Taught by God

DEVOTION

THE GOSPEL OF JOHN

TAUGHT BY GOD

John 6:41-51

41 At this the Jews began to grumble about him because he said, "I am the bread that came down from heaven."  42 They said, "Is this not Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How can he now say, 'I came down from heaven'?"

43 "Stop grumbling among yourselves," Jesus answered. 44 "No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him, and I will raise him up at the last day. 45 It is written in the Prophets: 'They will all be taught by God.' Everyone who listens to the Father and learns from him comes to me. 46 No one has seen the Father except the one who is from God; only he has seen the Father. 47 I tell you the truth, he who believes has everlasting life. 48 I am the bread of life. 49 Your forefathers ate the manna in the desert, yet they died. 50 But here is the bread that comes down from heaven, which a man may eat and not die. 51 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." 

NIV

So we just were told to look to the Son and we would live, that he is the bread of life that came down from heaven. Now the Jews could not accept this as all they could see is who he was in the flesh. All they could see is that he is the son of Joseph and Mary, another human being, just like them. Once again Jesus makes this statement that would seem the Calvinists could make into their reason to believe the way they do. Jesus says no one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. This does mean the Father is the reason people come to Jesus. But we have to remember that the entire Old Testament, which the Jews have, speaks all about Jesus. The Father has been showing them and drawing them toward Jesus all along, but they cannot see it. Jesus tells them that is exactly what has happened. He tells them those who are drawn to Jesus will be those who have read and understand the Prophets as Jesus quotes, “They will be taught by God”. If anyone listens to the Father and learns from Him, comes to Jesus. That it is, it is not about the Father choosing who he draws to Jesus, but it is whoever listens and learns from the Father will come to Jesus. If someone refuses to listen to God and refuses to learn from the Father, they will not come to Jesus. Somehow, and we cannot be sure exactly, but we had to have listened and learned for we did come to Jesus. We heard the word from the mouth of another believer, we never read the word until we came to Jesus and then we consumed the word. Perhaps that is what Jesus means when he said he is the bread of life and this bread is his flesh. Is Jesus speaking metaphorically? It would seem, as we will see next, he has to be, because he tells them if they do not eat his flesh and drink his blood, they will not have life. Us moderns have made so much of this as far as how we engage in the doctrine or act of communion. Some have taken on the doctrine of transubstantiation, meaning the host actually becomes the flesh and blood of Jesus. Others just see the bread or waver and wine, or grape juice as emblems or symbols of his flesh and blood, as he did when he used them as such when he ate the last meal with his disciples. What this comes down to, at least for us, is the only way to fully understand is to be taught by God. We have all sorts of traditions that men can teach us and those traditions may not bring anyone to Jesus, but only to some sort of religious exercise, which may be based on some truth of scripture, but not all truth, as God would teach us.  What also comes to mind is many might come to Jesus, but how many will take of the bread of life, consume the word, learn from God and see Jesus as their only hope of eternal life, accepting him as Lord and Savior. The proof of that is seen in how so many say they believe in God, but in reality, do not believe God. They do not believe they need to be born again. As long as they are good people, believe in God, they are going to heaven. How is that possible? It’s not. Unless we come to Jesus and eat of the bread of life, we will not go to heaven. We have to not just believe in God, we have to believe God, listen to him and be taught by God.