1 Samuel 8:1-9:27
John 6:22-42
Psalm 106:32-48
Proverbs 14:34-35
John 6:28 Then they asked him, “What must we do to do the works God requires?”
29 Jesus answered, “The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent.”
The Jews were focused on following the laws. So they were looking for something to do. We cannot work our way into God's favor. The only work that we can do to be saved is to believe in Jesus.
John 6:35 Then Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.
The history of God sending the mana was very familiar to the Jews. Here Jesus is relating to them that He is greater than Moses and that the bread that the Father provided to their ancestors was temporary and to sustain them in this temporal life. But He is the bread of eternal life that was sent by the Father.
John 6:37 All those the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never drive away.
What Jesus offers is not temporary like the mana. It will never go away and it is given for eternal life not just temporal life sustenance. Anyone who comes to Jesus will never go hungry never thirst and will live for eternity with Him and that can never be lost. It will not change. He will never drive us away or leave us. Just as the Israelites turned from God we too can walk away from Him but He will never drive us away. And He will always be there waiting for us to cry out to Him and return.
Psalm 106:45 for their sake he remembered his covenant
and out of his great love he relented.
When Israel cried out to God when they had turned from him and were living in sin and experiencing the pain and struggles of living apart from God He ALWAYS "remembered his covenant". That covenant was ratified with the blood of animals. Jesus is the new covenant and it is ratified with His blood. His on-time sacrifice covers all who come to Him. As Christians when we turn from God and walk in the ways of the world all we need to do is turn back to Jesus and recommit ourselves to Him and remember all that He did for us. When you think about all that He suffered and all His blood that was poured out as a living sacrifice let it bring you to a place of surrender to Him. Without Him if your blood were to be poured out and you died you would not be raised to life but instead would have an eternity of living apart from God. Turn back to Jesus and the Father will remember His covenant in His great love for you.
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