"Just as the living Father sent Me and I live because of the Father, so also the one who feeds on Me will live because of Me."1
This "living" Jesus speaks of is eternal or everlasting Life but what does this mean? Is this life an after life in heaven as traditionally taught or something we begin to experience here on earth? We read that Life is in knowing, a personal experience, "this is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent."2 We receive the Spirit of life when we first believed, but the true disciple of Christ is known by abiding, these have learned that Life is in eating the bread of Life and drinking living water. Life is in Christ, all else has become as rubbish but to know Christ, and the Life he gives, "so also the one who feeds on Me will live."
"So He said to the Jews who had believed Him, “If you abide in My word, you are truly My disciples. and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”3
John writes that a child knows the Father and that he has experienced redemption, the forgiveness of sin, and a young person is strong as the word of God abides in him, and he has overcome the evil one.3a A child has testimony of blood and Spirit, a young person also has testimony of water, sanctification. The child who believes has been given a Spirit of adoption whereby he cries Daddy Father! He has been washed clean, the guilty conscious and the heart of stone has been replaced, in his inner being he is born of Spirit, a partaker of God's divine nature, he delights inwardly in the laws of God. But a child has a carnal mind and he can't subject himself to the laws of God, he must be renewed in the spirit of his mind, thus the young person who abides in the Word is being transformed into the image of Christ. Freedom and Life comes in feeding on the tree of Life, abiding in the vine, abiding in Christ, eating the flesh of Christ and drinking his blood.
"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him... In him was life, and the life was the light of men... And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.."4
Jesus is the truth, the word of God. John writes the child knows the Father, the young person abides in the Word, the elder or mature has overcome through abiding in the Word, he knows the Word which was in the beginning.4a The gift of righteousness is received by the child "by grace through faith," the fruit of righteousness produces fruit that leads him into sanctification, which end is Life. "I have given them your word, and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one."4b The question becomes how do we overcome? we have three things to overcome; the flesh, the world, and the evil one. It is interesting, how do we define the world, in regards to those who hated Jesus and the disciples?
"He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God."5
If He came among his own today, would they receive Him? but He is among us, what we do to the least of these His brethren we do to Him. Jesus said the scriptures gave testimony of Him, if truly they had believed Moses they would have came to Him, but the word of God did not abide in them so they did not come to the Word from God. It was a Pharisaical religious system that had exchanged the glory of God for that like a man. Jesus said, they sought the glory of men and the love of God did not abide in them. The glory of God was revealed through Jesus, the words and love of the Father to mankind.
"I made known to them your name, and I will continue to make it known, that the love with which you have loved me may be in them, and I in them.”7
The child who believes has revelation in the knowledge of the love of the Father, "God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us."8 And from the riches of His glory the child receives spiritual blessings in Christ. This love and oneness Jesus came to give to us, it is the greatest glory of the Father, and when we have such oneness the world will know He is from the Father, and by our love for one another, that we are His disciples. This is how the true Church is distinguished from that of the world.
"For I have given them the words that you gave me, and they have received them and have come to know in truth that I came from you; and they have believed that you sent me."10
The work God gave the Son was a fulfillment of the will of God and gave testimony of the Father and that the Son was from Him. The works gave testimony that He was from the Father, the scripture gave testimony as it spoke of Him.7 "I have come in my Father’s name, and you do not receive me. If another comes in his own name, you will receive him. How can you believe, when you receive glory from one another and do not seek the glory that comes from the only God"8 They saw the signs, the mighty works done in His name, but they did not believe, as they sought the glory of men. "You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about me, yet you refuse to come to me that you may have life."11 Jesus manifested the name of the Father by giving the words and the love of the Father but the world hated Him. One must come to Him and believe in Him, one must eat from the bread of life, to receive Life.
“I have manifested your name to the people whom you gave me out of the world. Yours they were, and you gave them to me, and they have kept your word."12
The manifestation of the name of God is through the manifestation of the Word of God and through the Love of God. God is Love and the Word of God is truth, thus the Love of God and the Word of God are inseparable from truth, from one another. Therefore the command to believe is inseparable from the command to love my brother, they are one and the same. Obedience to the truth is both loving God and loving one another as Christ so loves us. This glory that Jesus prayed we would receive from the Father is a oneness that is revealed through how we love one another, thus the world will know He is from God and that we are His disciples. This is not how the American Church is seen by the world, it is said to be one that shoots its wounded or in other words you are expendable in the purpose of the organization, which is said to be reaching the lost. In such an organization if you are wounded you are left at the wayside, such is called a sacrifice for Jesus but one can't sacrifice the command of God, to love my brother. Does the shepherd sacrifice the wounded sheep to go after the one lost?
“My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to accomplish his work."14
Jesus said it was the will of the Father "that all that He has given me I should lose none of them, but raise him in the last day."15 And "that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should have everlasting life, and I will raise him up on the last day.” The will of the Father was to give everlasting Life through the Son, "and this is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent. I glorified you on earth, having accomplished the work that you gave me to do."16 Though this Life is eternal or everlasting it is given by the Son here on earth, Life to be experienced, as in heaven so on earth. Even in heaven it is said to be a river of living water and a tree of Life thus we will always feed on this heavenly food for Life. We see Life is not a one time eating, but a continual feeding on the bread of life and living water, it is an abiding in the vine, in the Word of Life and in the Spirit of Life. This oneness we have in the Father and the Son, is the greatest glory experienced and such gives us Life continually, thus true worshipers worship God in Spirit and Truth, and true disciples abide in the truth. Jesus prayed for these to be sanctified in truth.
"Whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”17
We see at the well, the glory of God in the Spirit, the living water offered to those who believe in Christ. The Samaritans had associated the coming of Christ with one being a prophet, “I know that Messiah is coming (he who is called Christ). When he comes, he will tell us all things.” Jesus said to her, “I who speak to you am he.”18 So when the woman went to tell others about the Christ, she had believed Jesus was the Christ and gave witness of this when she said, “He told me all that I ever did,” which equated Him to being the Christ. Before the woman had said, "I know that Messiah is coming..." Jesus had said, "the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship him. God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.”19 Jesus said those who come to Him are given by the Father and the Father draws them, it is the Spirit that reveals the truth.
"All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out."21
Coming to Jesus is equated to eating of the bread of Life and believing in Him is equated to drinking of the living water. Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst."23 This type of hunger and thirst is associated with food that endures into Life, it is true food, living bread and water, flesh and blood. This food is bread associated with His flesh and sanctification, "I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. And the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.”24 He sanctified Himself so that we too would be sanctified in truth. Drink is associated with His blood, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you."25 Eternal Life is then equated to eating and drinking from this food, "whoever feeds on me, he also will live because of me" and Life is equated to abiding or continual feeding, "Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me, and I in him."26 A true disciple feeds on this food.
"You have the words of eternal life, and we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God.”27
We see such confession of Peter, eternal Life is equated with the words of Christ, which is the Word from the Father. It is the Father that gives to the Son, "No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. And I will raise him up on the last day."44 Jesus said His words are Spirit and Truth, true worshipers abide in His words. "It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh is no help at all."28 Feeding is the concept of abiding in the vine, "remain in Me, and I will remain in you. Just as no branch can bear fruit by itself unless it remains in the vine, neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in Me."29 Abiding is associated with eating flesh and blood, "Whoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood remains in Me, and I in him."29a Flesh and blood is associated with bread from heaven and living water. And bread from heaven is associated with Jesus who is the Word, which is Truth. Flesh and blood is Truth and Spirit, "true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth,"30
"For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking but of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit."31
We clearly state the kingdom of heaven is not about earthly food. The new covenant in the blood of Christ doesn't boast in works of righteousness but in that which we receive freely in Christ. “Hear and understand: it is not what goes into the mouth that defiles a person, but what comes out of the mouth; this defiles a person.”32 After Jesus said this, the disciples told Him the Pharisees were greatly offended.33 Their righteousness was based upon works, what went into the mouth, do not taste, handle, touch... but the new covenant is a righteousness by faith. Jesus said, "Let them alone; they are blind guides. And if the blind lead the blind, both will fall into a pit.”34 They based defilement on what went in, earthly food and drink, but Jesus said "what comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart, and this defiles a person."35 In the new, Jesus gives us the gift of righteousness and its fruit leads us into sanctification, which end is Life.
"if Christ is in you, indeed, the body is dead on account of sin, however the Spirit is Life on account of righteousness."36
The Holy Spirit is a Spirit of Life. How does the Spirit give life? because I adhere to rules and regulations, to the letter of the law? no, such kills, but the Spirit gives Life. "Indeed you will not rule over sin under the law but under grace."37 On account of "having been set free from sin, you have become slaves of righteousness." And on account of "those who receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man Jesus Christ."38 And because "as sin reigned in death, grace also might reign through righteousness leading to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord."39 So "one act of righteousness leads to justification and Life for all men."40 And "the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord,"42 We see something very important, the free gift is Life but also righteousness and grace, as grace reigns through righteousness, the fruit of leads us unto sanctification, which gives Life. We see the importance of abiding in Christ as sanctification in truth is our reasonable service. Abiding is the key to Life.
"For what the law was powerless to do because it was weakened by the flesh, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the flesh but according to the Spirit."43
Grace reigns through righteousness received in Christ. God put His nature of righteousness is in us, and so the Spirit, "the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ,"44 The carnal mind is hostile toward God, it is a wretched state of the child of God, but we see the solution as Paul writes "who will deliver me from this body of death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!" and more specifically, Paul speaks of the gift of righteousness which we receive freely by faith, "the Spirit is life on account of righteousness," and "the fruit you get leads to sanctification and its end, everlasting life."45 Do we see the Way to Life? it is through abiding in the truth, who is Christ. The true disciple has found as John did, that Life is in the Word, that became flesh, and as Peter confessed, His Words are eternal Life.
“I have food to eat that you do not know about.”46
Jesus spoke the words of the Father and offered the woman at the well living water. The woman notice he had no way to retrieve water from the well, but she did not understand that this was not the kind of water He spoke of. To many who followed Him after seeing the miracle of feeding five thousand with five loaves of bread, He said they sought him as if for earthly food, "Do not work for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you. For on him God the Father has set his seal.”47 The Son of Man gave Life to the woman at the well, she believed and by her testimony many others believed. There was a harvest that the disciples received wages but had not sown into. This food Jesus spoke of, "the one reaping receives wages and gathers fruit unto eternal life, that the sower and reaper may rejoice together."48 This was the purpose of Christ, fruit unto eternal life, as the Father had given Him authority to give eternal Life.
The question is asked, is there such a thing as evangelism food? Or to put it another way, is the reaping of the harvest food to eat as Jesus said he had? And if so what is the difference from this food and the bread of Life, is it the same, or some other food we eat? We hear sayings today common in the American Church, sayings like serving others is what it is all about, I loose my problems in helping others, and reaching the lost is what keeps me going... which basically says there is food that we eat in this, or some purpose and fulfillment. Surely, it is the will of the Father that none be lost, and there is more joy in heaven over one sinner that repents, and there is joy or reward for the servant to hear, well done! But is this food that endures unto Life? Or in other words is this our purpose? There is this mindset in the American Church that justifies itself in neglecting the 99 as some sacrifice for reaching the 1 lost. It says this is food most important and it puts emphasis on giving for this purpose. Jesus said of the Pharisees, they tithed 10% of everything, but neglected the greater things of God, like faith, justice, and mercy. Clearly He said they loved the glory of men, the things of this world, and did not love one another.
“Gather up the leftover fragments, that nothing may be lost.”50
Jesus was speaking of the leftover bread after feeding five thousand with five loaves. Also do we not see the purpose of Christ? to "gather up" so that none would be lost. "This is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me..."51 Paul writes these are the elect, the remnant, those chosen by grace. Is there coincidence that there were 12 baskets of leftovers from feeding five thousand and 7 baskets of leftovers from feeding the four thousand? possibly these symbolize gathering up 2 into 1, those from the 12 tribes of Israel and those not, into One body, the hostility of that which separated the two, commands and ordinances, being nailed to the cross. In the new covenant, righteousness is received by faith that it be according to grace, so that it comes to those who were under the Law, the 12 tribes of Israel, and those who are not. The 7 churches gather up into everlasting Life.
“My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to accomplish his work." 53
"Lift up your eyes and look at the fields, for they are ripe for harvest..." The one reaping gathers up the fragments that none would be lost. Is not this what Jesus told the disciples to do? “Gather up the leftover fragments, that nothing may be lost.”55 They received a wage but what was the reward? "the one reaping receives a wage, and gathers up fruit unto eternal Life, that the one sowing together rejoices with the one reaping."56 The food was the work or the will of the Father that none be lost, thus the fruit are these that have received Life. There is much joy in heaven over these that were lost and are now found, thus the wage of both the one sowing and reaping is joy. There is joy, and sometimes to see the fruit of our labor is great encouragement but we are to feed on the food that endures unto Life, which the Son of Man gives. The fruit of evangelism is known to God, but to man it is not so clear, the kingdom of heaven is like a dragnet, Jesus said, catching both good and bad fish.
“If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free."57
Jesus said this to the Jews who had believed him, thus the real test of believing is abiding in the truth. Abiding is feeding, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you."57a Such was a hard teaching to many of the disciples so they turned away. The American Church glories in the fruit of evangelism, it focuses on numbers counting all the fish the dragnet caught, good and bad, thus the path has been made easy, to be counted. Jesus said, the path is narrow and few there are who find it.
"I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one."
To our question earlier, how does one overcome the evil one? John writes it is the young person who abides in the words of Christ, he has overcome the evil one. How does one overcome the evil one? abiding in truth. John writes of Jesus praying "sanctify them in truth, your word is truth," and that this is the path of the young person, these who overcome. These receive the crown of Life, those who do not look back, who endure, not choked out by the cares of this world and the deceit of its riches, not loving the things of this world. They have found treasure in a field and would sell all they have to possess it. These overcome the flesh, and the evil one having been sanctified in truth, "They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth."58 And as Jesus sanctified Himself, crucifying the flesh and its passions and desires these present their bodies a living sacrifice. This is called the great commission, leading others into sanctification, seen in the teachings of baptism, "As you sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world. And for their sake I consecrate myself, that they also may be sanctified in truth."59
"Just as the living Father sent Me and I live because of the Father, so also the one who feeds on Me will live because of Me."60
Life overcomes death, and Life is eating on the bread from heaven and living water. Eating is feeding, a continuing in His words, a remaining, an enduring, an abiding in the words of Christ and the Spirit of Life. We build a foundation upon the Rock, the words of Christ, by abiding in Him. When we eat a little and we experience Life, and this other stuff we thought was life really is seen truly as death. The child experiences the Spirit of Life in Christ but it is the young person who finds that the more they desire this Life, the more they must abide in truth. The one who endures is the one sanctified by the truth, the true disciple of Christ, this one experiences Life. The more Life they receive the less death, the flesh, the world, and the devil has dominion over them. The child can give testimony of knowing the Father, of His great love, and that their sins have been forgiven, but the young person abides and stands on the words of Christ, he has overcome the flesh, the world, and the evil one, his testimony is of power and will set the world on fire. Feed on Me, Jesus said, and you will have Life.
This "living" Jesus speaks of is eternal or everlasting Life but what does this mean? Is this life an after life in heaven as traditionally taught or something we begin to experience here on earth? We read that Life is in knowing, a personal experience, "this is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent."2 We receive the Spirit of life when we first believed, but the true disciple of Christ is known by abiding, these have learned that Life is in eating the bread of Life and drinking living water. Life is in Christ, all else has become as rubbish but to know Christ, and the Life he gives, "so also the one who feeds on Me will live."
"So He said to the Jews who had believed Him, “If you abide in My word, you are truly My disciples. and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”3
John writes that a child knows the Father and that he has experienced redemption, the forgiveness of sin, and a young person is strong as the word of God abides in him, and he has overcome the evil one.3a A child has testimony of blood and Spirit, a young person also has testimony of water, sanctification. The child who believes has been given a Spirit of adoption whereby he cries Daddy Father! He has been washed clean, the guilty conscious and the heart of stone has been replaced, in his inner being he is born of Spirit, a partaker of God's divine nature, he delights inwardly in the laws of God. But a child has a carnal mind and he can't subject himself to the laws of God, he must be renewed in the spirit of his mind, thus the young person who abides in the Word is being transformed into the image of Christ. Freedom and Life comes in feeding on the tree of Life, abiding in the vine, abiding in Christ, eating the flesh of Christ and drinking his blood.
"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him... In him was life, and the life was the light of men... And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.."4
Jesus is the truth, the word of God. John writes the child knows the Father, the young person abides in the Word, the elder or mature has overcome through abiding in the Word, he knows the Word which was in the beginning.4a The gift of righteousness is received by the child "by grace through faith," the fruit of righteousness produces fruit that leads him into sanctification, which end is Life. "I have given them your word, and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one."4b The question becomes how do we overcome? we have three things to overcome; the flesh, the world, and the evil one. It is interesting, how do we define the world, in regards to those who hated Jesus and the disciples?
"He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God."5
If He came among his own today, would they receive Him? but He is among us, what we do to the least of these His brethren we do to Him. Jesus said the scriptures gave testimony of Him, if truly they had believed Moses they would have came to Him, but the word of God did not abide in them so they did not come to the Word from God. It was a Pharisaical religious system that had exchanged the glory of God for that like a man. Jesus said, they sought the glory of men and the love of God did not abide in them. The glory of God was revealed through Jesus, the words and love of the Father to mankind.
"I made known to them your name, and I will continue to make it known, that the love with which you have loved me may be in them, and I in them.”7
The child who believes has revelation in the knowledge of the love of the Father, "God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us."8 And from the riches of His glory the child receives spiritual blessings in Christ. This love and oneness Jesus came to give to us, it is the greatest glory of the Father, and when we have such oneness the world will know He is from the Father, and by our love for one another, that we are His disciples. This is how the true Church is distinguished from that of the world.
"For I have given them the words that you gave me, and they have received them and have come to know in truth that I came from you; and they have believed that you sent me."10
The work God gave the Son was a fulfillment of the will of God and gave testimony of the Father and that the Son was from Him. The works gave testimony that He was from the Father, the scripture gave testimony as it spoke of Him.7 "I have come in my Father’s name, and you do not receive me. If another comes in his own name, you will receive him. How can you believe, when you receive glory from one another and do not seek the glory that comes from the only God"8 They saw the signs, the mighty works done in His name, but they did not believe, as they sought the glory of men. "You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about me, yet you refuse to come to me that you may have life."11 Jesus manifested the name of the Father by giving the words and the love of the Father but the world hated Him. One must come to Him and believe in Him, one must eat from the bread of life, to receive Life.
“I have manifested your name to the people whom you gave me out of the world. Yours they were, and you gave them to me, and they have kept your word."12
The manifestation of the name of God is through the manifestation of the Word of God and through the Love of God. God is Love and the Word of God is truth, thus the Love of God and the Word of God are inseparable from truth, from one another. Therefore the command to believe is inseparable from the command to love my brother, they are one and the same. Obedience to the truth is both loving God and loving one another as Christ so loves us. This glory that Jesus prayed we would receive from the Father is a oneness that is revealed through how we love one another, thus the world will know He is from God and that we are His disciples. This is not how the American Church is seen by the world, it is said to be one that shoots its wounded or in other words you are expendable in the purpose of the organization, which is said to be reaching the lost. In such an organization if you are wounded you are left at the wayside, such is called a sacrifice for Jesus but one can't sacrifice the command of God, to love my brother. Does the shepherd sacrifice the wounded sheep to go after the one lost?
“My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to accomplish his work."14
Jesus said it was the will of the Father "that all that He has given me I should lose none of them, but raise him in the last day."15 And "that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should have everlasting life, and I will raise him up on the last day.” The will of the Father was to give everlasting Life through the Son, "and this is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent. I glorified you on earth, having accomplished the work that you gave me to do."16 Though this Life is eternal or everlasting it is given by the Son here on earth, Life to be experienced, as in heaven so on earth. Even in heaven it is said to be a river of living water and a tree of Life thus we will always feed on this heavenly food for Life. We see Life is not a one time eating, but a continual feeding on the bread of life and living water, it is an abiding in the vine, in the Word of Life and in the Spirit of Life. This oneness we have in the Father and the Son, is the greatest glory experienced and such gives us Life continually, thus true worshipers worship God in Spirit and Truth, and true disciples abide in the truth. Jesus prayed for these to be sanctified in truth.
"Whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”17
We see at the well, the glory of God in the Spirit, the living water offered to those who believe in Christ. The Samaritans had associated the coming of Christ with one being a prophet, “I know that Messiah is coming (he who is called Christ). When he comes, he will tell us all things.” Jesus said to her, “I who speak to you am he.”18 So when the woman went to tell others about the Christ, she had believed Jesus was the Christ and gave witness of this when she said, “He told me all that I ever did,” which equated Him to being the Christ. Before the woman had said, "I know that Messiah is coming..." Jesus had said, "the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship him. God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.”19 Jesus said those who come to Him are given by the Father and the Father draws them, it is the Spirit that reveals the truth.
"All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out."21
Coming to Jesus is equated to eating of the bread of Life and believing in Him is equated to drinking of the living water. Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst."23 This type of hunger and thirst is associated with food that endures into Life, it is true food, living bread and water, flesh and blood. This food is bread associated with His flesh and sanctification, "I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. And the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.”24 He sanctified Himself so that we too would be sanctified in truth. Drink is associated with His blood, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you."25 Eternal Life is then equated to eating and drinking from this food, "whoever feeds on me, he also will live because of me" and Life is equated to abiding or continual feeding, "Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me, and I in him."26 A true disciple feeds on this food.
"You have the words of eternal life, and we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God.”27
We see such confession of Peter, eternal Life is equated with the words of Christ, which is the Word from the Father. It is the Father that gives to the Son, "No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. And I will raise him up on the last day."44 Jesus said His words are Spirit and Truth, true worshipers abide in His words. "It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh is no help at all."28 Feeding is the concept of abiding in the vine, "remain in Me, and I will remain in you. Just as no branch can bear fruit by itself unless it remains in the vine, neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in Me."29 Abiding is associated with eating flesh and blood, "Whoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood remains in Me, and I in him."29a Flesh and blood is associated with bread from heaven and living water. And bread from heaven is associated with Jesus who is the Word, which is Truth. Flesh and blood is Truth and Spirit, "true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth,"30
"For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking but of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit."31
We clearly state the kingdom of heaven is not about earthly food. The new covenant in the blood of Christ doesn't boast in works of righteousness but in that which we receive freely in Christ. “Hear and understand: it is not what goes into the mouth that defiles a person, but what comes out of the mouth; this defiles a person.”32 After Jesus said this, the disciples told Him the Pharisees were greatly offended.33 Their righteousness was based upon works, what went into the mouth, do not taste, handle, touch... but the new covenant is a righteousness by faith. Jesus said, "Let them alone; they are blind guides. And if the blind lead the blind, both will fall into a pit.”34 They based defilement on what went in, earthly food and drink, but Jesus said "what comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart, and this defiles a person."35 In the new, Jesus gives us the gift of righteousness and its fruit leads us into sanctification, which end is Life.
"if Christ is in you, indeed, the body is dead on account of sin, however the Spirit is Life on account of righteousness."36
The Holy Spirit is a Spirit of Life. How does the Spirit give life? because I adhere to rules and regulations, to the letter of the law? no, such kills, but the Spirit gives Life. "Indeed you will not rule over sin under the law but under grace."37 On account of "having been set free from sin, you have become slaves of righteousness." And on account of "those who receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man Jesus Christ."38 And because "as sin reigned in death, grace also might reign through righteousness leading to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord."39 So "one act of righteousness leads to justification and Life for all men."40 And "the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord,"42 We see something very important, the free gift is Life but also righteousness and grace, as grace reigns through righteousness, the fruit of leads us unto sanctification, which gives Life. We see the importance of abiding in Christ as sanctification in truth is our reasonable service. Abiding is the key to Life.
"For what the law was powerless to do because it was weakened by the flesh, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the flesh but according to the Spirit."43
Grace reigns through righteousness received in Christ. God put His nature of righteousness is in us, and so the Spirit, "the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ,"44 The carnal mind is hostile toward God, it is a wretched state of the child of God, but we see the solution as Paul writes "who will deliver me from this body of death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!" and more specifically, Paul speaks of the gift of righteousness which we receive freely by faith, "the Spirit is life on account of righteousness," and "the fruit you get leads to sanctification and its end, everlasting life."45 Do we see the Way to Life? it is through abiding in the truth, who is Christ. The true disciple has found as John did, that Life is in the Word, that became flesh, and as Peter confessed, His Words are eternal Life.
“I have food to eat that you do not know about.”46
Jesus spoke the words of the Father and offered the woman at the well living water. The woman notice he had no way to retrieve water from the well, but she did not understand that this was not the kind of water He spoke of. To many who followed Him after seeing the miracle of feeding five thousand with five loaves of bread, He said they sought him as if for earthly food, "Do not work for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you. For on him God the Father has set his seal.”47 The Son of Man gave Life to the woman at the well, she believed and by her testimony many others believed. There was a harvest that the disciples received wages but had not sown into. This food Jesus spoke of, "the one reaping receives wages and gathers fruit unto eternal life, that the sower and reaper may rejoice together."48 This was the purpose of Christ, fruit unto eternal life, as the Father had given Him authority to give eternal Life.
"since you have given him authority over all flesh, to give eternal life to all whom you have given him. And this is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent."49
The question is asked, is there such a thing as evangelism food? Or to put it another way, is the reaping of the harvest food to eat as Jesus said he had? And if so what is the difference from this food and the bread of Life, is it the same, or some other food we eat? We hear sayings today common in the American Church, sayings like serving others is what it is all about, I loose my problems in helping others, and reaching the lost is what keeps me going... which basically says there is food that we eat in this, or some purpose and fulfillment. Surely, it is the will of the Father that none be lost, and there is more joy in heaven over one sinner that repents, and there is joy or reward for the servant to hear, well done! But is this food that endures unto Life? Or in other words is this our purpose? There is this mindset in the American Church that justifies itself in neglecting the 99 as some sacrifice for reaching the 1 lost. It says this is food most important and it puts emphasis on giving for this purpose. Jesus said of the Pharisees, they tithed 10% of everything, but neglected the greater things of God, like faith, justice, and mercy. Clearly He said they loved the glory of men, the things of this world, and did not love one another.
“Gather up the leftover fragments, that nothing may be lost.”50
Jesus was speaking of the leftover bread after feeding five thousand with five loaves. Also do we not see the purpose of Christ? to "gather up" so that none would be lost. "This is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me..."51 Paul writes these are the elect, the remnant, those chosen by grace. Is there coincidence that there were 12 baskets of leftovers from feeding five thousand and 7 baskets of leftovers from feeding the four thousand? possibly these symbolize gathering up 2 into 1, those from the 12 tribes of Israel and those not, into One body, the hostility of that which separated the two, commands and ordinances, being nailed to the cross. In the new covenant, righteousness is received by faith that it be according to grace, so that it comes to those who were under the Law, the 12 tribes of Israel, and those who are not. The 7 churches gather up into everlasting Life.
“My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to accomplish his work." 53
"Lift up your eyes and look at the fields, for they are ripe for harvest..." The one reaping gathers up the fragments that none would be lost. Is not this what Jesus told the disciples to do? “Gather up the leftover fragments, that nothing may be lost.”55 They received a wage but what was the reward? "the one reaping receives a wage, and gathers up fruit unto eternal Life, that the one sowing together rejoices with the one reaping."56 The food was the work or the will of the Father that none be lost, thus the fruit are these that have received Life. There is much joy in heaven over these that were lost and are now found, thus the wage of both the one sowing and reaping is joy. There is joy, and sometimes to see the fruit of our labor is great encouragement but we are to feed on the food that endures unto Life, which the Son of Man gives. The fruit of evangelism is known to God, but to man it is not so clear, the kingdom of heaven is like a dragnet, Jesus said, catching both good and bad fish.
“If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free."57
Jesus said this to the Jews who had believed him, thus the real test of believing is abiding in the truth. Abiding is feeding, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you."57a Such was a hard teaching to many of the disciples so they turned away. The American Church glories in the fruit of evangelism, it focuses on numbers counting all the fish the dragnet caught, good and bad, thus the path has been made easy, to be counted. Jesus said, the path is narrow and few there are who find it.
"I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one."
To our question earlier, how does one overcome the evil one? John writes it is the young person who abides in the words of Christ, he has overcome the evil one. How does one overcome the evil one? abiding in truth. John writes of Jesus praying "sanctify them in truth, your word is truth," and that this is the path of the young person, these who overcome. These receive the crown of Life, those who do not look back, who endure, not choked out by the cares of this world and the deceit of its riches, not loving the things of this world. They have found treasure in a field and would sell all they have to possess it. These overcome the flesh, and the evil one having been sanctified in truth, "They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth."58 And as Jesus sanctified Himself, crucifying the flesh and its passions and desires these present their bodies a living sacrifice. This is called the great commission, leading others into sanctification, seen in the teachings of baptism, "As you sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world. And for their sake I consecrate myself, that they also may be sanctified in truth."59
"Just as the living Father sent Me and I live because of the Father, so also the one who feeds on Me will live because of Me."60
Life overcomes death, and Life is eating on the bread from heaven and living water. Eating is feeding, a continuing in His words, a remaining, an enduring, an abiding in the words of Christ and the Spirit of Life. We build a foundation upon the Rock, the words of Christ, by abiding in Him. When we eat a little and we experience Life, and this other stuff we thought was life really is seen truly as death. The child experiences the Spirit of Life in Christ but it is the young person who finds that the more they desire this Life, the more they must abide in truth. The one who endures is the one sanctified by the truth, the true disciple of Christ, this one experiences Life. The more Life they receive the less death, the flesh, the world, and the devil has dominion over them. The child can give testimony of knowing the Father, of His great love, and that their sins have been forgiven, but the young person abides and stands on the words of Christ, he has overcome the flesh, the world, and the evil one, his testimony is of power and will set the world on fire. Feed on Me, Jesus said, and you will have Life.