Monday, February 13, 2012

American Bible Society Daily Bible Reading and Daily Prayer for Monday, 13 February 2012

From The American Bible Society:


John 6:25-71(Good News Translation)

Come Together in Faith and Proclaim God’s Love and Mercy

Introduction

John 6:25-71: The crowd who had been looking for Jesus find him. Jesus explains the difference between the manna that their ancestors ate in the desert and the “real bread from heaven.” Some who hear Jesus’ words find his teaching too hard and turn away.

Today's Scripture: John 6:35

“I am the bread of life,” Jesus told them. “Those who come to me will never be hungry; those who believe in me will never be thirsty.”

Today's Reading

25 When the people found Jesus on the other side of the lake, they said to him, “Teacher, when did you get here?” 26 Jesus answered, “I am telling you the truth: you are looking for me because you ate the bread and had all you wanted, not because you understood my miracles. 27 Do not work for food that spoils; instead, work for the food that lasts for eternal life. This is the food which the Son of Man will give you, because God, the Father, has put his mark of approval on him. ” 28 So they asked him, “What can we do in order to do what God wants us to do?” 29Jesus answered, “What God wants you to do is to believe in the one he sent.” 30They replied, “What miracle will you perform so that we may see it and believe you? What will you do? 31 Our ancestors ate manna in the desert, just as the scripture says, “He gave them bread from heaven to eat.” ” 32 “I am telling you the truth,” Jesus said. “What Moses gave you was not the bread from heaven; it is my Father who gives you the real bread from heaven. 33 For the bread that God gives is he who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world. ” 34 “Sir,” they asked him, “give us this bread always.” 35 “I am the bread of life,” Jesus told them. “Those who come to me will never be hungry; those who believe in me will never be thirsty. 36Now, I told you that you have seen me but will not believe. 37 Everyone whom my Father gives me will come to me. I will never turn away anyone who comes to me,38 because I have come down from heaven to do not my own will but the will of him who sent me. 39 And it is the will of him who sent me that I should not lose any of all those he has given me, but that I should raise them all to life on the last day. 40For what my Father wants is that all who see the Son and believe in him should have eternal life. And I will raise them to life on the last day. ” 41 The people started grumbling about him, because he said, “I am the bread that came down from heaven.” 42 So they said, “This man is Jesus son of Joseph, isn't he? We know his father and mother. How, then, does he now say he came down from heaven?” 43Jesus answered, “Stop grumbling among yourselves. 44 People cannot come to me unless the Father who sent me draws them to me; and I will raise them to life on the last day. 45 The prophets wrote, “Everyone will be taught by God.” Anyone who hears the Father and learns from him comes to me. 46 This does not mean that anyone has seen the Father; he who is from God is the only one who has seen the Father. 47 I am telling you the truth: he who believes has eternal life. 48 I am the bread of life. 49 Your ancestors ate manna in the desert, but they died. 50 But the bread that comes down from heaven is of such a kind that whoever eats it will not die. 51 I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If you eat this bread, you will live forever. The bread that I will give you is my flesh, which I give so that the world may live. ” 52 This started an angry argument among them. “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?” they asked. 53 Jesus said to them, “I am telling you the truth: if you do not eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you will not have life in yourselves. 54 Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood have eternal life, and I will raise them to life on the last day. 55 For my flesh is the real food; my blood is the real drink. 56 Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood live in me, and I live in them. 57 The living Father sent me, and because of him I live also. In the same way whoever eats me will live because of me. 58 This, then, is the bread that came down from heaven; it is not like the bread that your ancestors ate, but then later died. Those who eat this bread will live forever. ” 59 Jesus said this as he taught in the synagogue in Capernaum. 60 Many of his followers heard this and said, “This teaching is too hard. Who can listen to it?” 61 Without being told, Jesus knew that they were grumbling about this, so he said to them, “Does this make you want to give up? 62 Suppose, then, that you should see the Son of Man go back up to the place where he was before? 63 What gives life is God's Spirit; human power is of no use at all. The words I have spoken to you bring God's life-giving Spirit. 64 Yet some of you do not believe. ” (Jesus knew from the very beginning who were the ones that would not believe and which one would betray him.) 65 And he added, “This is the very reason I told you that no people can come to me unless the Father makes it possible for them to do so.” 66 Because of this, many of Jesus' followers turned back and would not go with him any more. 67 So he asked the twelve disciples, “And you—would you also like to leave?” 68 Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom would we go? You have the words that give eternal life. 69 And now we believe and know that you are the Holy One who has come from God. ” 70 Jesus replied, “I chose the twelve of you, didn't I? Yet one of you is a devil!” 71 He was talking about Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot. For Judas, even though he was one of the twelve disciples, was going to betray him.

Reflect

After Jesus tells the crowd that God wants them “to believe in the one he sent” (verse 29), the people demand a miracle. Why? Reread verses 32-40. How does Jesus contrast himself as the “bread of life” with the manna that was given to the people’s ancestors in the desert? What does Jesus as the “bread of life” mean to you? Why did some of the followers turn away (verse 60)? What did Simon Peter say (verse 68)?

Pray

Lord Jesus, you are the true bread of life. I hunger for your word each day. You have the words that give eternal life. Amen.

Prayer Concern

Those who have abandoned their faith in Jesus

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