Hello, my “Walking with Jesus” friends on this Thursday,
I wonder what metaphoric, descriptive words you have heard people use to describe YOU? Are you perhaps compared to a ‘bull in a China shop’ or ‘strong as an ox’ or ‘smooth as silk’? I left you yesterday in a crowd of people listening to Jesus as He was describing Himself with words His disciples had never heard Him use. Jesus said, “I am the bread of life!” (John 6:35) Jesus had compared Himself to the manna which God sent every morning from heaven to keep 1 million people alive in the desert as they wandered with Moses, remember? (Exodus 16)
The day before Jesus had fed 5000 men along with thousands of women and children with one little boy’s lunch, remember? (John 6:1-15) So when Jesus next said “Whoever comes to me will never go hungry and whoever believes in Me will never be thirsty” (John 6:35) the people were left scratching their heads! What was Jesus talking about?
Surely, Jesus was not promising He would DAILY provide a free lunch for every person in Israel nor was He talking about cannibalism. So, what could Jesus possibly mean by these words? Today let’s listen closely and dig deeply for what Jesus said has huge implications and provides enormous hope for those who understand Him.
Jesus next said: “All those the Father gives Me will come to Me, and whoever comes to Me I will never drive away!” (John 6:37) Oh my, do you hear some powerful claims and promises from God in those words? I do!
First: Jesus is declaring that God the Father draws us to Jesus!
It means when God designed us human beings, He did so with a natural spiritual hunger that can only be quenched fully in a relationship with God, especially through Jesus Christ.
Sadly, most people try to quench that deep soul yearning with all types of things, but Jesus is saying here that when we find ourselves seeking God; wanting to know and understand Jesus; pursuing a relationship with Jesus, that is EVIDENCE that GOD Himself is working in us, awakening that spiritual hunger!
Now you and I both know what it’s like to try and satisfy our deepest desires with things money can buy; or the applause of people in appreciation of our accomplishments; or manmade things we can eat or drink; or even man-made entertainment which will temporarily please us.
But we all know those things quickly fade in their significance and temporary fulfillment. Because God designed us in His image, ONLY a loving relationship with God our creator will fulfill those deepest desires for the long term! That’s what Jesus is declaring here as He explains that God the Father draws people to find their fulfillment in Jesus!
But did you also hear the promise of Jesus that: “whoever comes to Me I will never drive away!”? In our world filled with people who have been rejected or abandoned, refused or abused by people who should have loved them, especially their own families, can you imagine the HOPE Jesus is promising here?
That WHOEVER comes to Jesus will NEVER experience God’s rejection or God’s abandonment! Jesus is describing the unconditional, unwavering LOVE of God HE promises for the human race He created in His image.
This is one of the most profound promises found anywhere in the Bible. This is a rock of certainty upon which to build a never-ending relationship. This is a blanket of security to wrap around yourself whenever you feel disappointed by the broken promises of people. Once you’ve come to Jesus fully trusting HIM, Jesus will NEVER, ever turn away from you, NEVER!
I wonder if Jesus could see disbelief in the eyes of those to whom He was speaking that day? And so, Jesus continued with another profound promise: “For I have come down from heaven not to do My will but to do the will of Him who sent Me. And this is the will of Him who sent Me: that I shall lose NONE of those He has given me, but I will raise them up at the last day.” (John 6:38,39)
Do you hear three more very powerful assurances from Jesus to all of us?
First… Jesus is clearly claiming that He came to earth from heaven where He had been from before time began, before the creation of the world! John confirms that in writing John 1:1-4,14 & 1 John 1:1-3.
Second... Jesus came here to earth on an assignment from God the Father. What assignment? To incarnate among us humans; live a sinless life; proclaim and explain God’s truth; die an atonement death so the human sin debt with God could be paid for any person; then rise from the dead and return to heaven to resume His heavenly reign! Now pause and ponder that. Do you see how Jesus accomplished EACH of those key ingredients of His God given assignment?
Third... Jesus accomplished His God given assignment fully and perfectly, and therefore anyone and everyone who trusts in Jesus for their rescue from their sin bondage and sin condemnation will NOT be eternally punished with sin separation from God, that’s ‘Perish’! (John 3:16,17) Rather we who come to Jesus will be eternally UNITED with God in heaven where Jesus is, for Jesus promised “I will come and take you to be with Me so that you may be where I am…” (John 14:1-3)
Jesus is here assuring all, who come to God through Jesus, that HE will assume personal responsibility that they will NOT be lost along the way but rather that Jesus will assure that they arrive in heaven with Him for all eternity. In fact, Jesus promised to the crowd on that beach that day “I shall lose NONE of those the Father has given me, but I will raise them up at the last day!”
Now my “Walking with Jesus” friends, no matter where you are in the world. Have you claimed and are you living in the God given certainty of these promises from Jesus? I have three closing, very important questions for each of us to consider…
1. Has God the Father awakened in you a hunger for an eternal relationship with God through Jesus Christ? Have you quenched that hunger with other things or have you followed God’s draw and come to Jesus?
2. Are you living daily in the certainty that you are trusting Jesus’ promises and HE will NEVER drive you away? Jesus will NEVER abandon or reject you!? Jesus will never LOSE you in the huge crowd of humanity?
3. Are you fully confident that because you have entrusted your life to Jesus then Jesus Himself will assume personal responsibility to raise you up to heaven with HIM when your earthly journey is complete?
If you have any confusion or uncertainty about those questions, please send me an email, I want to help you!
More, very important, ‘lessons learned’ notes are in the link just below, and a worship song of course, and I’ll be waiting here for you tomorrow because Jesus said yet more, very important things which we need to understand.
Today’s Scripture: John 6:35-39.
Choose below to read or listen.
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Bible images provided with attribution to www.LumoProject.com.
Have a comment or question about today’s chapter? I’m ready to hear from you, contact me here.
Pastor Doug Anderson
“Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, with our eyes fixed on Jesus…” (Heb. 12:1,2)
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