John 6:41-59

1) Silence, Stillness and Centering before God (2 min)

2) Scripture Reading - John 6:41-59
⁴¹ At this the Jews began to grumble about him because he said, “I am the bread that came down from heaven.” ⁴² 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’?”

   ⁴³ “Stop grumbling among yourselves,” Jesus answered. ⁴⁴ “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him, and I will raise him up at the last day. ⁴⁵ It is written in the Prophets: ‘They will all be taught by God.’ Everyone who listens to the Father and learns from him comes to me. ⁴⁶ No one has seen the Father except the one who is from God; only he has seen the Father. ⁴⁷ I tell you the truth, he who believes has everlasting life. ⁴⁸ I am the bread of life. ⁴⁹ Your forefathers ate the manna in the desert, yet they died. ⁵⁰ But here is the bread that comes down from heaven, which a man may eat and not die. ⁵¹ 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.”

 ⁵² Then the Jews began to argue sharply among themselves, “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?”

 ⁵³ Jesus said to them, “I tell you the truth, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. ⁵⁴Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. ⁵⁵ For my flesh is real food and my blood is real drink. ⁵⁶ Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me, and I in him. ⁵⁷ 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. ⁵⁸ This is the bread that came down from heaven. Your forefathers ate manna and died, but he who feeds on this bread will live forever.” ⁵⁹ He said this while teaching in the synagogue in Capernaum.

3) Devotional
Isn't it funny how hard it is to simply take Jesus at His word?  To embrace the life giving power of His Spirit?  To rest in the peace that comes from trusting in His word?  In this passage, He spoke some pretty life giving truths to His disciples, and all they could do is murmur over what He meant by the phrase "I came down from heaven."  They missed the essence of who Jesus is, and what He could bring to the relationships he hoped to have with them.


Men (and women) are a mysterious bunch!  I think our natural bent is to search out conflict.  People thrive in it.  We so often get caught up in and fight over, the insignificant details and miss the true essence of the Gospel.  Jesus came to seek and to save those who are lost!  He cares about the poor and the marginalized.  He loves people and so desires to be their life giving bread. . . just because.

People like. . . Anthony Weiner.  I feel sorry for him.  Here's a guy who has seemingly lost his way.  At one time a potential NY mayoral candidate, and now a broken man, ready to resign his Congressional seat.  He made bad choices.  Truth of the matter is. . . we all make them, and its for people like us, that Jesus came to be life giving bread.

As a follow of Jesus, pray for Congressman Weiner, and for the people you know that need life giving bread.  Walk away from contributing to the innuendo or seamy gossip, and instead pray that God Himself would speak into their lives (yours as well), and bring forgiveness, healing and peace.  It's why He came!!

4) Questions to Consider
Is there someone in my life who I can build up with the truth of the Gospel and pray for each day, instead of belittling through demeaning talk?  Ask God to show you. . . and I believe He will.  What father would give his son stones if he asks for life giving bread!

5) Prayer 
Lord Jesus, help me to be a channel of your peace.  Help me to love with the supernatural life giving love that can only come from being in a trust filled relationship with You.  Use me to encourage ___________________ (fill in the blank) today, instead of tearing him down.  Let my words by like a soothing ointment.  In Jesus name, amen!

John 6:25-40

1) Silence, Stillness and Centering before God (2 min)

2) Scripture Reading - John 6:25-4025 When they found him on the other side of the lake, they asked him, “Rabbi, when did you get here?” 26 Jesus answered, “I tell you the truth, you are looking for me, not because you saw miraculous signs but because you ate the loaves and had your fill. 27 Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. On him God the Father has placed his seal of approval.”
 28 Then they asked him, “What must we do to do the works God requires?”
 29 Jesus answered, “The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent.”
 30 So they asked him, “What miraculous sign then will you give that we may see it and believe you? What will you do? 31 Our forefathers ate the manna in the desert; as it is written: ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’[a]”
 32 Jesus said to them, “I tell you the truth, it is not Moses who has given you the bread from heaven, but it is my Father who gives you the true bread from heaven. 33 For the bread of God is he who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.”
 34 “Sir,” they said, “from now on give us this bread.”
 35 Then 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. 36 But as I told you, you have seen me and still you do not believe. 37 All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never drive away. 38 For I have come down from heaven not to do my will but to do the will of him who sent me. 39 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. 40 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.” 

3) DevotionalIn this passage, the people sought after Jesus for the tangible things He could do for them - they were hungry.  The day before - they experienced the miracle of the "Feeding of the Five Thousand".  They associated Him with food.  He met their physical needs.  When He revealed Himself to be the Bread of Life, the one sent by God Himself to feed their spiritual hunger, all they could do was ask for another sign. . . another miracle, as though His Words in and of themselves were not enough.

True belief requires faith and trust, but so often, just like the people in this story, we equate it with the physical manifestations of God's care for us, and not purely on His word.  We look for signs.  For many, our faith goes up and down, depending upon how our life is going at the moment.  If we have a job and are making money, God is good, and God cares.  If we don't, we somehow equate that with God not caring, and not being a presence in our lives.  If we are enjoying good health, we must be pleasing God.  On the flip side, if we are sick, we must be doing something wrong.  We attach God's love for us, and His desire for us to experience "eternal life" with physical pleasure and care.  That's the human side of us.

True belief is trusting in His spiritual love and care for us, even when everything around us "physically" is screaming something else.  True belief is learning to walk with faith and trust in the Bread of Life, the Savior of the world, allowing His Spirit to feed our spirit the true bread from heaven!        

4) Questions to ConsiderIs your love for and belief in God conditional - based on whether or not He is meeting your perceived physical needs?  If it is, confess it to Him - for He already knows, and ask Him to feed your soul with the spiritual food that will fill you to overflowing!

5) PrayerLord Jesus, help me to believe in your care for me, even when everything else around me says not to.  Help me to allow your spiritual food to fill my soul and build up my faith and trust in You.  In Jesus Name, Amen!