Posts Tagged ‘eternal life’

Scripture reading for December 5th: 1st John 5:1-21

One of the favorite tricks of our enemy, the devil, is condemnation.  After we make a commitment to Christ, he loves to keep us in doubt about our faith or the level of our faith!  He doesn’t bring assurance, but constant doubt and fear of rejection by God.   John, as a wise pastor, brings assurance to his flock by sharing truth in a spirit of love!

“Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone who loves the Father loves His Child as well.  this is how we know that we love the children of God:  by loving God and carrying out His commands.  This is love for God:  to obey His commands.  And His commands are not burdensome, for everyone born of God overcomes the world.  This is the victory that overcomes the world, even our faith.” (1st John 5:1-4)  John emphasized that faith in Jesus Christ as the Son of God was the key to living a life of love and victory.    Anyone who said they loved God and hated his brother was a liar.  (1st John 4:19)  Faith was simple and worked through love.  Faith must be centered in God who alone is love!

Jesus Christ has given us three witnesses to verify that He is the Christ.  John was again emphasizing that Jesus came as a man who was the Son of God.  At Jesus’ baptism, the Spirit came down as a dove and the Father Spoke: “This is My Son, whom I love; with Him I am well pleased.” (Matthew 3:17)  This is the witness of the water.  At Jesus crucifixion, the centurion declared, “Surely this Man is the Son of God!” (Mark 15:39)  This is the witness of the blood.  The Holy Spirit testifies that Jesus is the Christ by His resurrection. (Romans 1:4)    In Jewish culture, all truth was established by two or three witnesses!  (Deuteronomy 19:15)

“And this is the testimony:  God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son.  He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life.  I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life.” (1st John 5:11-13)  We can have full confidence before God when we believe in His Son!

Scripture reading for May 19th: John 10:22-42

Jesus had an ongoing debate with the Jews in religious leadership.  There were some who believed in Him and there were others who wanted to kill Him.  One of the main reasons that they wanted to kill Him was that they believed that He claimed to be God.  Any man claiming to be God was blaspheming God in their eyes.  The only one who wouldn’t, would actually be God!

“Then came the Feast of Dedication at Jerusalem.  It was winter, and Jesus was in the temple area walking in Solomon’s Colonnade.  The Jews gathered around Him, saying, “How long will You keep us in suspense?  If You are the Christ, tell us plainly.”  Jesus answered, “I did tell you, but you do not believe.  The miracles I do in My Father’s name speak for Me, but you do not believe because you are not My sheep.  My sheep listen to My voice; I know them and they follow Me.  I give them eternal life and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of My hand.  . . I and the Father are One.” (John 10:24-28,30)

Jesus had told them plainly on several occasions that He was one with the Father and that the miracles He did were from the Father.  Here Jesus tells them to believe Him because of the miracles.  Miracles were prophetically a mark of the Messiah, especially opening of blind eyes!  (Isaiah 35:3-6)  Jesus had just healed a man blind from birth.  This had caused a great stir because He did this miracle on the Sabbath, violating the rules of the religious leaders.  Their pride in their religious rules had kept them blind to Jesus as the Messiah!

Jesus returned to the sheep and shepherd illustration.  He told these Jews that they did not listen to Him because they were not His sheep.  His sheep would hear His voice and Jesus would give them eternal life.  As a good Shepherd, no one would snatch them out of His hand.  He was able to keep them from all harm!  The reason for this was that Jesus and the Father were one!  This sent these leaders into a rage and they picked up stones to stone Him.  (John 10:31-32)  Have you decided who Jesus is yet?   Jesus has plainly spoken and the miracles He did are true.  Will you worship Him or stone Him?

Scripture reading for May 11th: John 6:47-71

“I tell you the truth, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in you.  Whoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day.  For My flesh is real food and My blood is real drink.  Whoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood remains in Me, and I in him.  Just as the living Father sent Me and I live because of the Father, so the one who feeds on Me will live because of Me.  This is the bread that came down from heaven.  Your forefathers ate manna and died, but he who feeds on this bread will live forever.” (John 6:53-58)

Jesus followed the feeding of the 5000 with some hard teaching.   He spoke to them of eating His flesh and drinking His blood.   This was not an option, but mandatory to have eternal life.  Jesus knew that many of these that were following Him were not placing their trust in Him as the Son of God and did not really believe that He came from the Father.  They ate the physical bread that had been miraculously multiplied and were satisfied, but were not yet ready to feed on Jesus as the true Bread from heaven.  As their forefathers had eaten the manna and died, they needed to feed on Jesus’ flesh and blood to live.

“On hearing this, many of  His disciples said, “This is a hard teaching, who can practice it.” (John 6:60)  Jesus asked  these grumblers if His teaching offended them.  They would see something even more offensive to the carnal mind:  His ascension to heaven!  “The Spirit gives life, the flesh counts for nothing.  The words I have spoken to you are Spirit and they are Life.  Yet some of you do not believe.” Jesus knew that some would not believe and one would betray Him!  He was actually a devil!  (John 6:70)

In this  spiritual teaching, Jesus was referring to the Last Supper, the meal where He would give them the bread and cup as remembrance of His death and a reminder of His coming again.  The true followers would be willing to eat the bread (representing His body) and drink the cup (representing His blood.)  This teaching is Spirit and Life!  Have you placed your trust in Him?

Scripture reading for May 10th: John 6:22-46

Jesus’ miracle of the multiplication of the bread and fish caused the crowd to search for Him the next morning.  After spending time alone in prayer late into the night, Jesus had walked on the lake and joined the disciples in their boat.  The crowd was mystified about how Jesus got across the lake.  Upon finding Jesus in Capernaum, they asked Him when He got there .  Jesus told them they were not looking for Him because of the miraculous signs, but because they ate the bread and were satisfied.  He told them not to work for food that spoils, but to seek the food that endured to eternal life which the Son of Man would give them.

Jesus’ instructions stirred a question in those who heard.  “What must we do to do the works God requires?”  Jesus answered, “The work God requires is this:  to believe on the One He has sent.” (John 6:28-29)   Jesus was emphasizing that man cannot do any ‘works’ to purchase salvation.  God the Father was only looking for humble faith, a trust in the One He sent, His Son Jesus Christ.  This was true then and remains the same today!  It is only by grace through faith that we please God.  (Ephesians 2:8-10)  We do good works that God prepares for us after receiving that grace through faith.

Some from the crowd asked Jesus for another miracle to prove He was the One to believe in.  They cited Moses and the manna from heaven that God provided for the children of Israel in the desert.   Jesus told them that Moses had not given them bread, but His Father who would give them true bread from heaven.  “For the bread of God is He who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.”  “Sir,” they said, “from now on give us this bread.”  Then Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me will never go hungry, and he who believes in Me will never be thirsty.” (John 6:33-35)

Jesus Christ is the true Bread of Life!  In Him we have eternal sustenance.  We can commune with Him each day and truly satisfy our inner hunger and thirst for righteousness, peace and joy.  We must come humbly to Him and simply believe that He is the Son of God.  Have you found the Bread of Life?

Scripture reading for May 5th: John 4:4-42

Jesus chose a path back to Galilee through Samaria, stopping at the town of Sychar near Jacob’s well.  The Samaritans were  mixed Jews whose ancestors had intermarried with the Assyrian people used to repopulate the area around 722 BC.  For a Jewish man to be seen talking to a Samaritan would have been scandalous.  To be seen talking to a Samaritan woman would have been unthinkable.  While the disciples were away getting something for lunch, Jesus Christ had an encounter at this famous well with a Samaritan woman that brought new life to her and her neighbors!

At about noon, Jesus was resting by this well when a woman came to draw water.  Jesus said to her, “Will you give Me a drink?”  The Samaritan woman said to Him, “You are a Jew and I am a Samaritan woman.  How can You ask me for a drink?  (For Jews don’t associate with Samaritans.)”  Jesus answered her, “If you knew that Gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked Him and He would have given you living water.” (John 4:7-10)  Jesus initiated a conversation with this woman and she was taken aback.

Jesus sparked her interest with a statement about living water and the gift of God.  She tried to understand how He would be able to get this water without anything to draw it out with.  She asked Jesus if He were greater than Jacob, who dug the well and drank from it.  Jesus then told her, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst.  Indeed, the water I give will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” (John 4:13-14)

Jesus was interested in this woman’s soul and drew her to request this living water.  He then gently told her about her past and she changed the subject.  In the course of the conversation about where to worship, the woman stated that she knew the Messiah would explain everything when He came.  Jesus revealed a special truth to her, “I who speak to you am He.” (John 4:26)  This woman left her water jar and ran to tell her friends and neighbors!  Jesus loved this Samaritan woman and desired to have her in the Father’s kingdom!  Living water draws a crowd!

Scripture reading for March 9th: Mark 14:22-52, Psalms 52:1-9, Proverbs 11:1-3

“While they were eating, Jesus took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to His disciples, saying, “Take it; this is My body.” (Mark 14:22)

Jesus and His disciples were eating the Passover meal together.  Judas had already betrayed Him and He had told them all that one of them had done this.  They were saddened and one by one asked if it was them.  Jesus, in Matthew, actually identified Judas as the one.  (Matthew 26:25)  Jesus knew exactly what had happened and would happen.  He had a plan that the Father had revealed to Him and went about laying out that plan so that His followers would remember Him.

In the breaking of the bread, Jesus was giving the disciples a visual picture of His own body being broken for them.  He first took the bread from the table, then He gave thanks to God for the bread, then He gave it to the disciples with this simple instruction: “Take it; this is My body.” This pattern of taking, thanking, breaking and giving, had been used in the feeding of the 5000 and the 4000 as well.  (Mark 6:41, Mark 8:6)  We have nothing that we have that is not given to us by God.  We must take it willingly for ourselves.   The bread was broken apart and distributed as Christ was Himself broken to be distributed to all who would believe.  This bread of His Body must be taken with thanksgiving because of the sacrifice that it represented. It is a gift from God to all His children to nourish them for eternal life!

The final act was eating or feeding on the bread.  Bread is the staff of life, and is used in almost every culture as a basic food.  Jesus had declared, “I am the Bread of Life.  He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in Me will never be thirsty.” (John 6:35)  “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.” (John 6:51)  When we eat this bread, we join the disciples of Jesus in the true Passover meal!  We are nourished with the Living Bread unto eternal life!  As we eat, we desire to be like Him!

Scripture reading for November 2nd: John 6-8

After the miraculous feeding of the five thousand, Jesus drew a great number of followers.  They followed Him across the lake, and Jesus confronted them with their true motive:  they had eaten the bread and been filled. (John 6:26)  He warned them not to work for bread that spoils, but to seek the food that endures to eternal life, which only He could give them.  The miracle was a sign that God the Father had placed His approval on Jesus the Son.  This prompted them to ask Him, “What must we do to do the works God requires?” Jesus answered, “The work of God is this: to believe in the One He has sent.” (John 6:28-29)

Jesus spent a great deal of time telling His followers about the Father.  Jesus was the Son of God the Father, and knew Him well.  Part of Jesus mission was to reveal the Father to those made in His image.  The miracle of the bread and fish had impressed these followers and brought them the remembrance of the story of Moses and how bread was provided in the desert wilderness.  Jesus pointed out that it was not Moses who gave them bread, but His Father who gives the True Bread.  Jesus Christ, Himself, was this true bread that came out of heaven from the Father.  The True Bread gives life to the world.  These followers had a hard time grasping what Jesus was saying and asked for some of this bread again. “Jesus declared, “I am the Bread of Life.  He who comes to Me will never go hungry, and he who believes in Me will never be thirsty.”" (John 6:35)

Jesus declared to them His Father’s will, “And this is the will of Him who sent Me, that I shall lose none of all that He has given me, but raise them up at the last day.  For My Father’s will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in Him shall have eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day.” (John 6:39-40) Our Father is merciful and draws all men to salvation through His Son.  He has provided true Bread and an eternal thirst quencher!  All we must do is believe on the One He has sent!  It is so simple, yet so profound!  Are you doing the work that provides the Bread of Life?

Greetings on this day of worship and reflection!  God is to be praised for His mercy and long-suffering!  As I think back on the nearly 500 years of history in the Kings and Chronicles, God surely was patient with His people!  He suffered long with their stubbornness.  He waited patiently for them to respond to His prophets and Word.  He punished them, but still His mercy was extended to those who would listen and respond.  They endured wars, captivity, famines, internal bickering and strife while God kept continually offering them His amazing grace!  They only needed to turn to Him in repentance and call on His name and He would hear and answer!  Wow, how long our God bears with us!

As I think about the day we live in, God is still offering the amazing grace of forgiveness!  He is still suffering long and ready to extend His cleansing grace.  All who call out to Him are heard!  He still saves and delivers.  He forgives sin, rebellion and strife when His people repent!  He has sent His people out with a message of good news!  God’s wrath has been satisfied with the blood of His own Son!  Whoever believes can get in on it!  What an amazing display of mercy available to all who will come to Him!

After the trials and tests of this life are over, God promises us full life with Him forever!  This is extreme mercy!  We who were His enemies are now brought near and given a full inheritance!  The same God who foretold the rebuilding of Jerusalem and the Temple, tells us of a new heavens and new earth where we will dwell in righteousness with Him forever!  Go and tell the Good News of God’s amazing mercy!  Have a great week in Jesus Christ!  Love in Him, Pastor John