Tag: eternal life
This is My Body!
Scripture reading for March 9th: Mark 14:22-52, Psalms 52:1-9, Proverbs 11:1-3
“While they were eating, Jesus took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to His disciples, saying, “Take it; this is My body.” (Mark 14:22)
Jesus and His disciples were eating the Passover meal together. Judas had already betrayed Him and He had told them all that one of them had done this. They were saddened and one by one asked if it was them. Jesus, in Matthew, actually identified Judas as the one. (Matthew 26:25) Jesus knew exactly what had happened and would happen. He had a plan that the Father had revealed to Him and went about laying out that plan so that His followers would remember Him.
In the breaking of the bread, Jesus was giving the disciples a visual picture of His own body being broken for them. He first took the bread from the table, then He gave thanks to God for the bread, then He gave it to the disciples with this simple instruction: “Take it; this is My body.” This pattern of taking, thanking, breaking and giving, had been used in the feeding of the 5000 and the 4000 as well. (Mark 6:41, Mark 8:6) We have nothing that we have that is not given to us by God. We must take it willingly for ourselves. The bread was broken apart and distributed as Christ was Himself broken to be distributed to all who would believe. This bread of His Body must be taken with thanksgiving because of the sacrifice that it represented. It is a gift from God to all His children to nourish them for eternal life!
The final act was eating or feeding on the bread. Bread is the staff of life, and is used in almost every culture as a basic food. Jesus had declared, “I am the Bread of Life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in Me will never be thirsty.” (John 6:35) “I am the Living Bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. This bread is My flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.” (John 6:51) When we eat this bread, we join the disciples of Jesus in the true Passover meal! We are nourished with the Living Bread unto eternal life! As we eat, we desire to be like Him!
The Father’s Will
Scripture reading for November 2nd: John 6-8
After the miraculous feeding of the five thousand, Jesus drew a great number of followers. They followed Him across the lake, and Jesus confronted them with their true motive: they had eaten the bread and been filled. (John 6:26) He warned them not to work for bread that spoils, but to seek the food that endures to eternal life, which only He could give them. The miracle was a sign that God the Father had placed His approval on Jesus the Son. This prompted them to ask Him, “What must we do to do the works God requires?” Jesus answered, “The work of God is this: to believe in the One He has sent.” (John 6:28-29)
Jesus spent a great deal of time telling His followers about the Father. Jesus was the Son of God the Father, and knew Him well. Part of Jesus mission was to reveal the Father to those made in His image. The miracle of the bread and fish had impressed these followers and brought them the remembrance of the story of Moses and how bread was provided in the desert wilderness. Jesus pointed out that it was not Moses who gave them bread, but His Father who gives the True Bread. Jesus Christ, Himself, was this true bread that came out of heaven from the Father. The True Bread gives life to the world. These followers had a hard time grasping what Jesus was saying and asked for some of this bread again. “Jesus declared, “I am the Bread of Life. He who comes to Me will never go hungry, and he who believes in Me will never be thirsty.”” (John 6:35)
Jesus declared to them His Father’s will, “And this is the will of Him who sent Me, that I shall lose none of all that He has given me, but raise them up at the last day. 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 him up at the last day.” (John 6:39-40) Our Father is merciful and draws all men to salvation through His Son. He has provided true Bread and an eternal thirst quencher! All we must do is believe on the One He has sent! It is so simple, yet so profound! Are you doing the work that provides the Bread of Life?
Sunday rest and reflection! The mercy of God
Greetings on this day of worship and reflection! God is to be praised for His mercy and long-suffering! As I think back on the nearly 500 years of history in the Kings and Chronicles, God surely was patient with His people! He suffered long with their stubbornness. He waited patiently for them to respond to His prophets and Word. He punished them, but still His mercy was extended to those who would listen and respond. They endured wars, captivity, famines, internal bickering and strife while God kept continually offering them His amazing grace! They only needed to turn to Him in repentance and call on His name and He would hear and answer! Wow, how long our God bears with us!
As I think about the day we live in, God is still offering the amazing grace of forgiveness! He is still suffering long and ready to extend His cleansing grace. All who call out to Him are heard! He still saves and delivers. He forgives sin, rebellion and strife when His people repent! He has sent His people out with a message of good news! God’s wrath has been satisfied with the blood of His own Son! Whoever believes can get in on it! What an amazing display of mercy available to all who will come to Him!
After the trials and tests of this life are over, God promises us full life with Him forever! This is extreme mercy! We who were His enemies are now brought near and given a full inheritance! The same God who foretold the rebuilding of Jerusalem and the Temple, tells us of a new heavens and new earth where we will dwell in righteousness with Him forever! Go and tell the Good News of God’s amazing mercy! Have a great week in Jesus Christ! Love in Him, Pastor John