John 6:56-69 (NRSV)
Read John 6:56-69 on biblegateway.com
Verse 56Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood abide in me, and I in them. Verse 57Just as the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so whoever eats me will live because of me. Verse 58This is the bread that came down from heaven, not like that which your ancestors ate, and they died. But the one who eats this bread will live forever." Verse 59He said these things while he was teaching in the synagogue at Capernaum.
Verse 60When many of his disciples heard it, they said, "This teaching is difficult; who can accept it?" Verse 61But Jesus, being aware that his disciples were complaining about it, said to them, "Does this offend you? Verse 62Then what if you were to see the Son of Man ascending to where he was before? Verse 63It is the spirit that gives life; the flesh is useless. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life. Verse 64But among you there are some who do not believe." For Jesus knew from the first who were the ones that did not believe, and who was the one that would betray him. Verse 65And he said, "For this reason I have told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted by the Father." Verse 66Because of this many of his disciples turned back and no longer went about with him. Verse 67So Jesus asked the twelve, "Do you also wish to go away?" Verse 68Simon Peter answered him, "Lord, to whom can we go? You have the words of eternal life. Verse 69We have come to believe and know that you are the Holy One of God."
Devotion
When we deal with life, we always seem to have good reasons for why we do things. We go to school to get a job. We get a job to earn a living. We do things for fun, for love or for health. Those reasons we go to for why we do things have a way of becoming our gods if we trust in them to give us life. Yet, often the very things we seek after for security end up accusing us, judging us and condemning us to death.
Jesus offers us something quite different—he give us himself to eat. He promises us that he will deal with our lives by using mercy and resurrection. Yes, he dies to do that for us, and then he rises from death too! Where shall we go to find such a reason for what we do that raises us from death? Where shall we go to find relief from judgment and death? We go to Jesus, our crucified and risen Lord—and we are not disappointed.
Prayer
Father of Life, fill our hearts with Jesus, so that he becomes the reason we do things. Let him be our God, our forgiver, the one who raises us from death. Let us live as those who forgive. Amen.