Bread from heaven
Reading for Thursday March 23
Bible section: Mark 6:30-46
It was a pleasant evening. People were reclining on the shore by the lake, well fed and satisfied, both in body and spirit. Jesus was popular that day. He had taught spiritual truths as though he had personal experience of the things he talked about, and he had multiplied five loaves and two fishes into enough food for five thousand people to eat.
Looking at the crowds Jesus perhaps remembered the time he had fasted alone in the desert and been hungry. During that time he was tempted to change stones into bread but refused to do so. The reason he gave was that man did not live by bread but by the words of God. This day he had given the people the word of God. And then he had given them bread in abundance.
The next day the crowds came again, looking for him. Jesus told them not to work for food that perishes but for food that endures to eternal life. He said he would give them that food also. "Indeed," he said, "the bread of God is the man who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world." Then he spelt it out for them; “I am the bread of life,” he said, “if a person eats this bread of life he will live forever.”
The crowd chose to concentrate on the words ‘came down from heaven’, rather than on the ‘live forever’ part. They could not accept that Jesus, who was born of a natural woman, had come from heaven to do his Father’s will and give eternal life to everyone who believed him.
The physical meaning of bread and the spiritual meaning of 'bread of heaven' were inter-twined, it was hard to focus completely on the spiritual, and even harder because when Jesus talked of giving his flesh he meant it physically. "The bread that I will give is my flesh." he said.
Through the physical death of the ‘one from above’ the spiritual reality would be realized. His physical death would demonstrate to the world the consequences of sin. But because he had not sinned, God would resurrect him, and every person who believed in him.
It is an exchange; the consequences of an individuals sin, is death; Jesus died instead of that individual. Because Jesus lived without sinning; God transfers the sinless record of Jesus to every person who asks God for forgiveness. The devil, who has defeated every individual except one, has been defeated by that one. Death has lost its power and eternal life begins now, for all who accept the death of Jesus as God’s gift to them. Even though they die they live forever. Because Jesus has given his flesh for the life of the world.
The evening of the day in which he fed five thousand people was indeed a pleasant evening. It did not deflect Jesus from his purpose. He had come to give his physical body as an exchange for the life of the whole world. He looked into the scriptures and understood the death he would die and accepted it willingly so that he might bring eternal life to many people. Thanks be to God.
John 6:32-58
Bible section: Mark 6:30-46
It was a pleasant evening. People were reclining on the shore by the lake, well fed and satisfied, both in body and spirit. Jesus was popular that day. He had taught spiritual truths as though he had personal experience of the things he talked about, and he had multiplied five loaves and two fishes into enough food for five thousand people to eat.
Looking at the crowds Jesus perhaps remembered the time he had fasted alone in the desert and been hungry. During that time he was tempted to change stones into bread but refused to do so. The reason he gave was that man did not live by bread but by the words of God. This day he had given the people the word of God. And then he had given them bread in abundance.
The next day the crowds came again, looking for him. Jesus told them not to work for food that perishes but for food that endures to eternal life. He said he would give them that food also. "Indeed," he said, "the bread of God is the man who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world." Then he spelt it out for them; “I am the bread of life,” he said, “if a person eats this bread of life he will live forever.”
The crowd chose to concentrate on the words ‘came down from heaven’, rather than on the ‘live forever’ part. They could not accept that Jesus, who was born of a natural woman, had come from heaven to do his Father’s will and give eternal life to everyone who believed him.
The physical meaning of bread and the spiritual meaning of 'bread of heaven' were inter-twined, it was hard to focus completely on the spiritual, and even harder because when Jesus talked of giving his flesh he meant it physically. "The bread that I will give is my flesh." he said.
Through the physical death of the ‘one from above’ the spiritual reality would be realized. His physical death would demonstrate to the world the consequences of sin. But because he had not sinned, God would resurrect him, and every person who believed in him.
It is an exchange; the consequences of an individuals sin, is death; Jesus died instead of that individual. Because Jesus lived without sinning; God transfers the sinless record of Jesus to every person who asks God for forgiveness. The devil, who has defeated every individual except one, has been defeated by that one. Death has lost its power and eternal life begins now, for all who accept the death of Jesus as God’s gift to them. Even though they die they live forever. Because Jesus has given his flesh for the life of the world.
The evening of the day in which he fed five thousand people was indeed a pleasant evening. It did not deflect Jesus from his purpose. He had come to give his physical body as an exchange for the life of the whole world. He looked into the scriptures and understood the death he would die and accepted it willingly so that he might bring eternal life to many people. Thanks be to God.
John 6:32-58
posted by Jessie Coates at 10:47 PM
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