February 2 Daily Devotional

Bible Reading

John 6:60–66

Devotional

The Lord Jesus miraculously fed thousands of people with bread. The people were thrilled and they followed Him for the bread He could give them. Christ exposed their motives and presented Himself as the bread of life. They were not to follow Him for the material gifts He could give them. Rather, the people were to follow Him for who He was. He told them in verse 53, “Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you.” A life of personal communion with Christ was necessary.

The Lord Jesus also exposed the unbelief of those who followed Him. In verse 64 Jesus says, “But there are some of you that believe not. For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were that believed not.” In verse 65, Christ explains their need for sovereign grace. “Therefore said I unto you, that no man can come unto me, except it were given unto him of my Father.” In response to the rebukes of Jesus, the Jews retreated from following Him. We read, “From that time many of his disciples went back and walked no more with him.” After Christ presented Himself as the bread of life, they resisted His words and followed Him no longer, for it is too humiliating for a proud man to die to self and to find life in Another. They initially appeared to follow Christ and bring forth fruit, but their faith was not real.

The Jews that Jesus rebuked thought too highly of themselves. They considered themselves to be the great ones in the kingdom of God. They considered their ethics and their deeds of greatest importance and rejoiced in their own goodness. Their joy was unfounded and their faith was pretended. They had an imagined piety and a deceitful humility, for one can indeed become boastful with a self-construed meekness. There are also Pharisees who pray the prayer of the publican. They appeared to bring forth fruit, but it was all selfrighteousness. Let us, dear friends, examine our own hearts, for God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble (James 4:6).

 

From The Everlasting Word by Frans Bakker, compiled and translated by Gerald R. Procee. Reformation Heritage Books and Free Reformed Publications, 2007. Used by permission. For further information, click here.