1. What stood out to me from this chapter?
Almost the entire chapter was about bread. First Jesus feeds the 5,000 with five loaves and two fish. Then when the crowds find him again on the other side of the lake, they ask for more bread. Jesus calls them out on their fickle dependence on him for actual food, when they should be seeking him for eternal life. Jesus says, in essence, "God sent bread down from heaven to keep you alive from day to day, but now he has sent me so that you can be alive for all eternity. Get your eyes off the ground and your stomachs, and look up to see what God is really doing here. Even WonderBread still spoils eventually despite the added preservatives. Get some of the most wonderful bread, that will never spoil - me."
2. How does this relate to any other Scripture I know?
When Jesus talks about eating his flesh and drinking his blood, it sounds a little creepy and weird. It seems at first like symbolism, and then he keeps using the same language and carries it to a point where it has to still be symbolism, but doesn't sound much like it anymore. But it did make me think of Holy Communion and the Last Supper. Jesus broke the bread and said, "Take and eat, this is my body given for you." He also took the cup of wine and said, "This cup is the new covenant sealed in my blood...drink of it." It sounds very similar, and reminds us that we need Jesus at every turn.
3. What does this mean for my life?
For this question, I look at the scene at the end of the chapter where many disciples desert Jesus. He then turns to the twelve remaining and asks why they haven't left yet. Peter (often the first to reply) said, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We have come to believe and know that you are the Holy One of God." As I have experienced more of life and simultaneously become more acquainted with the Bible, I find myself thinking the same thing. "Where else am I going to go? God is the only thing that actually makes life make sense. Life as revealed in the Bible is the only one worth living."
4. What questions do I have about this passage?
How do the two concepts Jesus teaches about those who believe have eternal life, and that God is the one who draws them in make sense together? It sounds a little contradictory, but I'm just curious how they really fit together.
Those are my thoughts for this chapter. I'd love to hear yours. God's blessings to you and KEEP DIGGING IN!
In Christ,
Dan
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