Spirit and Life

A Pinnacle Moment

(ESV)

60When many of his disciples heard it, they said, “This is a hard saying; who can listen to it?”

22On the next day the crowd that remained on the other side of the sea saw that there had been only one boat there, and that Jesus had not entered the boat with his disciples, but that his disciples had gone away alone.

61But Jesus, knowing in himself that his disciples were grumbling about this, said to them, “Do you take offense at this?

23Other boats from Tiberias came near the place where they had eaten the bread after the Lord had given thanks.

24So when the crowd saw that Jesus was not there, nor his disciples, they themselves got into the boats and went to Capernaum, seeking Jesus.

62Then what if you were to see the Son of Man ascending to where he was before?

63It 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.

25When they found him on the other side of the sea, they said to him, “Rabbi, when did you come here?”

64But 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.)

26Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, you are seeking me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves.

65And he said, “This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted him by the Father.”

27Do not work for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you. For on him God the Father has set his seal.”

66After this many of his disciples turned back and no longer walked with him.

28Then they said to him, “What must we do, to be doing the works of God?”

29Jesus answered them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent.”

30So they said to him, “Then what sign do you do, that we may see and believe you? What work do you perform?

31Our fathers ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written, ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’ ”

32Jesus then said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, it was not Moses who gave you the bread from heaven, but my Father gives you the true bread from heaven.

33For the bread of God is he who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.”

34They said to him, “Sir, give us this bread always.”

35Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.

36But I said to you that you have seen me and yet do not believe.

37All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out.

38For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will but the will of him who sent me.

39And this is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me, but raise it up on the last day.

40For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.”

41So the Jews grumbled about him, because he said, “I am the bread that came down from heaven.”

42They said, “Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How does he now say, ‘I have come down from heaven’?”

43Jesus answered them, “Do not grumble among yourselves.

44No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. And I will raise him up on the last day.

45It is written in the Prophets, ‘And they will all be taught by God.’ Everyone who has heard and learned from the Father comes to me—

46not that anyone has seen the Father except he who is from God; he has seen the Father.

47Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes has eternal life.

48I am the bread of life.

49Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died.

50This is the bread that comes down from heaven, so that one may eat of it and not die.

51I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. And the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.”

52The Jews then disputed among themselves, saying, “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?”

53So Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you.

54Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.

55For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink.

56Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me, and I in him.

57As the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so whoever feeds on me, he also will live because of me.

58This is the bread that came down from heaven, not like the bread the fathers ate, and died. Whoever feeds on this bread will live forever.”

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?

62Then what if you were to see the Son of Man ascending to where he was before?

63It 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.

64But 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.”

70Jesus answered them, “Did I not choose you, the twelve? And yet one of you is a devil.”

71He spoke of Judas the son of Simon Iscariot, for he, one of the twelve, was going to betray him.

The Locker Room Moment

(ESV)

30What shall we say, then? That Gentiles who did not pursue righteousness have attained it, that is, a righteousness that is by faith;

31but that Israel who pursued a law that would lead to righteousness did not succeed in reaching that law.

32Why? Because they did not pursue it by faith, but as if it were based on works. They have stumbled over the stumbling stone,

33as it is written, “Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offense; and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame.”

1Brothers, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for them is that they may be saved.

2For I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge.

3For, being ignorant of the righteousness of God, and seeking to establish their own, they did not submit to God’s righteousness.

4For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.