John 6
COMMENTARY:
: 6 And this he said to prove him: for he himself knew what he would do. (3985 “prove” [peirazo] means tempt, try, assay, examine, to learn the true nature or character of, to attempt, endeavor, scrutinize, or discipline.)
DEVOTION: Jesus chose twelve men to train for the ministry. HE only had three and a half years to train HIS disciples. One of them was going to betray HIM so HE really only would have eleven disciples at the end of the training period.
Each occasion was a training occasion in the life of the disciples while they were with Jesus. Here we have an occasion when there were about five thousand men with their wives and children following Jesus. They followed HIM into a where there wasn’t very much food. For them to travel someplace to buy food would have caused some of them to faint. Jesus didn’t want that happening.
So HE asked one of his disciples where they could get enough food to feed this large group. This disciples name was Philip. Why would HE ask such a question of one of HIS disciples?
The reason given is that it was a test to see if Philip really understood who Jesus was. It also was given as a way to help him to think through each situation to see what solution he could come up with in the presence of Jesus. Remember that they had not really learned of all the power that Jesus had to perform miracles.
Philip answered that they didn’t have enough money to buy enough food for the crowd. Andrew came with a solution. He had found someone who had five loaves of bread and two small fish in his packed lunch.
Now Philip was going to see what Jesus could do with a little amount of food. He was going to see what it meant to trust in Jesus to provide for his every need in the future.
We need to learn this lesson too. We need to trust the LORD for HIS provision each time we have a need. If we can learn this lesson, then we can teach others through our faith in the LORD’S provision, so that, they can teach others also. We need a generation of people who trust the LORD for their daily bread without doubt.
CHALLENGE: Do we have a generation of believers who genuinely trust the LORD for their daily bread? Do we have a generation of believers in our churches that believe that the LORD can provide for all the ministry HE wants them to perform? The LORD is proving you today!!!
: 27 Labor not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life, which the Son of man shall give you: for him hath God the Father sealed. (4972 “sealed” [sphragizo] means set a mark, give in secure manner, turn over, deliver safely, certify, authenticated, attest or make known.)
DEVOTION: Jesus presents a message that the Jews did not want to hear or understand. He claimed to be the “bread of life.” HE claimed to have come down from heaven. HE claimed to be a better bread than what the children of Israel ate in the wilderness. HE told them that they had to eat HIM. HE told them that they had to drink HIS blood. They were confused. They didn’t understand.
HE explained what HIS Father did in the wilderness to the children of Israel. HE explained what the Father was doing in relationship to HIMSELF. HE explained that HE had a job to do here on the earth. In his training of the disciples HE gave this verse. HE was instructing them and us that we need to be working for “meat” that endures unto everlasting life. What is our work? It is belief in HIM. We need to trust HIM.
The crowd was having a hard time understanding HIS statements. One of their problems was that they knew HIS family. They knew HIS mother and Joseph. They knew about the other children of Mary. They just couldn’t get a grip on the fact that HE was different from the rest of HIS family.
Jesus made it clear to them that only those that the Father drew to HIM would believe. The rest of the world would not believe in HIM. In fact, many of the disciples left Jesus after this message. Jesus even asked the twelve if they were going to leave too. Peter made a statement that they had no place else to go because HE was the Christ the Son of the living God.
Our labor has to be sharing the Word of God with others. We are to be busy serving the LORD. Sometimes we can get occupied with feeding people physical food and forget to feed them spiritual food. HE wants them and us to realize that spiritual food is more important than physical food.
We are supposed to help those who need physical food but not at the expense of spiritual food. Jesus was going to give his body to die, so that, the disciples could share the death, burial and resurrection with all they met. They were to talk about his body as meat for the soul. We are supposed to talk about the death, burial and resurrection to all who will listen. Jesus is a certified Savior. Jesus has the mark of God on him. The Father sent him to save the world. Spread the word!!!
CHALLENGE: Accept the fact that not everyone we talk with will become a follower of Christ. Not everyone in this world is going to heaven. Only a small group that the Father draws to Jesus will become followers. We don’t know who they are so we need to share the Gospel with all the LORD gives us an opportunity.
: 35 And Jesus said to them, I am the bread of life he that comes to me shall never hunger; and he that believes on ME shall never thirst. (740“bread” [aptos] means shewbread, food composed of flour mixed with water and baked, food of any kind, loaf of bread, or cake.)
DEVOTION: The disciples were taught how to pray by Jesus. HE included in the prayer our daily bread. This is a basic need for all of us. If we are to continue to live we need water and food. If we go longer than forty days without drink we can die. If we go even longer without food we can die.
Jesus is making a statement that we can rely on HIM for our provision. But in this instance, HE is not talking about physical food and water. HE is talking about spiritual food and water.
If we are daily in the Word of God we will be fed by HIM to provide us with the support we need to live a life that is pleasing to the HIM. This can only happen as we look to HIM for our provision of daily instruction.
In the Old Testament we are told that there was a famine of God communicating with HIS people because of their sin. The only way the communication could be restored was for confession of sin and a turning toward the LORD.
This is a principle that is true today. If you are feeling dry, it might be because there is a lack of confession of sin. If you feel hungry it might be that you have not been in the Word of God enough to be fed.
CHALLENGE: Search the Scriptures for daily nourishment. HE will feed you well.
: 70 Jesus answered them, Have not I chosen you twelve, and one of you is a devil. (1721“chosen” mean to make a special choice, to pick out, select, prefer over another choice, elect, or to select for one’s own reasons or purposes from a number of alternatives.)
Jesus only tried to train twelve men to follow HIM and serve HIM. These twelve men watched HIM for a time period. Then HE sent them out on mission’s trips to reach villages. Once they returned from their mission’s trips, HE asked them what happened and used those occasions to train them for future service.
HE explained to the people that followed HIM that HE was the “bread of life.” There is no life without HIM. There is no growth without HIM. There is no hope without HIM.
HE chose twelve men and yet of those one was going to betray HIM. Was HE surprised by this fact? NO!! HE knew it from before the foundation of the world that HE was going to be betrayed. Why would HE pick someone who was going to betray HIM? The reason might be to show that someone can look like a follower and act like a follower and sometimes even do what a normal follower would do but still be someone who is not a genuine follower.
We need to watch who we follow in the human realm. We have to check out those we are following to make sure they are teaching the Word of God correctly. I have stated that those who listen to me need to go into the Word of God to see if it is true. Any author you read on a regular basis needs to be checked out often. Our final authority always has to be the Word of God and prayer for discernment of the Holy Spirit to understand.
DISCIPLINES OF THE FAITH:
BODY
Chastity (Purity in living)
Fasting (Time alone with LORD without eating or drinking)
Sacrifice (Giving up something we want to serve the LORD)
Submission (Willing to listen to others and LORD)
Solitude (Going to a quiet place without anyone)
Jesus goes into the mountain aloneverse 15
SOUL
Fellowship (Gathering together around the Word of God)
Frugality (wise use of resources)
Disciples gathered leftover foodverse 12
Journalizing (Writing down what you have learned from the LORD)
Study and Meditation (Thinking through your study in the Word)
Secrecy (Doing your good deeds without others knowing but God)
SPIRIT
Celebration (Gathering around a special occasion to worship LORD)
Confession (Tell the LORD we are sorry for our sins on a daily basis)
Prayer (Conversation with God on a personal level)
Jesus prays for the foodverses 11, 23
Gave thanksverses 11, 23
Silence (Letting the LORD deal with some problems and needs)
Worship (Time to praise the LORD alone or in a group)
Passoververse 4
Feast of the Jewsverse 4
Synagogueverse 59
DOCTRINES OF THE FAITH:
Scripture (66 inerrant books of the Bible)
Prophetverse 14
As it is writtenverse 31
Mosesverse 32
Written in the prophetsverse 45
Words of eternal lifeverse 68
God the Father (First person of the Godhead)
Fatherverses 27, 32, 37, 39, 44-65
God the Father sealsverse 27
Works of Godverses 28, 29
Father gives true bread of heavenverses 32, 33
Father gives believers to Sonverses 37, 65
Father sent the Sonverses 38, 39, 44
Will of Godverse 40
Father draws believersverse 44
Living Fatherverse 57
Living Godverse 69
God the Son (Second person of the Godhead – God/man, Messiah)
Jesus verses 1, 3, 5, 10, 11, 14, 15, 17, 22, 24, 26, 29, 32, 35,42, 43, 53, 61, 64, 67,70
Miraclesverses 2, 14, 26
Prophetverse 14
Perceivedverse 15
Kingverse 15
Walking on the seaverses 19-21
Lord verses 23, 34, 68
Rabbiverse 25
Son of manverses 27, 53, 62
True bread from heavenverses 32, 33, 58
I amverses 35, 48, 51
Bread of lifeverses 35, 41, 48
Came down from heavenverses 38, 42
Son: sees and believesverse 40
Believers come to Jesusverse 45
Son of Josephverse 42
Living breadverses 48-51
Ascensionverse 62
Christverse 69
Son of the living Godverse 69
God the Holy Spirit (Third person of the Godhead – our comforter)
Spirit gives lifeverse 63
Trinity (Three persons of the Godhead who are co-equal = ONE God)
Godverses 27-29, 33, 45, 46, 69
Works of Godverses 28, 29
Bread of Godverse 33
Angels (Created before the foundation of the world – Good and Evil)
Devilverse 70
Man (Created on the sixth twenty-four hour period of creation)
Sin (Missing the mark set by God on man and angels)
Afraidverse 19
Believe notverses 36, 64
Murmuredverses 41, 43, 61
Betrayverses 64, 71
Went backverse 66
Walked no more with Jesusverse 66
Salvation (Provided by Christ’s death on the cross for our sins)
Proveverse 6
Give thanks over foodverses 11, 23
Truthverse 14
Laborverse 27
Sealedverse 27
Work the works of Godverse 28
Believeverses 29, 30, 35, 40, 47, 69
Lifeverses 33, 63
Never hungerverse 35
Never thirstverse 35
Will of God to be doneverse 38
Drawn by Christverse 44
Taughtverses 45, 59
Heardverse 45
Learnedverse 45
Dwelling in Christverse 56
Are sureverse 69
Chosenverse 70
Israel (Old Testament people of God)
Sea of Galileeverse 1
Sea of Tiberiasverses 1, 23
Jewsverses 4, 41
Capernaumverses 17, 24, 59
Manna – bread from heavenverses 31, 32, 49, 58
Mosesverse 32
Josephverse 42
Fathers ate mannaverses 49, 58
Judas Iscariotverse 71
Church (New Testament people of God)
Disciplesverses 3, 11, 12, 16, 22, 24, 60, 61
Philipverses 5-7
Andrewverse 8
Simon Peterverses 8, 68
Twelveverses 67, 70, 71
Last Things (Future Events)
Everlasting lifeverses 27, 40, 47
Heavenverses 32, 51, 58
Cast outverse 37
Resurrection in the last dayverses 40, 44, 54
Last dayverses 44, 54
Live for eververses 51, 58
Eternal lifeverses 54, 68
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