John 6
Jesus, the Bread of Life
22 The next day the crowd that had stayed on the far shore saw that the disciples had taken the only boat, and they realized Jesus had not gone with them. 23 Several boats from Tiberias landed near the place where the Lord had blessed the bread and the people had eaten. 24 So when the crowd saw that neither Jesus nor His disciples were there, they got into the boats and went across to Capernaum to look for Him. 25 They found Him on the other side of the lake and asked, “Rabbi, when did you get here?” 26 Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, you want to be with Me because I fed you, not because you understood the miraculous signs. 27 But don’t be so concerned about perishable things like food. Spend your energy seeking the eternal life that the Son of Man can give you. For God the Father has given Me the seal of His approval.” 28 They replied, “We want to perform God’s works, too. What should we do?” 29 Jesus told them, “This is the only work God wants from you: Believe in the One He has sent.” 30 They answered, “Show us a miraculous sign if You want us to believe in You. What can You do? 31 After all, our ancestors ate manna while they journeyed through the wilderness! The Scriptures say, ‘Moses gave them bread from heaven to eat.’” 32 Jesus said, “I tell you the truth, Moses didn’t give you bread from heaven. My Father did. And now He offers you the true bread from heaven. 33 The true bread of God is the one who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.” 34 “Sir,” they said, “give us that bread every day.” 35 Jesus replied, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to Me will never be hungry again. Whoever believes in Me will never be thirsty. 36 But you haven’t believed in Me even though you have seen Me. 37 However, those the Father has given Me will come to Me, and I will never reject them. 38 For I have come down from heaven to do the will of God who sent Me, not to do My own will. 39 And this is the will of God, that I should not lose even one of all those He has given me, but that I should raise them up at the last day. 40 For it is my Father’s will that all who see His Son and believe in Him should have eternal life. I will raise them up at the last day.” 41 Then the people began to murmur in disagreement because He had said, “I am the bread that came down from heaven.” 42 They said, “Isn’t this Jesus, the son of Joseph? We know His father and mother. How can He say, ‘I came down from heaven’?” 43 But Jesus replied, “Stop complaining about what I said. 44 For no one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws them to Me, and at the last day I will raise them up. 45 As it is written in the Scriptures, ‘They will all be taught by God.’ Everyone who listens to the Father and learns from Him comes to Me. 46 (Not that anyone has ever seen the Father; only I, who was sent from God, have seen Him.) 47 “I tell you the truth, anyone who believes has eternal life. 48 Yes, I am the bread of life! 49 Your ancestors ate manna in the wilderness, but they all died. 50 Anyone who eats the bread from heaven, however, will never die. 51 I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Anyone who eats this bread will live forever; and this bread, which I will offer so the world may live, is my flesh.” 52 Then the people began arguing with each other about what He meant. “How can this man give us His flesh to eat?” they asked. 53 So Jesus said again, “I tell you the truth, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you cannot have eternal life within you. 54 But anyone who eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise that person at the last day. 55 For My flesh is true food, and My blood is true drink. 56 Anyone who eats My flesh and drinks My blood remains in Me, and I in him. 57 I live because of the living Father who sent Me; in the same way, anyone who feeds on Me will live because of Me. 58 I Am the true bread that came down from heaven. Anyone who eats this bread will not die as your ancestors did (even though they ate the manna) but will live forever.” 59 He said these things while he was teaching in the synagogue in Capernaum.
You can't achieve external life, you have to receive it. It's a free gift from the Father. You don't get to heaven by doing good deeds and being a good person. It's only through an intimate relationship with Jesus. Jesus was explaining this to the crowd but they could not grasp what they could not see. They were focused on tangible, material things, that which they could see. They were not impressed with the feeding of the 5000 men plus women and children. Jesus fed those people for one day but Moses fed millions in the desert for 40 years! Jesus corrects them, Moses didn't feed the Israelites, God did.
We should always give God the glory. We can do nothing without Him. We can try but we will probably end up in that storm. Worn out and tired from relying on our own strength.
Jesus goes on to explain its by knowledge of God people are drawn to Him and when we are drawn to Jesus, He receives us and we are saved. Jesus repeatedly tells the crowd He came from God the Father in heaven but they cannot hear Him. Once again they focus on the tangible. How can Jesus be from Heaven when we know His parents Mary and Joseph?
In these passages, Jesus told them over and over who He is but they refused to believe in Him because they were deaf and blind. Are you deaf and blind to Jesus? Do you know what scripture tells us yet want physical proof? Is Jesus calling you to Him but you cannot hear? Stop, look and listen. Stop and pray, look at scripture, listen to God. Jesus wants an intimate, personal relationship with you today.
Blessings, Cecilia
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