THE KING’S BUSINESS
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hearts, and not only would He satisfy every hunger of their hearts, but every thirst as well. “Hunger” may stand for the deep longing for that which ministers strength, “thirst,” the more intense desire fo i that which satisfies every spiritual craving. So we see that Jesus ministers never failing strength to all who come to Him, and never failing peace to all who believe on Him. There is a different shade of meaning in “coming to Him,” and “believing on Him.” “Coming to Him” is seeking help and blessing from Him; “believing on Him,” is the absolute abandonment of self to Him. The Authorized Version reads, “never hunger;” the Revised Version reads, “not hunger” : the Greek word is not properly rendered “never,” but it is a very strong negative and “not” is hardly an adequate translation. It is the same form of nega tive that is found in verse 37 and is trans lated “in no wise.” v. 36. "But I said unto you, that ye also (omit, also) have seen me, and yet (omit, yet) believe not.” They had seen this bread out of heaven right before their eyes in the person of .the Lord Jesus, but had never appreciated what it was, because so taken up with material and unreal. And men today are so taken up with the material and unreal that they neither appreciate nor believe in the true bread. A las! for the man lyho sees Jesus and yet believes not. How blind he is, and how hopeless his con dition. v. 37. "A ll that (add, which) the Father giveth me, (om it,) shall come to (unto) me; and him that cometh to me~, (om it,) I will in no wise cast out.” While the mass of men would not come to Jesus and believe on Him (v. 36; cf. ch. 5:40), some would, “A ll that which the Father giveth me.” There is a body of men whom God has given to Jesus (ch. 17:2, 9, 12). These are His own, and to them He ministers in a special way (ch. 13:1), not one of them is ever lost (ch. 17:12, R. V.; 18:9), and this body of men which the Father hath given unto Jesus are those who come to Him. That which the Father hath given
( out of) heaven, and giveth life unto the world." The multitude sought to enforce their demand for a sign by a reference to Moses and the sign he gave, the manna, but Jesus showed them that the manna was but a type of Himself, the true bread from God out of heaven, and He showed them that it was not Moses who gave them the bread, but the Father. The two characteristics of this bread that the Father giveth are, (1) it “cometh down out of heaven,” (2) it “giveth life unto the world.” He Himself was the bread that-had these two char acteristics. He came down out of heaven, and He, and He alone, gives life unto the world. v. 34. “Then said they (They said there fore) unto Him, Lord, evermore give us this bread.” How dull our Lord’s hearers were, they did not understand Him at all, they were still ôccupied with bread for the body, and so they exclaimed, “Always give us this bread.” They would not have said that at all if they had understood the real character of the bread. When they came to understand the real character of the bread they “went back, and walked no more with Him” (v. 66). How many there are today who think they really desire Jesus, but it is simply because they do not under stand Him and the real work that He does, and the real character of the life that He gives, that they imagine they desire Him. v. 35. “And ('omit, And) Jesus said unto them, I am the bread o f life; he that cometh to me, ( omit, ) shall never (not) hunger: ( , ) and he that believeth on me, ('omit,) shall never thirst.” Jesus now explains to' them in a way that they cannot mistake, that He Himself is the true bread of God of which He spake. There is noth ing more wonderful in thé whole book of John than the various “I ams” that Jesus uses ^cf. ch. 10:9; 11:25; 14:6, etc.), and the “I am” given here is one'of the most wonderful of them all. It is questionable if ever more simple or more wonderful words were ever- uttered than these, “I am the bread of life .” As the bread of life He would satisfy every hunger of their
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