I am the bread of life. He who comes to me shall never hunger, and he who believes in me shall never thirst.1
The five thousand people Jesus fed with five loaves and two fish now sought him. Jesus says to them, labor for food which endures to everlasting life. Labor for everlasting life? The people responded to Jesus, what shall we do, that we may work the works of God? Jesus responds, The work of God is that you believe in me. Well how do we believe they ask, what sign, what work, will you do so that we may believe? This is the sign Jesus says, For the bread of God is He who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world. Give us this bread they say. Jesus responds, I am this bread.
Jesus said coming to him is food of everlasting life. This is what we are to labor, coming to him and being persuaded by and in him, his words are spirit and truth he said. All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who is coming to Me I will by no means cast out.2 There are two different words here come and coming, come is hḗkō properly it means to reach the end-destination (goal). The word for coming in this verse is erchomai which properly speaks of persons; universally, to come from one place into another, and used both of persons arriving.4 The goal of coming to Jesus is for everlasting life. We can't reach that goal by ourselves, the Father draws with his spirit, we are coming to Jesus (persons arriving) being persuaded by his words and spirit.
Jesus said believing is water of everlasting life. The word for believing here is pisteúō from pístis which means faith and peíthō which means to persuade, be persuaded.5 Believing involves obedience but more importantly it is the result of divine persuasion. This is what Jesus talked about when he said, labor for the food which endures to everlasting life. Jesus was persuading the people to come to him through his words, spirit and truth, those who reasoned humanly walked away, this is hard teaching they said, but those who labored for everlasting life came to Jesus and walked with him into belief. There is this human reasoning, our laboring, and this divine persuasion.
Jesus said he who comes to him receives bread of life and he who believes receives living water. Labor for eternal food which endures to everlasting life, this comes from Jesus, Salvation is receiving this everlasting life, it is coming to Jesus, Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.3 And it is believing, most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in me has everlasting life.2 It is hearing, being persuaded, and believing, Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life.4 Come to him, All that the Father gives comes to Jesus, none will he cast out,
Jesus had fed five thousand people and walked on water but the people followed the disciples because they had been filled with fish and bread. Knowing Jesus had not traveled with the disciples when they saw him they said, when did you get here? Jesus told them they had labored for the wrong reasons. He tells them to work for food sent from heaven, that endures to everlasting life, which he gives being sealed by God's authority. After hearing they must labor for everlasting food they ask, what must we do to be doing the works of God? Jesus answered and said to them, This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent. Believe in Jesus, this is the work of God.
Believing in you is the work of God? What sign do you do, what work do you do, that we might believe in you? They now understand that Jesus is saying they must believe in him, but how do they know, prove it they say, you speak of bread, Moses gave our fathers bread from heaven to eat, what sign do you do? Jesus responds, My Father gives you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is He who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world. They are still thinking from an earthly, fleshly perspective, manna from heaven, but this bread is a man who comes to give life that only God gives. Lord, give us this bread always, they responded.
Like the Samaritan woman who responded to Jesus when he told her, whoever drinks of the water that I shall give will never thirst. But the water that I shall give will become a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life. Her response was, give me this water, that I may not thirst, nor come here to draw. She was thinking of water from a well, but Jesus was saying, come to me, be drawn to me for this living water. True worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.5 She is being persuaded; amazingly, inquiringly she responds, I know that Messiah is coming (who is called Christ). When He comes, He will tell us all things. Jesus said to her, I who speak to you am He. Oh she was persuaded, she went and told everyone in town, Come, see a Man who told me all things that I ever did. Could this be the Christ?
Everlasting life is in Jesus, in whom we must believe. But how do we believe in Jesus? He is the bread of life, so what do you do with bread? you eat it, but this is not like manna from heaven like they ate in the wilderness, no, this is the bread of life and living water. Jesus said one must labor for this everlasting life. We must seek it, we come to Jesus, then his spirit will help us along the way. We know that Jesus is the Word of God, this is bread of life and living water, sent from the Father to give everlasting life to those who believe! It is by hearing the word of God that faith is realized, Jesus is the author of faith and by faith through Grace comes believing. We labor to come to Jesus, hear his words, to be persuaded, his words instill faith in us and this is the work of God.
It is written in the prophets, ‘And they shall all be taught by God.' Therefore everyone who has heard and learned from the Father comes to Me. This is truth, if they knew the Father they would come to Jesus. Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in me has everlasting life. I am the bread of life. If believing is the bread of life and we must labor for this everlasting bread then we must labor to believe in the one he sent. This labor is reasoning, buying in, being persuaded, as Jesus said we must labor to seek this everlasting life. This labor is seeking him, they were seeking Jesus because they were filled with food, he is telling them to seek him for everlasting food.
The story of Cornelius is one of my favorites, he is probably the first accepted Gentile conversion into the church. He was seeking God, laboring, he was going to Temple seeking God, and an angel visited him saying your offering to God through prayers and alms to the poor have come up for a memorial before God, then he is told to send for Peter. Meanwhile Peter struggles with visions from God, eat of the unclean meat, surely I will not he says. He can not disobey the law, eat unclean meat, no, he struggles with this disobeying the law to obey God. Peter goes to Cornelius and understands God's will, he gives the good news to the unclean Gentiles, he tells them about Jesus and continues to talk but that was all they needed to hear, the good news about Jesus, they receive the Holy and Spirit and are baptized.6
Jesus said the Holy Spirit would be given to those who believed after he was glorified, he would send the teacher and comforter to teach us all things and give us peace. Now we receive the Holy Spirit on belief in Jesus as he is glorified; after hearing the word of truth, the gospel of salvation, we believe and receive the Holy Spirit.6 This is the guarantee of our inheritance as his children, the substance of things hoped for and evidence of things unseen. Jesus was the Word which became flesh and dwelt among us. This bread is his flesh, If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever; and the bread that I shall give is My flesh, which I shall give for the life of the world. He said whoever eats his flesh, bread of life, and drinks his blood, living water, has eternal life. His words are Spirit and Truth.
To the Samaritan woman Jesus offered living water. True worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth. For my flesh is food indeed, and my blood is drink indeed. The bread of life represents his truth, the living water his spirit. He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me, and I in him. As the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so he who feeds on me will live because of me. This is the bread which came down from heaven—not as your fathers ate the manna, and are dead. He who eats this bread will live forever.8 Jesus is the bread, he is the word of God, the way, truth, and life. His words are spirit and the Spirit of Christ dwells within us.
Everlasting life is in the Son who gives life to those given to him by the Father, no one can come to the Father unless he is drawn. It is this coming and believing, truth and spirit, bread and water, that gives life. One can know and search the scriptures and not find this everlasting life. Jesus said, It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life. This word of God is living and active, it is spirit and truth, it is a double edged sword, it is the sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God, which is Jesus, who is the Word of God, who was with God, and was God, who created all things.
Jesus said we are to labor for everlasting life. We can not believe on our own will, it must be ours and of the will of God. Believing is the work of God, it must be God who draws and instills faith in us. It is our part to labor for this everlasting food, we must eat the bread of life, we must drink the living water. This bread is Jesus, who is the Word of God, he becoming flesh made his dwelling among us. We come to him, this bread we eat, we believe in him, this living water, this spirit we receive. This living water is given by his blood, his death, we are baptized by water into this death, this act of belief, we are baptized by spirit into this everlasting life, we are sealed. This we have labored into Jesus this everlasting life.
A lawyer had stood up to test Jesus saying, Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life? He said to him, What is written in the Law? How do you read it? And he answered, You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself. And he said to him, You have answered correctly; do this, and you will live.9
We try to make believing something tangible, like say this prayer, hold up your hand, walk down the aisle, ask Jesus into your heart... In fact it is Jesus who chooses and it is Jesus who saves, believing is the work of God, the tangible happens inside. We must labor, be persuaded, work out our salvation with fear and trembling. Labor for the food which endures to everlasting life, which the Son of Man will give you.10 Seek and you will find, ask and it shall be given, knock and the door will be opened. Come home, come to Jesus, this everlasting life.
You have the words of eternal life. Also we have come to believe and know that You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.9
Softly and Tenderly
The five thousand people Jesus fed with five loaves and two fish now sought him. Jesus says to them, labor for food which endures to everlasting life. Labor for everlasting life? The people responded to Jesus, what shall we do, that we may work the works of God? Jesus responds, The work of God is that you believe in me. Well how do we believe they ask, what sign, what work, will you do so that we may believe? This is the sign Jesus says, For the bread of God is He who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world. Give us this bread they say. Jesus responds, I am this bread.
Jesus said coming to him is food of everlasting life. This is what we are to labor, coming to him and being persuaded by and in him, his words are spirit and truth he said. All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who is coming to Me I will by no means cast out.2 There are two different words here come and coming, come is hḗkō properly it means to reach the end-destination (goal). The word for coming in this verse is erchomai which properly speaks of persons; universally, to come from one place into another, and used both of persons arriving.4 The goal of coming to Jesus is for everlasting life. We can't reach that goal by ourselves, the Father draws with his spirit, we are coming to Jesus (persons arriving) being persuaded by his words and spirit.
Jesus said believing is water of everlasting life. The word for believing here is pisteúō from pístis which means faith and peíthō which means to persuade, be persuaded.5 Believing involves obedience but more importantly it is the result of divine persuasion. This is what Jesus talked about when he said, labor for the food which endures to everlasting life. Jesus was persuading the people to come to him through his words, spirit and truth, those who reasoned humanly walked away, this is hard teaching they said, but those who labored for everlasting life came to Jesus and walked with him into belief. There is this human reasoning, our laboring, and this divine persuasion.
Jesus said he who comes to him receives bread of life and he who believes receives living water. Labor for eternal food which endures to everlasting life, this comes from Jesus, Salvation is receiving this everlasting life, it is coming to Jesus, Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.3 And it is believing, most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in me has everlasting life.2 It is hearing, being persuaded, and believing, Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life.4 Come to him, All that the Father gives comes to Jesus, none will he cast out,
Jesus had fed five thousand people and walked on water but the people followed the disciples because they had been filled with fish and bread. Knowing Jesus had not traveled with the disciples when they saw him they said, when did you get here? Jesus told them they had labored for the wrong reasons. He tells them to work for food sent from heaven, that endures to everlasting life, which he gives being sealed by God's authority. After hearing they must labor for everlasting food they ask, what must we do to be doing the works of God? Jesus answered and said to them, This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent. Believe in Jesus, this is the work of God.
Believing in you is the work of God? What sign do you do, what work do you do, that we might believe in you? They now understand that Jesus is saying they must believe in him, but how do they know, prove it they say, you speak of bread, Moses gave our fathers bread from heaven to eat, what sign do you do? Jesus responds, My Father gives you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is He who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world. They are still thinking from an earthly, fleshly perspective, manna from heaven, but this bread is a man who comes to give life that only God gives. Lord, give us this bread always, they responded.
Like the Samaritan woman who responded to Jesus when he told her, whoever drinks of the water that I shall give will never thirst. But the water that I shall give will become a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life. Her response was, give me this water, that I may not thirst, nor come here to draw. She was thinking of water from a well, but Jesus was saying, come to me, be drawn to me for this living water. True worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.5 She is being persuaded; amazingly, inquiringly she responds, I know that Messiah is coming (who is called Christ). When He comes, He will tell us all things. Jesus said to her, I who speak to you am He. Oh she was persuaded, she went and told everyone in town, Come, see a Man who told me all things that I ever did. Could this be the Christ?
Everlasting life is in Jesus, in whom we must believe. But how do we believe in Jesus? He is the bread of life, so what do you do with bread? you eat it, but this is not like manna from heaven like they ate in the wilderness, no, this is the bread of life and living water. Jesus said one must labor for this everlasting life. We must seek it, we come to Jesus, then his spirit will help us along the way. We know that Jesus is the Word of God, this is bread of life and living water, sent from the Father to give everlasting life to those who believe! It is by hearing the word of God that faith is realized, Jesus is the author of faith and by faith through Grace comes believing. We labor to come to Jesus, hear his words, to be persuaded, his words instill faith in us and this is the work of God.
It is written in the prophets, ‘And they shall all be taught by God.' Therefore everyone who has heard and learned from the Father comes to Me. This is truth, if they knew the Father they would come to Jesus. Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in me has everlasting life. I am the bread of life. If believing is the bread of life and we must labor for this everlasting bread then we must labor to believe in the one he sent. This labor is reasoning, buying in, being persuaded, as Jesus said we must labor to seek this everlasting life. This labor is seeking him, they were seeking Jesus because they were filled with food, he is telling them to seek him for everlasting food.
The story of Cornelius is one of my favorites, he is probably the first accepted Gentile conversion into the church. He was seeking God, laboring, he was going to Temple seeking God, and an angel visited him saying your offering to God through prayers and alms to the poor have come up for a memorial before God, then he is told to send for Peter. Meanwhile Peter struggles with visions from God, eat of the unclean meat, surely I will not he says. He can not disobey the law, eat unclean meat, no, he struggles with this disobeying the law to obey God. Peter goes to Cornelius and understands God's will, he gives the good news to the unclean Gentiles, he tells them about Jesus and continues to talk but that was all they needed to hear, the good news about Jesus, they receive the Holy and Spirit and are baptized.6
Jesus said the Holy Spirit would be given to those who believed after he was glorified, he would send the teacher and comforter to teach us all things and give us peace. Now we receive the Holy Spirit on belief in Jesus as he is glorified; after hearing the word of truth, the gospel of salvation, we believe and receive the Holy Spirit.6 This is the guarantee of our inheritance as his children, the substance of things hoped for and evidence of things unseen. Jesus was the Word which became flesh and dwelt among us. This bread is his flesh, If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever; and the bread that I shall give is My flesh, which I shall give for the life of the world. He said whoever eats his flesh, bread of life, and drinks his blood, living water, has eternal life. His words are Spirit and Truth.
To the Samaritan woman Jesus offered living water. True worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth. For my flesh is food indeed, and my blood is drink indeed. The bread of life represents his truth, the living water his spirit. He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me, and I in him. As the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so he who feeds on me will live because of me. This is the bread which came down from heaven—not as your fathers ate the manna, and are dead. He who eats this bread will live forever.8 Jesus is the bread, he is the word of God, the way, truth, and life. His words are spirit and the Spirit of Christ dwells within us.
Everlasting life is in the Son who gives life to those given to him by the Father, no one can come to the Father unless he is drawn. It is this coming and believing, truth and spirit, bread and water, that gives life. One can know and search the scriptures and not find this everlasting life. Jesus said, It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life. This word of God is living and active, it is spirit and truth, it is a double edged sword, it is the sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God, which is Jesus, who is the Word of God, who was with God, and was God, who created all things.
Jesus said we are to labor for everlasting life. We can not believe on our own will, it must be ours and of the will of God. Believing is the work of God, it must be God who draws and instills faith in us. It is our part to labor for this everlasting food, we must eat the bread of life, we must drink the living water. This bread is Jesus, who is the Word of God, he becoming flesh made his dwelling among us. We come to him, this bread we eat, we believe in him, this living water, this spirit we receive. This living water is given by his blood, his death, we are baptized by water into this death, this act of belief, we are baptized by spirit into this everlasting life, we are sealed. This we have labored into Jesus this everlasting life.
A lawyer had stood up to test Jesus saying, Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life? He said to him, What is written in the Law? How do you read it? And he answered, You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself. And he said to him, You have answered correctly; do this, and you will live.9
We try to make believing something tangible, like say this prayer, hold up your hand, walk down the aisle, ask Jesus into your heart... In fact it is Jesus who chooses and it is Jesus who saves, believing is the work of God, the tangible happens inside. We must labor, be persuaded, work out our salvation with fear and trembling. Labor for the food which endures to everlasting life, which the Son of Man will give you.10 Seek and you will find, ask and it shall be given, knock and the door will be opened. Come home, come to Jesus, this everlasting life.
You have the words of eternal life. Also we have come to believe and know that You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.9
Softly and Tenderly