Bread of Heaven

March 2 Bread of Heaven John 6:41-51

“Your fathers, He declares, did eat the manna… He says that the manna was for their fathers a mortal food which did not exempt them from death. It follows, therefore, that only in Him will souls find that food by which they are fed unto eternal life.” John Calvin “Commentary on John” Vol. 4:166

Why do we feel superior when we say, “I knew you as a child”? Is it just chronological arrogance, the assumption that, because we are older, we are wiser? Of course, that arrogance works both ways. There are those who reject ideas just because they are new, just as there are those who ignore older ways simply because they are old. Shouldn’t we be seeking truth, irrespective of whether it is old or new?

Those who grumbled about Jesus were not afflicted by chronological arrogance, but they did have questions about His origins. They knew where He came from, or thought they did; they knew Mary and Joseph; they knew the streets of Nazareth in which He had played as a child. How could such an ordinary boy grow up to make such extraordinary claims? When Jesus said, “I am the Bread of Life” it sent shock waves through orthodox Judaism. In using the “I AM,” Jesus deliberately employed the form of the divine name revered by the people of Israel for centuries. By applying the name to Himself, Jesus was making an identification between Himself and the God of Abraham. Their question would come back time and again, and it would lead, ultimately, to the Cross. “Who does he think he is?” It’s a question still being asked today.

Once again there are parallels that can be made with the events of the Exodus. The people of Israel grumbled at the time of Moses. They were not enamored of the never-ending wilderness, and they found manna tiresome after a time. They wondered whether they would not have been better off staying in Egypt. And those who heard Jesus also grumbled. They were unsure about His claims; some people found them offensive. They couldn’t understand how someone, whose parents they knew, could have developed such pretensions of grandeur. So, they grumbled. Meanwhile, the Holy Spirit worked in the hearts of those who were receptive, drawing them closer, until their wills conformed to God’s, and they believed. It was, however, not the irresistible magnetism of sovereignty that drew them as much as the tender attraction of His love.

There is another difference between the Exodus experience and that of Jesus’ hearers. When God gave manna in the desert He gave sustenance that lasted only for a day and that cost Him little. But when God gave the Bread of Life He gave Himself in the person of His Son, a gift for eternity, and that cost Him everything. There is a hint of the greatness of the cost at the end of the passage. Jesus said that the Bread of Life, which is God’s gift, is His flesh, which He would give for the life of the world. Here is the irony – those who eat the living Bread will live forever, but the One who offers Himself must die, that they might live.

Whether intentional or not, we hear an echo of the Lord’s Supper in these words. The bread which we break is the symbol of the broken body of our Lord. The living Bread, God’s precious gift, is the body of Christ, given for us and for many for the remission of sins.

For further reading: Psalm 66

Bread of Life

March 1 Bread of Life John 6:30-40

“Now they demand a sign, as if He were unknown. Whence this sudden forgetfulness, save because they are ungrateful to God and are maliciously blind to the sight of His power? There is no doubt that they despise all the miracles they had already seen because Christ does not meet their wishes, and they do not find He is what they imagined… How many there are like them today!” John Calvin “Commentary on John” Vol. 4:104

Throughout history, men and women have approached Jesus Christ with very fixed ideas of what He can and cannot do. But we cannot confine the Word of God; there is always more to learn about Jesus. He is always bigger than our expectations; He is larger than any of our dreams.

Some of those who had been fed on the mountainside and then followed Jesus around the lake must have had some idea that He was the Messiah. They wanted to test that belief and so they asked Jesus for a sign, another miracle. Not content with the feeding of the five thousand, they now wanted Him to repeat the miracle in the wilderness and provide manna from heaven. There was a popular belief, at that time, that when the Messiah came He would identify Himself by renewing the miracle of the manna. They had a box, all prepared, in their minds; Jesus had to fit into it. Moses had given manna in the desert. What would Jesus give?

Correcting them, Jesus pointed out that it had not been Moses who provided the manna, but God. Moses was not the source of the blessing, merely the channel. Jesus pointed beyond the human agent to the divine source; and He pointed beyond the gift that sustains life for a day to the gift that saves forever. Then, in one of seven parallel passages in which He used a simply verbal form to identify Himself, Jesus made the lofty claim that He was the Bread of Life. To come to Him, that is, to accept Him as Lord, is to know hunger never again. The “never” is emphatic in the Greek. There is no one else like Jesus. He satisfies the hungry soul. As the woman at the well learned that only Living Water can quench a thirsty soul, so those who heard Jesus by the lake learned that only the Living Bread fills eternally.

If they were not satisfied it was because they did not believe. And if they did not believe it was because they had not been called. Jesus’ words danced between divine sovereignty and human responsibility, claiming that He would, indeed, draw to Himself all those that the Father had given to Him. Yet, at the same time, there was a challenge in His words. Only those whom God has called will be saved, but they will know that they are called because they will respond in faith. Everyone who looks at the Son and believes in Him shall have eternal life.

So, do we choose Him, or has He chosen us? Add that to the list of questions you will ask in heaven. For now, let the weight of Jesus’ words act as an anchor for your soul. No matter how wild the waters may rage, no matter how high the winds may roar, our salvation does not depend upon how tightly we hold on to the boat. God holds the boat, and us, in the hollow of His hand. Jesus Christ will not lose one of those whom the Father has committed to His care.

For further reading: Psalm 62

Another Miracle

February 29 Another Miracle John 6:16-29

“It is important what we look at in Christ’s miracles. For he who does not aspire to God’s Kingdom, but clings to the comforts of the present life, seeks only to fill his belly. Just as today many would eagerly embrace the Gospel if it were empty of the bitterness of the cross and only brought carnal delights.” John Calvin “Commentary on John” Vol. 4:153

What is your motivation for being a Christian? Are you a disciple of Christ because it’s the right thing to do, or because it’s profitable in some way? In one sense, every decision to follow Jesus is self-interested since it results in salvation. To have faith in Jesus as Savior and Lord is to receive eternal life; it’s also to escape from the horrors of judgment. Who wouldn’t want to be rescued? But does this make the decision to receive Christ selfish? Hardly; it’s not selfish to want to be what God always wanted you to be. What is selfish is to follow Christ because of the benefits alone. There are those, even today, who will encourage you to be a Christian so that you will be prosperous and be materially blessed.

Some of those who followed Jesus back to Capernaum were more interested in being fed than in feasting upon His words. They had witnessed the feeding of the five thousand and had been impressed. This wandering rabbi really could work miracles. Some of them wanted bread; others were interested in the benefits He could bring to Israel. Few realized that, in Jesus, they had encountered the Bread of Life who satisfies our souls not for a moment but forever.

The disciples left Jesus after the miraculous feeding, returning to Bethsaida by boat. Jesus was still walking and praying somewhere up in the hills. As they crossed the lake it grew dark and a storm blew up. Despite their experience as fishermen they struggled through the rough waters. Then, some three miles from shore, they saw Jesus approaching them, walking on the water. They were terrified. From the heady heights of the successful gathering of over five thousand they plummeted to the depths of terror. How could this be? Real men don’t walk on water; was this an apparition, a ghost?

Jesus calmed both their fears and the rolling waves as He stepped into the boat. Within moments, or so it seemed, they had reached the shore. Did they sleep well that night, after the exertions of the day, or did they count the stars, wondering what exactly they had got themselves involved in? Did they stop to ask, “Who is this Jesus?”

As He walked upon the water, Jesus bore witness to His true identity. By dividing the tiny meal to feed a multitude Jesus had shown His authority over nature. He did it again, even more dramatically, when He took a short-cut over the Sea of Galilee, leaving His disciples open-mouthed and amazed.

When some of those who had witnessed the first of these miracles caught up with Him the following day, wondering out loud how He had managed to make the journey so quickly without a boat, Jesus turned the tables on them. They had come, He said, for all the wrong reasons. They were more interested in filling their bellies than in feeding their souls. They should seek the work that endures, not the work that spoils. And the work that God requires of us is this: that we believe in the One whom He has sent.

For further reading: Psalm 58

Feeding a Multitude

February 28 Feeding a Multitude John 6:1-15

“(T)he miracle … has this in common with others, that in it Christ exercised His divine power in conjunction with His kindness. It is also confirmation to us of the statement in which He exhorts us to seek the Kingdom of God, promising that all the rest shall be added to us. For if He took care of those who were led to Him just by a sudden impulse, how will He fail us if we seek Him with a firm purpose?” John Calvin “Commentary on John” Vol. 4:147

How do we solve problems when they come our way? Sometimes we attempt to buy our way out of trouble by throwing money at the problems. Sometimes we look to other people for solutions. At other times we simply try to make our problems disappear. Perhaps our problems would be fewer if we would look to Jesus for solutions?

The disciples had a problem. Many of the local people had followed Jesus up into the hills above the western shore of the Sea of Galilee; the hour was getting later and the people were getting hungry. They had nothing to eat. What were they to do? Philip’s solution was really no solution at all. He proposed throwing money at it. They could send down to Bethsaida, the nearest town, for bread. But it would cost eight months wages to buy enough bread for so many people. It was impossible. Andrew had an idea: the people could share what they had brought with them. But when he searched to discover what was available, all he could come up with was a young boy whose mother had packed him a snack – five small barley loaves and two small fish. Barley bread was the cheapest available; the fish were little more than relish. Even Andrew was embarrassed to suggest this as a solution. The boy’s meager offering was nothing compared to the need. In the other Gospels we learn that a third solution was offered: just send the people home; that would get rid of the problem!

Jesus had His own solution, which depended neither upon money nor people. It did not require sending the people home, either, thereby missing an opportunity. When all other resources had failed, God did not. And so five loaves and two fish were brought to Jesus. He gave thanks over them, as at any meal; then He broke them and distributed them, and there was more than enough. In fact, the disciples picked up twelve baskets full of left-overs. Poverty was replaced by plenty. All were fed.

The people were quick to make a connection: Moses had fed the Israelites in the wilderness; he led them out of captivity and into the Promised Land. Surely, Jesus would do the same? He had met their needs; would He not now lead them against the occupying Romans? He had come to set them free. He must be the Messiah, the long-awaited One. They must proclaim Him as their leader and begin the work of liberation.

But Jesus was not ready to be made into a political savior. His mission was so much more than they had understood. He was a Messiah, to be sure, but His mission was not what they imagined. Jesus’ mission was to bring liberty; wherever and whenever people were oppressed by the stranglehold of sin, there would Jesus be at work setting the captives free. So, He left the place of miracle and made His way up into the hills to pray. His works bore testimony to His mission, but the people’s minds remained blinkered by self-interest. It could have been a great triumph. Jesus was at the height of His popularity. But He did not give them what they wanted. They were looking for a freedom fighter; He gave them the suffering servant. So, they began to turn against Him. Five barley loaves were broken on the hillside; soon, His body would be broken on the Cross. He gave them the answer to their problem, but they would not listen.

For further reading: Psalm 54

Faithful Witness

February 27 Faithful Witness John 5:31-47

“We know what any man says about himself is not taken as true and authentic, even though in other respects he speaks the truth, for no man is a fit witness in his own cause. And although it would be unjust to reduce the Son of God to this level, He prefers to give up His right, so that He may convince His enemies by God’s authority.” John Calvin “Commentary on John” Vol. 4:135

How do we know that Jesus is who He says He is? Just because someone says that he is a prophet, a king, or an opera singer does not mean, necessarily, that he is. There are many charlatans out there, pretending to be what they are not. There are even more who are deluded. We should be wary. Common sense tells us to hesitate before accepting the testimony of a person who makes exalted claims. But what if the testimony does not come from the person, but from those who are considered trustworthy? And what if those trustworthy witnesses are in fundamental agreement in support of the person’s claim? Shouldn’t we, at that point, be ready to at least consider that the claim may be valid?

Jesus said that He did not expect those who heard Him to believe on the basis of His testimony alone. There are others who bear witness. The language is reminiscent of Old Testament passages, such as Isaiah 43, in which witnesses are called to give evidence before a court. Is the God of Israel the One, the only true God, or not? In the same way, Jesus called upon witnesses to testify that His claims were not false. What witnesses?

God the Father was to bring testimony on Jesus’ behalf. Jesus’ will was not to be separated from His Father’s; He only did or said what His Father had told Him to do or say. Therefore, Jesus’ claims were not really His own; the Father bore witness through Him. This may seem strange to us, but we need to understand that this is how Jesus validated His ministry to Himself. He could not have been deceiving Himself because His words were not His own.

John the Baptist also bore witness to the Light that had come in Jesus. John was anxious that he should not be mistaken for the Messiah, so he pointed to Jesus and identified Him as the Lamb of God, come to take away the sins of the world.

Another witness was to be found in the form of Jesus’ works. By His miracles, by His life of total obedience to His Father, and by His atoning death, Jesus demonstrated that He was so much more than a man. God Himself supported this claim through the revelation of Scripture. Jesus’ ministry was in fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy. Specifically, the Jews should have considered the works of Moses, which bear startling witness to the authenticity of Jesus.

All of this may seem far removed from our experience and from the questions we have today. When we go searching for authority we don’t tend to ask about the witness of the Holy Spirit through the works of Christ or the words of Scripture. Perhaps we should! Too often, the only authority we accept is the witness of our intellect. If we cannot understand something then we are inclined to reject it, forgetting that we are fallen creatures and that there are some things simply too high or mysterious for us to grasp. We don’t care for mystery, we prefer reason. But where reason fails, God remains. We should use every faculty at our disposal to try to understand the length, breadth, height, and depth of our Savior’s love. We should summon ever witness; but we should also remember our limitations. In the end, we are not the ones who will judge.

For further reading: Psalm 51