Psalm 101, 109; Jer. 18:1-11; Rom. 8:1-11; John 6:27-40
The prophet sees Israel as like clay in the hands of a potter, shaping it according to his will and destroying what he has done when it goes awry. The image is then given content to ensure that it is faithfully interpreted. The Lord says that he is like the potter in that he chooses which nations to either bless or curse for their disobedience and that our response matters in both instances. If He announces judgment and the nation or people group repents of their evil then He will relent and if He blesses and the nation turn away from Him, He will bring judgment. The work of the potter is to shape the clay and sometimes that requires the clay to be amended or weakened in order to make it pliable. In the end, He says that He is preparing judgment against Israel and yet gives them an opportunity to repent.
Jesus has just done the very sign they propose, the sign of providing food as Moses had done in the wilderness. They have falsely ascribed to Moses the ability to provide when clearly the Lord had done so. Their response to Jesus offer of true bread from heaven is the same as the Samaritan woman’s in John 4, “Sir, give us this bread always.” Their hunger is for this true bread whether they understand it or not. Jesus says clearly here that He is that bread and belief is the key to life. The time has not yet come for the ultimate sign but it will and Jesus has faith that all that the Father gives to Him will indeed believe and that there are some who will not. Can Jesus satisfy that relentless hunger in our lives that we try and fill with so many other things? He is shaping us so that we will only be satisfied with true bread but if we would see transformation we must cooperate.
What does it mean to be in Christ Jesus? Is it simply believing in Him or is there something more to it? It seems here that Paul is talking about a good bit more than belief, it has to do with living from the Spirit rather than the flesh. There is something measurable about the life of one who is in Christ Jesus, their lives have different characteristics, they are differently motivated and therefore differently shaped. To be in Christ Jesus is to abide in Him and to be allowing Him to control your life as opposed to the desires of the flesh, to allow Him to direct your steps and to see evidence of His Spirit in your life. I would propose that evidence is closely linked to the fruits of the Spirit from Galatians 5 and the contrast Paul presents there. Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.
I am the bread of life
He who comes to Me shall not hunger
He who believes in Me shall not thirst
No one can come to Me
Unless the Father draw him
And I will raise him up
And I will raise him up
And I will raise him up on the last day
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