John 6:41-51 (CLICK HERE FOR BIBLE VERSES)
Hi GAMErs,
Today’s passage is John 6:41-51. I encourage you to read the passage yourself first and see what you can glean with the Holy Spirit’s help, then read the GAME sharing below. Let’s go!
John 6:41-43 (NIV)
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.
On verses 41-43: Even after God had given the Israelites in Moses’ time bread from heaven in the form of manna, they grumbled (Exodus 17:3). When God gave the Israelites the true bread from heaven which is Jesus, what did they do? They grumbled as well (v41, 43). Now if God can’t please everyone, what makes you think you can please everyone? Don’t live for the approval of others. Rather, live to please God.
John 6:44-46 (NIV)
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.
On verses 44-46: Notice that Jesus did not plead with his critics and doubters to believe in him. Instead, he left all that to the Father. Notice in verses 44-46 three times Jesus mentions three truths in relation to the Father:
– only those whom the Father draws will come to Jesus (v44)
– only those who listen to the Father will come to Jesus (v45)
– only Jesus has seen the Father personally (v46).
In other words, Jesus did not worry about the people’s responses, which were beyond his control. Instead Jesus trusted that those whom the Father had drawn would follow him, and those whom the Father had not drawn would not follow him. Jesus did his best with what he had and left the results to God the Father.
Likewise, we cannot control what other people do or how they respond to us. All we can do is do the best we can with what is in our control and leave the rest to the Father.
John 6:47-51 (NIV)
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.”
On verses 47-51: I love bread – Italian garlic bread, Cantonese pineapple buns, Filipino pan de sal, pizza, the list goes on. But such bread doesn’t last and cannot sustain a person forever. The Jews in Moses’ time ate the manna from heaven and still died (v49). Jesus is the one living bread which you can eat (i.e. believe in) and as a result live forever (v51).
Lord Jesus, thank You for breaking Your body for us so that we may live. You are the bread of life by whom we get to live forever. I pray that like You I would not worry or fret over people and things that I can’t control. Instead, may I trust my heavenly Father, that He has the perfect plan. In Jesus’ name, AMEN!
Copyright © 2021 Justin Lim. All rights reserved.
