March 30, 2020

Never Hunger Again!

John 6:22–71

Karen Henson
Monday's Devo

March 30, 2020

Monday's Devo

March 30, 2020

Central Truth

Everyone who believes in Jesus has eternal life. They will never hunger or thirst again but will be forever satisfied.

Key Verse | John 6:35

Jesus said to them, "I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst."

 

John 6:22–71

I Am the Bread of Life

22 On the next day the crowd that remained on the other side of the sea saw that there had been only one boat there, and that Jesus had not entered the boat with his disciples, but that his disciples had gone away alone. 23 Other boats from Tiberias came near the place where they had eaten the bread after the Lord had given thanks. 24 So when the crowd saw that Jesus was not there, nor his disciples, they themselves got into the boats and went to Capernaum, seeking Jesus.

25 When they found him on the other side of the sea, they said to him, “Rabbi, when did you come here?” 26 Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, you are seeking me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves. 27 Do not work for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you. For on him God the Father has set his seal.” 28 Then they said to him, “What must we do, to be doing the works of God?” 29 Jesus answered them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent.” 30 So they said to him, “Then what sign do you do, that we may see and believe you? What work do you perform? 31 Our fathers ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written, ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’” 32 Jesus then said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, it was not Moses who gave you the bread from heaven, but my Father gives you the true bread from heaven. 33 For the bread of God is he who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.” 34 They said to him, “Sir, give us this bread always.”

35 Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst. 36 But I said to you that you have seen me and yet do not believe. 37 All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out. 38 For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will but the will of him who sent me. 39 And this is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me, but raise it up on the last day. 40 For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.”

41 So the Jews grumbled about him, because he said, “I am the bread that came down from heaven.” 42 They said, “Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How does he now say, ‘I have come down from heaven’?” 43 Jesus answered them, “Do not grumble among yourselves. 44 No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. And I will raise him up on the last day. 45 It is written in the Prophets, ‘And they will all be taught by God.’ Everyone who has heard and learned from the Father comes to me— 46 not that anyone has seen the Father except he who is from God; he has seen the Father. 47 Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes has eternal life. 48 I am the bread of life. 49 Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died. 50 This is the bread that comes down from heaven, so that one may eat of it and not die. 51 I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. And the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.”

52 The Jews then disputed among themselves, saying, “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?” 53 So Jesus said to them, “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 you. 54 Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day. 55 For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink. 56 Whoever feeds on 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 whoever feeds on me, he also will live because of me. 58 This is the bread that came down from heaven, not like the bread 1 6:58 Greek lacks the bread the fathers ate, and died. Whoever feeds on this bread will live forever.” 59 Jesus 2 6:59 Greek He said these things in the synagogue, as he taught at Capernaum.

The Words of Eternal Life

60 When many of his disciples heard it, they said, “This is a hard saying; who can listen to it?” 61 But Jesus, knowing in himself that his disciples were grumbling about this, said to them, “Do you take offense at this? 62 Then what if you were to see the Son of Man ascending to where he was before? 63 It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh is no help at all. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life. 64 But there are some of you who do not believe.” (For Jesus knew from the beginning who those were who did not believe, and who it was who would betray him.) 65 And he said, “This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted him by the Father.”

66 After this many of his disciples turned back and no longer walked with him. 67 So Jesus said to the twelve, “Do you want to go away as well?” 68 Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life, 69 and we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God.” 70 Jesus answered them, “Did I not choose you, the twelve? And yet one of you is a devil.” 71 He spoke of Judas the son of Simon Iscariot, for he, one of the twelve, was going to betray him.

Footnotes

[1] 6:58 Greek lacks the bread
[2] 6:59 Greek He

Dive Deeper | John 6:22–71

Imagine for a moment that you are an Israelite living under the leadership of Moses. God delivered you from the hands of a harsh enemy, the Egyptians, by letting you walk through the Red Sea.

Now, you find yourself in the wilderness without food. In desperation, you cry out to God, and He hears you. God sends bread from heaven, also known as manna. Each day, you gather as much as you can and eat to your fill. Every morning, though, your stomach rumbles. And when you turn to yesterday's bread, it is spoiled. The manna, God's provision, only sustains you for one day. So you grow weary. You long for more. You desire greater, deeper satisfaction. Can you imagine it?

Ultimately, manna supported day-to-day life in severe desert conditions, but it could not eternally save the Israelites. It was never intended to. God, however, had a plan. He was sending an eternal solution.

God knows our eternal longings and needs. He feels the hole inside us we are looking to fill, and so He provides abundantly. Two thousand years pass, and Jesus arrives. He is the bread from heaven sent by God to offer eternal life. All who eat "the flesh of the Son of Man" (John 6:53), or in other words believe in Him, will:

• Live forever (John 6:40),
• Be resurrected on the last day (John 6:54), and
• Have Jesus abiding in them (John 6:56).

Jesus, the very Son of God, is our answer. He is the bread of life, the only One who can help us.

I read this and am flooded with relief. For years I have struggled to believe this truth, leading me to strive in my relationship with the Lord. This passage reminds me of two simple things. First, I don't have to work for God's approval. He simply asks for my faith in Him. This means my good works are worthless without true belief in Jesus. Second, I am reminded that nothing besides Jesus satisfies. My bank account, marital status, and even accolades at work are all empty in comparison. Jesus alone is my sustenance, and He alone is enough.

Discussion Questions

1. How can you relate to the crowd in this passage? When have you either rejected or been tempted to reject the words of Jesus?

2. Reread John 6:27-29. Have you ever tried to work for your salvation? How are you encouraged by Jesus' definition of work in John 6:29?

3. Where in your life do you feel like Jesus is not satisfying you? How does the truth of this passage inform that situation?