Read 6:22-59
Our Daily Bread

John is the only gospel writer who gives us the description of Jesus as The Bread of Life.

Although this passage has some concepts which, upon initial reading, may seem strange, the more we read and study, the clearer the message becomes. Bread was such an important part of daily life during the time in which Jesus spoke these words. It was likely served every meal. Everyone could understand the importance of having bread to sustain life. Jesus used this analogy to explain to the people that He is all that we need in every aspect of our lives. He is spiritually the Bread we need for the abundant life He died to give us. And, what do we have to do to obtain this Bread, they asked? His answer was, and still is, “Just BELIEVE…in Him, what He says, who He is, what He does, and who we are in Him!” Easier said than done, right? However, the more time we spend in His Word with Him, the more we will understand and can apply in our daily lives. Remember from John 1: 14 Jesus is the Word of God and His Word is going to provide our perfect Spiritual daily food.

QUESTIONS:

1. How much time do I spend with the Word of God to nourish my Spirit? Has my time become contaminated with other distractions? If so, what adjustments can I make some to receive His daily bread?
2. Is the “Bread of Life” something that I have to work to earn? Explain your thoughts.
3. How can I get better at simply receiving and believing what He has already said to me in His word?

Read John 6:60-71
Where Else Are You Going to Go?

Jesus says in this passage: “The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you are spirit and they are life.” This is such an important passage because he addresses the significance of our spirit over our flesh. He says that His very Words are life. That’s good news! Psalm 107:20: He sent His word and healed them, and delivered them from their destructions. Are you beginning to get the picture that God’s Word — holding on to it, reading it, meditating on it, and BELIEVING IT is going to impact your life?

After Jesus spoke those words, He cautioned that there are some who do not believe Him. This passage lets us know that some “believers” will fall by the wayside during their journey. In other words, they may have never really believed in the first place. In times when God is teaching us a hard thing, should we just give up and go search for another? Absolutely not, if we are truly believers. An illness, or other difficulties in our lives, could be a “hard thing” that we’re experiencing and we will need to hold on tightly to the written promises in God’s Word. Let’s respond like Peter did, “Lord, to whom shall [I] go? You have the words of eternal life. [I] have come to believe and to know that you are the Holy One of God.” There’s no other way.

Questions:

1. How does knowing that Jesus is the Word of God and His word brings life impact how I read and receive God’s word?
2. What do I do when I feel like giving up? Do I believe that the greatest source of love and compassion is from my Heavenly Father?
3. What do I need to do in order to spend time in His Word learning more about the nature of my Father?

Read John 7
Listening to The Father or The Family

One of the more subtle messages we hear in this passage, which we may find helpful while travelling through difficult times, is that Jesus did not rely upon the advice of his own family in a particular situation; rather, He relied solely on the instructions of The Heavenly Father. In almost every situation, in good times and bad, everybody’s got an opinion and sometimes those closest to us want to voice theirs the loudest. When we’re facing an illness, for example, we may have a lot of people voicing a lot of opinions on a lot of topics a lot of the time! That’s a lot to deal with! When those situations occur, maybe we should do as Jesus did. He listened to those around Him, then, calmly chose to follow His Heavenly Father’s instructions. Godly advice from those who love us should always be welcomed; however, we should talk to our Father about the situation enough to hear His voice and ultimately follow His lead. Unequivocally, Father knows best.

Questions:

1. Am I listening to too many voices when trying to make decisions about my health?
2. Where is the best source of all wisdom and knowledge stored for my retrieval?
3. If I believe He will listen and guide me, what difference will that make in my feelings, attitude and health?

Read John 8:1-11
He Doesn’t Condemn Me

This is the famous story of when the religious leaders of the day brought a woman to Jesus who had, somehow, been caught in the very act of adultery. Jesus had a crowd around Him as usual, so the men probably broke through the crowd rudely and interrupted Jesus’ conversation to throw the woman in front of everyone. She may have landed at the feet of Jesus. (In retrospect, not a bad place to be!) All dressed up in their self-righteousness, they asked Jesus what should be done with such a woman. They assumed Jesus only had two choices from which to pick: 1) He would condemn her under the Mosaic law and affirm the required punishment of death, or 2) He would violate the explicit commandments of Moses by suggesting she not be condemned, which would infuriate the crowd. While all awaited His response, John tells us that Jesus doodled with His hand in the sand. Then, the third option was spoken, “Whoever hasn’t violated any of Moses’ law should cast the first stone.” This was followed by Jesus returning to doodling in the sand. The scripture tells us that one by one the accusers walked away from the scene. More importantly, after they were gone, Jesus looked into the eyes of this woman and spoke, “Neither do I condemn you, go and sin no more.” There was no condemnation found in Jesus; instead, He gave her instructions for a better future.

Questions:

1. Do I believe God is condemning/punishing me for my sin by allowing this illness?
2. What does scripture say about God’s condemnation of believers? How do I apply this to my own life?
3. Is there anyone that I can think of right now that I have accused and need to forgive? If so, who and are you ready to take steps ahead to release them and forgive?

Read John 8:12-20
It’s Hard to See Clearly in the Dark

John introduces us to another descriptive name of Jesus, “the Light of the World,” in today’s scripture. A small candle, when lit, can dispel a great deal of darkness. It’s as though light swallows up the darkness in a room. Light will always conquer darkness. Imagine the darkness that can be dispelled by “THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD!” When we’re going through a trying time, we often describe it as a dark time. We must remember that He can provide more than sufficient light to bring us out of the darkness. Take advantage of The Light and “fan the flame!”

Questions:

1. Who dispels darkness?
2. Can I deal with my situation better in the dark or in the light?
3. How can I open up to let more light in?

Read John 8:21-59
Free Indeed

Let’s look closer at one of the verses in today’s passage to make sure we don’t misunderstand an often-quoted verse. In John 8:32, Jesus said, “…[a]nd you shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free.” (KJV) We shouldn’t read verse 32 without first reading 31, right? In verse 31, Jesus said “[i]f you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples…. 32 then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

Again, we are encouraged by Jesus to know His teachings; that is, study His Word. Being a disciple means that we have studied what He taught and we’re making every effort to apply what we’ve learned to our own lives. When we do so, we will recognize truth and that truth will set us free from all kinds of things. Sometimes poor health and illnesses may be the result or consequences of wrong beliefs, or “untruths,” we’ve had for years. But, He assures us that when we learn His Word, we will learn the truth of His Word and that Truth will set us free!

Questions:

1. What are some things that I’ve learned about God, by studying His Word for myself, that have revealed wrong beliefs I’ve had in my life?
2. Through this study, what truths and treasures have been revealed to me that I didn’t know before?
3. What is holding me back from learning all that I can?