“For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me.” (John 6:38)
This was Jesus’ guiding principle for His whole life on earth: He did not come here — even as One who was fully God! — to exercise His own will and to do as He pleased. He came rather to do the will of the Father, instead of His own. This should guide our own commitment as well. Continue reading
“Jesus then said to them, ‘Truly, truly, I say to you, it is not Moses who has given you the bread out of heaven, but it is My Father who gives you the true bread out of heaven.'” (John 6:32)
Note how Jesus was VERY particular here about who was getting credit for the work of God in the world: “It is not Moses who has given you the bread out of heaven, but it is My Father who gives you the true bread out of heaven.” It wasn’t “MOSES” who accomplished all of that good for mankind; it was GOD. We need to preserve that same perspective. Continue reading
“Everyone who has heard and learned from the Father, comes to Me.” (John 6:45)
Many people who think they “like” Jesus today probably have no idea about some of the outrageous, exclusive things He actually said. Here in :45 we find yet another of these statements. Continue reading
“Therefore Jesus … said to Philip: ‘Where are we to buy bread, so that these may eat?’ This He was saying to test him, for He Himself knew what He was intending to do.” (John 6:5-6)
The Bible tells us here that Jesus knew what He was going to do that day. He already knew that He was going to multiply the loaves to feed the multitude. But He asked this question of Philip specifically for the purpose of testing him, to see how he would respond. Has it occurred to you that if He did that with Philip, then certainly He does the same thing with you today? Continue reading
“But the testimony which I have is greater than the testimony of John; for the works which the Father has given Me to accomplish — the very works that I do — testify about Me, that the Father has sent Me.” (John 5:36)
Jesus was speaking to the Jews who were seeking to kill Him because He claimed to be equal with God, and He was giving them “evidence”, in a sense, that He really was who He claimed to be. He referred to the testimony of John in :33, but then He added here that there was a greater testimony to who He was: “the works which the Father has given Me to accomplish — the very works that I do — testify about Me …”. Jesus was able to point to His works to prove that He was who He claimed to be.
This should occasion some soul-searching among those who claim to be God’s people today. Are you really what you claim to be? Continue reading
Several years ago there was a couple who was driving on a remote stretch of highway in Florida, where there had been a number of crimes committed in recent days. Unfortunately the couple had car trouble and got stranded, and for the longest time no one stopped to help them because of the reputation of the area — until one man finally did. He stopped to help, looked over their car, and got it going again. Although they offered, the man wouldn’t take anything for what he had done. As he drove off, the wife said to her husband, “How will we ever be able to pay him back?” The husband said, “We cant. But we can pass on to someone else, what he has done for us.”
The lesson of that real life story is very much in line with our passage for tonight from I Corinthians 11:23-26, as we prepare to share the Lord’s Supper together. In reading this passage again this week, I was struck by the first words of this text, which I had never really focused in on before. This section on the Lord’s Supper begins with :23, “For I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you …” and then he goes on to describe the Lord’s Supper.
I want us to focus tonight on those introductory words: “For I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you …”. We should never overlook any words in scripture; “all scripture is God-breathed”; “not a letter or a stroke will pass away from” it until all is accomplished. So these words aren’t just an “insignificant” introduction. Let’s think about them for a moment: “For I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you.” Continue reading
“So that all will honor the Son even as they honor the Father. He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent Him.” (John 5:23)
How is Jesus to be regarded by us? As a good teacher? A prophet? God-like but something less? This verse makes it extremely clear: Continue reading
“Afterwards Jesus found him in the Temple and said to him, ‘Behold, you have become well; do not sin anymore, so that nothing worse happens to you.'” (John 5:14)
Jesus had previously healed this man, who had been sitting by the pool at Bethesda, and the Bible tells us that He later purposefully “found him” in the Temple to give him this admonition: “Do not sin anymore.” His warning is similar to the one He gave to the adulterous woman later in John 8, “Now go and sin no more.” It is a word that many of us need to hear today as well. Continue reading
With baseball season starting this week, I was reading an article on the worst trades in baseball history. There were a number of contenders, but I have to agree with the one they identified as the worst: On December 26, 1919, the owner of the Boston Red Sox sold Babe Ruth to the owner of the New York Yankees for $100,000, and a $300,000 loan to finance his musical, “No, No, Nanette.” Now I like a lot of musicals, but I have never heard of that one, and I have to agree that was one of the worst trades ever.
But there have been worse — among them the trade that Satan offered Jesus in Matthew 4 when he offered Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory in exchange for worshiping him. Thankfully for all of us, Jesus didn’t take him up on that trade — but sadly, many individuals among us have — in fact, we all have to some extent. We need to learn from the response of Jesus here:
“Then Jesus said to him, “Go, Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the LORD your God, and serve Him only.” Continue reading
I'm a retired Southern Baptist pastor of almost 40 years. My wife Cheryl & I moved to Norman, OK in March of 2025. I share a weekly overview for Sunday School teachers of the weekly Lifeway "Explore the Bible" lesson, as well as texts of my sermons and other articles.
shawnethomas 