In the meanwhile the disciples were requesting Him, saying, "Rabbit, eat." But He said to them, "I have food to eat that you do not know about." The disciples therefore were saying to one another, "No one brought Him anything to eat, did he?" Jesus said to them, "My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me, and to accomplish His work."
Message: The Food that Sustained Jesus
Time: John most likely wrote between A.D. 85 and 90. John's purpose in writing was, "that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing you may have life in His name (John 20:31)."
What the Lord is Saying: The disciples have returned to Jesus and were surprised he was speaking to a woman and a Samaritan woman at that. As John has presented to us thus far, we have seen Jesus respond about being born again in a different sort of way, even that He is the light in contrast to the darkness, that He provides a living water versus regular drinking water. Living water yields eternal life. And now today we see a reference to food and yet Jesus will talk about a different sort of food.
I find this interesting and not sure I've put this connection together before in the past of these normal everyday needs or experiences we have as people and how Jesus is using them to reference something new and different. And He is using basics of our life - born, light, water, and now food. He uses physical needs to instruct in spiritual matters. Just as we have needs for these physical needs, Jesus shows that our need for God can be seen in the same way. These bring us life. Abundant life.
Interlinear - But in the meantime were asking Him the disciples saying Rabbi eat. But He said them I food have to eat that you not. Were saying therefore the disciples to one another No one did bring Him. Says to them - Jesus My food is that I should do the will of the [One] having sent Me and should finish of Him the work.
The food that Jesus mentions is "do the will" of the One having sent Me and "should finish of Him the work." Jesus is to accomplish or bring to an end or perfect the will of God who sent Him. The way of salvation is completed in Jesus.
Deuteronomy 8:3 - He humbled you and let you be hungry, and fed you with manna which you did not know, nor did your fathers know, that He might make you understand that man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by everything that proceeds out of the mouth of the Lord.
There are times when I have learned and studied God's word and been in fellowship with others in the faith that I have felt this sustenance from the Lord that he sustains me through His word. That we have all that we need in Him. I wonder often if much of what I am doing is busy work and not ultimate work that is needed. We all have to toil and do so much in life simply to survive. And yet real survival is found not in these activities, but real survival is found in doing the will of the Father. It is in Him that life is complete.
Summary: The greatest delight (real food) of Jesus is to do the will of God who sent Him and complete/accomplish/perfect that work.
Promise: We need to reciprocate the same sort of will and zeal that Jesus had in doing the will of the Father through obedience in following His commandments.
Prayer: Lord, thank you for Your word and that it sustains me this day. I start the day with You Lord, not something I did this weekend, but I return to You again to start afresh. You sustain me and your Words in this book are the true words to my life. Light my way now. Be my water, my food, my sustenance to live in a born again way. Thank you for speaking the truth to me.
Note: If you are interested in other studies/devotions, check out my index of Bible Study's.
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