Fulton County tribune. (Wauseon, Ohio) 1883-1925, 1917-03-09
LESSON FOR MARCH II
JESUS THE BREAD OF LIFE.

Following the feeding of the five
thousand, Jesus saw the design of the
multitude ". 15), and separated HIM
self unto prayer. Following that COM
munion, the disciples went over the
sea toward the City of Capernaum
". ~, but in his supernatural power
he followed them, walking upon the
water ". 19). Midway he entered
their ship, and Immediately they
reached the land toward which they
had been striving ". 81; Nix. 6 6:4S-49).
The next day John 6:22) the people
who at this period were following him
in such great multitudes, took steps to
reach him. Finding that he was not
at their side of the lake, they took
boats and came to Capernaum, seek
ing for Jesus ". 24). We read that
the common people heard him gladly.
These people wanted the comradship
of Jesus, and the longest bread line in
the world today is that of hungry
hearted men. The question is, are we
willing to give them the loaves OF
comfort?
|. Bread Which Perisheth (vv. 23-
24. eff you think you will always
get the loaves and fish Ies Simply be-
cause you have followed the Lord, you
have handed yourself a goldbrick. -
DIR. Griffin Bull. Most of US will go
further for victuals than we will for a
vision. When the people found Jesus
". 25) they rather reprimanded him
for leaving them, when the fact of the
matter was that he was not beholden
to them in any sense whatsoever. 1t
looks very well for these people to be
seeking Jesus" but they were seek
ing the wrong thing ". 26). 1t was
not really Jesus himself they wanted,
but the loaves and the fishes. 1t was
not the "sign" as indicating his divine
character that drew them, but simply
the wonder as indicated by the fact
that they expected a constant supply
of bread, nor did they see in that
| bread the sign but only the bread.
Salvation is the free gift of God
apart from works. Nevertheless he
| commands the exercise of viii. This
is the work of God that ye believe on
him whom he hath sent" ". 29). This
is not inconsistent with Cor. II g,
l. c., "No man can say that Jesus is the
Lord but by the Holy Ghost" Like
the two blades of a pair of shears, the
executive act of my will in believing
on Jesus is met by the regenerating en-
ergy of Gods spirit making me son
of his.
The Jews demanded sign as a con-
dition of believing on him, when he
himself, was the greatest of all signs
". 36). They sought to enforce theiI
demands by reference to Moses and
the mamma, but. Jesus showed them
that the mama was a type Of ''the
(true) bread of God" The character
istics of this bread are: ~ 1t comes
down from heaven; (2) 1t giveth life
unto the world. Jesus hearers did mo-
understand what he meant, and ex
claimed: "Evermore give us thi:
bread" Jesus was trying to impres!
upon his hearers the same diligence il
heavenly matters as in the pursuit o.
earthly meals.
III. The Everlasting Bread (vv. 35
BIZ. misunderstanding his teachin,
". 34) Jesus said unto them plainly
II am the bread of life," meaning tina
he is the true bread of God. He il
not only the giver of the bread of life
but he, himself, is the Bread of Life
As bread will satisfy the needs of tn
; physical body, giving strength, vital
. ,ty and energy, so he will supply tn
needs of the soul. He will satisfy tn
1eep hunger and longing which is tn
, evidence of need, and he will also sat
!sfy the thirst which is the more in
iense desire-the spiritual craving o
the soul. Jesus ministers to the never
! failing strength of all who come t
aim, and who believe on him. Comm
] 20 him is seeking help and b1essin
! rom him. Believing on him is the at
; solute abandonment of self to hin
This multitude had actually seen tn
: living bread ". 36), yet they believe
lot because they were so occupie
2 with the material and unreal things Q
: his world.
Today we find men so taken up wit
the material and unnreal that the
neither appreciate nor believe upon tn
rue bread which has been sent dow
from God out of heaven. Not all wi
come to him (John 5 :24), but anyon
can prove that he belongs to the eIeC
Of God and the company of the Fathe
by coming to Jesus ". 81. If an
man does come, he will be received
These words of Jesus are very pos
tive, 81 will in no wise cast him out
This throws the burden of responsible
lty upon the individual to kno
whether or not he is one who belong
to the elect, whether or not he ha
sinned away the day of grace, whetht
or not God will receive him and acceI
him in Jesus, the Beloved, whether {
not he has committed the unpardOn:
BILE sin. Millions upon millions WI
have come to Jesus have found abs
lutely sure word to be true, 81 will M
cast you out" He has never cast OF
a single one who came to hill
Verse SO shows us the complet
abandonment of Jesus to the will
the Father. Then he tells us VIII;
the will of the Father is ". 39), tn;
"of all that which he hath given me
should lose nothing but should raj!
it up at the last day." Thus tho.
who prove him can never be lost (Jol
10 :2S-29; Col. 3 :3-4; 1 Pet. 4 :3; JuC
/; Tim. 1 :12). 1t is the will of GC
that everyone that behOldeth the 81
and believeth on him should have eve
lasting life. Such is the Fathers wi
and Jesus adds: 81 will raise him
at the last day" ". 39).
Jesus, the One who raises the dea
- is therefore co-equal with God. No
20 the remainder of this chapter: CIV
~ raise him up at the last day" ". 40
~ i"He that believeth on me hath eve
= lasting life" ". AZ; 81 am the bre,
- of life" ". 49); Except ye eat t
flesh of the Son of man, ye have no Ii