Article for August 11, 2024
John 6:35–36 35Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst. 36But I said to you that you have seen me and yet do not believe.
What? He just looks like a plain everyday Jew on the streets of Jerusalem. Why should they believe that He says He is the Christ they have been waiting for. There have been others, and we proved them to be false prophets. Why now should we believe someone who does not look like a god be the Christ?
We have many well-dressed prophets, ministers, preachers who claim to be preachers of God’s word. Some just might be, some might not be. We judge by what we think we should see in a heartbeat. Seldom do we try and find out if one is telling us the truth.
If it sounds good who cares if it is true or not. Spare me the details and let me hear your sweet nothings that promise me what I want and secretly promise me nothing. Yeah, it happened then, and it happens now. But who cares as long as we don’t feel the pangs of their lies.
John 6:37–38 37All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out. 38For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will but the will of him who sent me.
Some people see because they believe, some won’t see because they do not believe. Which are you? Do you believe that this unassuming man was Jesus? What must one do to get you to believe? Sorry about all the questions and that I challenge your belief. Most of you are thinking or wondering, does our pastor know he is preaching to the choir? The answer is no he doesn’t, because we don’t have a choir.
Here He is, the real thing and He is giving us the truth that most will not believe. Whatever the Father gives Him, He will never cast out! This is an assurance that if you believe you are saved!
He is the bread of life, and no one has life unless one comes to Him. Sure, people will live on this world and not believe, but their lives are limited to this world. We believe and Jesus is determined not to lose us, turn us away, forget about any of us. You have to try to leave Jesus if you want to die with this world. Why? Jesus is bound to His Father in heaven to do His Father’s will. What is the Father’s will?
John 6:39–40 39And this is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me, but raise it up on the last day. 40For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.”
Jesus came to give eternal life, not to withhold it from those who are not perfect but look to Jesus for their salvation. We will sleep, but like all of those that Jesus rose from their sleep, we too will be raised. Want more proof? Jesus died, and He rose from the dead and in doing so He showed us that He has the power of life over death.
Wow! This is the will of our God that we are given eternal life! Believe, follow the laws of God, do good works, love your neighbor, yes these are signs of your faith, but! Only Jesus is the way to heaven, and this is not out of meanness, rather it is out of love. Jesus does not tell us to be perfect, but He does tell us we should live to that goal.
We won’t make perfect in this life, but we will be wrapped in the perfectness, the righteousness of our Lord Jesus Christ. The pressure is off, we just need to live in our faith so that we are people of God, His children whom He loves to life. Why make it hard for yourself or hard for anyone else.
John 6:41–42 41So the Jews grumbled about him, because he said, “I am the bread that came down from heaven.” 42They said, “Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How does he now say, ‘I have come down from heaven’?”
Still there are those who will refuse to believe and try and spoil it for others. Before you do anything with your faith, ask who you are pleasing, you, the evil guy, or God. If you truly are pleasing God, then you are probably doing the right thing. But you might want to study God’s word before you weld your faith because it is not a sword to hurt people but a means to help people know of God’s grace, mercy, and forgiveness through His love, His will to save His Creation.
John 6:43–46 43Jesus answered them, “Do not grumble among yourselves. 44No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. And I will raise him up on the last day. 45It is written in the Prophets, ‘And they will all be taught by God.’ Everyone who has heard and learned from the Father comes to me— 46not that anyone has seen the Father except he who is from God; he has seen the Father.
Read God’s word, Jesus is telling us this as He has told the Pharisees of old. Listen to the word of God and for us that is bible studies, read scripture, and hearing the word through church. I know, it is very painful to read God’s word, go to a bible study, or for some go to a church that preaches the true word of God.
John 6:47–51 47Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes has eternal life. 48I am the bread of life. 49Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died. 50This is the bread that comes down from heaven, so that one may eat of it and not die. 51I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. And the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.”
I know I do not have to ask you if you believe that Jesus died for your sin. I know that you know that Jesus died on the cross for your sin. I know that you know that Jesus suffered and died for you to be forgiven. I know that you know that Jesus defeated death, the punishment for sin, and the evil guy. I hope you know now that Jesus died for you, unconditionally for you. He did! Amen.
Written by Pastor Curtis A. May
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