Bread and Water of Life

The Bread and Water of Life

John wrote his gospel account of Jesus entirely different from the Synoptic gospel writers. It is remarkable to see the many portraits he paints in writing of the Savior. Among these, the apostle portrays Jesus as “the bread of life” and “the water of life”—two things necessary for survival physically and spiritually (which is the form he uses in his gospel— pitting physical events with spiritual lessons). In John 4:14, Jesus offers the water of life to the Samaritan woman. Later,

jesus is the bread of life

Jesus is the Bread of Life.

In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink. He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water” (John 7:37-38).

Also, Jesus claimed to be the bread of life:

he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst…I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world. (John 6:35, 51)

From this picture, notice several lessons. Jesus is the source for the bread and water of life. If we are to find this bread and water of life, we will find them only in Jesus Christ. No one can find the bread and water of life in any other source, yet millions are looking for them in all the wrong places—denominationalism, humanism, hedonism, and such like.

The bread and water of life are conditional: “he that cometh to me…he that believeth on me” (John 6:35). Notice the importance placed in a distinction between physical and spiritual bread and water:

Labour not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life, which the Son of man shall give unto you: for him hath God the Father sealed. (John 6:27)

This bread and water of life must be eaten—it is not enough just to possess these. Jesus said, “…if any man eat this bread, he shall live for ever…” (John 6:51). How many children of God possess the bread and water of life (Bible), but rarely sustain their souls by consumption of God’s truth? We must sustain ourselves spiritually every day—be a daily Bible reader!

This bread and water of life are complete in sustenance. As promised, one who partakes in these necessities will never hunger or thirst again. He continued to speak in spiritual rhetoric to emphasize the spiritual over the physical when he said,

Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you. Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day. (John 6:53-54)

This bread and water of life give eternal life. The Samaritan woman was promised “a well of water springing up into everlasting life” (John 4:14). This “true bread from heaven” (John 6:32) is such, “that a man may eat thereof, and not die” (John 6:50).

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Fascinated with Death?

Does Death Fascinate You?

Every year at about this time our televisions and movie theaters are bombarded with all manner of scary movies and shows filled with ghosts, ghouls, goblins – you name it.  Movies depicting some force of evil torturing, mutilating, and murdering some unfortunate person (or people) are especially popular around Halloween.  In every generation it seems that man has had a morbid fascination with death, and many of the longstanding traditions and superstitions that now exist in many cultures are evidence of this fact.

fascinated with death

Fascinated with death?

The Bible certainly speaks of death and gives us a few hints as to what happens when a person dies (e.g., Lk. 16:19-31); in fact it even records some very interesting and bizarre events surrounding death (e.g., 1 Sam. 28:3-19; 2 Kings 13:21); and all of these
events were made possible because of the power of God.  That should be sufficient, yet man is not content with that; he wants to know more than what God revealed about death.  Because of this, fiction is often confused with fact and speculation becomes
the standard for what is the truth instead of God’s word.  The fact is the Bible just doesn’t say as much as we would like it to say about death.  Friends, let us be content with this: “The secret things belong to the LORD our God, but those things which are revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law” (Deut. 29:29).

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Call of the Cross

The Call of the Cross

Why did Jesus, facing death in Jerusalem, insist on going up to the famous city? Luke tells us, “when the time was come that he should be received up, he steadfastly set his face to go to Jerusalem,” (Lk. 9:51).

why did he go to the cross

Why Did He Go to the Cross?

Why? It was because He heard the call of the cross!

It was a call from God. God sent Him into the world to “seek and save the lost.” If he had turned back, he would have been untrue to the purpose of God. He was teaching us what God was like. So, at the heart of God is a cross. This is the nature of the universe-one where there is suffering. Man could not redeem himself; it took God’s own Son. He knew no sin; he was the “lamb without blemish”; he was the pure one. And he died for us!

It was the call of the world. The philosophy of the world is, “Lord it over the other fellow.” We think meekness is weakness, so we fight back. The cross is not for us. But deep down, the world wants the cross too. We feel the guilt in our own souls, for we put this strange man upon the cross. And we cry for forgiveness from sin and find it in the cross.

It was the call of the future. Jesus looked down the vista of years and saw the needs
of men in all ages. They needed salvation; they needed God; they needed what the cross could do for them-and so he went to Jerusalem. Earlier he had said, “And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me” (Jn. 12:32). Do you not see Jesus Christ there crucified upon a tree, giving his life for you and does that not draw you
to him today?

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Confession, Death, and Exaltation

Confession, Death, and Exaltation

In Luke 22:66–71 Jesus is lead before the Sanhedrin Council and asked if He were indeed the Christ. He responds by asking them if they will believe anything He has to say or if they will release Him if he answers their question. Jesus’ response is rhetorical; He knew, and they knew, the answer. The Lord then states the following truth, “Hereafter the Son of Man will sit on the right hand of the power of God.”

Obviously frustrated, and somewhat taken aback, by the Lord’s response the council modifies their original question by asking, “Are You then the Son of God?” Jesus’ reply will cost Him His life, “You rightly say that I am.” The council chamber is filled with the sound of shock and dismay over the blasphemous words they had just heard. This Man had just exalted Himself to equality with the one true and living God (Exodus 3:14). Had it been any other it would have indeed been blasphemy; the penalty for such a crime was death.

There are several things one should consider from this text. Jesus knew that His confession would lead to His death (Matthew 17:12; Luke 9:22). But He also knew that His obedience to the Father would result in His ultimate resurrection and exaltation. The process herein sets an example that is imperative for every man to follow if he wishes to have eternal life.

Confession: Just as Jesus confessed that He was the Christ, the Son of God, we too must make the same confession. The Ethiopian Eunuch stated, “I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God” (Acts 8:37). That confession is essential for everyone who wishes to have everlasting life (Romans 10:9; 1 John 4:15)! Jesus stated clearly, “Therefore whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven. But whoever denies Me before men, him I will also deny before My Father who is in heaven” (Matthew 10:32–33). This confession is to be made both in word and in action. The sobering words of the apostle Paul should serve all as warning enough, “As I live, says the LORD, every knee shall bow to Me, and every tongue shall confess to God” (Romans 14:11).

Death: Yet contrary to popular, ecumenical teaching a confession of the truth that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, is not in and of itself enough to save anyone. As mentioned previously the confession is not limited to a verbal affirmation of the truth, but the life one lives. Even as Jesus knew that His confession would lead to His death we must realize that the confession we make necessitates our death. Paul said he died daily (1 Corinthians 15:31) and Jesus demanded, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will save it” (Luke 9:23–24). This death demands that one puts away his own selfish desires and be obedient to the will of God (Romans 6:3–6).

Resurrection and Exaltation: The previous verse in Romans 6 assures us that if we are planted in the likeness of His death then we shall also be in the likeness of His resurrection raised up. In 1 Corinthians 6:14 we read, “And God both raised up the Lord and will also raise us up by His power.” Jesus was indeed exalted following His death as He foretold (Philippians 2:9) and God will exalt all those who will humble themselves and follow in His steps (1 Peter 5:6; James 4:10).

Have you confessed the name of Jesus with your words and actions before both God and men, or are you ashamed to confess Him as your King? Have you died to self and been buried with Him in baptism? Do you live each day with the hope and expectation of being resurrected and exalted? Jesus knew what the confession He made would bring and was willing to go there for you…are you willing to go there for Him? Eternal life demands that we do!

Be faithful!

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Mistaken Thought

It Was Not What They Thought

Solomon said, “There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death” (Prov. 14:12). Many live their lives oblivious to the result. Paul said, “What fruit had ye then in those things whereof ye are not ashamed? For the end of those things is death” (Rom. 6:21). Yet, some are living their lives thinking something completely different from what God intends. The prophet Jeremiah said, “O Lord, I know that the way of man is not in himself: it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps” (Jer. 10:23). The choice before all is either to walk by faith or to walk by sight (2 Cor. 5:7). The danger for countless millions is that they think one thing, but later come to find out that it was not what they thought. Let me offer a few biblical illustrations.

is your thought mistaken

Is Your Thought Mistaken?

Naaman thought, but it was not what he thought. In Second Kings 5, he wanted to be cured of his leprosy. He traveled from Syria to Israel to the doorstep of the prophet Elisha. Yet, when one of Elisha’s messengers sent simple instructions to immerse in the Jordan River seven times to be cured, he “was wroth.” He angrily went away “and said, ‘Behold, I thought…’” (2 Kings 5:11). Sure, he thought Elisha would come out instead of sending a messenger. He thought Elisha would stand and flamboyantly “call on the name of the Lord his God.” He thought Elisha would extravagantly strike or wave “his hand over the place,” and then he would be cured. He thought, but it was not what he thought!

Simon thought, but it was not what he thought. The former sorcerer/fraud was truly converted by the preaching of Philip along with the other Samaritans, because he “himself believed also: and when he was baptized….” No doubt, he “wondered, beholding the miracles and signs which were done” (Acts 8:13). Yet, when Peter and John came to lay hands on these new Christians to receive the Holy Ghost, Simon, seeing this taking place, offered them money to purchase this same ability. He thought that he could purchase the gift of God with money, but it was not what he thought. He thought he was beginning his life as a new creation in the right way, but it was not what he thought. In other words, once again, he thought, but it was not what he thought.

By means of application today, many think that the church of Christ is a denomination, but it is not what they thought. Christ built just one church (Matt. 16:18), beautifully arranged and adorned in the fashion that He desired, detailed in the New Testament by a divine pattern of organization, manner of worship, terms of entrance, and such like. Many think that they can spiritually live divisively, but it is not what they thought. Many have preconceived ideas about how we should do things religiously, or how God should do things spiritually. Many think, but it was not what they thought! Therefore, may we all learn to trust God and do things precisely as He has requested. Only then will we avoid thinking the wrong way! Only then will I avoid the vivid scenario to come in the Judgment Day of waking up in hell, only to realize, “I thought, but it was not what I thought!”

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