Do you know what the following things have in common? A gate, a light, a shepherd, the truth, and bread?
These are some of the illustrations used by the Great Teacher, the Lord Jesus Christ, to describe Himself. (John 10:7 & 9. 8:12, 10:11 & 14. 14:6. 6:48.) If you keep this in mind it will help you to understand this "talk".
Many people were following Jesus because they wanted more free food from Him. (John. 6:26-27.) But food for their stomachs could neither make them fit to live for God now, nor able to live for eternity with Him. (Matthew 4:4. 1st Corinthians 8:8.) Their "forefathers ate the manna.. in the desert, yet they died. But there is the Bread that came down from Heaven which a man may eat and not die," Jesus told them. (verses 49-50.)
Then Jesus said, "I am the Living Bread that came down from Heaven, if a man eats of this Bread, he will live for ever. This Bread is My flesh, which I will give FOR the life of the world."
The crowd were only interested in getting a free picnic, so they "began to argue sharply among themselves, 'How can this man give us His flesh to eat?'" (verse 51-52.)
But Jesus had NOT said He would give His flesh to the world. Jesus was telling them that He would be able to offer Life to the world because He was going to sacrifice His flesh for the world. Jesus had come from Heaven to die "for our sins, the Righteous for the unrighteous, that He might bring us to God." (1st Peter 3:18.)
Jesus continued to speak about Himself as "the Bread of Life": "Whoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood has Eternal Life, and I will raise him up at the last day." (verses 53-56.)
Did Jesus mean we really had to eat His flesh and drink His blood!?
Do you remember other times when Jesus said strange things in parable form? For example, He said you would have to enter through Him as "the Gate" in order to be saved? (John 10:9.) He certainly did not mean you must walk through Him - He just meant you must trust Him as the only One who can get you to God and salvation. And when He said you must eat Him as "the Bread of Life" He certainly was not talking about cannibalism!
He simply meant that to have Eternal Life you would have to trust and depend on the fact that He gave His body and blood as the sacrifice for your sins, so that you could live through faith in Him. (verse 58. John 6:35-40.)
Yet most people today refuse to believe that Jesus fully paid for their sins by the sacrifice of His body and blood "once and for all" on the cross. (Hebrews 7:24-27, 10:5-18.) They are refusing to trust in "the Bread of Life" so they are going to perish! (John 2:16-19.)
There is no need for anyone to perish. (2nd Peter 3:9. Ezekiel 33:11.) All are invited to put their trust in the One who is the source of Life - Jesus, "the Bread of Life" - as the only Priest, and Saviour today. If you ignore His offer you will perish!
Today's story was from John chapter 6, verses 48-59.
John Nixon, Cork, Ireland. P31HD98. Contact: jnixonj@gmail.com
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