FINDING TRUE SATISFACTION
John 6:41-51
I am the living bread which came down from heaven. 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. John 6:51
In verse 48 of our text today, Jesus made a bold declaration: “I am the bread of life.” He was not just offering us a snack or a temporary fix; He was offering us Himself as the ultimate source of satisfaction. The crowd struggled to understand what Jesus meant. And so, He repeated it, emphasizing that He alone can satisfy our deepest longings. Just as bread nourishes our bodies, Jesus nourishes our souls.
We often try to fill the void in our lives with temporary solutions like our Successes (achievements, recognition), Relationships (romantic, friendships), Possessions (material goods, wealth), Pleasures (entertainment, hobbies), etc. But these things still leave us feeling empty and unfulfilled. They’re like snacks that wear off, leaving us hungry again. Jesus is offering us a different way. He is inviting us to: Come to Him (seek Him, approach Him), and Believe in Him (trust Him, have faith in Him). By doing so, we get His satisfaction that transcends the physical. He becomes our source of fulfilment, our true bread of life. Where are you looking for fulfilment from? Have you tried filling the void with temporary solutions? Remember, Jesus is the bread of life. He’s the only one who can truly satisfy your deepest longings.
Prayer: Lord Jesus, I acknowledge that I’ve tried to fill my life with temporary solutions. Cause me to look to You for ultimate fulfilment and satisfaction. Amen.
GOD’S PIERCING WORD
John 6:52-60
For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. Hebrew 4:12
There is a clear distinction between a Christian who merely hears or casually reads the word of God and one who allows it to penetrate their heart and transform their life. In verse 60 of today’s scripture reading, many of His disciples, when they heard the teachings of Jesus, said, “This is a hard saying; who can understand it?” This passage shows us that following Jesus sometimes means having to deal with difficult teachings as His word challenges our thoughts and intentions. Not everything will always make sense to us right away, and that’s okay. The mysteries are for us to unravel, and “God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work.” (2 Timothy 3:17 NLT)
Study God’s word to let it pierce and transform you. You have not really studied if there is no stir in your spirit to do better or change completely. Categorizing God’s word as hard could mean that we are not ready to fully allow it to transform our lives. Jesus calls us to a deep, trusting relationship with Him, one that goes beyond surface-level acceptance and requires us to surrender our hearts completely to His will. Only then can we experience the true transformation and fulfilment that comes from living in alignment with God’s word.
Prayer: Lord, grant me all the wisdom and grace I need to accept your word as it comes, no matter how difficult or challenging it may be. Amen.
THE COST OF FOLLOWING JESUS 1
John 6:60-71
From that time many of His disciples went back and walked with Him no more. John 6:66
Everyone on earth has chosen either of these two paths in life: one that leads to following Jesus and one that leads away from Him. What path are you on today? John 6:66 highlights a turning point where many of Jesus’ followers left Him because they found His teachings too difficult to accept. The people who left Jesus in this passage chose the easier path, one that did not require as much commitment or sacrifice. Following Jesus requires a deep level of commitment which ultimately leads to eternal life and fulfilment that far outweighs any temporary struggles or hardships faced.
Jesus buttressed this message when He stated “No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money. (Matthew 6:24 NIV). Challenging moments and teachings in your Christian journey are an opportunity to make a choice either to turn away or to stand firm in your faith. It’s in these moments that your commitment to Jesus is tested. The price is your willingness to stay on the path of following Jesus, even when faced with difficulties and obstacles. Which is your choice?
Prayer: Dear Lord, I pledge my allegiance to follow You no matter what. Amen.
THE COST OF FOLLOWING JESUS 2
John 6:60-71
Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. Matthew 16:24
Our Lord Jesus never promised an easy path, but He promised to be with us every step of the way. Mark 10:30 tells us that one of the things we shall receive as followers of Jesus is persecution. So, if you have ever considered backsliding or indulging in sin to ease off some form of pressure, then you need to take some time out to retreat and reflect. “In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted” (2 Tim 3:12). Many of Jesus’ disciples found His words too hard to accept and chose to leave Him.
You can bear the price of holding on to Jesus by using the following keys: It’s easy to follow Jesus when everything makes sense, but true faith means trusting Him even when you don’t fully understand. Secondly, surround yourself with a supportive Christian community that can stir you up regularly. Thirdly, regularly engage in prayer and study your Bible. This is very crucial for daily spiritual growth and strength. Fourthly, when you face difficult moments, pray for the strength to persevere. In addition to these, Jesus sums it up when He taught His disciples in Matthew 16:24 “If anyone desires to come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.” Have you denied yourself? Have you taken up your cross?
Prayer: Oh Lord, help me to daily deny myself, take up my cross, and follow You. Amen.
THEY WILL HATE YOU
John 7:1-9
Ye adulterers and adulteresses, do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a Friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God James 4:4
With the little time Jesus had to spend with His disciples, He did not fail to seize every opportunity to teach them about the world and their beliefs. Jesus mentioned to them that they (the world) hate Him because He speaks the truth. This, in turn, will help the disciples on their paths and their dealings with the world. Jesus was hated for saying the truth and for doing the right thing. His followers will face the same fate. Do not think that you can walk in light and darkness simultaneously.
As believers, we are expected to make conscious efforts to live by the word of God, stand for truth and be transparent in our dealings with others. Living a double-standard life will get you nowhere. Once you have accepted Jesus Christ, you can no longer be friends with the world. You have to separate yourself, offences will come, backbiting will surface, the hate will come but our assurance is that God will always deliver us from the hands of the wicked as stated in Psalms 94:10 ” Ye that love the Lord, hate evil: He preserveth the souls of his saints; He delivereth them out if the hand of the wicked.” Be determined today to say No to compromise and double standards. Stand for Jesus and His truth no matter the hate from the world.
Prayer: Father, I receive grace to stand for You and Your truth. Amen
THE KEY TO RECEIVING TRUTH
John 7:12-18
If anyone wills to do His will, he shall know concerning the doctrine, whether it is from God or whether I speak on My own authority John 7:17
The important need of the kingdom is to do God’s will. While is it important to know God’s will, as the doing is borne from the knowing, we are to be diligent to do His will. The interesting truth is that the Lord will give more knowledge to the one who has walked in an already revealed truth. If you are just interested in knowing the facts and giving mental assent to the word of the Lord, the Lord won’t trust you with more of His truths because obeying them is not your passion. The Passion Translation of our Memory Verse gives further insight, “If you want to test my teachings and discover where I received them, first be passionate to do God’s will, and then you will be able to discern if my teachings are from the heart of God…” In the Aramaic, “Whoever is satisfied to do God’s satisfaction shall gain liberating knowledge,” we see the importance of a willingness to do God’s will as a prerequisite to gaining more knowledge.
The problem with the religious leaders of Jesus’ day was their desire to know the Law and scriptures as a show. This kept them blinded from Christ who was walking among them. The essence of truth is to be obeyed. Are you obeying God’s truth that you know or are you just seeking to ‘know’ as a show?
Prayer: Dear Heavenly Father, open my eyes to receive your revelation continuously and cause me to do Your will. Amen
BY WHOSE STANDARD?
John 7:19-24
Do not judge according to appearance, but judge with righteous judgement John 7:24.
When you check for the meaning of the word judge, you’ll see that it means to criticize or evaluate something/someone. To judge is not wrong because 1 Corinthians 2:15a says “But he who is spiritual judges all things.” This becomes an issue when it is not done properly. From our text, Jesus is saying” Stop judging by external standards, and judge by true standards” (GNT). We can only carry out righteous judgment when we know and live by the right standards. The evaluation and criticism must start with yourself before you speak to the next person as we see in Luke 6:42.
What makes a standard right? Who sets the standard? God? Your conscience? Your parents? Your peers? Social media? As believers, the word of God is our standard. Make an effort today to limit judging people based on their physical appearance because you can miss it but depend on the Holy Spirit to guide your heart and speech. Samuel almost made that mistake in 1Sam.16:7 – “But the LORD said unto Samuel, look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the LORD seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart.” Today, ask the Lord to help you judge people and situations rightly.
Prayer: Lord, help me to adhere to Your standards and judge rightly. Amen
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