Bread of Life

In the Old Testament (Deuteronomy 8:3), God was literally showing His people that man couldn’t live by bread alone because life was more meaningful than feeding the body. In the previous verse (Deut. 8:2), God tested the Israelites to see if they would obey His commands. God wanted them to depend on Him and understand His will for their lives. 

In Romans 14:17 (New Living Translation), the Bible says, “For the Kingdom of God is not a matter of what we eat or drink, but of living a life of goodness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.” In the New Testament in John 6:22-40, the passage talks about how Jesus is the true bread from heaven. Moses didn’t give the Israelites the manna mentioned in Deuteronomy 8:3; God did. It is God who gives life to our flesh; not food. 

“The heavenly origin of manna represents the heavenly origin of Jesus, the Word who in the beginning was with God and was God” (Gundry, 2012, p. 305). This passage is a message for me to keep God first. It’s a reminder for me to always recognize that everything that I have comes from the Lord. In Him alone, I move, breathe, and have my very existence! 

Reference

Gundry, R. H. (2012). A survey of the new testament. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan.

Breakfast with Jesus

In John 21:1-14, some of the disciples joined Peter on a late-night fishing mission. But, none of them were able to catch any fish all night. At dawn, they heard a friendly voice call out from the shore with instructions on how to catch some fish. Gracefully, after taking heed, the disciples were able to catch 153 fish in their net without it breaking. Peter recognized that the friendly voice was Jesus’, so he quickly swam to shore to greet him. The disciples sat in silence as Jesus gave them breakfast.

I’m having so much new revelation pop into my head as I read this passage in the NLT version. First, I am now realizing that Peter left his own fishing excursion. Secondly, Peter had strengthened his faith in the Lord because he once was afraid to walk on water, now he’s out in the water again trying to get to Jesus. He had learned how to trust in Jesus! Thirdly, I am just now realizing that Jesus was out there cooking enough fish for all of the men to eat. He was able to catch all of that fish by Himself while the disciples couldn’t catch one! It’s funny how we can read the same thing over and over in the Bible, yet, find something new when God reveals it. It’s obvious that it was there, but we don’t catch it all at once. Doesn’t this sound like this entire fishing trip?! This is a faith thing…

I think that the disciples were thinking about how Jesus had appeared to them in the past. I think they felt ridiculous once again for not recognizing Jesus’ miracles or ‘signs’ after all that they witnessed Him do in the recent past. But, Peter probably felt incredible because he was happy to see Him once more after shamefully betraying Him. 

“John does not tell us why the disciples are back in Galilee, but in fact Jesus had told them to return there, where he would meet them (Mk 14:28; 16:7)” (John 21 Commentary, n.d.). I think that Jesus met them because He was expecting them to remember His plans and have hope in seeing Him again. Perhaps, He was testing their faith?

This passage tells me to always trust God and look to Him for help. It’s also a reminder for me to always keep my mind on Him and reflect on all the ways He has always been there for me. If He’s done it before, He’ll certainly do it again and again! Hallelujah Jesus!

Reference

InterVarsity Press. n.d. Jesus appears again to his disciples. Retrieved from https://www.biblegateway.com/resources/commentaries/IVP-NT/John/Jesus-Appears-Again-Disciples