John 6:41-47

John 6:41-47

Therefore the Jews were grumbling about Him because He said, “I am the bread that has come down out of heaven.”  And they said, “This one is not Jesus the son of Joseph, of whom we know the father and mother?  How does He now say that He has come down out of heaven?”  And Jesus replied and answered to them, “Do not grumble with one another.  No one is powerful enough to come to me unless the Father who sent me should pull him, and I will raise him up in the last day.  It is having been written in the Prophets, ‘And all will be instructed of God.’  All the ones who heard and learned from the Father come to me.  It is not that anyone has seen the Father except the one who is from God – this one has seen the Father.  Truly, truly I say to you, the one who believes has life eternal.”

Thoughts for Today

First Thought:

The Jewish leaders doubt Jesus’ testimony.  They doubt because of the witness of their own eyes.  They know Jesus’ mother.  They know Joseph and they presume him to be Jesus’ father.  Because they think they know better, they are in conflict with Jesus.  Our eyes and our minds often put us in places that make it difficult to see what God is doing in our midst.

When do you have difficulty perceiving Jesus?  When do you struggle to grasp what God is doing in your midst?  What makes it difficult?

Second Thought:

In the middle of this passage we hear Jesus speaking about our human weakness.  We cannot come to God on our own.  We are powerless when it comes to coming to God on our own.  God must pull us to Him.  God must instruct us.  God shows us the way.  God gives us the path.  It is God that we hear and to whom we listen.  We cannot save ourselves.  Rather, we must listen to and hear God.

How is God pulling you closer to Him?  How are you receiving His action?

Third Thought:

Again we hear Jesus close a subsection of speech with a declaration of salvation.  The one who believes has life eternal.  That is it.  God has given the opportunity of salvation to all people.  Anyone can receive His free gift of life.  But we must embrace it.  We must believe.  Jesus does not say that all will be saved; He says that all the ones who believe will have eternal life.

Do you believe?  What do you believe?  How is your belief lived out?

Passage for Tomorrow: John 6:48-51