Questions Friends Ask
A good friend was wondering about John 6:48-58...
48 I am the bread of life. 49 Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and are dead. 50 This is the bread which comes down from heaven, that one may eat of it and not die. 51 I am the living bread which came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever; and the bread that I shall give is My flesh, which I shall give for the life of the world.” 52 The Jews therefore quarreled among themselves, saying, “How can this Man give us His flesh to eat?” 53 Then Jesus said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to 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 him up at the last day. 55 For My flesh is food indeed, and My blood is drink indeed. 56 He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him. 57 As the living Father sent Me, and I live because of the Father, so he who feeds on Me will live because of Me. 58 This is the bread which came down from heaven—not as your fathers ate the manna, and are dead. He who eats this bread will live forever.”
The problem was what is meant by, "53 Then Jesus said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to 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 him up at the last day. 55 For My flesh is food indeed, and My blood is drink indeed. "
What is meant by, "eats My flesh and drinks My blood"?
Note that it says, "Whoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life,..." The phrase, "has eternal life" is what catches my eye. If we look up a few verses we read in verse 47, " Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me has everlasting life."
So in one verse we have everlasting life by believing (verse47); and in another we have eternal life by eating His flesh and drinking His blood (53-54).
Are there two ways to get eternal life - believing as well as eating His flesh and drinking His blood? Or is there only one way, and that by believing. There is only one way, believing. Therefore eating His flesh and drinking His blood is another way of saying "he who believes in Me has everlasting life."
Jesus said in verse 63 " It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life." Jesus was telling spiritual truth here. Only those enlightened by the Holy Spirit would have at least some understanding of His teaching here. Note Peter's response to Jesus after all the others left... "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life". Peter and ten others understood Jesus. Why? The Holy Spirit's ministry in their lives.
The good news is, "33 For the bread of God is He who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.” 34 Then they said to Him, “Lord, give us this bread always.” 35 And Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst."
Amen.
48 I am the bread of life. 49 Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and are dead. 50 This is the bread which comes down from heaven, that one may eat of it and not die. 51 I am the living bread which came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever; and the bread that I shall give is My flesh, which I shall give for the life of the world.” 52 The Jews therefore quarreled among themselves, saying, “How can this Man give us His flesh to eat?” 53 Then Jesus said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to 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 him up at the last day. 55 For My flesh is food indeed, and My blood is drink indeed. 56 He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him. 57 As the living Father sent Me, and I live because of the Father, so he who feeds on Me will live because of Me. 58 This is the bread which came down from heaven—not as your fathers ate the manna, and are dead. He who eats this bread will live forever.”
The problem was what is meant by, "53 Then Jesus said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to 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 him up at the last day. 55 For My flesh is food indeed, and My blood is drink indeed. "
What is meant by, "eats My flesh and drinks My blood"?
Note that it says, "Whoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life,..." The phrase, "has eternal life" is what catches my eye. If we look up a few verses we read in verse 47, " Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me has everlasting life."
So in one verse we have everlasting life by believing (verse47); and in another we have eternal life by eating His flesh and drinking His blood (53-54).
Are there two ways to get eternal life - believing as well as eating His flesh and drinking His blood? Or is there only one way, and that by believing. There is only one way, believing. Therefore eating His flesh and drinking His blood is another way of saying "he who believes in Me has everlasting life."
Jesus said in verse 63 " It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life." Jesus was telling spiritual truth here. Only those enlightened by the Holy Spirit would have at least some understanding of His teaching here. Note Peter's response to Jesus after all the others left... "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life". Peter and ten others understood Jesus. Why? The Holy Spirit's ministry in their lives.
The good news is, "33 For the bread of God is He who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.” 34 Then they said to Him, “Lord, give us this bread always.” 35 And Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst."
Amen.
Labels: Believe On Jesus
posted by mark pierson @ Sunday, September 23, 2007
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