The talking political heads of the news have stated the truth as they talk about politicians today who are buying votes by promising to "give" the voters what they want. Society is always looking for leaders that will give them what they want.
So it was in Jesus day too. After Jesus fed the multitude, he became the most popular guy around. Everyone was ready to follow Jesus until He told them how it really was.
John 6:26-27 NASB 26 Jesus answered them and said, “Truly, truly, I say to you, you seek Me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate of the loaves and were filled. 27 “Do not work for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you, for on Him the Father, God, has set His seal.”
When he told them this they said, "OK What do we have to do?"
So Jesus told them the greatest truth of the Bible. Jesus told them as plainly as he ever said anything here on earth. "Believe in Me!"
John 6:35 NASB 35 Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; he who comes to Me will not hunger, and he who believes in Me will never thirst.
This did not make sense to the people then nor does it make sense to some today. The only thing that is truly free that cost you everything. You must believe and if you believe you will freely give your whole life to this reality. Jesus died for sinful men. He died so we can live for Him. It is free to you but it cost Jesus everything.
John Chapter 6 is not through with just these thoughts. Jesus makes it even plainer. Jesus says a some statements that seemed really offensive to some who could not or better said "would not" think in the spiritual realm. Jesus told them something to be taken spiritual that they focused on physically which did not make sense to them.
John 6:53-57 NASB 53 So Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in yourselves. 54 “He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.55 “For My flesh is true food, and My blood is true drink. 56 “He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him. 57 “As the living Father sent Me, and I live because of the Father, so he who eats Me, he also will live because of Me.
Jesus was not saying to them to become a cannibal and to physically take a bite out of his flesh but He was talking about becoming so consumed with everything about who Jesus Christ is that we are going to forget everything else in life except him. We will be consumed with Jesus. So many of them could not accept this simple freedom to believe in Jesus and to turn their lives to Him.
But the disciple did. They did not walk away with some of the trendy folks who went to look for the next way to fill their stomach not their soul. They could not see the real issues.
Jesus ask them, "Are you going away too?" and Simon Peter gave Jesus a profound answer that we must take note of even today.
John 6:68 NASB 68 Simon Peter answered Him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have words of eternal life.69“We have believed and have come to know that You are the Holy One of God.”
Something to take note of is simply this. There is no where else to go. No one else to turn to. There is no alternate God. Jesus is the only way. People in the world today want to be accepting of any and all "paths to god" but with this thought you get less than truth. You get a false hope, You get no power, no life, no eternity. Only Jesus has the words of life, and they are free.
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