Believe in the One He has Sent


Greetings in the Lord!

Today's word is a short bit coming from the book of John, chapter 6. 

After the people saw the miraculous sign Jesus did, they began to say, "Surely this is the Prophet who is to come into the world."  John 6:14

The Israelites were waiting for a special prophet, a savior, someone who would overthrow the powers that be in their day and return all of Israel to their autonomous state as in the days of David.  A kind of Moses, if you will, only more powerful.  Well, they were mistaken to that end.  They had already overlooked the "greatest prophet", John the Baptist, and did not recognize who Jesus was either. 

So Jesus clearly explained to the crowd later on that he was the Son of God, the bread--manna--of life.  Their forefathers had eaten manna in the desert, manna provided by God, and now, they should also eat of the "living" manna, Jesus the Christ.  It was a hard concept for them to understand, especially when many in the crowd were just looking for another free meal and did not comprehend the significance of the miraculous feeding of the crowd in the first place. 

By the way, I've also heard this verse, John 6:14, being taught incorrectly to Muslims.  Many are taught that this verse is proof of the coming of Muhammad as the last, great prophet.  Unfortunately, this is not true either.  Jesus was not the Prophet the Israelites were desiring of their day, nor just a prophet in a long line of prophets culminating with Muhammad for Muslims.  No, Jesus of Nazareth was, is, and always will be the Son of God.  By believing in this, and His death and resurrection from the dead, and is now seated at the right hand of God, Jesus promises to give us eternal life with Him.  "The work of God is this: to believe in the one He has sent."  John 6:29  By reading all of chapter 6 of John, we can understand clearly that Jesus was the Son of God who came to give believers eternal life in Him.

Then Jesus says something else of interest:
"No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him, and I will raise him up at the last day."  John 6:44.  Huh?  Come again?  "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....Does this offend you?  What if you see the Son of Man ascend to where he was before?  The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing.  The words I have spoken are Spirit and they are life.  Yet there are some of you who do not believe.  This is why I told you that no one can come to Me unless the Father has enabled him."
John 6:45, 61-65.  

So today, my prayer is to God our Heavenly Father, that He would enable more and more people to come to Jesus Christ; to listen and do the words of God the Father, and to "believe in the one He has sent."  In Jesus' name I pray, Amen.     

~Be blessed and be a blessing.

   

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