I AM: Discovering the Nature of Jesus!
Tuesday, February 24, 2004
My Prayer Today
Heavenly Father, I praise You that while Your message is true and simple, that it also has the power to transform us from the inside out! I pray this day that You will empower me by the Holy Spirit to receive that living bread and water of Your Son, Jesus, that I may be nourished and strengthened to follow wherever You lead, and do whatever You call me to do. I pray this day for those who don’t know You personally, who haven’t eaten the bread of life, and ask that You will use me to witness to someone about that life-giving food, even Your Son, Jesus, in whose name I offer this prayer. Amen.
God's Word Today
John 6:35-37; 47-58
35Jesus replied, “I am the bread of life. No one who comes to me will ever be hungry again. Those who believe in me will never thirst. 36But you haven’t believed in me even though you have seen me. 37However, those the Father has given me will come to me, and I will never reject them.
47“I assure you, anyone who believes in me already has eternal life. 48Yes, I am the bread of life! 49Your ancestors ate manna in the wilderness, but they all died. 50However, the bread from heaven gives eternal life to everyone who eats it. 51I am the living bread that came down out of heaven. Anyone who eats this bread will live forever; this bread is my flesh, offered so the world may live.”
52Then the people began arguing with each other about what he meant. “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?” they asked.
53So Jesus said again, “I assure you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you cannot have eternal life within you. 54But those who eat my flesh and drink my blood have eternal life, and I will raise them at the last day. 55For my flesh is the true food, and my blood is the true drink. 56All who eat my flesh and drink my blood remain in me, and I in them. 57I live by the power of the living Father who sent me; in the same way, those who partake of me will live because of me. 58I am the true bread from heaven. Anyone who eats this bread will live forever and not die as your ancestors did, even though they ate the manna.”
Reflecting on God's Word
What does it mean to “eat” Jesus’ “flesh” and “drink” His “blood”?
A Deeper Exploration of God's Word
According to Jesus, who will believe in Him? (6:35-37)
According to Jesus, who receives eternal life? (6:47-51)
What did Jesus say that caused argument and confusion among the crowd? (6:52-58)
Understanding God's Purpose for Us
What is the significance of Jesus’ words that we must eat his body and drink his blood for understanding who Jesus really is?
Why do you suppose that the people couldn’t understand what Jesus was saying?
Applying God's Word to Our Lives
What one thing will you do as a result of having read today’s Scripture?
Thoughts...I AM The Bread of Life
We must admit that Jesus’ words in today’s Scripture are quite unusual. We’re probably all aware that Jesus said, “I am the bread of life,” from hearing it or reading it in times past, but when Jesus told the people that they had to “eat” His “flesh” and “drink” His “blood” the result was anger, confusion, and ultimately desertion. If we read the account through to the end, we find that nearly everyone in the crowd, including many of Jesus’ followers—all but the 12—deserted Him, because they could not understand or accept His statements. First, we must understand that Jesus was not speaking literally when He told the people that they must eat His flesh and drink His blood. Jesus was speaking in spiritual terms—Any physical food that we eat will need to be replenished. That’s why the crowd’s ancestors had died in the wilderness, because the manna was just physical sustenance. Jesus offers spiritual food and life that cannot end, which means we will not die, even though our physical bodies will. As we go about this day we need the bread of life—Jesus much more than we need food. After all, one day we WILL die physically, unless Jesus returns, and on that day it will be the bread of life—Jesus—who keeps us alive forever!
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