p. 9 | Feeding on Christ

Pacific Press Publishing Association · Mountain View, California · Jun 20, 1911

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 38, No. 24.

Feeding on Christ

A Brief Study of John 6

(Concluded)

OUR study of last week extended as far as verse 33. In that study we learned that it mattered mightily whether we trusted to the material thing seen, or the power behind it. Israel of old saw only the manna and Moses, and finally rejected both. Moses and Joshua and Caleb saw beyond the manna to the creative power of God, and grasped God's life in His Word. In fact, God gave the manna that Israel might know that man does not live by bread alone, but "by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of the Lord doth man live." Deut. 8:3. And our Lord demonstrated its truth in His own experience. Matt. 4:4. The same thought is echoed in the inspired songs of the Lord: "Concerning the works of men, by the Word of Thy lips I have kept me from the paths of the destroyer." Ps. 17:4. "Thy Word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against Thee." Ps. 119:11. There are many other passages that speak of its power. Christ Jesus our Lord is that Word Incarnate; and he who by faith embraces Him receives the Word of life inwrought in character, in human flesh and blood.

What therefore did He affirm?

"For the bread of God is He which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world." Verse 33.

What did He reply to their plea for that material bread?

"Then said they unto Him, Lord, evermore give us this bread. And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to Me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on Me shall never thirst. But I said unto you, That ye also have seen Me, and believe not." Verses 34-36.

What assurance did He give to believers?

"All that the Father giveth Me shall come to Me; and him that cometh to Me I will in no wise cast out. For I came down from heaven, not to do Mine own will, but the will of Him that sent Me. And this is the Father's will which hath sent Me, that of all which He hath given Me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day. And this is the will of Him that sent Me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on Him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day." Verses 37-40.

God's will, His holy law, His eternal Word, was wrought in Christ, in order that He might ingraft that Word in others' lives and so save them. James 1:18, 21; John 15:3. Those who come into harmony with Him through that Word, in that Word find life.

After answering the murmuring of the Jews, who saw only the visible, material (verses 41-46), what emphatic statements did He make?

"Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on Me hath everlasting life. I am that bread of life. Your fathers did eat manna in the wilderness, and are dead. This is the bread which cometh down from heaven, that a man may eat thereof, and not die. I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live forever: and the bread that I will give is My flesh, which I will give for the life of the world." Verses 47-51.

God's Word is food, bread, as we have before learned. Deut. 8:3; Matt. 4:4. It is an ancient, eternal truth. "Thy words were found, and I did eat them; and Thy Word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of mine heart." Jer. 15:16. "I have esteemed the words of His mouth more than my necessary food." Job 23:12. God's Word is His bread for His children. In it is all the potency of God, creative, regenerating, healing, keeping. But men would not have it so. They obscured it by falsehood and perverted it by tradition. Then in "the fulness of time" God sent forth His Son, in whose character was wrought out the Word. "The Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us." John 1:14. He was the Incarnate Word, the Infleshed Word. The Word which He had given through all the ages was personified in Him, that man might know what it meant. Whosoever, therefore, partook of that Word, partook of His flesh; for they could only receive it through Him. The fathers ate manna and died; they saw no more than the material bread. He who feeds at all upon Jesus, must partake of His life.

How strongly did He repeat the great truth?

"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 ye eat the flesh of the Son of Man, and drink His blood, ye have no life in you. Whoso eateth My flesh, and drinketh My blood, hath 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 eateth My flesh, and drinketh My blood, dwelleth in Me, and I in him. As the living Father hath sent Me, and I live by the Father; so he that eateth 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 eateth of this bread shall live forever." Verses 52-58.

Even His disciples were blind to His meaning. They saw only the man Christ Jesus. They did not see back of Him the divine and complete Saviour. They stumbled over what they ought to have understood. They could not understand that the Master had come from heaven, or that He would return there.

How plainly does our Lord teach that it is not the gross material which would save, but the Word of God?

"It is the Spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life. But there are some of you that believe not. For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were that believed not, and who should betray Him." Verses 63, 64.

When disciples were leaving our Lord, what clearly shows that Peter grasped the thought of the living Word?

"Then Simon Peter answered Him, Lord, to whom shall we go? Thou hast the words of eternal life. And we believe and are sure that Thou art that Christ, the Son of the living God." Verses 68, 69.

Will we grasp the great truth of the power of God's Word, of the importance of that Word, of the life of that Word,—ever emphasized by prophet and apostle, emphasized and personified by Jesus our Lord? He was that Word in character. In His flesh sin was dethroned, and the living Word reigned. That flesh, His body, lived that Word for us, was broken and crucified for us, in order that the same Word through Him might prevail in us. Thousands have made of the Lord's Supper a fetish, seeing naught beyond the material wafer, and have gone on in sin and folly and selfishness to the end of a triumphless life. Others, with scarce opportunity for a lifetime to partake of the simple ceremony to be observed "in remembrance" of the Incarnate Word (Luke 22:19), do feed daily upon the Word of truth, and live the victorious life, by the Christ-ingrafted Word. For by that Word we are begotten (1 Peter 1:23); by that Word are we cleansed (John 15:3; Eph. 5:26); by that Word we are built up by its effectual working in us through faith (Acts 20:32; 1 Thess. 2:13); that Word through faith in Christ makes wise to salvation, and completely furnishes the man of God "unto all good works" (2 Tim. 3:15-17). That "Word is truth," by which we are crucified through Him (John 17:17-19), belief in which and love of which are necessary to salvation (2 Thess. 2:10-13).

What shall we say more?—"Desire the sincere milk of the Word, that ye may grow thereby." 1 Peter 2:2. Let the Spirit of Christ translate it into character like His, in denial of all that is unlike Him, all that is forbidden by that Word; in implicit, loving obedience to all its injunctions. So shall you feed upon Christ its Giver, and find that Word (for it all came through Him) spirit and life; and the eucharist to you will be a glad remembrance of all that He suffered to bring you to God, while you look beyond to the living Word and His glorious coming.