Gods Sabbath

T HE J EWISH T RAGEDY

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den Bearer in the church? In short, who was to be the Source and who the dependent receivers? So far as Christ was concerned, there was no question. He un derstood the structure of God’s kingdom, the relationship every created being must sustain to the Infinite, and the reason why this arrangement must not be interfered with in any way. There fore, He was utterly and eternally committed to His Father’s ways. By no other procedure could He successfully accomplish His mission. There was similarly no question in the minds of the stubborn, foolish Jews who lived in Palestine. In their determination to be plan makers in God’s place they classified themselves as Baby lonians, and they were totally unwilling to give God’s rightful position back to Him. By maintaining their entrenched position, the Jews were confirming their eternal separation from their Maker and guaranteeing their doom as a people. They wanted salvation on their own terms or they would not have it at all. They despised and rejected the beautiful and totally effective so lution, which had been worked out in God’s infinite love and wis dom and sent to them by the most auspicious of all messen gers—Christ, His only begotten Son. The eye-opening speech which took place the next day and is recorded in John 6:22–66 brought the matter to a decision. Christ clearly revealed that He was not willing to accept their plans and solutions under any circumstances, and He refused to add His power to their scheming. He definitely stated that He was mostly concerned for their spiritual welfare, thus destroy ing their remaining hopes. “Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. On him God the Father has placed his seal of approval.” John 6:27. “For the bread of God is he who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.” John 6:33. “At this the Jews began to grumble about him because he said, ‘I am the bread that came down from heaven.’” John 6:41. “On hearing it, many of his disciples said, ‘This is a hard teaching. Who can accept it?’ Aware that his disciples were grumbling about this, Jesus said to them, ‘Does this offend you?’” John 6:60–61.