Week 21 Day 4

April 21, 2022

Jesus Teaches on His Flesh and Blood

Scripture: John 6:41-59 (NIV)

At this the Jews there began to grumble about him because he said, “I am the bread that came down from heaven.” They said, “Is this not Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How can he now say, ‘I came down from heaven’?” “Stop grumbling among yourselves,” Jesus answered. “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws them, and I will raise them up at the last day. It is written in the Prophets: ‘They will all be taught by God.’ Everyone who has heard the Father and learned from him comes to me. No one has seen the Father except the one who is from God; only he has seen the Father. Very truly I tell you, the one who believes has eternal life. I am the bread of life. Your ancestors ate the manna in the wilderness, yet they died. But here is the bread that comes down from heaven, which anyone may eat and not die. I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Whoever eats this bread will live forever. This bread is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.” Then the Jews began to argue sharply among themselves, “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?” Jesus said to them, “Very truly I tell you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day. For my flesh is real food and my blood is real drink. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me, and I in them. Just as the living Father sent me and I live because of the Father, so the one who feeds on me will live because of me. This is the bread that came down from heaven. Your ancestors ate manna and died, but whoever feeds on this bread will live forever.” He said this while teaching in the synagogue in Capernaum.

Devotional

Once again, there is a debate over the identity of Jesus. The people began to grumble. “How can this guy claim to be the bread from heaven? We know his dad and mom. He’s just a human like the rest of us!” Their thoughts are echoed down through the millennia. Today many people only see Jesus as a good teacher, a trusted prophet, or a decent man.

As they were grumbling and debating, Jesus interrupted and un-muddied the water. He said that the Father had sent Him, that those who heard Him were taught by God, that only He had seen the Father, and that those who believe would receive eternal life (v. 44-47). Yesterday’s feeding of the 5000 seemed like a distant memory. Their bellies were hungry again, but their heads were full… of confusion. Finally, Jesus said, “I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Whoever eats this bread will live forever. This bread is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world” (v. 51).

Their only response was, “How? You’re just a guy like the rest of us!”

Then Jesus went next level, adding the imagery of blood sacrifice which they had been observing since the days of Moses. Jesus said, “Very truly I tell you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in you. Whoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day” (v. 53-54).

This is His body. Take and eat in remembrance of Him.

This is His blood. Take and eat in remembrance of Him.

Poem

Food In The Wilderness

"Why didn't God let us die in comfort in Egypt
where we had lamb stew and all the bread we could eat?"

We are such cowards, LORD
We have so little faith
The comfort shackles hold us back
Our hungers shape our fates.
How will we ever change?
Turn from our needy ways?
Teach us the path
Of the wilderness
Trust you for bread each day

We are such whiners, LORD
We challenge every call
Our arrogance stuffs up our ears
Obedient response becomes small
When will we ever learn?
When will we trust your love?
Teach us the path
Of the wilderness
Believe your Word from above