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Good weekend to you all, my “Walking with Jesus” friends,
6 weeks of time is a long time isn’t it? For many of you it’s been at least that long that this ‘shut down’ of jobs, travel, and large gatherings has been in place.
For the close friends of Jesus that was the length of time between that fateful Passover/Easter weekend, and the final time Jesus said goodbye on the Mount of Olives outside Jerusalem, as He ascended back to heaven. This weekend is midway through that 6 weeks, so it’s not difficult for us to imagine that by now the disciples and women who spent so much time with Jesus, had probably returned back to much of what life was for them before they had traveled with Jesus. There was no government subsidy then. If they were going to eat, they needed to work. For John that meant fishing.
While we have no Biblical record, I am presuming John, James, Peter and Andrew returned to their fishing business during these weeks, always with their eyes open hoping Jesus would show up and give them some guidance as to what they should be doing now. . .but He rarely did. He was giving them time to think, to remember all they had experienced with Him, and try to discern what Jesus would mean in their lives for the rest of their lives,if He wasn’t physically with them. Of course in those weeks there were two important pieces missing for these men. They had not yet received their direct commission from Jesus to make disciples of all nations, nor had the Holy Spirit of God yet been sent to live within them.
So I’m putting myself these days with John, and supposing that while he’s fishing or helping around the house, he’s mulling over all that he remembered Jesus had done and said. I’m looking at some of the things John wrote for us, that no one else recorded. Today, let’s look at John chapter 6.
It was the day after Jesus had fed 5000 men plus women and children, as much as they wanted, with a little boys lunch, that Jesus had miraculously multiplied. Then later that night, Jesus had walked on the waves of lake Galilee, in the midst of a ferocious storm, and come to the terrified disciples and gotten into their boat and calmed the storm with His words! It had been a shocking day and night. As John fished that same lake, I’m sure he replayed that experience in his mind many times.
In John 6:25 John writes that the next morning, the people found Jesus again and Jesus said “I tell you the truth, you are looking for Me not because you saw miraculous signs, but because you ate the loaves and had your full. Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life which the Son of Man will give you. On Him God the Father has placed His seal of approval.”
A meal, no matter how great, satisfies only for a few hours, and we are hungry again, right? These people had been amazed by the food multiplication miracle, but they were getting hungry again, that was yesterday, what about today? That is so much like us isn’t it? Grateful for what God did yesterday, but looking with expectation to see what He will do for us today. Do you see Jesus warning them of the foolishness of spending their lives pursuing that which satisfies for only a moment while disregarding their eternal needs. Jesus knew these people were swarming around Him interested in the miracles… healing sick people, multiplying a boys lunch for a free meal, but they were not very much interested in WHO Jesus really was and what His God given MISSION on earth was! Oh such short sightedness! Do we fall into that same trap my friends?
Notice vs. 28 “Then the people asked Jesus, ‘What must we do to do the work God requires?’ Jesus answered, ‘The work of God is this: to believe in the One He has sent.” We human beings would prefer to do rather than believe. We’d rather earn God’s favor, God’s blessing rather than receive it because we are getting to know and live in relationship with Jesus. Why do we insist on doing things our way rather than God’s way?
The people asked for another miracle, and then remembering the miracle meal they’d eaten the day before, they said “Our forefathers ate manna in the desert; as it is written ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.” (John 5:30,31) These were Jewish people and they cherished their history and their heroes like Moses. But listen to what Jesus said “I tell you the truth, it is not Moses who has given you the bread from heaven, but it is My Father who gives you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is HE who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.
‘Sir, they said, ‘from now on give us this bread.’
I can see John throwing his nets into the water, and thinking through these words. The people wanted Jesus to supply them a daily bread delivery, free… they were totally missing the point of Jesus identifying WHO He is and WHY He had come to them. For John it was like the contrast of nets with a few fish that could be eaten or sold in the market vs. being a close friend of Jesus and experiencing life ‘walking with Jesus’! Why do we so easily settle for short term satisfaction with the practical stuff of life when Jesus offers us life transforming relationship with Him both now and for all eternity?
Jesus said to the people “I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in Me will never be thirsty. But as I told you, you have seen Me but you still you do not believe. All that the Father gives Me will come to Me and whoever comes to Me I will never drive away.” (John 6:35-37)
John had experienced the deep truth of this. His life had been so full when walking and talking with Jesus, when being with Him as His good friend. So much more fulfilling than any meal or any nice catch of fish. Jesus was talking about the deep desires of our lives for fulfillment and contentment, not the satisfaction of a meal or a beverage.
Do you notice the promise of Jesus, that whoever comes to Him and truly trusts Him, Jesus will never turn His back on that person, never reject or abandon that person. A relationship with Jesus does not depend on our performance, our behavior, our attitudes, our words or any accomplishment of ours. A relationship with Jesus is sustained by JESUS, He will hold us, He will carry us, He will sustain us, even when we falter. This is such an important truth my friends, do you grasp it?
John remembered watching Peter deny Jesus and then several days later, watched Jesus having breakfast with Peter and Jesus restored Peter and forgave Peter. John had seen Peter in the depths of shame and despair, confident that because of his denials, Jesus would reject him. John had watched Peter overwhelmed by God’s forgiveness and Jesus’ restoration of their friendship and even restoration into significant assignments from Jesus. Do you see how this statement is a promise from Jesus that your salvation from sin condemnation is God accomplished in response to your faith and trust in Jesus! And that once you’ve fully trusted Jesus, no matter what, Jesus will never turn His back on you, never turn you away! Your salvation is secure in HIM because HE earned it on the cross in His death, and His victorious resurrection seals salvation for all time.
Look closely at what John records that Jesus said next: “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 all that He has given Me, but raise them up at the last day. For My Father’s will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in Him shall have eternal life and I will raise them up at the last day.” (John 6:38-40)
Oh my “Walking with Jesus” friends, this is so powerful and so important.
Do you see four promises from Jesus about the certainty of the salvation He accomplishes in our lives when we fully trust Him?
1. He will never drive away the person who trusts in Him.
2. He will never lose the person who trusts in Him.
3. The Father’s will is that everyone who trusts in Jesus will have eternal life.
4. Jesus will raise up at the last day, any person who trusts fully in Him. This is Jesus’ assurance that HE will take personal responsibility to make sure you get to heaven if you’ve trust in Jesus for your salvation!
Now friends, these four promises are from God and they rely entirely upon Jesus, not upon your behavior, or your attitudes. If you could save yourself, you could unsave yourself. If your salvation depended on you doing something to add to what Jesus has accomplished, then you’d always doubt if you’ve done enough. No my friends, Salvation is completely a work of God accomplished in us in response to our full trust in Jesus and all He accomplished in paying our full sin debt with His atonement death on the cross.
These are precious, priceless words John wrote. I urge you to underline them in your Bible, write your name in the margin of your Bible near these verse and make sure you own them as assurance for your God given, Jesus earned salvation. (1 John 2:2)
Oh Lord Jesus Christ, we are overwhelmed with the truth of this record by John of what You said. We hold tightly to it as assurance truth for us today! Our salvation is complete in You and we can be certain it is safe and secure with You…oh thank You Jesus!
Bible images provided with attribution to www.LumoProject.com.
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Pastor Doug Anderson 262.441.8785
“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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