I am so glad that you and I are spending two weeks studying the life of one of Jesus’s closest friends. There is so much gold to mine in Peter’s life, and he definitely had his hot mess moments like we all do, but he also had these shining beautiful moments of faith. What’s so wonderful about our faith is that we know the Lord is our shepherd. He’s with us in those places where we have no more tears to cry, and he’s with us on top of the mountain, standing by our side cheering us on.
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Transcription:
The Bible is different than any other book you and I will ever read because it tells us that it is alive, it’s living and active. Welcome to the Bible for Busy People. I’m Erica, your host, and I am so glad that you and I are spending two weeks studying the life of one of Jesus’s closest friends. There is so much gold to mine in Peter’s life, and he definitely had his hot mess moments. Like I do, like you do, but he also had these shining beautiful moments of faith, those mountaintop moments we would say. And what’s so wonderful about our faith is that we know the Lord is our Shepherd. He’s with us in those places where we have no more tears to cry, and he’s with us on top of the mountain, standing by our side cheering us on. I want to invite you to open your Bible today to the gospel of John chapter six. The disciples have just experienced two mountaintop moments. Jesus fed the 5,000 people in their presence, and then he walked on water. Well, now they’re going to go to a different place with Jesus, to a deeper place. Now, the people Jesus is going to talk to here in a second are the people who experienced the feeding of the 5,000. That miracle. Keep that in mind and let’s turn to John six beginning in verse 47.
“I tell you the truth, anyone who believes has eternal life. 48 Yes, I am the bread of life! 49 Your ancestors ate manna in the wilderness, but they all died. 50 Anyone who eats the bread from heaven, however, will never die. 51 I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Anyone who eats this bread will live forever; and this bread, which I will offer so the world may live, is my flesh.” 52 Then the people began arguing with each other about what he meant. “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?” they asked. 53 So Jesus said again, “I tell you the truth, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you cannot have eternal life within you. 54 But anyone who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise that person at the last day. 55 For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink. 56 Anyone who eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me, and I in him. 57 I live because of the living Father who sent me; in the same way, anyone who feeds on me will live because of me. 58 I am the true bread that came down from heaven. Anyone who eats this bread will not die as your ancestors did (even though they ate the manna) but will live forever.” 59 He said these things while he was teaching in the synagogue in Capernaum. 60 Many of his disciples said, “This is very hard to understand. How can anyone accept it?”
And I want to pitch a small tent here and say these words must have been strange to hear. You and I have the benefit most of us do of understanding what communion is. If you’re new to the faith we receive Jesus when we receive communion. We receive the little wafer, we receive the little tiny cup of wine or grape juice, and we do that to remember that His body was broken for us, that his blood was spilled for us. It was the greatest act of love ever committed in the history of humanity, and the Son of God did that for us. And so we have the benefit of understanding what communion is. We also have the benefit of knowing what Jesus did for us on the cross. These people had just been part, of or witnessed, a miracle and they wanted more of that bread. And I ask you, how often do you and I go to Jesus asking for the bread that doesn’t last, that doesn’t satisfy, when he so much wants to give us Himself? I want to let you in on a little secret. I actually am rerecording this episode and now I know why. I hear myself saying the words, but I really believe it’s what God wants you and I to hear today.
Lord, I just pray right now in the name of Jesus that we would go to you, that we would take what you want to give us yourself, you satisfy completely and fully. Help us to turn to you and not to other things. Help us to not look to the things of this world to be satisfied, but to go to you, the bread of life and the living water. Hallelujah.
We’re going to pick up our time together. Now, in verse 61.
Jesus was aware that his disciples were complaining, so he said to them, “Does this offend you? 62 Then what will you think if you see the Son of Man ascend to heaven again? 63 The Spirit alone gives eternal life. Human effort accomplishes nothing. And the very words I have spoken to you are spirit and life. 64 But some of you do not believe me.” (For Jesus knew from the beginning which ones didn’t believe, and he knew who would betray him.) 65 Then he said, “That is why I said that people can’t come to me unless the Father gives them to me.” 66 At this point many of his disciples turned away and deserted him. 67 Then Jesus turned to the Twelve and asked, “Are you also going to leave?” 68 Simon Peter replied, “Lord, to whom would we go? You have the words that give eternal life. 69 We believe, and we know you are the Holy One of God.
And there it was another mountaintop moment for our friend Simon Peter. He got it. He understood the message. Imagine all of these followers just walking away. Imagine how Jesus felt. But Simon Peter got it, our friend. He said the right thing. He said something good. You ever feel that’s like, oh, I got something right? He certainly did. I am sure that Jesus needed Simon Peter’s words in that moment, and I just want to encourage you to turn to Jesus right now and say, “You are the bread of life. You are the living water only you can satisfy. You have the words of eternal life.” And he does, and he will supply all your needs. Alright, until next time, you are loved.
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