Devotion by Mike Geiger originally published August 27, 2012 on www.whataboutjesus.com
For this week’s Sermon from Cross & Crown (CLICK HERE)
51 I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. This bread is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.” (John 6:51)
“What’s for dinner?” “I’m hungry!” “Can we stop for something to eat?” Each day Americans spend 67 minutes eating or drinking as their primary activity and another 23 minutes eating or drinking while doing something else… an hour and a half…each day.* Wouldn’t it be good if someone could invent food that could sustain us longer than a few hours?
We are blessed in America to have many options for food. People in other countries crave just enough to keep them alive. Food is what our bodies need…yet, even with food…even good food…we eventually die.
How strange it would be if there was a link at the end of this devotion to say, “CLICK HERE FOR FOOD YOU EAT AND WILL LIVE FOREVER.” You may click on it out of curiosity to see what scam was making money off a cheap marketing ploy. We all know there is no food that you can eat and live forever…or is there?
Jesus shocks the normal paradigm with the claim, “I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats this bread, he will live forever” (John 6:51). What? Really? Could it be?
Jesus knows that we were created by God to live forever in a perfect relationship with God. Sin ruined that and now even though we eat, we still die. No longer would the good food of creation sustain life forever. While much food is very good, it will never provide for our deepest need…our spiritual hunger. We need a solution to get rid of our guilt, overcome physical and eternal death, and give us any hope of giving account to a perfect God. We could never find it, yet Jesus provided it.
He gave himself for the life of the world. His actions were perfect…for you. His physical death was in payment for sins…yours. His resurrection assures us that as he now lives, body and soul, we too will live.
This is Jesus’ promise to you. Believe it. Enjoy “eating” of him every day. Take in his teaching from the Bible. Learn more about who Jesus is and what he’s done for you. “He who feeds on this bread will live forever!” (John 6:58).
Oh, and click on this link to read more: CLICK HERE FOR FOOD YOU CAN EAT AND LIVE FOREVER!
Prayer: Dear Jesus, thank you for giving yourself, your life, your death, your resurrection for me. Help me to carve time in each day to “taste” how good you through the pages of the Bible. Nourish my soul through this spiritual food so when my earthly life ends, I can have the confidence I will live with you forever!
*Opening statistics quoted from http://blogs.usda.gov/2011/11/22/how-much-time-do-americans-spend-eating/