Thursday, August 24, 2006

Christ alone (part 2)


"It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life." (John 6:63)

What were the words that Jesus spoke to his disciples? We know that He corrects their misconception about the source of manna, they thought Moses brought bread down, Jesus says that is was God who brought bread down from Heaven (v.32). Moreover, Jesus called God 'my' Father instead of 'our' Father - here He asserts His unique relationship to God as His only begotten Son, He is saying in effect that He was God, indeed He is one with the Father anyway.

Jesus also told them that He came from Heaven, that He was that bread of life (v.35; 41; 48; 51). Not that He was a literal bread, nor what is commonly taught by the Romish church, as transubstantiation, for He certainly would not advocate cannibalism - but what He meant by this is that He is the source and sustinance that people need in order to have eternal life, that comming to Him or believing on Him, is to partake of His flesh and blood (look at vs.35).

This also means that through his sacrificial death and shedding of His blood, He can secure for any man eternal life (vss. 51-56). Interesting, through his death, we have life eternal.

These are the words He spoke, and it is no wonder that they are spirtual and life-giving. Jesus Christ alone is sufficient to meet man's need. Nothing else could satisfy our soul's hunger and thirst BUT Christ alone.

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