Drawn to Christ
May 26, 2022
Commentary
Christ describes what it means to be drawn to Him (vv. 45-47). This is a very strong assurance to realize that when we have come to Christ we have come because of God’s love for us, and that He has drawn us to himself! The Jews knew what Moses wrote, but they did not really believe what he wrote. It is one thing to have the Word in our heads, but quite another to have it in our hearts. Jesus refers to the manna that Moses had given to their ancestors in the wilderness. The bread was physical. They ate it and it sustained them for a day but they had to get more bread every day.
Moses’ manna was not eternal. In contrast to Moses’ manna, this true Bread will not let man die (vv. 48-51). Christ further describes this Bread. It is His flesh. He clearly refers to His vicarious death on the cross that will provide life for the world. The Jews are still thinking of eating physical food rather than spiritual food (v. 52).Christ complicates the situation further by adding except ye … drink his blood (vv. 53-55) The Jews were forbidden to drink blood (Lev 7:26-27) and this additional statement must have added insult to injury. However, the Jews misunderstood. Leviticus 17:11 clearly states that life is in the blood. Accepting the sacrifice of the body and blood of Christ is the basis for eternal life. As food and drink are offered to meet physical needs, so the flesh (meat) and blood of Christ are offered to meet spiritual needs.
Application
I want to learn how to share my work, my family life, and my personal life with Jesus, in dependence upon His wisdom, His grace, His forgiveness, to draw me constantly into connection with Him.
John 6:45– 55 (NET)
45 It is written in the prophets, ‘And they will all be taught by God.’ Everyone who hears and learns from the Father comes to me. 46 (Not that anyone has seen the Father except the one who is from God—he has seen the Father.) 47 I tell you the solemn truth, the one who believes has eternal life. 48 I am the bread of life. 49 Your ancestors ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died. 50 This is the bread that has come down from heaven, so that a person may eat from it and not die. 51 I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats from this bread he will live forever. The bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.”
52 Then the Jews who were hostile to Jesus began to argue with one another, “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?” 53 Jesus said to them, “I tell you the solemn truth, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in yourselves. 54 The one who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day. 55 For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink.
Illustration: The Woman Drawn to the Father
Once I was speaking with a woman who was raised in a nonreligious family and had never gone to church. She told about the time Billy Graham held his first crusade in her area. She was invited by some of her friends to go to hear him, and she went out of curiosity. She told me that she sat there, determined not to be influenced by him. She listened to the choir, to the testimonies and the special music and she said to herself, “I know this man is using this to manipulate these people. He is psychologically preparing them to respond to an invitation.” She said she felt very confident that she could withstand what she considered to be manipulation because she knew exactly what he was doing. However, when Billy gave the invitation she jumped out of her seat and went down front immediately. She was the very first person to respond. She was converted, born again. Why? Because she was “drawn of the Father.” (Lou Nicholes – Author and Missionary).