John the apostle wrote how Jesus told the people looking for Him, “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. The Jews therefore strove among themselves, saying, How can this man give us his flesh to eat? Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except you eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you. Whoso eats my flesh, and drinks my blood, has eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day. For my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed. He that eats my flesh, and drinks my blood, dwells in me, and I in him. As the living Father has sent me, and I live by the Father: so he that eats me, even he shall live by me. This is that bread which came down from heaven: not as your fathers did eat manna, and are dead: he that eats of this bread shall live for ever. These things said he in the synagogue, as he taught in Capernaum. Many therefore of his disciples, when they had heard this, said, This is an hard saying; who can hear it? When Jesus knew in himself that his disciples murmured at it, he said unto them, Does this offend you? What and if you shall see the Son of man ascend up where he was before?”, and in chapter six and verse sixty-three of his book, John shared how Jesus told His disciples, “it is the spirit that quickens” where we read:
It is the spirit that quickens; the flesh profits nothing:
the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.
The verse reads, “It is the spirit that quickens; the flesh profits nothing:”. John began with the words, “it is the spirit” or “the third person of the triune God, the Holy Spirit, coequal, coeternal with the Father and the Son” “that quickens” which means “that makes alive, invigorates and arouses”; “the flesh” or “the physical body or sensuous nature of man” “profits nothing” which means “is useful, beneficial and advantageous for not one thing”. John shared how Jesus declared it was the “Holy Spirit” of God who makes a person alive because their “fleshly physical body” has no perpetual benefit or advantage.
The verse continues, “the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.” John added the words, “the words that I speak unto you” which means “the utterances, speeches and discourses that Jesus uttered, declared and proclaimed to His disciples”, “they are spirit” or “the words of Jesus are spiritual in nature and possess the power of knowing, desiring, deciding and acting”, “and they are life” which means “and the words that Jesus uttered, declared and proclaimed are real and genuine life which is active and vigorous, devoted to God, blessed, in the portion even in this world of those who put their trust in Christ, but after the resurrection to be consummated by new accessions (among them a more perfect body), and to last for ever.” John shared how Jesus declared His very words to be “true life giving” and “spiritual in nature”.
When we meditate upon John's words in this verse, we learn how Jesus was turning His disciples attention toward things that are “spiritual” and not “fleshly” as they were thinking. There is a “spiritual world” and a “physical world”, and the physical world is temporary whereas the “spiritual world” lasts forever. Jesus came to the world to save people from their sins so they may have an eternal life with God. Those who put their faith and trust in Jesus and believe His words will receive forgiveness of sins and inherit everlasting life with God.
Next time John shares how Jesus tells His disciples, “there are some of you that believe not”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.
Until
tomorrow…there is more…
Look for the daily devotional book
“Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation”, the
marriage book “So, You Want to Be Married”, “One Year in the
Sermon on the Mount” and the new poetry book "Random Mushrooms
Volumes I and II" and the new novel "Elizabeth County"
in all major bookstore sites, http://www.amazon.com
; http://www.barnesandnobles.com
; download to e-books, and find it locally at
www.mrzlc.com/bookstore.
All references are from "Strongs Concordance".
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