The words of eternal life

We read an interesting account in the Gospel of John where Jesus fed five thousand men with five barley loaves and two fish. The crowds had been following Him because of His signs. And they continued to follow Him across the Sea of Galilee because they ate of these loaves and were filled. We know that Jesus was the Son of God, demonstrating signs, wonders and working miracles. These signs not only declared His sonship. They also highlighted why He was such a terrible stumbling block to the Jews. Jesus said, ‘An evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign; and a sign will not be given it, except the sign of Jonah’. Matt 16:4.

Earlier in His ministry, Jesus had driven all the money-changers out of the temple. The temple authorities questioned, ‘What sign do You show us as Your authority for doing these things?’ John 2:18. Jesus replied, ‘Destroy this temple, and in three days I’ll raise it up’. John 2:19. This is the same three day operation as described by the sign of Jonah. And this is the only sign that the Lord’s interested in. It is the three day operation by which the life of God is given to men. It is the three days of His death, burial, and resurrection.

When He spoke of raising up the temple in three days, ‘He was speaking of the temple of His body’. John 2:21. John accounts that after Jesus had been raised from the dead, they remembered His words and ‘believed the Scripture’. John 2:22. We have to progress from believing in Him because of signs to believing in Him because of the Scripture. And more than that, we have to believe in Him because of the specific words of a messenger to us. Receiving the word of God must take priority over seeking signs. Signs follow the word. It is not the other way round.

Returning to the account of feeding the five thousand, Jesus gave them natural food and then told them that He was able to give them spiritual food. He had the words of eternal life. He is the true Bread that came down from heaven which gives life to the world. He came to bring the word of our sonship. In this encounter, the Jews didn’t really understand that. They quickly began to grumble, argue, stumble, and withdraw from Him. We must be careful that we don’t respond in the same way. Jesus is bringing to us the word, or the gospel, of our sonship. Because we’re mortal and perishing, we must come to Him to find life.

The question for us is what kind of life are we seeking? Are we only seeking God’s provision in this world, like the five barley loaves? Or are we seeking the words of eternal life. Jesus said, ‘The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and are life’. John 6:63. His ‘word’ comes calling to us, beckoning us to receive it as our life. The point that Jesus was making to the Jews was that faith to receive and live the eternal life that God gives, comes from a word. It proceeds from the Father and not from a sign from heaven! Faith comes from a word and not from a sign. So we could colloquially say, ‘Don’t be a sign chaser; be a word chaser!’.

Victor Hall

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Feature Articles
November 2008

Understanding your way

The words of eternal life

Every good gift

The song that counts

Be fruitful and multiply

A man who prays

Amazing grace

The secret place

Perspective on tribulation

Bearing the yoke

The problem of evil