What It Means to be Filled with the Holy Spirit # 9

"And When the Day of Pentecost Was Fully Come" (continued)

So Jesus fed the 5,000. Consequently, when the men who had seen the miracle realized that Jesus could meet their natural and material needs, they wanted to make Him a king, by force if necessary. But Jesus perceived their intent and departed, because He was not to be a king in the old creation. No! He was the True Bread from Heaven! He was the Eternal Life and the Life Sustainer of the New Creation!

Then the people began to look for the Lord Jesus, and when they found Him the next day, He said: "Verily, verily, I say unto you, Ye seek Me, not because ye saw the miracles, but because ye did eat of the loaves, and were filled. Labor not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting Life, which the Son of Man shall give unto you: for Him hath God the Father sealed" (John 6:26, 27).

"Then the people asked Him, "What shall we do, that we might work the works of God?" And Jesus answered and said unto them, "This is the work of God, that ye believe on Him Whom He hath sent" (John 6:28-35). In other words, the Lord was saying, "By grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the Gift of God: not of works, lest any man should boast" (Ephesians 2:8, 9).

Then, even though they had witnessed the miraculous feeding of the 5,000, they asked Him to give them a sign that they might see and believe; and with the feeding of the 5,000 filling their thoughts, they also spoke of the manna their fathers had eaten in the wilderness, "As it is written, "He gave them Bread from Heaven to eat" (John 6:31; Psalms 78:24). Many of the Jews believed that Moses was a redeemer and that he had caused the manna to rain down from heaven. And it was also their belief that the Messiah to come would cause manna to come down from heaven. They were looking for a Messiah who would satisfy their earthly needs and desires.

Again, Jesus knew what was in their hearts, and He said unto them, "Verily, verily, I say unto you, Moses gave you not that bread from heaven; [no that manna came from God, and His next words brings them right to the present time] but My Father giveth (present tense) you the True Bread from heaven. For the Bread of God is He Which cometh down from heaven, and giveth Life unto the world." Then said they unto Him, "Lord, evermore give us this bread" (John 6:32-34).

"And Jesus said unto them,
"I AM the Bread of Life: 
he that cometh to Me shall never hunger;
and he that believeth on Me shall never thirst"...
"Verily, verily, I say unto you,
He that believeth on ME hath everlasting Life."
I AM the Bread of Life". (John 6:35, 47, 48)

~T. Austin-Sparks~

(continued with # 10)