God is a lot more patient than I am. If I had just saved a whole lot of people from slavery and got grumbling, I’d march them right back. God doesn’t appreciate it either. But He is a lot more careful in how He responds to the people. First, He feeds them. Only then does He start redirecting their behavior.
When God came into our world to be our Savior, He did much the same thing. First He fed a hungry crowd of thousands by miracle; and then, when they wanted more, Jesus redirected them to something better than just bread. He said, “Do not work for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you … This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He has sent. … I am the Bread of Life; whoever comes to Me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in Me shall never thirst. … For this is the will of My Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in Him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day. … No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him. And I will raise him up on the last day. … Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes has eternal life. … I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. And the bread that I will give for the life of the world is My flesh” (John 6:27, 29b, 35b, 40, 44, 47, 51).
Jesus did give Himself up for the life of the world, when He died on the cross; and now that He is alive again forever, He gives us the real life that will last forever. What greater love is there than that?
WE PRAY: Lord Jesus, let me live on You forever. Amen.
This Daily Devotion was written by Dr. Kari Vo.
Reflection Questions:
1. Why does Jesus feed people before giving them hard stuff to think about?
2. What does Jesus mean when He says we need to eat Him?
3. How do we do that?