THE WORDS OF ETERNAL LIFE

Jesus’ teaching was very hard for the people to accept.  Just the day before Jesus had multiplied a few loaves and fish in order to feed over five thousand people.  They had come out to see Him then because of the miracles that He was performing on the sick and afflicted.  They loved Him then, but their focus seemed to be more on those miracles than on trying to understand the words of life that Jesus was speaking to them.  They were ready to accept Him as a prophet, and they would have even tried to make Him a king; but they couldn’t see that Jesus was much more than that: He was the Son of God and their long awaited Messiah.

 

Jesus had sent His twelve disciples over the sea to Capernaum the night before.  It was then that He had appeared to them walking on the sea as they struggled against a great storm.  When the people realized that Jesus had gone, they found means to cross the sea also and found Jesus at Capernaum.  Jesus called them out by saying, “Verily, verily, I say unto you, Ye seek Me, not because ye saw the miracles, but because ye did eat of the loaves, and were filled.  Labour not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life, which the Son of man shall give unto you: for Him hath God the Father sealed.” (John 6:26, 27).  This is where Jesus began to make a distinction between those who were following Him for the right reasons, and those who were following Him for the wrong.  Like the Israelites of old, there were very many who recognized God’s “acts” but could not discern His “ways” (See Psalms 103:7). 

 

There are those who labor their whole lives for the “meat which perisheth.” Their lives are consumed with the temporal things like material possessions, wealth, and prestige.  That was the case with these folks who witnessed Jesus’ miracle of the feeding of the five thousand.  If Jesus could miraculously fill their tummies, what else could He do for them?  I hope you can recognize the error in this kind of thinking.  I’m sure that these folks missed altogether the sacrifice of the lad who willingly gave up his own lunch for the greater good and for the glory of God.  Without that sacrifice, there wouldn’t have been a miracle.  The Apostle Paul wrote, “Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.” (Colossians 3:2). 

 

Just as surely as there are those who are temporally minded, there are also those whose minds are on eternity.  They are laboring for that “meat which endureth unto everlasting life.”  They have learned that there is but one source for that meat and that is the Lord Jesus Christ Himself.  He is the pearl of great price and the treasure hid in the field, and they are willing to sell all they possess in order to find Him and acquire eternal life.  They are not consumed with laying up treasures for themselves in this life, but have instead discovered the value of laying up treasures in heaven by caring for the needs of others.  They realize that “things” will rust, decay, and burn, but the Word of the Lord will endure forever.  What they do in this life in obedience to the Lord’s direction and inspiration will affect their eternity, and with this in mind, they order their lives according to God’s will and not their own.

 

When the people asked Jesus what they must do so that they, too, could work the works of God, He answered, “This is the work of God, that ye believe on Him [Jesus] Whom He [God] hath sent.” (John 6:29).  Faith in Christ and in His Word is always the answer to how we must serve the Lord.  Many like to name the name of Christ and yet ignore or deny the more difficult things that He requires of His followers.  If we accept Jesus as our Savior and Lord, then we must also embrace every word that is spoken from the mouth of God.  “…man doth not live by bread only, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of the LORD doth man live.” (Deuteronomy 8:3b; Matthew 4:4).  “Every word of God is pure: He is a shield unto them that put their trust in Him.” (Psalms 30:5).  Every word is relevant today; nothing is outdated or obsolete.  What was true in the beginning will always be true.  We must not try to adapt the Word of God to how society wishes to live today.  Instead, we must adapt our lives to what God’s Word says is true.  He knew what was in the heart of man in the very beginning, and He knew what it would take to fix man as well.  God had a plan and a purpose way back when and He has never deviated from that purpose, and He never will. 

 

The people wanted Jesus to work another sign or miracle so that they could believe on Him.  They mentioned that Moses had given them manna in the wilderness to eat.  How is it that they couldn’t see that Jesus had just done that very thing the day before when God multiplied the bread and the fish?  It just underscores the fact that, while miracles certainly can get people’s attention, they can’t instill enduring faith in those who refuse to see God’s purpose.

 

Jesus tried to explain to His hearers that He was the true Bread of Life that was sent down from the Father to give life to the world.  For all their supposed excitement over Jesus in the beginning, He now had to make this pronouncement on them, “…ye also have seen Me, and believe not.” (John 6:36).  What a sad commentary on the human condition.  To have the Son of God before them working miracles, and speaking the words of life, and yet they would not believe! 

 

Jesus was not done with these folks yet.  He had just revealed Himself to them as the Bread from heaven, but He went a step further.  He revealed Himself as the Passover Lamb Whose body would be broken for them and His blood spilled out to give them life.  All of the types and shadows were laid out clearly enough in scripture, but they could not see them.  It was then that Jesus said, “Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink His blood, ye have no life in you.  Whoso eateth My flesh, and drinketh My blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day.  For My flesh is meat indeed, and My blood is drink indeed.  He that eateth My flesh, and drinketh My blood, dwelleth in Me, and I in him.  As the living Father hath sent Me, and I live by the Father: so he that eateth Me, even he shall live by Me.” (John 6:53-57).

 

That was the last straw!  Now Jesus had gone too far!  He had said too much!  The people said, “This is an hard saying; who can hear it?” (v. 60).  Jesus knew just exactly what He was saying though.  It wasn’t pleasing to their ears, and it definitely didn’t fit into their theology; but it was what they needed to understand and believe if they wanted to receive eternal life.  At another time Jesus told His followers that in order to sprout and grow, a kernel of wheat needed to be planted in the ground and die first.  Trying to preserve that kernel and saving it intact would only result in it never growing or becoming what it was intended to be.  He said, “He that loveth his life shall lose it…” (John 12:25).  People can stomach a lot of religion until they are asked to die to self.  This is what separates the true believers from those who only profess to have faith.  We want all of the benefits of religion without having to lose anything of our old nature.  We must decrease, or the Lord cannot increase in us.  If I have a glass full of liquid and I want to fill it with new wine, I must first empty all of the other liquid out before I can pour the wine in.  Likewise, as long as I am full of self, there can be no room for the Lord in my life.  Christianity is all about putting on the likeness of Jesus Christ, and being transformed into His image.  It is about giving up our life to be filled with His.

 

Jesus said to the people, “Doth this offend you?”  Isn’t it strange how a drowning man can be offended at the life preserver that is thrown out to save him because of the rope that is attached to it?  Man wants religion on his own terms and not God’s.  How foolish is that? 

 

Jesus next spoke words that would summarize all that He was trying to get across to the people.  He said, “It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.  But there are some of you that believe not.” (John 6:63, 64).  We humans are made up of three parts.  We possess a body, a soul, and a spirit.  Our Flesh and our soul are what make up our carnal or natural man.  The Bible also refers to this as our “old man.”  Our spirit is our inner man and is brought to life by being born again.  This is “the new man.”  Our spirit is quickened (or made alive) by the Word of God and by God’s Holy Spirit.  Our carnal man does not profit from these things because he is looking for an outward stimulus - something that thrills or excites the senses.  How many Christians are there that love the shout and the dance, but have no patience for the preaching or teaching of the Word of God?  There is certainly a place for both; but without letting the Word be planted in the good ground of our hearts, everything else is just superficial and a vain show. 

 

Jesus knew full well that many of these people who were following Him didn’t believe.  The worst thing was that even many of His disciples became disillusioned at this time.  We are told, “From that time many of His disciples went back, and walked no more with Him.”  (John 6:66).  If our success as ministers of the gospel is measured in souls saved and disciples made then Jesus was not very successful it would seem.  His congregation went from well over five thousand to just twelve in a matter of two days!  Jesus’ success was not measured in numbers, however.  It was measured by the souls who really understood who He was, and were willing to lose it all to gain Him.

 

Jesus finally turned to His twelve disciples whom He had called in the beginning and said, “Will ye also go away?”  How heartbreaking.  I think of the times in my life when the Lord has required something of me that I wasn’t initially willing to give.  At such times it could be said that I, too, was offended at the Lord’s words.  I can hear the Savior gently asking, “Will ye also go away?”  I am saddened that I have caused Him grief by my reluctance.  By His grace He has brought me to the same conclusion that Peter came to when Jesus asked the twelve this question.  He said, “Lord, to whom shall we go?  Thou hast the words of eternal life.  And we believe and are sure that Thou art that Christ, the Son of the living God.” (John 6:68, 69). 

 

To those who have tasted of the heavenly Manna and have drunk at the wells of salvation, there is no other answer.  There is no other place we can go to hear the Words of Eternal Life than to Jesus Christ, the Son of God, our Savior.  Once we taste and see that the Lord is good, then we can forever believe and be sure of Who He is, and that everything He asks of us is for our own benefit and everlasting joy in the end.  What is the Lord asking of your life?  Is He calling you to a deeper place with Him?  Don’t allow the offense of the cross to derail you from where God is leading you to.  It is written in the scripture, “Behold, I lay in Zion a stumblingstone and rock of offence: and whosoever believeth on Him shall not be ashamed.” (Romans 9:33).  Many have been offended and have stumbled at the truth over the centuries, but those who have believed and trusted in the Lord and in His Words of Eternal Life have found Him to be a fountain of Living Water that nourishes and quickens their spirits.  If you are hungering and thirsting for righteousness, there is no other place to go to be filled.  Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life!

 

“Great peace have they which love Thy law: and nothing shall offend them.” (Psalms 119:165).