The Flow of Life

Lesson #115

With this lesson we will finish the section defined by John 6:52 – 58. We will pick up where Jesus is saying, “As the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so whoever feeds on me, he also will live because of me” (John 6:57 ESV). Jesus has been explaining to us the way we must become partakers of life. The focus has been on him as the source of life; the bread that came down from heaven. We need to expand this focus by going back to the Father. The living Father sent his only Son who took on flesh through the virgin birth. As his only Son, Jesus lives in the flesh of man because of the Father. In his flesh, Jesus speaks of his Father as the source of life, but as the eternal Word Jesus is himself life. The focus here is not the divine nature of Jesus, but in his manifestation to the world, clothed with our flesh.

When Jesus says, “I live because of the Father” he is speaking from his human nature. In the flesh Jesus continues to look back to the Father when he points out divine characteristics within himself. As Jesus looks back to his Father he says that he lives because of him, we must look back to Jesus and say that we live because of him. As Calvin says in his commentary on John, “In the first rank is the living Father, who is the source, but remote and hidden. Next follows the Son, who is exhibited to us as an open fountain, and by whom life flows to us. The third is, the life which we draw from him. We now perceive what is stated to amount to this, that God the Father, in whom life dwells, is at a great distance from us, and that Christ, placed between us, is the second cause of life, in order that what would otherwise be concealed in God may proceed from him to us.” (Christian Classics Ethereal Library, Commentary on John – Volume 1).

Jesus continues by drawing attention the value of this living bread that came down from heaven: “This is the bread that came down from heaven, not like the bread the fathers ate, and died. Whoever feeds on this bread will live forever” (John 6:58 ESV). To summarize this section Jesus again drawn a comparison between the manna the fathers ate and died and the living bread from heaven, which is his flesh, which if eaten would provide eternal life. Jesus plainly states that he is providing a more excellent food than manna because his food, his flesh, comes with life from heaven. This food from heaven is from God and is pure without any earthly corruption. The manna that Moses provided met the physical need of satisfying physical hunger, but left the soul without nourishment. The bread that Jesus is providing satisfies the hunger of the soul. It nourishes us in this life spiritually as we work out our salvation, waiting for our resurrection.

Prayer

Father, just as I must be intentional about proper diet and eating habits, I must also be intentional about my spiritual diet and eating habits. Thank you for your guidance and encouragement over the past 65 years to keep me focused on the Word of God. Thank you for the spiritual health this nourishment from the living bread that came down from heaven has provided. Thank you for the wisdom and understanding this has provided me with over the years.