The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1895-01-16
SABBATH SCHOOL.
INTERNATIONAL LESSON FOR
JANUARY 20.
Lesson Text: ssChrist the Bread Of
Life" John vi, 25-35-Gold-
en- Text: John vi, 81
Commentary.


other side of the sea they said unto Him,
Rabbi, when camest Thou hither?" After
the feeding Of the 5000 He sent the disciples
away in ship toward Capernaum. while He
Himself went into mountain alone. The
wind blew hard, and the disciples toiled all
the night. Then in the morning watch He
came walking on the sea and stilled their
fears with: "It Is J.. Be not afraid" They
received Him and Immediately the ship was
at the land, picture possibly Of the present
condition OF things both In reference to the
church and Israel and the consummation In
reference to both when He shall como In the
morning. The next day many people crossed
by boat to Capernaum, looking for Jesus,
and here begins our lesson.
26. "Jesus answered them and said
Verify, verify I shy unto you, ye seek Me not
because ye saw the miracles, but because ye
did eat of the loayes and were filed" The
double verify is found only in this gospel
and some twenty-five times. Each one Is
surely worthy OF double attention, for It is
literally "amen, amen."
27. "Labor not for the meat which per-
isheth, but for thar meat which endureth
unto everlasting life, which the Son OF Man
shall give unto you, for Him hath God the
Father sealed" Food and raiment, which
most people think 80 much OF, are given q
wholly secondary place by the Lord, who
exhorts all to seek first His kingdom and
Righteousness, giving the assurance that
vi. 33). This eternal life Is the gift OF God
(Rom. w., 23) and Is none other than Jesus
Himself, who becomes life eternal to all who
will receive Him. ...a.
2s. "Then said they unto Him, What shall
we do that we might work the works OF God?''
There seems to be O tendency In the natural
mind to want to do something to obtain life.
Consider the question of the lawyer and the
rich young ruler in Luke K, %; xviii, 15,
and how the Lord led one to consider his in.
ability to keep the law. and the other his un-
willingness to follow Jesus because Of the
cost. Man, because OF his inherent sinful
ness and selflshness, is unable to attain to
the only standard which God hasset up, and
when he sees himself as he Is he no longer
asks, What shall / do? as II he had the
power to do anything.
20. "Jesus answered and said unto them,
This Is the work Of God, that ye believe on
Him whom He hath SENT" In chapter l., 12,
we have believing defined as receiving.
Therefore we understand the Lord to say in
this verse Of our lesson that the one thing
required by God is that we receive Him
whom God hath sent. It Is written IN John
", 70, 1He that hath the Son at life and he
that hath not the Son of God hath not life. u
Therefore It Is clear that the one essential Is
to have life, and this can be had only by re-
ceiving Christ.
80. sThey said, therefore, unto Him, What
sign shoWest Thou, then, that we may see
and believe Thee2 What dost Thou work2"
This sounds strange as coming from those
who had seen Him feed more than 5000 peo-
pie by miracle on the day previous, but
was simply proof of the truth Of what he
had said-that they sought Him simply be-
49, ia -
they were interested In the miracle. There
are many people to-day who are religious
and moral and interested somewhat In holy
things who still ask, Now can be sure that
Jesus Is God? WheiS Is the convincing
proof2 80 that It seems hopeless to try to do
anything with Or for those who are not WILL
Ing simply 20 believe, and thus receive Him.
81. sour fathers did eat mama In the des-
err, as 1t Is written, He gave them bread
from heaven to eat." So they turn back to
Moses and the mama, as II Moses had given
perhaps that Jesus had already said, "Had
ye believed Moses ye wouh have believed
Me, for he wrote Of Ne" John ", 46). Oh,
If their eyes had only been opened to see
that the one who delivered from Egypt, who
divided the sea, who gave the mama, who
brought the water from the rock, was actual
II IN their midst ready to be their Saviour
But while they searched the Scriptures they
knew not Him OF whom they spake.
49, "Then Jesus said unto them, Verify,
verify say unto you, Moses gave you not
that bread from heaven, but Ny Father
giveth you the true bread from heaven"
They were intent upon contrasting man with
man, Just like those who now see only the
human instrument and talk continually of
this preacher or that preacher and this ones
views or that ones views, instead OF seeing
God and considering Him as the giver Of
syery good and perfect gift. Moses would
have had them see God, and Jesus would
have them see God, and 80 with every true
disciple of Jesus now. he that seeketh
honor tor himself Is not Of God.
SO. "For the bread Of God is He which
cometh down from heaven and giveth life
unto the world" What an expressive SYM
boil of Christ Is bread He Is light and life !;
he is the vine, and the door, and the good.
shepherd, but rs bread we think OF His death
and resurrection, and how we must actually,
receive Him as truly as we receive bread for:
our daily life. He must become part OF our
very being, as the bread becomes part OF our
very body, and We must continually fesdI
upon Him. even as He says in verse 81, "As
the living Father hath sent Me, and live,
by the Father, SO he that eateth Me, even he
shall live by Me-"
OF. ueu Sdiu lnoS uAtO k1tluJ AoAoJ o'SA
more give us this bread" Like the woman
at the we'll who said, 'sir, give me this
water" not thinking OF anything beyond the
natural bread or water for the body. The
natural man cannot discern spiritual things,
for they are foolishness unto him q Cor. IL.
14). There is hunger and thirst In peoples
souls for something, they know not what.
which will satisfy, but they turn to anything
and everything rather than to Him who only
can satisfy the souls which He has made.
,>35. ''And Jesus said unto them, am the
bread OF life; he that cometh to Me shall
never hunger, and he that believeth on Me
shall never thirst" He Is the fountain OF
life, tho fountain OF living waters CPa. xxxvi.,
9; Jer. H., 1S), and the only bread which can
save and satisfy the soul. he came from
heuyen; the Father sent Him He loved me
and gave Himself for me he gives Himself
to me, and receive Him, and He Is mine.
He says have everlasting life, and no power
can pluck me out OF His hand (verse AZ /;
al IN Him md n m