Jesus had gone over the Sea of Galilee with his disciples, and a great company of people had followed him, because they had seen his power in the healing of disease. After he had finished his instruction for the day, he looked at the great multitude of people who had assembled, and said to Philip, “Whence shall we buy bread that these may eat?” This he said to prove Philip, “for he himself knew what he would do.” After the disciples had shown that they did not know what to do, Jesus had the people sit down on the grass. There was a lad present who had with him five barley loaves and two fishes, an amount of food so utterly inadequate to the need of the people that we are not surprised at Peter’s remark, “What are they among so many?” If all had been equally divided among the five thousand men present, there would have been scarcely as much as a crumb apiece. But read what followed:—SITI May 29, 1893, page 420.12

“And Jesus took the loaves; and when he had given thanks, he distributed to the disciples, and the disciples to them that were set down; and likewise of the fishes as much as they would. When they were filled, he said unto his disciples, Gather up the fragments that remain, that nothing be lost. Therefore they gathered them together, and filled twelve baskets with the fragments of the five barley loaves, which remained over and above unto them that had eaten.” John 6:11-13.SITI May 29, 1893, page 420.13

What a wonderful miracle this was! It is certain that the five loaves with which they began, would not merely have filled twelve baskets; therefore we find that there was a good deal more left after feeding the five thousand than there was when they began, so that in reality the original amount of bread was not drawn upon at all. There was an act of creation performed by Christ, who is the Creator of all things. “In him were all things created.” Creative power resides in Christ. As he took the bread in his hands, it multiplied. Therefore the bread which the people ate that day came from Christ.SITI May 29, 1893, page 420.14

All the miracles of Christ were done that we might believe that he is indeed the Christ, the Son of God, and that, believing, we might have life through his name. And no miracle that was ever performed shows more clearly than this how we may feed upon him, and receive life thereby. We shall see that this was the lesson that Jesus intended to have us learn from it.SITI May 29, 1893, page 420.15

The next day the people followed Jesus to Capernaum, and there he exhorted them: “Labor not for the meat that perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life, which the Son of Man shall give unto you; for him hath God the Father sealed.” John 6:27. They rightly understood that this meat that would endure forever consisted of acts of righteousness, and so they asked him what they should do that they might work the works of God. “Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on Him whom he hath sent.” Believing on Christ means appropriating him. Therefore the meat that endures unto everlasting life is righteousness, and that is obtained by believing or appropriating Christ Jesus virtually said to them that he himself was that food.SITI May 29, 1893, page 420.16

With strange forgetfulness of the miracle that Jesus had wrought the day before, the people said: “What sign showest thou then, that we may see, and believe thee? What dost thou work? Our fathers did eat manna in the desert; as it is written, He gave them bread from heaven to eat.” Verses 30, 31. Jesus then proceeded to show them that the bread which the fathers ate in the desert was bread that God himself gave to them, and that he himself was the bread. See verses 32-35. So that the miracle by which they had been fed the day before, was but a repetition of the miracle of giving the manna.SITI May 29, 1893, page 420.17

“For the bread of God is He which cometh down from heaven and giveth life unto the world.” And then, to leave no possible doubt as to what he meant, Jesus added, “I am the bread of life; he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.” Again: “He that believeth on me hath everlasting life. I am that bread of life. Your fathers did eat manna in the wilderness, and are dead. This is the bread which cometh down from heaven, that a man may eat thereof, and not die. I am the living bread which came down from heaven; if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.” Verses 47-51.SITI May 29, 1893, page 420.18

Here was a plain statement that just as their fathers had eaten manna in the desert, and they had eaten bread in the desert, and they had eaten bread in the desert the day before, by which physical life had been preserved, so they were to eat of Christ, the living bread, which would give them spiritual life forever. But this was too much for them to believe. “The Jews therefore strove among themselves, saying, How can this man give us his flesh to eat?” The same question is asked at this day. How is it possible that we can get righteousness and life, even the righteousness of God, and eternal life, just by believing on Christ? Jesus said that it is by eating him. But that only makes it seem more absurd to unbelief. If the Jews had not been so blinded by unbelief, they would have thought how they had eaten bread from Christ the day before, and that would have answered their question. And to-day he who doubts that one may eat of Jesus, and thereby get his life of everlasting righteousness, shows that he does not believe the record of the feeding of the five thousand.SITI May 29, 1893, page 420.19

Jesus did not in any degree modify what he had said, to accommodate their unbelief. “Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you. Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day. For my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed. He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him. As the living Father hath sent me, and I live by the Father; so he that eateth me, even he shall live by me. This is that bread which came down from heaven; not as your fathers did eat manna, and are dead: he that eateth of this bread shall live for ever.” John 6:53-58.SITI May 29, 1893, page 420.20

The Jews ate the manna in the wilderness, and if they had seen things by faith, they would at the same time have eaten of Christ, who was signified by that manna. Thus they would have received eternal life. But here they had not faith they were dead. Now the Bread of Life was there in person before them. He had come down from heaven to give himself for the life of the world. Whosoever eat of him shall have eternal life. But though men might eat of the man, and the natural bread that God gives them, without having any faith, no man can eat of the Bread of Life without faith; for it is by faith that Christ is eaten.SITI May 29, 1893, page 420.21

In this there is a lesson for all who come to the table of the Lord. The apostle Paul said, “The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ.” 1 Corinthians 10. Men may eat of the bread of the Lord’s Supper without any faith, but in that care they do not eat of Christ. He can be received only by faith. And he may be eaten at any time and all the time, for the eating of the bread of the communion is only to symbolize the continual eating of Christ.SITI May 29, 1893, page 420.22

But Jesus did not leave this matter in doubt. He himself explained the figure which he used. He said: “It is the Spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing.” Suppose that it were possible for the priest to change the bread of the mass into the actual body of Christ, as it is claimed that he does; that would not amount to anything. Suppose that all men should eat of that bread; nay, more, suppose that Christ’s physical body, as he was on the earth, had been divided up, and a piece given to every man, and that all had eaten it; that would have been to no profit. It is not physical meat that endures to everlasting life. The life is spiritual, and only spiritual food does supply it. So it is not worth while to dispute as to whether or not the priest can transform the wafer into the body of Christ, since if he could, he would be doing nothing toward supplying the needs of men.SITI May 29, 1893, page 420.23

Christ is the Word. The Scriptures are from him, and they are life. Their life is the life of God in Christ. Whosoever, therefore eats them eats Christ. We eat them by believing them, and allowing them to work his own righteousness in our life. “Thy words were found, and I did eat them; and thy word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of my heart; for I am called by thy name, O Lord God of hosts.” Jeremiah 15:16.SITI May 29, 1893, page 420.24

Now the question will arise, “How it is possible that we can, by believing the words of Christ, receive righteousness and life?” This is the very question that the Jews asked. No man can tell; we can only know the fact. He cannot so much as tell how the bread that we eat at our tables can become a part of our life. We know that it does so, and that satisfies us. No man was ever yet so foolish as to refuse to eat his breakfast because he could not know how it was going to give him renewed life. He has proved that it does, and that is enough. That daily food comes direct from Christ. It is he that giveth us all things to enjoy. And as men eat the bread that comes from him, and are refreshed, so he wants them to eat of his own body, by means of his words-the bread of everlasting life, that so their soul may be refreshed. This is the word that comes to us all: “Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the man that trusteth in him!”SITI May 29, 1893, page 420.25

May 15, 1893

June 5, 1893