#DailyDevotion Have You Come To Know & Believe Jesus Is The Holy One Of God For You?

John 6:59-69 ⁵⁹Jesus said these things in the synagogue, as he taught at Capernaum. ⁶⁰When many of his disciples heard it, they said, “This is a hard saying; who can listen to it?” ⁶¹But 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 of no avail. 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.) ⁶⁵And he said, “This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted him by the Father.” ⁶⁶After this many of his disciples turned back and no longer walked with him. ⁶⁷So Jesus said to the Twelve, “Do you want to go away as well?” ⁶⁸Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life, ⁶⁹and we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God.”

Well the Israelites grumbled against their LORD when they were in the wilderness having crossed the Red Sea and we see hear they were still grumbling when the is teaching them here in Capernaum. They took offense Jesus said they must eat his flesh and drink his blood. It’s like they never were listening to him in the first place. He again points to himself as their LORD when he says, “Then what if you were to see the Son of Man ascending to where he was before?” Jesus had said he is the Bread of Life that had come down from heaven. But most of his disciples were not having it.

Now Jesus brings this whole discourse back to where he started it, faith in him. He lets us know that his word is united to the Spirit of God. He and the Spirit are one just as he and the Father are one. The Spirit gives life through Jesus’ word. When Jesus speaks the word the Spirit accompanies it to bring spirit and life. Just a quick aside, when Jesus says the flesh is no avail, he is not speaking of his flesh here. It is his flesh the works our salvation. Rather I think he is speaking in terms of Paul in Romans. The flesh here is our works, our efforts: they avail us nothing.

Jesus brings the whole discussion of eating his flesh and drinking his blood back to believing in him, believing his word, trusting him and who he is. Those who departed from him did not believe him, his word or who he is. He was interesting and they enjoyed listening to him but they did not continue following him because the Father did not draw them to him.

Peter’s answer shows he has some understanding of what Jesus has been saying when he says, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life, ⁶⁹and we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God.” Earlier Jesus said, “ “Come to Me, and you will never be hungry. Believe in Me, and you will never be thirsty.” Peter shows his faith when he says, “We believe and come to know.” And what is that? Jesus is the Holy One of God, the Bread of Life, the Word of God who gives his life for he world.

Heavenly Father, draw us to your Son Jesus Christ that we may believe in and come to know who he is and what he has done for us and give us your Holy Spirit that we may have life in ourselves through his faith so we are raised to eternal life on the Last Day. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.