Wednesday, November 12, 2014

John 6:49

“Remember your ancestors?—they ate manna in the desert and they died just the same.”  John 6:49 EFP

Jesus will not let the people off the hook.  This whole episode is the result of the people traipsing all over the countryside looking for Jesus because they want more bread.  They even make mention of the manna God provided the Israelites when they wandered in the desert.  He did it for forty years!  Why is Jesus not willing to do the same now?

Well, the answer is rephrased here.  Jesus is wanting the people to eat better bread—bread that endures and that will keep them satisfied and fulfilled beyond the few hours after eating it.  The bread they want is like the manna God gave the children of Israel.  They ate that bread, but they all ended getting hungry again and, in the end, dying in the desert.  The bread God provided them had a shelf life.  The bread Jesus is offering now has no expiration date.  It is part of the everlasting life experience Jesus offers.  The miracle of the desert consisted of full stomachs.  The miracle of Jesus’ ministry results in fulfilled lives…forever!  To think of all the times I have sought after things that make my life better, and in doing so, I have overlooked the things that make my life eternal fulfilled and complete.  I’m sorry, Lord.

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