Bread and Wine (John 6:41-59)

Today's scripture: John 6:41-59

We followers of Christ regularly celebrate the Lord's Supper or communion. During this solemn ritual, we often hear the words Jesus spoke to His disciples on Passover, just before His betrayal and arrest. He told them to eat the bread and drink the wine as a memorial to Him (see Luke 22:17-20).

This certainly wasn't the first time Jesus described Himself as bread and wine. In today's verses, He calls Himself "the living bread." He continues, "... if anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever; and the bread also which I will give for the life of the world is My flesh.”

We read these words, and sometimes, we just skim over them. But perhaps it's wise to (pardon the pun) chew on them a bit.

We have few true needs in life. We don't need iPhones or iPads. We don't need fancy cars or big homes or the latest trendy clothes. We do need food, liquids, and shelter. Jesus provides both spiritual food and liquid.

Now one might argue that wine isn't the preferred beverage, but in His time, water wasn't always safe to drink, so they would drink wine. So when Jesus spoke of bread and wine, His listeners understood he was talking about sustenance.

Our souls need Jesus. We need Him in our lives, in our hearts. We need to be His temple and learn from Him. We need to eat the bread He offers. And when we do this, we can be confident that He will draw us to Him. In fact, He promises to "abide" in us. Without Him in us, we have "no life." With Him, however, we have eternal life.

Spend time each day having a spiritual meal. Chew on God's word. Listen to His voice. Drink the goodness of grace.

Abide in Jesus today.

Truth (John 6:22-40)

Today's scripture: John 6:22-40

Jesus came to earth to reveal truth. We live in a society that questions if there even is absolute truth. What's true for me may not be true for you. Whatever another believes is okay whether I agree or not.

I respectfully disagree.

According to Mirriam-Webster Dictionary, truth simply means "the state of being the case: fact." That's a pretty clear definition. What is the case is fact and is truth. The fact is that I'm married to Russ, and we just celebrated 25 years. That is fact. That is truth.

Jesus' tenure on earth is fact. Not only does the Bible, an historically-proven book, prove the fact of Jesus' existence, but extra-biblical texts also support this fact. This is proven fact. It is truth.

If it's true that Jesus came to earth, then we can believe the truth of why He came. He came to provide salvation for any and all who choose to follow Him. He came to give us eternal life. As He told His listeners: "For this is the will of My Father, that everyone who beholds the Son and believes in Him will have eternal life, and I Myself will raise him up on the last day."

We can trust "the state of being the case" of the word of God. We can trust in the truth of Jesus. We can trust His words.

Because they are truth.

"Do Not Be Afraid" (John 6:15-21)

Today's scripture: John 6:15-21

"It is I; do not be afraid."

The scene is familiar to many of us. Jesus has gone off by Himself, which He often did. The disciples go out to sea. And then a "strong wind" hits. The boat is tossed, and the disciples are thrown about.

As one might expect, the disciples are frightened.

Then, a figure appears on the water. It's Jesus ... walking on the water!

He draws near and says, "It is I; do not be afraid."

They invite Him into the boat, and suddenly, they're at their destination.

So often, we're in a rickety boat on a wind-blown sea. We're flung from side to side, and we can barely get a grip on a rope or mast. We fear we'll be thrown over the edge.

Then a quiet voice: "It is I; do not be afraid."

We're never alone in the storm. We're never really at risk to topple into the roiling waves. And even if we do fall, He'll lift us up. As God spoke through the prophet Isaiah, "When you pass through the waters, I will be with you ..." (43:2)

Finally, while sometimes Jesus doesn't immediately calm the wind and take us to our destination, we can be confident that He's with us. He will never leave us, never desert us (Hebrews 13:5). And because of this confidence, we don't need to fear any storm, any wind.

Are you in a storm today? Is the wind raging? Are the waves crashing? Look up. Look to Jesus, and hear Him say, "It is I; do not be afraid."

Meals and Relationships (John 6:1-14)

Today's scripture: John 6:1-14

I love food. All kinds of food. And even though my diet is a bit limited, I still enjoy sitting down and enjoying a good meal with family and friends. There's something about the "event" of a meal that makes me very happy.

Jesus' feeding of the 5000 (plus women and children) makes me smile. Not only because it was a miracle—and it certainly was—but also because it illustrates His heart for relationship.

Picture it: A huge crowd of people has come to listen to Jesus speak. Some have come with their families. Others are there with friends. Still others may be all alone.

It's been a long day, feasting on the words of the Teacher. They're all feeling spiritually fed. But now stomachs begin to rumble and grumble. It's well past lunch time. No one wants to leave, however. They might miss something.

"Did you bring any lunch?" one questions another. "No snacks? No fruit?"

What to do ...

Then a murmur spreads through the masses. Jesus is telling them to sit down and wait. In what seems just a matter of moments, disciples come by with baskets full of fish and bread. Everyone takes enough to be comfortably fed.

As they eat, people begin to chat with one another, finding topics of common interest, making new friends. They talk of the coming planting season or the best places to fish. They talk about family backgrounds and future hopes.

Then another murmur begins.

"Did you hear?" "Hear what?" "All this food came from just a handful of fish and a few loaves of bread!"

"Seriously?!" "Yes! Jesus has performed another miracle! A miracle to feed us!" "Yes, and a miracle to unite us."

In our busy world, sitting down to a meal with others can be its own miracle, in a sense. But Jesus still provides us with food to sustain our bodies. He also provides us with relationships to sustain our hearts.

The next time you join friends or family for a meal, thank Jesus for the food, certainly, but also thank Him for the ones with whom you're sharing that meal.

Another Witness (John 5:39-47)

Today's scripture: John 5:39-47

Yesterday, we looked at some things that witness to the truth of Jesus. Today, another witness is brought to the "stand": Scripture.

The Bible is a witness to Jesus. The "scarlet thread" of salvation weaves its way through both the Old and New Testaments. From Genesis, where the Father promises that Jesus will one day "bruise the head" of Satan (Genesis 3:15), to Revelation, where Jesus promises to "come quickly" (Revelation 22:20), the story of Jesus is revealed,

Some say that the Bible isn't true, that it's just another book, but when one investigates it by the standards of literary verification, she finds that it meets those standards:

The Bible has proven to be more historically and archaeologically accurate than any other ancient book. It has been subjected to the minutest scientific textual analysis possible to humanity and has been proven to be authentic in every way ... Historical evidence routinely includes ancient literature, business records, and government documents, analyzed in conjunction with linguistics, geography, and archaeological analysis of physical objects (pottery, coins, remains of buildings, etc.), using forensic science techniques. After many millions of man-hours of research and evidence analysis, archaeology has repeatedly confirmed the reliability of the Bible. The Bible has been proven geographically and re-proven historically accurate, in the most exacting detail, by external evidences. (Institute for Creation Research)

Since the Bible is historically accurate, we can trust its truth. We can trust that Jesus is who He says He is. He is God the Son. He lives today. And He will one day return for His church. Those of us who trust in Him as our Savior will spend eternity with Him.

We can believe in this witness because it is true. We can we believe in Jesus because He is truth.

The Preponderance of the Evidence (John 5:31-38)

Today's scripture: John 5:31-38

Jesus begins today's verses by stating a fact: One cannot bear witness about himself. In a court of law, other witnesses are needed to prove a person's innocence or guilt.

Jesus has many other witnesses that prove both His humanity and His divinity.

Although many deny it, Jesus is a true, historical person. He was a real, flesh-and-blood man when He walked the earth. The New Testament, most of which was written within just a few decades of His life on earth, is one witness. In addition, secular historians, such as Josephus, prove that Jesus did indeed live.

And the fact that all but two of the original disciples (Judas Iscariot committed suicide in remorse for having betrayed Jesus, and John died of old age ... although one could argue for his martyrdom because of his exile to Patmos) died for their faith in Jesus bears witness to the truth of His divinity.

Today's verses talk of three witnesses to the truth of Jesus' being both man and God.

John the Baptist was instilled from birth with the message that the promised Messiah had come, and that Messiah was Jesus Christ. Jesus was flesh, yes, but He was also divine.

The works that Jesus did while on earth bore witness to His being God. He healed the sick, made the blind to see, gave strength to crippled limbs, and raised the dead to life. More importantly, He forgave sin. Only God can do that.

The Father Himself (remembering we believe in a triune God) was a witness to Jesus being God the Son. For those who sought truth, such as the disciples, the Father revealed that truth through Jesus. And the same is true today: If we seek truth with open hearts, we will find it as the Father reveals it to us.

In a civil court, the preponderance of the evidence points to either innocence or guilt. In the case of our Lord Jesus, many witnesses point to the truth: Jesus did live. He did walk this earth in human form. And if that's true, then we can confidently believe the rest. He did perform miracles. He did forgive sin.

Most of all, He did die a sacrificial death to pay the penalty for our sins. For your sins. For my sins.