July 4
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GRUMBLING AND UNBELIEF
41 Therefore the Jews were grumbling about Him, because He said, “I am the bread that came down out of heaven.” 42 They were saying, “Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How does He now say, ‘I have come down out of heaven’?” 43 Jesus answered and said to them, “Do not grumble among yourselves. 44 No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up on the last day. 45 It is written in the prophets, ‘AND THEY SHALL ALL BE TAUGHT OF GOD.’ Everyone who has heard and learned from the Father, comes to Me. 46 Not that anyone has seen the Father, except the One who is from God; He has seen the Father. 47 Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes has eternal life. 48 I am the bread of life. 49 Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died. 50 This is the bread which comes down out of heaven, so that one may eat of it and not die. 51 I am the living bread that came down out of heaven; if anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever; and the bread also which I will give for the life of the world is My flesh.” – John 6:41-51
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In this part of the story, we witness once again the inability of the Jewish leaders to comprehend what Jesus was saying. Because they studied for so long to understand the laws and history of their forefathers, they cannot believe anything Jesus said. It is ironic that they spent many years of studies so they can maintain their prestige and honor yet they fail to understand truth that Jesus reveals to them. They knew that Jesus was a carpenter’s son who didn’t have the education and accomplishments and prestige that they have. It is beyond their understanding to accept what Jesus had been saying to them. They were stuck in the narrowness of their thinking because their minds are only focused on power, law and to get the respect from others. Jesus didn’t think or act like them. He thinks out of the box. They couldn’t accept someone who didn’t have accomplishments because they have worked so hard to get where they were. Their legalistic thinking and prejudices made them fail to see truth. Isn’t legalism the reason why we fail to get revelations? Their minds and hearts were all hardened because they clung to control and power. In verse 44, Jesus kept telling them that only God chooses whom to give such wisdom. He had been telling them all along that He is the Son of God, but they are blind to see it.
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REFLECTION
• Share an experience that shows legalism can hinder one from knowing truth?