3:16) The same God who became our Saviour. His Name in this current dispensation of grace? "And His Name shall be called JESUS, for He shall save His people from their sins." (Matthew 1:21) Emmanuel, being interpreted, God with us. (Matthew 1:23)
And understanding also, the commandment of God our Saviour. After the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared ... (Titus 3:4-7; Titus 2:13; I Timothy 1:1; I Timothy 2:2; II Corinthians 5:19)
Nevertheless, in spite of what the religious are proclaiming, Jesus therefore said unto them, and likewise, unto our hearts -- "Murmur not among yourselves. No man can come to Me, except the Father which hath sent Me draw him; and I will raise him up the last day." (John 6:43-44)
But Jesus does not stop there. He continues, saying, "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 H/he which is of God, H/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; 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)
"This is that bread which came down from haven: not as your fathers did eat manna, and are dead; he that eats of this bread shall live forever." (John 6:58)
Later, Jesus says again, "If any man thirst, let him come unto Me, and drink ... he that believes on Me, as the scripture hath said, "out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water." (John 7:37-38)
Herein, in this last verse from John 7, Jesus is speaking of the Spirit, which they that believe on Him should receive, except at this particular time, the Holy Ghost was not yet given -- because that Jesus was not yet glorified." (John 7:37-38) That happens in Luke 24 and Acts 1, wherein Jesus must go in order for the Holy Ghost, the Comforter to come.
"Until the day in which He [Jesus] was taken up, after that He [Jesus] through the Holy Ghost had given commandments unto the apostles whom He had chosen: to whom also He showed Himself alive after His passion by many infallible proofs, being seen of them forty days, and speaking of the things pertaining to the Kingdom of God." (Acts 1:2-3)
"Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come." (Revelation 4:8; Isaiah 6:2-3: Revelation 1:4, 8; Isiah 11:2; John 1:10-11)
Stand in the offering plate.
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