From the desk of Pastor Ben
Assurances For the Elect

“Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes has eternal life. I am the bread of life. Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died. This is the bread which comes down out of heaven, so that one may eat of it and not die.”
                    (John 6:47-50)

Here, Jesus paraphrases Isaiah 54:13 to state the truth of verse 44 in different words and emphasize consistency with the Old Testament. People who receive salvation (the elect) do so because God teaches them. So, drawing and teaching are simply different facets of the sovereign call to salvation. God teaches people through His Word, and that’s what draws men & women to trust His Son (Romans 10:14, 17). As a result, according to John 5:39, “everyone who has heard and learned from the Father, comes to” the Savior. Had the Jews of Jesus’ day really understood the Old Testament, they would have believed in Him.

Jesus’ sure promise that “he who believes in Me has eternal life” (John 3:16) summarizes the significance of trusting the Father’s self-revelation of His Son. Believers can both hope for eternal life in the future, and enjoy that life even now, as the present-tense “believes” denotes.

Jesus concludes this portion of His teaching by reminding us that He is truly the Bread of Life and thus infinitely superior to the manna the Israelites ate in the wilderness. That food came miraculously from heaven but only sustained the people in this life — they all eventually died (Hebrews 3:17; Jude 5). On the other hand, the Lord Jesus as the Bread of Life comes to us “so that one may eat of Him and not die.” “Eat” is a metaphor for saving faith in Christ, which alone resumes sinners from spiritual and eternal death (John 14:6).

Ask Yourself:
We can never get enough teaching on the blessed promises of Christ’s salvation, just as we can never offer enough worship and gratitude in response. What opportunities might be available to share this glorious reality with someone today, tomorrow, and later this week?