The One Non-Perishable

PASSAGE FOR THE DAY:

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.”

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.”

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’?”

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.

60 On hearing it, many of his disciples said, “This is a hard teaching. Who can accept it?”

61 Aware that his disciples were grumbling about this, Jesus said to them, “Does this offend you? 62 Then what if you see the Son of Man ascend to where he was before! 63 The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you—they are full of the Spirit and life. 64 Yet there are some of you who do not believe.” For Jesus had known from the beginning which of them did not believe and who would betray him. 65 He went on to say, “This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless the Father has enabled them.”

66 From this time many of his disciples turned back and no longer followed him.

67 “You do not want to leave too, do you?” Jesus asked the Twelve.

68 Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. 69 We have come to believe and to know that you are the Holy One of God.”

70 Then Jesus replied, “Have I not chosen you, the Twelve? Yet one of you is a devil!” 71 (He meant Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot, who, though one of the Twelve, was later to betray him.) (John 6:26-71, NIV)

REFLECTIONS:

Bread… The thought of fresh warm bread conjures up mouth watering goodness and comfort. The word bread appears over and over again while reading the whole of John chapter 6, especially verses 26-71. The sustenance of life is lechem, the Hebrew word for bread/loaf/food.

Jesus is teaching the multitudes that received the loaves and fish on the shore of Galilee the day before, that there is more to what He provided for them (be sure to read Georgia’s devo from yesterday if you haven’t yet). The loaves and fish from the miracle of yesterday fed their earthly hunger and now Jesus teaches His provisions are eternal—Jesus is the non-perishable.

Jesus is teaching the foundations for faith, “I am the bread of life; he who comes to Me shall not hunger, and who believes in Me shall never thirst” (verse 35). (Are you shouting the Hallel yet?) So, the next really cool part is this bread of life is for everyone. There’s no vetting. Jesus is who He says He is for everyone who comes to Him, whenever they come to Him. “All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out” (verse 37).

Back to the Hebrew lesson… Remember lechem is Hebrew for “bread.” Bet or Beth is the word for “house” or “family home” in Hebrew. So the bread that Jesus speaks of over and over again is the Bread of Life that is Jesus himself in His explanation of what’s to come in the Last Supper (Luke 22:19). I can’t remember if David (Norris) wrote about this last year or if I did, but the word Bet lehem means” House of Bread.” Interesting that Jesus was born in Bet lehem—the “House of Bread.” Ancient historians write of the sacred bread, the bread of presence, used at the Temple in Jerusalem likely being prepared in Bethlehem. Bethlehem is also the city of King David. It is the place of his ancestors, his birth, childhood and where the prophet Samuel finds David and anoints him to be king (1Samuel 16).

The other word that kept showing up is “flesh.”  Jesus is teaching that his flesh is the bread of life—“I am the living bread, that came down out of heaven; if anyone eats of the bread, he shall live forever; and the bread also which I shall give for the life of the world is My flesh.” (John 6:51, emphasis mine)

Nerd Note… For those of you that are interested… “Bread” appears 21 times in chapter 6—at least in the translation of NASB that I use. The word “flesh” occurs seven times in chapter 6. Hmmmm 21/7 = 3. OK so I’m married to an engineer and nerd osmosis has occurred in the house.

Ponderings… My take on this is that Jesus so strongly desires to be mingled throughout our lives that He wants to be one with us. When we partake of Him through the act eating of the bread-flesh and drinking of vine-blood, we are providing a dwelling place for Christ. “…Truly, truly I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in yourselves” (John 6:53).  It seems Jesus wants us to be filled up with Him, “He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him” (John 6:56).

Many disciples that were following and learning from Jesus had a difficult time with this teaching and turned away. Jesus asks the twelve apostles, if they also wanted to leave.  Peter’s response brings me to joyful tears because he reminds me of small children who innocently understand that the one nurturing them and loving them is the place the child wants to be. That relationship is everything for the child.

Peter answers Jesus, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have words of eternal life. And we have believed and have come to know that You are the Holy One of God” (John 6:68-69).

The verses speak to the type of relationship. Simon Peter asks to whom shall we go.  He doesn’t ask where shall we go. Peter knows Jesus and says You are the Holy One.  Peter found his home in Jesus. Jesus, You are where I go, the One to whom I abide.

This reminds me of a short blurb I heard once about being in constant relationship with Christ. It is difficult at best to be in an on again and off again relationship with anyone. When Christ followers say Yes, Lord I desire to provide a place for your Holy Spirit to dwell that is within me, we cannot have a noon check out time when church is over on Sunday.

Earlier this month David, Erin and I went to hear Graham Cooke speak during a weekend conference.  Throughout the weekend Graham threaded together the way of life with Christ as “habitational” not visitational.” Meaning we allow the spaces of our lives to be filled with the Holy Spirit, to be inhabited—all the time.

TAKE AWAY:

We are in a “to whom” relationship with Christ not a “where.”  Yes, physically, the Lord can lead us many places on this earth, but our residence is in our relationship and habitational dwelling of Christ within us.

PRAYER:

Lord, You know my heart, my soul, my thoughts, my actions. Today, Lord, I boldly ask for You to fill the residence of my body with You.  Help me, Lord, to remove the furnishings that are not Yours. May my body and soul be a sanctuary for You. And thank You, God, that I get hungry for more of Jesus, especially when I smell the sweet aroma of Christ and the savory richness of the Bread of Life, the Lechem.

WHO AM I?

I am Gayle Norris. It is interesting that some events thought to be bad, can turn into a strange blessing. After getting a concussion from an auto accident last fall, I dealt with a loss of balance and some mental processing issues. One of the medical staff helping me suggested that I take Tai Chi as a form of physical therapy to get my muscles to doing what my brain was telling them to do. So, during the hour class I pray. I have grown to love my time there and feel the presence of the Lord in a place that doesn’t necessarily promote that belief. I just received my yellow sash. It took a little longer than most, but the Lord is faithful and healed up many misfiring brain synapses and physical limitations.