Why Can't The World Save Itself?

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John 6:60-65

60 When many of his disciples heard it, they said, “This is a hard saying; who can listen to it?” 61 But Jesus, knowing in himself that his disciples were grumbling about this, said to them, “Do you take offense at this? 62 Then what if you were to see the Son of Man ascending to where he was before? 63 It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh is no help at all. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life. 64 But there are some of you who do not believe.” (For Jesus knew from the beginning who those were who did not believe, and who it was who would betray him.) 65 And he said, “This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted him by the Father.”

 
 

The “disciples” are those people who are following Jesus and learning from Him—the term does not necessarily refer to the inner circle of His disciples—the twelve.

Jesus has told them that He is “heavenly bread” and that the way people can have life is to trust Him, but this claim troubles some of those in the crowd of disciples. Jesus asks if they would still be offended if He ascended into heaven? He goes on to point out that the world cannot save itself—it is the Spirit who gives life, not the flesh or worldly things. In other words, God is the only source of life.

QUESTION FOR THE DAY
If God is the only source of life, why are you looking at other things to make you happy?

 

The Bible Isn't The Point

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John 5:30-47

30 “I can do nothing on my own. As I hear, I judge, and my judgment is just, because I seek not my own will but the will of him who sent me. 31 If I alone bear witness about myself, my testimony is not true. 32 There is another who bears witness about me, and I know that the testimony that he bears about me is true. 33 You sent to John, and he has borne witness to the truth. 34 Not that the testimony that I receive is from man, but I say these things so that you may be saved. 35 He was a burning and shining lamp, and you were willing to rejoice for a while in his light. 36 But the testimony that I have is greater than that of John. For the works that the Father has given me to accomplish, the very works that I am doing, bear witness about me that the Father has sent me. 37 And the Father who sent me has himself borne witness about me. His voice you have never heard, his form you have never seen, 38 and you do not have his word abiding in you, for you do not believe the one whom he has sent. 39 You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about me, 40 yet you refuse to come to me that you may have life. 41 I do not receive glory from people. 42 But I know that you do not have the love of God within you. 43 I have come in my Father's name, and you do not receive me. If another comes in his own name, you will receive him. 44 How can you believe, when you receive glory from one another and do not seek the glory that comes from the only God? 45 Do not think that I will accuse you to the Father. There is one who accuses you: Moses, on whom you have set your hope. 46 For if you believed Moses, you would believe me; for he wrote of me. 47 But if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe my words?”

 
 

Jesus is mistrusted by the Jews and is here explaining who He is and what He’s doing. He tells them that the reason they should trust Him is because what the Father and what John the Baptist have said about Him, and also because the Old Testament prophesied about Him. Unfortunately, though they “search the Scriptures” they have missed the point of the Bible—the Bible itself isn’t the point, the point is the Lord to whom the Scriptures testify.

PRAYER FOR THE DAY:
We have completed another month of readings, and I hope you are learning more about the Bible. But the whole reason for doing this at all—the whole reason I spend all this time reading and writing—is so that you will come to have faith in Jesus and life in His name.

So, here’s our prayer for the day:
“Lord, use the words of your Scriptures to bring me more alive in You.”