Today we’re gonna take a look at a beautiful statement Jesus made in John 6:35–
And Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst.
What struck me was that there are two conditions tied to this verse:
- Come to Jesus
- Believe in Jesus
Today, we’re gonna focus on the first condition. So, in a spiritual sense, in order to “never hunger,” we need to come to Christ. As Christian SDA teens, this is a no-brainer. I mean, ever since Cradle Roll we’ve been taught that Jesus is the One we should always come to for every need. But there comes a time where our minds just become so desensitized by this fact. What do I mean by that?
Well, it’s like if your church were to have haystacks for potluck one Sabbath. And then the next Sabbath they have haystacks again. And again. And again……until for FIVE WHOLE SOLID MONTHS your church has been having haystacks for potluck. By then you’ll not only be sick and tired of haystacks, but on a subconscious level, you’ll be pretty desensitized. Like, you’d be in potluck line and say–
“Oh, haystacks….again.”
That’s what I mean by our minds being desensitized by the idea of coming to Christ for all our needs. We hear it in Sabbath School, we hear it in church, we hear it from our parents, we hear it from our youth group leaders, we hear it from those Christian bloggers we bump into on the Internet; we hear it ALL THE TIME. Ultimately to the point where when we hear it, it’d just go through one ear and out the other. It’s like, going back to the haystacks illustration, you get SO USED to the haystacks at every potluck it just goes into your mouth and into your digestive system; but you don’t care much to savor the taste anymore.
And because we’re so desensitized, we reach a point where this concept of coming to Christ to satisfy our hungers doesn’t “click” with us. And because it doesn’t “click,” because we don’t see the deep reality of it, our hearts end up wandering into other things.
Things like the worldly entertainments, the worldly fashions, the worries and cares of life. Things like obtaining popularity, making money, catching up with the latest trends, and allowing ourselves to be caught up in whatever this world offers. In the midst of this, our hearts and souls are slowly–but surely–starving for deep, genuine spiritual nourishment.
Maybe that’s what your own heart and soul sense. You feel you’re spiritually dying, and you don’t understand why. Well, the why is found in the verse we’re looking at; Jesus said that we’ll “never hunger” when we COME to Him. I’d like to submit to you that there may come times where, as you spiritually wander from God and consume the things of this world, the hunger pangs in your soul and in your heart begin to be noticeable. As you turn to the worldly entertainments and worldly fashions and worldly ambitions and away from Christ and His Word to satisfy the cravings in your heart, those heart cravings begin to get more and more restless. Soon, those things you’re turning to in order to bring yourself “satisfaction” morph into an uncontrollable addiction.
Is that where you’re at now? You grew up in the church. You’ve been an Adventist Christian for who knows how long; yet, you find yourself trapped. You’ve become addicted to some kind of drug, some kind of media, some person, something–and it’s ruining your entire health. And you know it. But you don’t know what to do.
I want to encourage you today that YOU HAVE HOPE!!! That hope is found in JESUS CHRIST!!! He is telling you, right now, to COME to Him. If you come to Him, all the cravings and longings and hungers in your soul and heart will be SATISFIED. Consider these two inspiring quotes:
“[Jesus] alone can satisfy the craving of the heart and give peace to the soul.“
–{Ministry of Healing pg. 157, emphasis added
“You are invited to come, to ask, to seek, to knock, and you are assured that you will not come in vain. Jesus says ‘Ask, and it shall be given you: seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you; for every one that asketh receiveth, and he that seeketh findeth, and to him that knocketh, it shall be opened.’ He illustrates the willingness of God to bless by presenting before us the willingness of a father to grant the request of his child. He asks, ‘If a son ask bread of any of you that is a father, will he give him a stone, or if he ask a fish, will he for a fish give him a serpent? or if he shall ask an egg, will he offer him a scorpion? If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask Him?’ [Luke 11:9-13.]“
–{Christian Education pg. 127
Jesus says also in the same chapter of the verse we’re studying, that those who come to Him He won’t “cast out” [John 6:37]. I want to encourage you to come to Him. Sure, you know you’ve messed up big time spiritually, but you can still come to Him, just as you are. In Philippians 4:19, Paul says that God “shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.” That doesn’t include just include the physical needs like food, but ALL your need.
ALL the emotional need
ALL the social need
ALL the psychological need
ALL the spiritual need
I find it interesting, just thinking through this, that whenever we as SDA Christian teens find ourselves having a hard day, we don’t always go to Jesus and ask Him to satisfy the needs, cravings, and hungers in our soul. I’d like to challenge you that whenever you’re tempted to satisfy the hunger pangs in your heart with some drug or media or whatever, to take time to turn to Christ instead. Whenever you’re tempted to think your such a failure for slipping into sin, instead of numbing it all out with someone or something, turn to Jesus to satisfy your need for peace and encouragement. Remember, He is saying to you today, “The one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out” [John 6:37].
If you truly desire to come to Christ right now and have all your needs, cravings, and hunger pangs to be satisfied, just pray:
I’d like to conclude this post with the lyrics of one of my favorite songs. It’s the song Whole Again by Sally DeFord; and I earnestly hope and pray that your own soul will be encouraged to find true healing from the True Physician for all your needs.
I come before the throne of God
My kneeling soul is filled with wond’ring awe
As the Savior’s tender mercy
heals the wounds of all my sin
I praise the love
that makes me whole again
I come in hope; I come in faith
To feel the touch of His redeeming grace
As I offer Him my broken heart
He heals the hurt within
And I praise the love
that makes me whole again
Alleluia! my healing spirit cries
As He reaches out His hand to bid me rise
Alleluia! praise the Healer of all men
Who makes me more than what I was
And sees beyond what I am
And when I fall He lifts me up
Restores my soul, removes my bitter cup
For He heals my every heartache,
and He carries all my pain
And I praise the love
that makes me whole again
–{© Sally DeFord, “Whole Again” Lyrics}
Amen!
Next time, we’re gonna take a deeper look into the second condition of John 6:35; believing in Jesus and never being “thirsty.” What does that mean for us as SDA Christian teens? Stay tuned for the answer to this question, and many more, in an upcoming blog post!
*[UPDATE: you can see part 2 of this post by going here]