Scriptures
By Brother Doug Smith
Lesson Text: John 6:25-40
As we can see in today’s lesson text, John 6:25-40, Jesus had already departed Tiberias, where He had fed the 5,000. Now in Capernaum, those who had witnessed the previous miracles found Him and made inquiry of Him. Jesus, knowing their motivation behind their inquiries, began to teach them kingdom principles for living and His purpose.
In John 6:41-52, the religious leaders murmured because they could not accept Jesus claim of divinity and only saw Him as a carpenter from Nazareth. They refused to believe He was God’s divine Son and that God, not man, plays the most active role in salvation. When someone chooses to believe in ,Jesus Christ the Savior, does so only in response to the urging of God’s holy spirit. The religious leaders frequently asked Jesus to prove to them why He was better than the prophets they already had. Jesus, who is much greater than Moses, offers Himself as the spiritual bread from heaven that satisfies completely and leads to eternal life.
Matthew 16:1-4 refers to the religious leaders of that time demanding a sign from heaven. Jesus response to their request was by rebuking them concerning their ability to discern things, concerning the evening and the morning. They were not able to discern or accept His claim as Messiah.
Synopsis
By Sister Tarae King
The crowd, looking for Jesus after He fed the five thousand, were confused when they found Jesus in Capernaum, wondering how and when He got there. Jesus didn’t answer the question but instead spoke to the true nature of the inquiries. Their motives were wrong in seeking free bread instead of spiritual blessings. They asked what works they could do to gain God’s approval. Jesus told them that salvation never required works but by believing in the One that was sent, Jesus Christ.
The crowd then asks Jesus for a sign to prove that He is who He says He is. They referenced scripture saying that Moses was able to provide bread from heaven to their ancestors. Jesus explains that it was not Moses but God who provided the bread. The difference is that the physical bread provided only for physical life. God has made provisions for our spiritual life that would give life to the world.
When the people asked for the bread He was talking about, Jesus revealed Himself as that bread, “The Bread of Life”. He explained that those that come to Him will never go hungry and never be thirsty. He states that He came down from heaven to do the will of God. God’s will being that all who look to Jesus and believes in Him shall have eternal life and will be raised up on the last day.
Practical Application
By Minister Charlene Brown
“I am the bread of life, he that comes to me shall never hunger, and he who believes in me shall never thirst” (vs 35). The purpose of the gospel of John is to present Jesus as the Son of God, as a gift from Him to the world in which He so loved that He gave His only begotten son. God’s purpose is to offer eternal life based on belief in His son. Our purpose is to accept this free gift of life, through our belief in Him who gave up His life for us. “But these are written, that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the son of God, and that believing you may have life through His name.” (John 20:31)
After Jesus performed the miracle of feeding the five thousand, He declared that He is the bread which supplies eternal life. The people weren’t concerned about this bread because they weren’t looking for the giver of life, but the giver of physical food to meet their physical needs. How often do we seek God to meet our natural needs while our inner man is crying out to be fed ? The bible describes spiritual food that is needed for spiritual strength and that food is God’s word. We need this substance to win in spiritual battles, to complete the assignments God has given each of us and to sustain us daily.
The people couldn’t grasp that what they really needed was right in front of them in the flesh, Jesus, who was and is the true bread from Heaven. The people rejected Jesus but God didn’t let it deter His purpose for mankind. We see God’s ‘ sovereignty at work through Jesus, as He was sent not just to give bread but to be the bread. By His grace He has revealed Himself as the only one who can fill us when we’re hungry and thirsty. This bread isn’t offered to just a few, but to a dying world, so we accept our responsibility to spread the gospel that offers this gift, the bread of life, God’s free gift of salvation.
