OUR FATHER WHO GAVE US THE BREAD OF LIFE

The Lord Jesus, continuing to talk to the crowd who were seeking truth from Him, had an interchange with them where He revealed to them the permanent nature of the bond He would form with those who would believed in Him.  John chapter 6 verses 35 - 59 records the conversation in the town of Capernaum this way;

 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. 36 But as I told you, you have seen me and still you do not believe. 37 All those the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never drive away. 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.”

41 At this the Jews there began to grumble about him because he said, “I am the bread that came down from heaven.” 42 They said, “Is this not Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How can he now say, ‘I came down from heaven’?”

When the people heard Jesusˋ assertions of being the one through whom everlasting life came, they were perplexed because they knew Jesus and the family from which He came. When He claimed to have come down from heaven, they complained because they thought they knew from where He had come. Jesus, perceiving their discontentment with His claims, told them to stop grumbling about what He was saying because He was the focal point of Godˋs plan of salvation. Anyone who was to be saved would be drawn to Jesus the Father and anyone who believed in Jesus having been drawn to Him, would obtain eternal life.

43 “Stop grumbling among yourselves,” Jesus answered. 44 “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws them, and I will raise them up at the last day. 45 It is written in the Prophets: ‘They will all be taught by God.’ Everyone who has heard the Father and learned from him comes to me. 46 No one has seen the Father except the one who is from God; only he has seen the Father. 47 Very truly I tell you, the one who believes has eternal life. 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.”

52 Then the Jews began to argue sharply among themselves, “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?”

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. 57 Just as the living Father sent me and I live because of the Father, so the one who feeds on me will live because of me. 58 This is the bread that came down from heaven. Your ancestors ate manna and died, but whoever feeds on this bread will live forever.” 59 He said this while teaching in the synagogue in Capernaum.

The Lord  pressed the controversial point that people would have to partake in His flesh and His blood in order to have life in the same way that the ancestors of the Jews ate manna in the desert in order to survive.

The distinction that Jesus made was that those who ate manna in the desert ultimately died but those who ate the bread that came down from heaven, would live forever.

Ingesting bread by physically eating it was a representation of the way that those who believed in Jesus when He gave His body to be broken and shed His blood, would  have Jesus abiding in them.

Amen.

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OUR FATHER WHO GAVE HIS SON AS THE BREAD OF LIFE

The persistent crowd crossed the lake and traced the whereabouts of the Lord Jesus and they tried to calculate how He got to Capernaum so quickly because He had not left with the boat but was already there when they arrived.

The Lord, speaking to the crowd of people who had followed Him, advised them to reconsider what they were seeking. Instead of striving to hunt Him down because of the benefits He provided like food, Jesus told them to seek food that results in eternal life that He, the Son of Man, would give them. 

To this, they asked Jesus what they needed to do that would qualify them for the bread of life and Jesus told them that they needed to believe in the whom God sent and had Godˋs seal of approval. 

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.”

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.”

The people listening to Jesus who had followed Him across the lake and had tracked Him down in the city were hungry for the things of God and they pressed Jesus for more answers.

30 So they asked him, “What sign then will you give that we may see it and believe you? What will you do? 31 Our ancestors ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written: ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’”

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.”

Jesus explained to them that in the same way their ancestors received bread from heaven in the desert, He himself was the bread sent down from heaven and those who were drawn to Him and believed in Him would be partakers in eternal life by the bread that Jesus alone could give them.

The people implored Jesus to give them the bread unto eternal life.

Amen.

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OUR FATHER WHO SENT HIS SON 

The famous scene where Jesus walked on water is captured in todayˋs passage out of the book of John chapter 6 verses 16 - 24.

After feeding the crowd of people who were following Him, Jesus had to evade them because they were talking among themselves and formenting a plan to proclaim Him as their king.

Jesus had gone up a mountain alone and as evening set in, He did not return to join His disciples so they got into their boat and began to sail back to Capernaum.

As darkness fell, the disciples, navigating on the increasingly rough water, saw a figure on the water walking towards them and they were terrified.

Jesus spoke to them assuring them that it was He who approached them and when they let Him into the boat, they immediately arrived at their destination in a translation across the surface of the water.

16 When evening came, his disciples went down to the lake, 17 where they got into a boat and set off across the lake for Capernaum. By now it was dark, and Jesus had not yet joined them. 18 A strong wind was blowing and the waters grew rough. 19 When they had rowed about three or four miles, they saw Jesus approaching the boat, walking on the water; and they were frightened. 20 But he said to them, “It is I; don’t be afraid.” 21 Then they were willing to take him into the boat, and immediately the boat reached the shore where they were heading.

22 The next day the crowd that had stayed on the opposite shore of the lake realized that only one boat had been there, and that Jesus had not entered it with his disciples, but that they had gone away alone. 23 Then some boats from Tiberias landed near the place where the people had eaten the bread after the Lord had given thanks. 24 Once the crowd realized that neither Jesus nor his disciples were there, they got into the boats and went to Capernaum in search of Jesus.

The next day, the crowd that had been pursuing Jesus realized that He was no longer in the area and so they crossed the lake  towards Capernaum in search of Him.

Amen.

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OUR FATHER WHO SENT HIS SON INTO THE WORLD TO SAVE THE WORLD

The book of John chapter 6 verses 1 - 15 relates the event where a huge crowd of about 10,000 people followed Jesus hoping to receive healing and hear Him teach and the Lord undertook to feed them starting with a five barley loaves and two small fish.

1 Some time after this, Jesus crossed to the far shore of the Sea of Galilee (that is, the Sea of Tiberias), 2 and a great crowd of people followed him because they saw the signs he had performed by healing the sick. 3 Then Jesus went up on a mountainside and sat down with his disciples. 4 The Jewish Passover Festival was near.

5 When Jesus looked up and saw a great crowd coming toward him, he said to Philip, “Where shall we buy bread for these people to eat?” 6 He asked this only to test him, for he already had in mind what he was going to do.

7 Philip answered him, “It would take more than half a year’s wages to buy enough bread for each one to have a bite!”

8 Another of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, spoke up, 9 “Here is a boy with five small barley loaves and two small fish, but how far will they go among so many?”

10 Jesus said, “Have the people sit down.” There was plenty of grass in that place, and they sat down (about five thousand men were there). 11 Jesus then took the loaves, gave thanks, and distributed to those who were seated as much as they wanted. He did the same with the fish.

12 When they had all had enough to eat, he said to his disciples, “Gather the pieces that are left over. Let nothing be wasted.” 13 So they gathered them and filled twelve baskets with the pieces of the five barley loaves left over by those who had eaten.

14 After the people saw the sign Jesus performed, they began to say, “Surely this is the Prophet who is to come into the world.” 15 Jesus, knowing that they intended to come and make him king by force, withdrew again to a mountain by himself.

The miraculous feeding of the 10,000 people from five loaves and two fishes was startling enough for the people to start thinking about who Jesus was and how beneficial He could be for them.

As they mused on this, Jesus became aware of their intentions to proclaim His as their  king and because this was not the plan of salvation that was set in motion from the beginning of time, Jesus widthdrew to a mountain by Himself to escape the peopleˋs intention.

Amen.

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OUR FATHER WHO BEARS WITNESS TO HIS SON THROUGH THE SUPERNATURAL WORKS HE DOES

The book of John chapter 5 verses 31 - 47, recording Jesus' explanation of His legitimacy as the giver of life, says this;

31 “If I bear witness of Myself, My witness is not true. 32 There is another who bears witness of Me, and I know that the witness which He witnesses of Me is true. 33 You have sent to John, and he has borne witness to the truth. 34 Yet I do not receive testimony from man, but I say these things that you may be saved. 35 He was the burning and shining lamp, and you were willing for a time to rejoice in his light. 36 But I have a greater witness than John’s; for the works which the Father has given Me to finish—the very works that I do—bear witness of Me, that the Father has sent Me. 37 And the Father Himself, who sent Me, has testified of Me. You have neither heard His voice at any time, nor seen His form. 38 But you do not have His word abiding in you, because whom He sent, Him you do not believe. 39 You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me. 40 But you are not willing to come to Me that you may have life.

41 “I do not receive honor from men. 42 But I know you, that you do not have the love of God in you. 43 I have come in My Father’s name, and you do not receive Me; if another comes in his own name, him you will receive. 44 How can you believe, who receive honor from one another, and do not seek the honor that comes from the only God? 45 Do not think that I shall accuse you to the Father; there is one who accuses you—Moses, in whom you trust. 46 For if you believed Moses, you would believe Me; for he wrote about Me. 47 But if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe My words?”

Amen.

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OUR FATHER WHO IS EXACTLY REFLECTED BY THE  SON OF GOD

The religious leaders of jerusalem were perplexed by Jesusˋ ministry. On one hand, He was performing miracles of healing that were indisputable but on the other had, He was not conforming to the standard they believed needed to be followed.

For example, Jesus was healing people on the Sabbath day when the religious tradition held that no work ( including miraculous healings ) should be done on the Sabbath.

Because of the challenge that Jesus represented to the established religious order, they attacked Him with accusations of breaking the Sabbath and blasphemy and they sought ways to permanently remove Him from the scene.

The book of John chapter 5 verses 16 - 23 records the grievances that the religious leaders had towards Jesus and the responses that Jesus gave to them to explain His work.

16 So, because Jesus was doing these things on the Sabbath, the Jewish leaders began to persecute him. 17 In his defense Jesus said to them, “My Father is always at his work to this very day, and I too am working.” 18 For this reason they tried all the more to kill him; not only was he breaking the Sabbath, but he was even calling God his own Father, making himself equal with God.

19 Jesus gave them this answer: “Very truly I tell you, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does. 20 For the Father loves the Son and shows him all he does. Yes, and he will show him even greater works than these, so that you will be amazed. 21 For just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, even so the Son gives life to whom he is pleased to give it. 22 Moreover, the Father judges no one, but has entrusted all judgment to the Son, 23 that all may honor the Son just as they honor the Father. Whoever does not honor the Son does not honor the Father, who sent him 

24 “Very truly I tell you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be judged but has crossed over from death to life. 25 Very truly I tell you, a time is coming and has now come when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God and those who hear will live. 26 For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son also to have life in himself. 27 And he has given him authority to judge because he is the Son of Man.

28 “Do not be amazed at this, for a time is coming when all who are in their graves will hear his voice 29 and come out—those who have done what is good will rise to live, and those who have done what is evil will rise to be condemned. 30 By myself I can do nothing; I judge only as I hear, and my judgment is just, for I seek not to please myself but him who sent me.. .

The Lord Jesus, in response to the accusation against Him of calling Himself the Son of God and saying that God was His own father and thus making Himself equal to God, expounded for them the extent to which the Son of God is an exact representative reflection of God the Father;

• Every action the Son takes is an action taken by the Father first
• The Father reveals all His actions to the Son and the Son emulates them
• The Father gives life and the Son gives life to whom He pleases
• The Father does not judge but commits judgement to the Son
• Honoring the Son is tantamount to honoring the Father
• Hearing the words of the Son and believing the Father brings us eternal life
• Hearing the words of the Son and believing the Father excludes us from judgement
• Hearing the words of the Son and believing the Father moves us from death to life
• The dead can hear the voice of the Son and those who do will live
• The Father has life within Himself and had granted that the Son has life as well
• The Father gives the Son of God authority to judge because He is the Son of Man
• The Sonˋs voice will be heard from the graves and they will rise from the dead
• Those who did good rise to live and those who did evil rise to be condemned
• The Sonˋs judgement is just for He does not please Himself but only His Father

Amen.

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OUR FATHER WHO IS OUR HEALER

The Lord Jesus returned to Jerusalem for a religious feast and while in the city, He came across a man who had been paralysed for thirty-eight years and He asked the man if he wanted to get well.

The paralysed man explained to Jesus that he had been trying to get into the pool of Bethesda in order to be cured of his malady but he could never quite get into the pool at the right time.

Jesus commanded him to get up, pick up his mat and walk and the man was instantly healed and he was able to get up and pick up his mat and walk.

As the man moved about, the religious leaders noticed the infraction of the law of the Sabbath and they informed him that the law forbade the carrying of mats during the Sabbath.

The man told the enforcers that the man who had healed him of paralysis also told him to pick up his mat. During the conrontaion, Jesus had slipped away and the man could identify to the religious leaders who was healing people and authorizing them to carry their mats and walk.

The book of John chapter 5 verses 1 - 15 describes the occasion this way;

1 Some time later, Jesus went up to Jerusalem for one of the

 Jewish festivals. 2 Now there is in Jerusalem near the Sheep Gate a pool, which in Aramaic is called Bethesda and which is surrounded by five covered colonnades. 3 Here a great number of disabled people used to lie—the blind, the lame, the paralyzed. [4] [b] 5 One who was there had been an invalid for thirty-eight years. 6 When Jesus saw him lying there and learned that he had been in this condition for a long time, he asked him, “Do you want to get well?”

7 “Sir,” the invalid replied, “I have no one to help me into the pool when the water is stirred. While I am trying to get in, someone else goes down ahead of me.”

8 Then Jesus said to him, “Get up! Pick up your mat and walk.” 9 At once the man was cured; he picked up his mat and walked.

The day on which this took place was a Sabbath, 10 and so the Jewish leaders said to the man who had been healed, “It is the Sabbath; the law forbids you to carry your mat.”

11 But he replied, “The man who made me well said to me, ‘Pick up your mat and walk.’ ”

12 So they asked him, “Who is this fellow who told you to pick it up and walk?”

13 The man who was healed had no idea who it was, for Jesus had slipped away into the crowd that was there.

14 Later Jesus found him at the temple and said to him, “See, you are well again. Stop sinning or something worse may happen to you.” 15 The man went away and told the Jewish leaders that it was Jesus who had made him well.

In an unusual move, Jesus tracked the man who had been healed and followed up with some advice. Jesus told the man that now he was well, he should stop sinning in order to prevent a greater calamity to befall him

The man original condition came about as a result of his participation with sinful activities and all of that had been over-ridden by the authority of Jesus but Jesus cautioned him that to continue in his sin would expose him to the risk of even greater harm. 

The man went and identified Jesus to the authorities.

Amen.

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