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The Series - Jesus, Unique & Unequaled Teacher (38/TBD)

Focus Text: John 6.53-58

Are we guilty of “cafeteria style” Bible study? By that I simply mean, do we tend to go through life like a cafeteria line, picking and choosing from the Bible those things which we like and leaving the less savory truths to someone else? It is common to see banners and signs saying, YOU MUST BE BORN AGAIN! or, GOD SO LOVED THE WORLD…! Did you ever see a banner saying, UNLESS YOU EAT THE FLESH OF THE SON OF MAN YOU HAVE NO LIFE? Or, how about, HE WHO DRINKS MY BLOOD ABIDES IN ME? These are “just as much Bible” as John 3.7 or John 3.16, yet they are much less known than some of the “golden texts” of the Bible. Perhaps its because we are guilty of applying the Bible cafeteria style.

Then Jesus said to them, ‘Most assuredly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in you. Whoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. For My flesh is food indeed, and My blood is drink indeed. He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him. As the living Father sent Me, and I live because of the Father, so he who feeds on Me will live because of Me. This is the bread which came down from heaven——not as your fathers ate the manna, and are dead. He who eats this bread will live forever.’” (John 6.53-58).

The opening sentence of the focus text specifies an action that is absolutely essential to having life in ourselves. Whatever “…eat[ing] the flesh of the Son of Man and drink[ing] His blood” means, it is necessary if we are to have life. A literal translation of this text would read, “Amen! Amen! I say to you unless you eat the flesh… and drink His blood, you have no life in you.” Jesus “flagged” the importance of this statement with two “Amens” as He uttered it; it is an important text!

First, this is obviously a figure; Christians are not cannibals, nor do we drink literal blood as a religious rite. So the challenge of the disciple is to discover the interpretation of the figure and to make application of that truth to one’s life. The implication is obvious; should we fail to correctly interpret this text, and/or fail to properly apply it, we have no life in us. That certainly ought to pique our interest if we are to have any hope of eternal life. Admittedly this is a difficult saying; in fact many of His disciples responded with, “This is a hard saying; who can understand it?” (John 6.60).

As is frequently the case, the answer to the question is right in the context and we will draw some conclusions about this text as we continue these thoughts tomorrow. But for today, consider the opening question of this message, i.e., “Are we guilty of cafeteria style Bible study?” Perhaps this is not a fair question in that it tends to group us all together without taking into account our individual habits, traits, capabilities, etc. However, it should give us pause and force us to move out of our comfort zones to study and apply God’s deeper truths (see Hebrews 5.12-14)!

Questions:

1. What is a “comfort zone” when it comes to spiritual truth?

2. What external influences can cause us to move out of our comfort zones and into deeper things of God’s word? How can fellow believers help us to do this?

3. What reward is there when we press beyond the familiar and venture into the difficult or unfamiliar waters of God’s word (see Hebrews 5.12-14)? What threats if we fail to do so?

4. How does it become obvious that the text with which we are dealing is figurative? Does the fact that it is figurative make it any less critical or important to pleasing God? Does He expect us to understand even the figurative teachings of the Scripture? Why or why not?

"Inspiration For You" from Randy Mitchell

Watching Your Dollars Fly Away