ESOCS Devotional 28 February 2026 – Divine Enablement
MEMORY VERSE: “And he said, Therefore said I unto you, that no man can come unto me, except it were given unto him of my Father.” John 6:65 KJV
TEXT: JOHN 6:41-END
The Jews then complained about Him, because He said, “I am the bread which came down from heaven.” 42 And they said, “Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How is it then that He says, ‘I have come down from heaven’?”
43 Jesus therefore answered and said to them, “Do not murmur among yourselves. 44 No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up at the last day. 45 It is written in the prophets, ‘And they shall all be taught by God.’ Therefore everyone who [i]has heard and learned from the Father comes to Me. 46 Not that anyone has seen the Father, except He who is from God; He has seen the Father. 47 Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me has everlasting life. 48 I am the bread of life. 49 Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and are dead. 50 This is the bread which comes down from heaven, that one may eat of it and not die. 51 I am the living bread which came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever; and the bread that I shall give is My flesh, which I shall give for the life of the world.”
52 The Jews therefore quarreled among themselves, saying, “How can this Man give us His flesh to eat?”
53 Then Jesus said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in you. 54 Whoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. 55 For My flesh is [k]food indeed, and My blood is drink indeed. 56 He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him. 57 As the living Father sent Me, and I live because of the Father, so he who feeds on Me will live because of Me. 58 This is the bread which came down from heaven—not as your fathers ate the manna, and are dead. He who eats this bread will live forever.”
59 These things He said in the synagogue as He taught in Capernaum.
60 Therefore many of His disciples, when they heard this, said, “This is a hard saying; who can understand it?”
61 When Jesus knew in Himself that His disciples complained about this, He said to them, “Does this [o]offend you? 62 What then if you should see the Son of Man ascend where He was before? 63 It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life. 64 But there are some of you who do not believe.” For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were who did not believe, and who would betray Him. 65 And He said, “Therefore I have said to you that no one can come to Me unless it has been granted to him by My Father.”
66 From that time many of His disciples went back and walked with Him no more. 67 Then Jesus said to the twelve, “Do you also want to go away?”
68 But Simon Peter answered Him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. 69 Also we have come to believe and know that You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”
70 Jesus answered them, “Did I not choose you, the twelve, and one of you is a devil?” 71 He spoke of Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon, for it was he who would betray Him, being one of the twelve.
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Jesus’ statement is a profound reminder that our spiritual nature is unable to reach God on its own. We cannot choose to believe unless God first grants us the ability. It emphasizes the idea that coming to Jesus is a gift from God. The Father’s drawing is a crucial aspect of salvation, underscoring God’s active role in the process of redemption, reinforcing God’s sovereignty in drawing people to Jesus. It highlights that coming to Jesus is not solely a human decision but also a divine initiative and enablement – God’s work in a person’s heart.
Here then is how the Father brings people to Jesus. People are taught by God. Those who hear and actually learn from God will fully come to Jesus. Add in Paul’s statement in Romans 10:17 and it becomes very clear. Those who believe come to Jesus. How do people believe? They hear the word of God — word that came from the Father. This enablement is often connected to the work of the Holy Spirit, who illuminates our minds and draws us to God, prompting us to seek forgiveness and draw closer to Jesus.
We must be humble and recognize our dependence on God for salvation. Our salvation is not earned, but a gift received through faith. We can have confidence that God’s grace is the source of our faith, from beginning to end. When we feel a prompting from God to pray or reach out to others, we should be intentional and respond, as this is also the Father at work.
Jesus is not talking about an arbitrary selection of individuals from before the creation of the world. He is talking about a plan of God that drew people to the truth. It starts with God’s teaching, which then awakens belief in some people who then seek out Jesus with their full hearts.
Salvation is a work of God, from start to finish. When God helps or enables, it’s called a gift of grace. When Grace is gifted to you, you are in return expected to accept it by having faith in Jesus Christ. This involves turning from sin, confessing Jesus as Lord, and believing in your heart that God raised Him from the dead. God then cleanses you, gives you His Spirit, and restores your relationship with Him.
Reflections
- Have you surrendered fully to the drawing and leading of the Father?
Prayer
- Oh Lord, grant me the grace to humble myself and follow the leading of your Holy Spirit.
Further Reading: Isaiah 49:7-13; Amos 6:1-End; 1 Corinthians 11:2-22
ESOCS Devotional 28 February 2026
