1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
2 He was in the beginning with God.
3 All things came into being by Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being.
4 In Him was life, and the life was the light of men.
5 And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.
6 There came a man, sent from God, whose name was John.
7 He came for a witness, that he might bear witness of the light, that all might believe through him.
8 He was not the light, but came that he might bear witness of the light.
9 There was the true light which, coming into the world, enlightens every man.
10 He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him.
11 He came to His own, and those who were His own did not receive Him.
12 But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name,
13 who were born not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.
14 And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.
15 John bore witness of Him, and cried out, saying, "This was He of whom I said, 'He who comes after me has a higher rank than I, for He existed before me.'"
16 For of His fulness we have all received, and grace upon grace.
17 For the Law was given through Moses; grace and truth were realized through Jesus Christ.
18 No man has seen God at any time; the only begotten God, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has explained Him.
John 1:1-18

Friday, November 30, 2012

John 6 Commentary

The book of John chronicles well the miracles of Jesus. But John also takes his writing a step further and focuses in on the metaphors of Christ. As you read through John, you will notice terms like "born again" and "living water." In John 6 we will know Jesus as "the Bread of Life."

John 6 opens with the feeding of the five thousand. This miracle parallels the Old Testament when God provided manna for the Israelites in the desert. The masses of people loved Him as He fed them with all they desired--and with twelve baskets full of leftovers! They exclaimed, "This is indeed the Prophet who is to come into the world!"(v. 14) God can and will provide food for hungry people, but even greater than that is the true food that feeds our souls for eternity.

The twelve disciples alone witness Jesus walking on the water in the evening after the crowds were fed. But the multitudes were intrigued by the Lord and wanted to know how He got across the sea when He had taken no boat. Jesus soberly redirects the conversation in verses 26 and 27 when He says, "Truly, truly, I say to you, you are seeking me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves. 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..." The people ask Him how to do the works of God. Jesus says to "believe on the One who was sent"... The people ask for signs and works from Him so they can believe, mentioning the manna that their forefathers ate in the wilderness. Keep in mind they were just miraculously fed the day before from two fish and five loaves! I sometimes wonder if they were just hungry again and wanted Jesus to produce more bread.

The text that follows is powerful. Jesus Christ gives account of God the Father providing true bread from heaven that gives life to the world. The people ask for this bread, but they still are hard of heart. They cannot hear the message that Christ is revealing to them because they are focused on fleshly comforts. Jesus speaks to the heart. Verse 48-51, "I am the bread of life. Your fathers ate manna in the wilderness, and they died. This is the bread that comes down from heaven, so that one may eat of it and not die...And the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh." In verse 56, He expresses that those that eat and drink His body and blood abide in Him. Abiding means living as a part of something else. As the vine and branches abide in one another.

But remember what all this is about: "It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh is no help at all. The words I have spoken to you are spirit and life."(v.63) As Jesus teaches His followers about the true food and true drink that His body and blood provides, He is foreshadowing His death on the cross, that the sins of those who believe would be forgiven, and they would receive eternal life. Furthermore, Jesus knew that some would not believe as He stressed, "...no one can come to me unless it is granted him by the Father." Many disciples turned back at this point, a far cry from the response Jesus received at the beginning of the chapter when He met physical needs.

"Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied." (Matthew 5:6)
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