ESOCS Devotional 8 January 2023
TEXT: JOHN 6:1-21
MEMORY VERSE: “Then Jesus took the loaves, gave thanks to God, and distributed them to the people. Afterward He did the same with the fish. And they all ate as much as they wanted.” John 6:11 NLT
In our text, a huge crowd followed Jesus by reason of the miracles which He performed. At a point, after feeding them with the word of life, as well as healing their infirmities, He had compassion on them, for they were now weary of hunger. From the five loaves of bread and two fishes available, Jesus gave thanks and then received divine multiplication of the loaves and fishes to feed five thousand people. This was a miracle of creation. It is probable that He performed this miracle to prove to the people that the One who was in their midst, was the Creator of all things (John 1:1-2; Colossians 1:16).
This miracle increased their desire to want to follow Him wherever He went. But Jesus rebuked them, warning them that their only attraction to Him was because of the bread they ate. He cautioned them to be careful of the bread that will perish in no time. He also reminded them of how their ancestors ate manna from heaven in the wilderness, but still died afterwards.
In John 6:50, Jesus introduced Himself as the Bread from heaven, which, if any man eat, he will live unto everlasting life. In John 6:51, He also spoke concerning His Body as that Bread from heaven, which He will give for the life of the entire humanity. In John 6:58, He went ahead to distinguish this Bread from the physical bread that a man may eat, and still die.
Jesus is a direct offer to mankind, as the true Bread from heaven. He is actually the true Bread of life from God, who came to give His life to the world as ransom. In John 6:35, Jesus did not only acknowledge Himself as the Bread of life; He also taught that whoever comes to Him in true faith, shall never be hungry again; and that whoever believes in Him will never be thirsty any longer. Without a doubt, Jesus is the very Bread of life from heaven. Let’s continually eat of this Bread, drink of His blood – through His living word, and pave our way unto life eternal. Jesus is indeed Lord and God forever.
- Would you rather satisfy yourself with the physical bread and languish in a burning hell or
humbly eat of the Bread of Life from heaven, and live forever?
- Lord Jesus, evermore, feed us with this Bread of life.
FURTHER READING: Isaiah 63: 1-19; Isaiah 43: 1-13, Ephesians 5: 1-33
Read Yesterday’s ESOCS Devotional here
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ESOCS Devotional 8 January 2023
