John 6:52-59

John 6:52-59 Then the Jews began to argue sharply among themselves, “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?” Jesus said to them, “I tell you the truth, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. For my flesh is real food and my blood is real drink. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me, and I in him. Just as the living Father sent me and I live because of the Father, so the one who feeds on me will live because of me. This is the bread that came down from heaven. Your forefathers ate manna and died, but he who feeds on this bread will live forever.” He said this while teaching in the synagogue in Capernaum.

Today's scriptures clearly reveal a basic tenet of Christ's message as He walked this Earth. In numerous utterances, Jesus declared his Father sent him to reveal a great salvation plan for all people. He said in verses we studied earlier, I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty. (John 6:35) He further explained, Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. (John 6:46) He continues this dialogue in today's passage: I tell you the truth, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. For my flesh is real food and my blood is real drink. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me, and I in him. Just as the living Father sent me and I live because of the Father, so the one who feeds on me will live because of me. As Jesus was proclaiming for all to hear then, He presents the same message to his church today. He came to Earth and went to the cross through the power of the Holy Spirit within him according to the perfect will of his Father God. So must we live. Our desire must be like his: to do the will of the Father and not our own. As He took up the cross and obeyed the Father, we take up the cross and follow him as He makes us fishers of men.

We accept Christ as Lord, our portion: God's best and only plan for eternal life. We have hope, now and forever. We make an eternal covenant with God to turn from ourselves and to forsake our old sinful nature. We accept his grace gift and come alive through the resurrection power of the Holy Spirit. We do not merely shake hands with the pastor after church and try to do better by being nicer or by avoiding our former bad habits. We say I will follow you Lord as you lead me, for you paid a tremendous price for my freedom. I have perfect peace, glorious joy, and true freedom for the first time in my life. You paid a price I could not pay for a debt you did not owe. I love you and will praise you forever: I will dance and sing praises to your lovely name! Persecuted throughout his entire ministry, Paul could write amazingly positive statements such as these: And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:19) God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. (Colossians1:27) I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge — that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. (Ephesians 3:17-19)

This same apostle understood grace, I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me. He knew he was the chief of sinners and deserved nothing, yet Christ had sought him out and redeemed him with the powerful love of a tender shepherd who never abandons his sheep. He was audacious enough in his commitment to call out to a heathen world lost in dark depravity, to the people who sat in darkness, "Wake up, follow me, as I follow Christ." We offer the exact call to you breakfast friends. We all have difficult life experiences at times. Yes, through everything, in mountaintop experiences and in valleys of doubt or fear, Jesus walks along side each of us, and He says, "Son and Daughter of my Heart, I love you. I paid the price for you. Eat of me, drink of me. I am enough, all you will ever need. Trust me today. I will see you through, even to the end of the age."

As we wholeheartedly commit to Jesus as Redeemer, believing we are NEW CREATURES, the blessed Holy Spirit abides within us. From that time on, Scriptures say we are brothers and sisters in Christ, Children of God. God has made a way for us through his Son, the only Way, the only Truth, the only Life. All other avenues are blind alleys with the blind leading the blind. These pathways end in chaos and destruction. Jesus leads us home to the Father, home forever to life eternal, from darkness to light. The best man can offer is a temporary cleansing or a temporary good feeling, but Jesus gives us eternal peace and a joy that no one can steal away. IN HIM we become more righteous than the Pharisees. In him we stand because his death and resurrection make us whiter than snow, completely acceptable to God. Our own righteousness, our own good works and penance, will never satisfy a righteous God. Jesus did not come to condemn us but to save us. Lean heavily on him--on his words, his finished work. Lean not to your own understanding. He is your righteousness, your everything, your star in the morning. The ticket has been marked PAID IN FULL. Get on board, little children. This train is bound for glory! Amen!