Jesus Alone Satisfies
John 6:22-52
Jesus answered, “I tell you the truth, you are looking for me, not because you saw miraculous signs but because you ate the loaves and had your fill”
John 6:26
In Scripture, it seems that the miracles are always double-edged swords; they carry a double significance. The first meaning is very simple and obvious; the miracle meets the immediate need of the moment in a way that is important to the purposes of God. Always in these miracles there is another side.
The miracle is not simply an act of God to meet a need; it also becomes a parable with spiritual significance. This was the normal pattern of the miracles Jesus performed. The feeding of the five thousand functions on these two levels. The crowd was hungry, and Christ looked at them with compassion, knowing that some could not make it home without nourishment. They were there because of him, and he felt responsible for their well-being, so he fed them.
On a deeper level, Jesus took this miraculous event and made it the basis for his presentation to them of the sacrament of the Lord’s Supper. He taught them about their own hunger and appetites, which earthly elements would never meet. If they ever wanted to be truly satisfied, they must participate in that which his body and his blood represents. They must have his very life within them.
Only he could satisfy their souls. Jesus may be meeting the physical needs of your life and yet you may be totally unaware that he wants to meet a much deeper and more burning need in your heart. He wants to satisfy you with himself. Ultimately nothing else will do.
This is an excerpt from a book This Day with the Master by Dennis Kinslaw. If you would like to buy this book please click here.