Sabbath Before Passover – 2017

The Bread of Life

How are you going to eat Jesus' flesh and drink His blood?

Fred R. Coulter—April 8, 2017

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Greetings, brethren! Welcome to the Sabbath before the Passover 2017. This Sabbath we're going to have a special study in understanding more about eating and drinking Christ, which is the very center of the Passover service.

• What does it mean?
• How do we understand it?

Tomorrow night we're going to have the Passover. And the Passover is the most important thing to keep us in good standing with God, the most important thing for us to understand about God.

What we want to do is to try and understand the deeper things in John 6. But first let's come to 1-Cor. 2. In the world, and also in many churches, as well as Churches of God, but especially churches in the world, they have such a shallow understanding of the Word of God, that they really don't comprehend it. They do understand the things concerning daily living.

But they do not have contact with God the Father through the Holy Spirit, because the Holy Spirit is only given to those who obey Him. So, in the critical things that people do not obey Him in, concerning the Sabbath and the Passover and the Holy Days, they don't have the Holy Spirit within them. The Holy Spirit within us has two elements:

• from the Father for the begettal to be His son or daughter at the resurrection
• from Jesus Christ to develop the mind of Christ

This is why we're here. This is why we do what we do. This is how we learn to love God, love each other and grow in grace and knowledge. God wants us to learn as much as we can from His Word, especially since we have the complete Word of God. In 1-Cor. 2 we find something very interesting concerning the Word of God and the Spirit of God, and how we are to understand things.

We know from the rules of Bible study, that it's 'a little here, a little there, precept upon precept and line upon line.' And we have to 'rightly divide' and put together the Word of God. Then we have to live the Word of God and understand the Word of God, as we go Sabbath after Sabbath after Sabbath, and day after day after day, and then with the Passover and Holy Days and with the plan of God and everything that way. So, we have an opportunity to learn so much more, and to understand the Word of God so much more, for a deeper and more profound personal relationship with God.

Because as John wrote in the 1-John 1, our fellowship is with God the Father and His Son Jesus Christ! In 1-Cor. 2 we find this about understanding the things of God. Here the Bible is shown to be different from any other book. You can't pick it up and read it and start understanding it. People may be able to understand some parts of the Bible, but to understand the deep things of God, to understand the real meaning of the Bible is something beyond their ability, because they have not come to the point of doing what Jesus says in John 6.

1-Corinthians 2:9: "But according as it is written, 'The eye has not seen, nor the ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him.'"

Now let's bring some other Scriptures to bear on this. What does it mean to love God? For this is the love of God: that we keep His commandments; and His commandments are not burdensome!

We can't say that we know God unless we keep His commandments. If we keep His commandments, then the love of God is being perfected in us, and we are to walk in the same way that Jesus walked. So, this is why we need to apply these many Scriptures as we go through these things.

Verse 10: "But God has revealed them to us by His Spirit, for the Spirit searches all things—eventhe deep things of God."

Some of the deep things of God are contained in the teachings of Jesus in symbolic language, which also has true real meaning. That's hard for people to understand. We don't learn the things taught by human wisdom, human ways, but God reveals them through His Spirit!

Verse 11: "…the things of God no one understands except by the Spirit of God."

Let's just have little brief overview of the book of John. During the three-and-a-half-year ministry of Jesus Christ there were four Passovers. Now, that's an interesting number; four and Jesus Christ and the Passover are very important to understand. You go back to Gen. 1 and we find that on the fourth day God set the sun and the moon for the appointed times. This actually makes the appointed times more important than the weekly Sabbath, because that came on day seven.

So, isn't it interesting that the world of Christianity doesn't understand the Bible, because they don't keep the appointed times? We've already covered that leading up to the Passover. Now then, Jesus began His ministry on the fourth day of the week, a Day of Atonement and a Jubilee year, as well. He ended His ministry on the fourth day of the week, through the crucifixion and His death. He was raised from the dead after three days and three nights, and then on the fourth day He ascended to heaven, and was accepted by God the Father as the ultimate sacrifice for the sins of all mankind. Then He had another forty days at the end of His ministry, just like He had to start it.

Another #4 that comes with Jesus is this: We have the four Gospels, and the four Gospels, as well as a book of Acts, is the fourth division of the Bible. In other words, it's in the middle of the Bible. That's why it reaches back into the Old Testament, and reaches forward into New Jerusalem, and the new heavens and new earth. Quite an interesting thing! Remember, Jesus said, 'I'm the Beginning and the Ending, the First and the Last, the Alpha and Omega.'

Sidebar: What do we find in Gen. 2 & 3? The Tree of Life! What do we find in Rev. 22? The Tree of Life! Because of the sin of Adam and Eve, everyone was cut off from eating of the Tree of Life. When God's plan is finished, it says, 'Blessed are those who keep His commandments, that they may have the right to eat of the Tree of Life.' We have a foretaste of that, that we find very interesting indeed.

So, the Passover here in John 6 is the third Passover. The first one is John 2, the second one is Luke 6, the third one is John 6. And the last one, all of them have that. After feeding the 5,000:

John 6:4: "Now, the Passover a Feast of the Jews, was near." Why did John write a Feast of the Jews? To let people know that it is figured by the Calculated Hebrew Calendar, which must come from the Jewish community. Because the descendents of the priests and Levites within the Jewish community, have preserved the Calculated Hebrew Calendar for us, just like they preserved the Old Testament. Now, much like the Christians in the New Testament, how many of them really keep it? Very few!

Likewise with the Jews of the Old Testament, they have the Old Testament, they preserve it and keep the Truth of it, but they've overloaded it with all of their traditions, and so they don't understand it, and they reject the New Testament. Interesting how that works. So then, Jesus feeds the 5,000. Has a few fish and a couple loaves of bread, He feeds them, they gather up twelve baskets full.

Verse 14: "Now, when the men saw the miracle that Jesus had done, they said,, 'Of a truth, this is the Prophet... [that's an interesting statement] ...Who was to come into the world.'" Why is that an interesting statement? Because Moses prophesied of that Prophet! And that Prophet was Christ! Peter says so in Acts 3.

Sidebar: There is supposedly is a minister of a Church of God who says he is 'that Prophet.' Well unless he totally repents, he's going to be in deep trouble with God. No one ever takes the office of Jesus Christ to themselves!

After the disciples left, Jesus went up into a mountain to pray, and then at night He walked across the sea and came to the disciples just before they landed at Capernaum. The people, back where they were on the other side of the Sea of Galilee, didn't see Jesus go with the disciples. So, they were looking for Jesus, but they couldn't find Him. Then they figured out that Jesus had gone over to Capernaum. So, they came over to Capernaum, and we find this exchange that they had with Jesus.

Verse 25: "...'Rabbi, when did You come here?'" He didn't tell them, 'Well, I walked on the water.' Jesus knew that they wanted to make Him king. That's why He got away from them. Jesus knew that they wanted to be fed that way, so they wouldn't have to work, and still have plenty left over by the way.

Verse 26: "Jesus answered them and said, 'Truly, truly I say to you, you do not seek Me because you saw the miracles, but because you ate the bread and were satisfied.'"

Totally carnal thinking! Now then, Jesus gave them an answer that really gets into the depths of why we take the Passover the way that we do. But they didn't understand it. Jesus told them.

Verse 27: "'Do not labor for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures unto eternal life, which the Son of man shall give to you; for Him has God the Father sealed.' Therefore, they said to Him..." (vs 27-28).

All human beings are religious by nature in creation. You find that in Ecc. 3 where it says that 'God put eternity in the hearts of men.' That means that God gave every human being an innate realization that there's something greater beyond human life. They don't know what it is. But God put it there. They answered Him and they said, because they wanted to do well, and they wanted to find out how they could get this free food, just by blessing.
Verse 28: "Therefore, they said to Him, 'What shall we do, in order that we ourselves may do the works of God?'"

• we're going to focus in on works
• we're going to focus in on believe
• we're going to focus in on Spirit

All of these things come together in John 6. They are extremely important for us to know and understand, so when we take the Passover tomorrow night we will have a greater and deeper understanding of the Passover.

Verse 29: "Jesus answered and said to them, 'This is the work of God... [Do you want to do a work for God?] …that you believe in Him Whom He has sent.'" That is believe in Jesus Christ!

Now, all the way through here, the one who believes, is a present tense participle, which means constantly believing. It's not just an acknowledgment, it's not just an opinion of thought in the mind, but it is believing, and that belief is obeying as well. Jesus is talking about the essence of the New Covenant, and the New Covenant is the covenant of eternal life. He explains here that only through Him are we going to have eternal life. Only through doing the works of God, God's way, and believing continuously in Jesus Christ, are we going to attain to eternal life.

We need to add on to believing, repentance—because Jesus said repent, believe the Gospel—obedience and baptism. We'll talk about baptism a little bit later, because it is a covenant relationship with God that everyone who comes to Christ must have. You must have baptism by full immersion in water!

"…'This is the work of God: that you believe in Him Whom He has sent'" (v 29).

Rev. 2-3—What does it say were going to be judged by? Our faith? or Our works? Our works! Why? Because our faith must produce works! And those are the works of God!

Verse 30: "Therefore, they said to Him, 'What sign will You perform, that we may see it and believe You? What work will You do? Our fathers ate manna in the wilderness, as it is written: "He gave them bread to eat that came down from heaven."' Then Jesus said to them..." (vs 30-32). He didn't answer the question the way they would think that He would logically answer.

"…Then Jesus said to them, 'Truly, truly I say to you, Moses did not give you the bread from heaven; but My Father gives you the true Bread from heaven'" [He's speaking of Himself] …For the Bread of God is He Who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world'" (vs 32-33).
'The wages of sin is death,' if there is no way to have your sins forgiven. How can it be forgiven by anything less than the Creator God? That's why Jesus came down from heaven! That's why He was God! We're going to see some very interesting things here concerning the bread.

Verse 34: "Therefore, they said to Him, 'Lord, give this bread to us always.' Jesus said to them, 'I AM the Bread of Life; the one who comes to Me shall never hunger; and the one who believes in Me shall never thirst at any time. But as I said to you, you also have seen Me, yet, you do not believe'" (vs 34-36).

Now let's see some things concerning bread, or food, or what to do. Let's see that bread has a lot to do with doing the will of God. Now stop and think about it: What motivates you to do the will of God? The Spirit of God! Let's see what Jesus said in John 4. When the disciples went to get something to eat, Jesus talked to the woman at the well.

Let's understand what we need to be doing. This involves our whole being, because the truth is that if you don't have water, and if you don't have food—and Jesus said, He'd give living water (John 4)—you're going to die. Isn't that true?

John 4:23: "But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers shall worship the Father in Spirit and in Truth..." What is the Truth?

• the Word of God
• the commandments of God
• the precepts of God
• the laws of God

Who is the Truth? Jesus said, 'I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life!' In other words, the only way that you are going to receive eternal life is through Jesus Christ. Because He is the Way, and the Truth, and the Life!

"...the true worshipers..." (v 23). That shows there false worshipers. Who are the false worshipers? Those who worship God in vain, because of their traditions

"...shall worship the Father in Spirit and in Truth; for the Father is indeed seeking those who worship Him in this manner" (v 23).

That's why there are the seven Spirits of God that are talked about in the book of Revelation. These are the Spirits that go throughout the whole world seeking those who are seeking God. It says. 'The Father is indeed seeking those who worship Him in this manner.' Isn't that interesting? Jesus said, 'The Father Himself loves you.' So, you pray directly to Him in My [Christ's] name.

Verse 24: "God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must... [it is obligatory] ...worship in Spirit and in Truth." You have to have the Spirit of God; that's what it's talking about. That ties in with John 6.

After the disciples came back, found Jesus talking to the woman, they said, v 33: "...'Did anyone bring Him something to eat?'"

They brought Him food and said, "…'Rabbi, eat.' And He said to them, 'I have meat to eat that you are not aware of.' Then the disciples said to one another, 'Did anyone bring Him something to eat?' Jesus said to them, 'My meat...  [or My food, My bread] ...is to do the will of Him… [the Father] …Who sent Me, and to finish His work'" (vs 31-34). So, to do the will of God ties right in:

• with believing
• with eating
• with drinking
• with doing the will of God

John 5 ties right in with this as it leads into John 6. Jesus is talking to the scribes and Pharisees, He said:

John 5:39: "You search the Scriptures..." What did they search most of the time? Their own traditions, not the Scriptures! So, He told them:

"…for in them you think that you have eternal life; and they are theones that testify of Me" (v 39).

Is that not true, concerning the Christians and the Jews today? Yes! They forget the simplest thing that God requires of us, so we can start understanding God. Obey my voice! You take those three words, you go through the whole Bible and you will see who obeys and who doesn't; who is blessed and whose is cursed, etc. Did Adam and Eve obey the voice of God? No! You could do the rest of the study from there.

Verse 40: "But you are unwilling to come to Me, that you may have life." Very important!

• How do we come to Christ?
• How do we come to God?
• God's way!

That's the whole lesson of Cain and Abel. Cain came to God his way, and God said, 'Sin lies at the door.'

Verse 41: "I do not receive glory from men; but I have known you, that you do not have the love of God in yourselves" (vs 41-42).
Very profound and important! As we come to this Passover, we need to set as the continuous goal to be loving God with all our heart, with all our mind, with all our soul, with all our being! Love our neighbor as ourselves, the brethren as Christ loved us, and even our enemy!

• Was that not the mind of Christ?
• Was that not what He said while He was hanging on the cross?
• Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do!

Verse 43: "I have come in My Father's name, and you do not receive Me; but if another comes in his own name, you will receive him. How are you able to believe..." (vs 43-44).

There are blocks, mental blocks to belief. You can see that in people who have a cause, or an atheist, another religion, a Muslim or whatever. They have a cause, and:

• because of those causes
• because of those beliefs
• because of those mindsets

they are unable to come to Christ! The mindset that the scribes and Pharisees had, was all of their traditions.

Verse 44: "How are you able to believe, you who receive glory from one another, and do not seek the glory that comes from the only God?"

That's why we're here, brethren. That's why we keep the Passover. Because of the promise of the glory, that Jesus prayed for all of us on that last Passover night, just before He was crucified! We're going to read that tomorrow. I want you to think about it ahead of time

Verse 45: "Do not think that I will accuse you to the Father. There is one who accuses you... [present tense, meaning the Law of Moses is still in effect] ...even Moses, in whom you have hope. But if you believed Moses, you would have believed Me; for he wrote about Me. And if you do not believe his writings, how shall you believe My words?'" (vs 45-47).

Very profound, very interesting! Think of that with ourselves. That's why when we have the Passover, we have it every year, because we need to maintain that New Covenant relationship with Jesus Christ and God the Father. It cannot be maintained unless you take the Passover on the day, and at the time, and in the manner, that we find in the Bible.

We've already covered that. You will see that tomorrow night when you partake of the Passover. You cannot believe in Jesus Christ, and be continuously believing if you have another agenda in your mind. I wonder what the infiltrators into the Churches of God have in their minds? Just a thought!
John 6:37: "All whom the Father gives Me shall come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will in no wise cast out."

God the Father is also directly involved in calling us to Christ, and then is going to be dwelling in us, with the power of His Spirit. So, God the Father is involved in our lives, just exactly as Jesus said when He was here, 'I can do nothing of Myself, but as I see the Father do it, that's what I do. As I hear Him, that's what I teach. As He has commanded Me, that's what I do.' So likewise with us.

Verse 38: "For I did not come down from heaven..." Where was Jesus before He was born? In heaven! That's what the whole Gospel of John is about.

"...to do My own will, but the will of Him Who sent Me.  [look at the will of God, all of it right here very close] ...but the will of Him Who sent Me. And this is the will of the Father Who sent Me: that of all whom He has given Me, I should not lose any, but should raise them up in the last day. And this is the will of Him Who sent Me... [the will of God the Father] ...that everyone who sees the Son, and believes in Him, may have eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day" (vs 38-40).

Why are we here? Because of the will of God the Father! You think on that as you come toward the Passover tomorrow night. That is very profound and deep. The Sovereign Ruler of the universe Himself, with His only begotten Son Jesus Christ is involved directly in each one of our lives so that we can attain eternal life and enter into the Kingdom of God.

Now then, stop and think: What else counts? Nothing! That's why, God tells us, that when we count the cost for baptism, that there is to be nothing—not Father, mother, brother, sister, and yes, our own lives—that we place before God the Father and Jesus Christ.

"...raise him up at the last day" (v 40). Now let's solve the problem here. Because there are some people that find it hard to understand. Now then, we can look at it two ways.

• The Calculated Hebrew Calendar is figured on the first day of the seventh month, which is the Feast of Trumpets.

So, by going through the Hebrew calendar, let's count them: Trumpets, Atonement, Tabernacles, Last Great Day. That's four; four comes up again. Then we come to the First Day of Unleavened Bread, Last Day of Unleavened Bread and Pentecost is the last day. Passover makes it #8. So, when you count from Trumpets, the last day is Pentecost! That's why Pentecost is the day of the first resurrection!

• Jesus Christ was raised from the dead toward the end of the weekly Sabbath. On the first day of the week, which is the premier Wave Sheaf Offering Day, Jesus ascended to the Father as the sacrifice for the sin of the whole world goes back to Adam and Eve!

Christ was the Firstborn from the dead, the First of the firstfruits harvest., the Special Wave Sheaf that was waved right at the temple of God.

How do you count to Pentecost? Beginning on that first day of the week, you count seven weeks, full complete weeks, each one ending in a Sabbath. You count to the next day after the seventh Sabbath, which is Pentecost. Pentecost is the last day of the fifty-day count. So, don't confuse this with The Last Great Day.

Verse 40: "And this is the will of Him Who sent Me: that everyone who sees the Son, and believes in Him, may have eternal life…"

We're not going to have that privilege until were resurrected. But we have the blessing of being able to believe. We also have the blessing of being able to have, not a vision, but an understanding of the teachings of Christ.

"'...and believes in Him, may have eternal life... [may is in the subjunctive, which means there are conditions] ...and I will raise him up at the last day.' Then the Jews were complaining against Him, because He said, 'I AM the Bread that came down from heaven'" (vs 39-41). They didn't understand it. How can anyone say that.

Verse 42: "And they were saying, 'Is this not Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? Why then does He say, "I came down from heaven"?'"

They didn't understand it. We're able to understand it, because these things are spiritually understood. Those who love God, can have the deep things of God revealed to them through God's Spirit and through God's Word, which we will see are Spirit and Life.

(go to the next track)

Now let's continue on in preparation for the Passover tomorrow night. John 6:42—they were wondering: "'…Why then does He say, "I came down from heaven"?'"

Verse 43: "For this reason, Jesus answered them and said, 'Do not be complaining among one another. No one...'" (vs 43-44).

Here is a profound verse. This limits who is a true Christian to only those who respond to the call of the Father. God the Father is been dealing with them, and God leads us to repentance and baptism and doing the will of God.

Verse 44: "No one can come to Me unless the Father..."

In this chapter the Father is mentioned 10 times. In John 5 He's mentioned 15 times. I haven't done a count through all the book of John. But John truly is revealing the Father, and that's what Jesus said that He came to do! In John writing these things, we see how Jesus was revealing the Father. Let's see what Jesus said. Think about this:

• in relationship to 'the world'
• in relationship to all of the 'wise' theologians
• in relationship to all the religions that are supposedly 'Christian'

They're not! That's why Jesus said, "No one can come to Me unless the Father, Who sent Me, draws him…" (v 44).

Matthew 11:25: "At that time Jesus answered and said, 'I praise You, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and intelligent…'"

How does God hide things from them? The key is, no one understands anything, unless they obey the voice of God. Very simple!

"...and have revealed them to babes" (v 25). That's what we are to the world. Were dumb, were uneducated, we don't account for anything.

Verse 26: "Yes, Father, for it was well pleasing in Your sight to do this."

Have you ever thought about how much joy that God the Father has that you are going to be His son or daughter at the resurrection? How much satisfaction that God has, and pleasure and love for you, because you seek Him and do His will? Think of that compared to the rest of the world! Amazing!

Verse 27: "All things were delivered to Me by My Father; and no one knows the Son except the Father... [that is truly on a personal face-to-face basis] ...neither does anyone know the Father except the Son..." That's interesting, because it says:

John 1:1: "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with… [face-to-face] …God and the Word was God."So, that verifies it right here.

Christ is also involved in giving us understanding. That's an amazing thing! One of the deepest and most profound things in the Bible is our personal relationship with God the Father and Jesus Christ:

• through prayer
• through study
• through love
• through obedience
• through understanding the Word of God

Matthew 11:27: "...and no one knows the Son except the Father; neither does anyone know the Father except the Son, and the one to whom the Son personally chooses to reveal Him."

That's what he's doing right here in John 6. As we read these verses and understand them as we go along just remember that when you come to the verse like this—

John 6:44: "No one can come to Me unless the Father, Who sent Me, draws him; and I will raise him up at the last day."

—you have to apply a whole lot of other Scriptures, to understand the deep meaning contained in that one verse. That's why I talked about repentance and baptism. That's why we talk about prayer and study, all of those things are involved.

• How do you learn what you learn?
• Because you're smart?
• No!

Here's how we learn, v 45: "It is written in the prophets, 'And they shall all be taught by God.' Therefore, everyone who has heard from the Father, and has learned, comes to Me.'"

You answer the Father's call! Everyone who has heard from the Father!

• What was that one day where your life changed completely?
• Can you remember that day?
• The day that God began to deal in your life through some event?
• through some sorrow?
• through some death?
• through some tragedy?
• through troubles, problems, trials and difficulties?

You cried out to God, 'God, help me!'

I remember that day myself, in my life. I'm sure you remembered in your life. God sends one of the seven spirits, and God answers that prayer and you heard from the Father, and He draws you to Christ. That's amazing, isn't it? Think of that!

"...has learned, comes to Me. No one has seen the Father except He Who is from God; He has seen the Father. Truly, truly I say to you, the one who believes in Me has eternal life" (vs 45-47).

Now, you can't take this one sentence and say, 'Oh, I believe I have eternal life,' because you have to add everything else to it of what it means:

• to believe
• to hear
• to answer
• to repent
• to be baptized
• to receive the Holy Spirit
• to walk in the Truth
• to overcome
• to change

All of those are involved in this present tense participle, "...the one who believes..." (v 47).

You could also translated this way, the one who is believing constantly, because that's what it means with the present tense participle.

"...in Me has eternal life" (v 47). You've got to put other Scriptures together.

Verse 51: "I AM the living Bread…" Quite a statement!

Let's see Psalm 34 concerning God, the Bread of Life!How are you going to eat Jesus' flesh and drink His blood? We'll get to it; that's the whole purpose of this sermon!

• How is that possible?
• What do we do?
• How is it done?

Psalm 34:4: "I sought the LORD... [that's how the Father begins to deal with us; He is seeking those who are seeking Him] …I sought the LORD, and He answered me, and delivered me from all my fears."

Not some of them, all of them. Now, you don't have all your fears all at once, so this will be a repeated thing throughout your lifetime. But nevertheless, let's look at when you first began to seek God, and He answered, and in this case it's the Father.

Verse 5: "They looked to Him and were radiant; and their faces were not ashamed. This poor man cried, and the LORD heard, and saved him out of all His troubles. The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear Him and delivers them. O taste and see that the LORD is good…" (vs 5-8).

How do you taste and eat? That is a spiritual activity:

• through the Spirit of God
• studying the Word of God
• understanding the Word of God
• praying to God
• living by every Word of God
• continuously believing in God

All of those things flesh out and fill in the depths of the understanding of John 6. How does God do it? He's got angels!

Verse 7: "The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear Him and delivers them." All right, reverse that. You do not have angelic protection IF you don't fear God and you don't love God!

Verse 8: "O taste and see that the LORD is good; blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him. O fear the LORD, all you saints... [think about that, we are called saints] ...for there is nothing lacking to those who fear Him" (vs 8-9).

John 6:48: "I AM the Bread of Life." The bread or food that Jesus wanted to eat was doing the will of God! So then, eating the Bread of Life—Jesus Christ—is symbolic of:

• constantly having the Word of God given to you
• written in your heart and mind
• walking in the Truth
• doing the will of God

You would never know that unless you studied the rest of the Bible, and this is what the Passover is all about.

Verse 49: "Your fathers ate manna in the desert, but they died. This is the Bread, which comes down from heaven so that anyone may eat of it and not die" (vs 49-50). May is subjunctive in the Greek meaning there are conditions. Of course, you find those and in Scriptures:

• love God
• keep His commandments
• keep His Sabbath
• keep His Holy Days

do so led by the Spirit of God

• His way
• His Truth
• His goodness

that he'll impart to us

Verse 51: "I AM the living Bread, which came down from heaven; if anyone eats of this Bread, he shall live forever; and the bread that I will give is even My flesh, which I will give for the life of the world"—because only shed blood will pay for sin, and only the shed blood of Jesus Christ, can cover our sins.

No animal sacrifice, no other thing! It's for the life of the world, because God has a plan to save the world, as we understand through the Passover, Holy Days and Sabbath. Tremendous thing! So, look at it this way, as I've said in the past and I'll say it again in the future, as I say now:

Look at God's way as a sphere. Isn't it interesting that the earth is a sphere. (Don't bother those who believe in the flat earth.) In the sphere you can send an almost infinite number of lines through the sphere at any given angle and they all intersect at one point again at the center.

Think of it this way, v 51: "I AM the living Bread, which came down from heaven…that I will give is even My flesh…for the life of the world. He shall live forever; and the bread that I will give is even My flesh, which I will give for the life of the world." Fantastic!

Verse 52: "Because of this, the Jews were arguing with one another, saying, 'How is He able to give us His flesh to eat?'"

The Catholics have never figured this out. They have what is called transubstantiation with the sacrifice of the Mass. And they sacrifice Jesus every time they have a Mass. And very few have figured out why they have the round disk when Jesus broke the bread. But the sacrifice of the Mass has nothing to do with the true Jesus; that has to do with the fake Jesus, the false Jesus. Today we hear a lot about fake news; well, it's not just today, it's been the fake teachings from false prophets and fake teachers for centuries. The only way is through Christ!

"...and the bread that I will give is even My flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.' Because of this, the Jews were arguing with one another, saying, 'How is He able to [do this?]'" (vs 51-52).

Now let's answer the question for the sacrifice of the Mass. There's no such thing as transubstantiation. Why? Because when Jesus was resurrected He no longer had any flesh! He no longer had any blood. He shed all of His blood. As a Spirit being He doesn't need either one. Yet, if He manifests Himself to human beings like He did to His disciples, He appears as if He has flesh and bone, but not blood.

Transubstantiation says that when the priest gives the command Christ sends His flesh to be in the wafer, and His blood to be in the wine. So, though it taste like bread, it's really truly flesh; but it's not. Eating His flesh and drinking His blood has much more to do with how we live and our personal relationship with God the Father and Jesus Christ! So, here's how Jesus answered the question:

Verse 53: "Therefore, 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 do not have life in yourselves."

That means also, correctly, the Passover, because Jesus broke the bread and said, 'Take eat, this is My flesh which is given for you. This do and the remembrance of Me.'And likewise the cup He said, 'This cup of wine is My blood of the New Covenant.' No covenant is binding unless there is a showing of sacrifice and blood.

"...you do not have life in yourselves…. [that's why they're not going to be in the first resurrection] …The one who eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up in the last day… [the first resurrection Pentecost] …for My flesh is truly food, and My blood is truly drink. The one who eats My flesh and drinks My blood is dwelling in Me, and I in him" (vs 53-56).

That's by the power of the Spirit of God. Here is the whole reason and the whole lesson and the depth of the teaching as to why we have the Christian Passover for the New Covenant. What does that signify in addition to knowing God the Father, in addition to having our sins forgiven, in addition to understanding that only through Christ do we have eternal life?

Verse 57: "As the living Father has sent Me, and I live by the Father; so also the one who eats Me shall live by Me."

There is the teaching of it. That's why Jesus said when he was tempted of Satan the devil, 'Man shall not live by bread alone but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God.' God says:'

• obey My voice
• love Me
• love Jesus
• love one another
• serve one another
• help one another

All of that is included in this big sphere of our Christian life, which is growing and developing into eternal life. That's how we receive eternal life.

Verse 58: "This is the Bread, which came down from heaven; not as your fathers ate manna, and died. The one who eats this Bread shall live forever." That's a promise! A direct statement and command by Jesus Christ!

Let's see something about the Passover. It's interesting that John 10 parallels with Heb. 10. Jesus said that 'He was the door, He was the good Shepherd.'

John 10:11: "I am the good Shepherd. The good Shepherd lays down His life for the sheep. But the one who is a hireling, and who is not the shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep, and flees. And the wolf seizes the sheep and scatters them. Now, the hireling flees because he is a hireling and has no concern for the sheep. I am the good Shepherd, and I know those who are Mine..." (vs 11-14). Think of that!

• God the Father knows you!
• Jesus Christ knows you!

"...and am known of those who are Mine. Just as the Father knows Me, I also know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep" (vs 14-15). He voluntarily, as Creator of all mankind, laid down His life!

Verse 16: "And I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring those also, and they shall hear My voice; and there shall be one flock and one Shepherd. On account of this, the Father loves Me: because I lay down My life, that I may receive it back again" (vs 16-17).

It's said that it is 'written in the Scroll concerning Me' (Heb. 10)—that is Christ. So everything we know now is that 'the Scripture of Truth is in heaven' (Dan. 10:21). What we have here was predetermined in heaven. How it comes out is up to our choices, and how we choose and how we live.

Verse 18: "No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down of Myself. I have authority to lay it down and authority to receive it back again. This commandment I received from My Father."

Jesus said that we must 'eat His flesh and drink His blood.' Let's look at why this is the New Covenant ceremony, which renews the New Covenant between each believer and God the Father and Jesus Christ every year at the Passover.

There's a reason why it's written this way. And it has great and tremendous meaning. As you think about Jesus Christ, Who is the Creator of all mankind, coming down and laying down His life, giving Himself to be beaten and scourged, to be battered and cut open through the scourging that He took, and then crucified—shedding His blood—He didn't this willingly. Think about it! That's God's covenant sacrifice as surety that His Word is true, and what He has said will take place.

He calls us and leads us to repentance and baptism. What is our sacrifice that we bring to this covenant relationship? The covenant is not binding, until both parties have shown a sacrifice. The sacrifice of Jesus was His physical life. Our sacrifice is also our physical life. However, our death in baptism is very unique.

Romans 6:1: "What then shall we say? Shall we continue in sin so that grace may abound? MAY IT NEVER BE! We who died to sin, how shall we live any longer therein? Or are you ignorant that we, as many as were baptized into Christ Jesus, were baptized into His death?" (vs 1-3). Now let's understand about what happens spiritually at baptism and death.

Verse 4: "Therefore, we were buried with Him through the baptism into the death..."—Christ's death! You share in that in two ways:

• because of your sins He had to die for you, as well as everyone else
• you die in the watery grave

How binding is that?

"...so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, in the same way, we also should walk in newness of life" (v 4). That ties right in with:

John 6:57: "…the one who eats Me shall live by Me…" That's the newness of life.

Romans 6:5: "For if we have been conjoined together in the likeness of His death..." That means died together in the watery grave of baptism, we have been joined to the very death of Christ, as the Creator God, Who gave His life for the salvation of the world! Your symbolic death, in the watery grave now is conjoined to the death of Christ. That's why we keep the Passover. Very interesting, indeed!

Let's take this one step further. The reason it has to be full immersion in water is very simple. If you're not raised out of the water, you die. But since you now I have to walk in newness of life, you must be raised out of that grave. You're not yet born again; that does not take place until the resurrection. But you are now to walk in newness of life. That's what it says.

"...conjoined together in the likeness of His death, so also shall we be in the likeness of His resurrection." Shall be, future, at the resurrection.

Verse 6: "Knowing this, that our old man was co-crucified..." That's what conjoining is. Now we have to crucify the flesh (Gal. 5-6).

Galatians 5:24: "But those who are Christ's have crucified the flesh..." Jesus says if you want to follow Him, you have to deny everything. You are giving up everything. You can still use the things and so forth, but that's not your life. Your life is in Christ. Take up your cross and follow Him. Taking up the cross is co-crucified, and follow Him.

Romans 6:6: "Knowing this, that our old man was co-crucified with Him in order that the body of sin might be destroyed..."

And that's the whole reason for the Feast of Unleavened Bread, after the Passover. Because once we have the Passover, and have the Holy Spirit of God, once we have been baptized and are walking in the way of God, we have work to do to get the sin out of our lives, on our part, and God removes it on His part, through constant forgiveness, help and understanding.

"...so that we might no longer be enslaved to sin; because the one who has died to sin has been justified from sin. Now, if we died together with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him" (vs 6-8). This section of Scripture absolutely proves that no one has been born again through any baptism experience:

• we're to walk in newness of life
• we're to grow
• we're to overcome
• we're to bring every thought into captivity

All of these things are part of what it means to keep the Feast of Unleavened Bread, as we will see beginning the next day after the Passover. I hope this helps you understand more deeply the meaning of the body and the blood of Christ, and what it means for us.

John 6:57: "As the living Father has sent Me, and I live by the Father; so also the one who eats Me shall live by Me. This is the Bread, which came down from heaven; not as your fathers ate manna, and died. The one who eats this Bread shall live forever" (vs 57-58).

All of the false religions out there, they are all dead, there is no eternal life. Christ is the Way, the Truth, and the Life!

Verse 59: "These things He said in the synagogue as He was teaching in Capernaum. Therefore, after hearing these words, many of His disciples said, 'This is a hard saying. Who is able to hear it?'" (vs 59-60).

Yes, it was a hard saying. What did Jesus say. Who were those who were the seed that didn't produce anything? Because they didn't obey the voice of God!

Verse 61: "But Jesus, knowing that His disciples were complaining about this, said to them, 'Does this offend you? What if you shall see the Son of man ascending up where He was before?'" (vs 61-62). What does that tell us? He came from heaven!

Verse 63: "It is the Spirit that gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you, they are Spirit and they are Life." That's why we are to keep the words of God. Obey God! Spirit and Life!

Verse 64: "'But there are some of you who do not believe.' For Jesus knew from the beginning who were the ones that did not believe, and who would betray Him. And He said, 'For this reason, I have said to you, no one can come to Me unless it has been given to him from My Father'" (vs 64-65).

That's the whole meaning of 'to eat this bread, and drink this cup'!

When you come to the Passover tomorrow night, remember the deep and the profound meaning of the whole Passover ceremony: The renewal of the New Covenant with Jesus Christ and God the Father, and the promise of eternal life!

Scriptural References:

• 1-Corinthians 2:9-11
• John 6:4, 14, 25-36
• John 4:23-24, 33, 31-34
• John 5:39-47
• John 6:37-44
• Matthew 11:25-27
• John 1:1
• Matthew 11:27
• John 6:44-47, 51
• Psalm 34:4-8, 7-9
• John 6:48-58
• John 10:11-18
• Romans 6:1-4
• John 6:57
• Romans 6:5-6
• Galatians 5:24
• Romans 6:6-8
• John 6:57-65

Scriptures referenced, not quoted:

• 1-John 1
• Genesis 1-3
• Revelation 22
• John 2
• Luke 6
• Acts 3
• Ecclesiastes 3
• Revelation 2; 3
• Hebrews 10
• Daniel 10:21

FRC: po/bo
Transcribed: 3/5/17

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