There are very few passages in the Bible that speak deeper truth to me. Earlier in John 6, Jesus fed the crowd by performing another miracle. These people were very knowledgeable about the stories of God providing for their ancestors. This miracle had to remind them of the manna in the desert.
Again, Jesus totally ignores their question because he knows what is actually on their mind. Verses 25-27 open a conversation that will show who are the true disciples.
25 When they found Him on the other side of the lake, they asked Him, “Rabbi, when did You get here?”
26 Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, you are looking for Me, not because you saw the signs I performed but because you ate the loaves and had your fill. 27 Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. For on Him God the Father has placed His seal of approval.”
Again, I wonder what the characters are thinking. First think about what the crowd is thinking. He said exactly why they were looking for Him…free food. Then again, He turns the conversation spiritual. “Work for food that endures to eternal life.”
This sets up a question from the people that gets Jesus to the message that He is really trying to give them in verses 28-29.
28 Then they asked Him, “What must we do to do the works God requires?”
29 Jesus answered, “The work of God is this: to believe in the One He has sent.”
These are people that have been told all their life that there are rules to follow to be right with God. Now Jesus tells them the only “work” is to believe in Him. That had to be very confusing, even for the disciples. How is “believing” work? They answered with the fact that Moses gave them manna in the wilderness.
Then Jesus makes His point in verses 32-35.
32 Jesus said to them, “Very truly I tell you, 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. 33 For the bread of God is the bread that comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.”
34 “Sir,” they said, “always give us this bread.”
35 Then Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to Me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in Me will never be thirsty.
Have you ever thought about what He meant by saying he who comes will never go hungry or thirsty? He is talking spiritually. He says those the Father gives Him will never be turned away. When we have a spiritual need, it will always be fulfilled. Never go without the spiritual nourishment we need. That is deep! Can we even take it all in?
In verses 38-40 Jesus makes a statement that is very comforting to me.
38 For I have come down from heaven not to do My will but to do the will of Him who sent Me. 39, And this is the will of Him who sent Me, that I shall lose none of all those He has given Me but raise them up at the last day. 40 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 them up at the last day.”
Jesus will lose none of those the Father gives Him…none. Eternal life guaranteed for those that give Jesus authority over their life. That brings real peace no matter what the world brings across our path.
Then Jesus makes a “crowd splitting” statement in verses 48-51.
48 I am the bread of life. 49 Your ancestors ate the manna in the wilderness, yet they died. 50 But here is the bread that comes down from heaven, which anyone may eat and not die. 51 I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Whoever eats this bread will live forever. This bread is My flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.”
Then He adds in verses 53-56.
53 Jesus said to them, “Very truly I tell you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in you. 54 Whoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day. 55 For My flesh is real food and My blood is real drink. 56 Whoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood remains in Me, and I in them.”
What do you think the crowd was thinking? What were the disciples thinking? What do you think about what He said? This has often been called a “hard teaching”. I seriously doubt that anyone that heard that statement understood it.
Verses 66-71 wrap up this section. I see the same dividing point in our times. People that the Father gives to Jesus follow Him because He has the answers. In this section, Peter makes a statement that has become my life verse. I believe verses 68-69 say it all.
66 From this time many of His disciples turned back and no longer followed Him.
67 “You do not want to leave too, do you?” Jesus asked the Twelve.
6 8 Simon Peter answered Him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? Only You have the words of eternal life. 69 We have come to believe and to know that You are the Holy One of God.”
I am sure the disciples were as confused as everyone else. But they knew Jesus knew what He was talking about…”Only You have the words of eternal life”. We don’t always understand Scripture or what God is doing in our life and around us, but Jesus does. We need to let Him lead us through the Holy Spirit.
Christian Life Coach 