I am the Bread of Life (John 6:35).

Jesus is the eternal and effective satisfaction of the human soul. Human nature is hungry for a sense of inner repletion, fullness, and contentment. Nothing physical, experiential, emotional, aesthetic, or intellectual can meet that constant yearning.

The world has no answer to our fundamental human desire. Even our fondest desires meet with disappointment and our dearest pursuits. All our appetites are fed with the bread that eventually spoils. Without the sustenance and satisfaction that comes from heaven, embodied in Jesus Christ, the world itself becomes a veritable desert... and existence a wilderness.

Jesus leaves the boundaries of Israel, going to those outside who were considered the scum of society. Even Jesus' disciples are embarrassed by the needy that cry to him. Jesus loves to withdraw to the humble.

We must always convey the Word of God as it is and as it is intended to be received. God's wonderful wisdom gives existence to all being and has sovereign authority over all that is. There is nothing in the universe that is not directed under the hand of God. This passage, as a song, exalts this wisdom of God and points toward the full disclosure of the divine wisdom in the Son, who is the personification of divine wisdom.

Jesus wept for Jerusalem, the city of his persecutors and the place of intense anguish. The city he looked upon was facing a fearful fate due to its loss of opportunity in not recognizing Jesus for who he was and thereby forfeiting the peace he came to give. It was the most desperate of human situations to miss the time of divine visitation. Jesus laments over Jerusalem: You did not recognize the time of Gods coming.

Not only is he a competent representative of Jesus to us, Peter is also representative of each one of us in the vulnerability of our sinfulness and frail humanity. We are creatures of fluctuation - from faith and fortitude to fear and folly. Deep down Peter the disciple is typical of every disciple of the Lord Jesus and that is why we find him to be such an agreeable spiritual companion. Human impulse and divine influence vied within him until he was shaped into the pastor and preacher God intended him to be. Our gravest faults, in Gods mercy, encounter great grace.

I say to myself, The Lord is my portion; therefore I will wait for him. There is no state more honorable than waiting on the Lord - the realization that everything is in his hands and his wisdom governs the course that we take. Naked faith is the hardest exercise of the soul - the removal of signs and props concerning Gods favor is something we dread. The author of Lamentations is musing from a situation of utter devastation and the brink of despair. His outlook is hopeless; his feelings afford no comfort. But his knowledge of the Lord bolsters his confidence.

The gospel of Christ is an invitation to the banquet table hosted by the Lord Almighty who reigns over the kingdom of heaven. It is the greatest privilege ever extended to members of the human race. Knowing Jesus is the admission to the joyful proceedings, ensuring our place at the Lords table, I have prepared a place for you. But Jesus adds a note of grave caution. Along with the summons there is no room for delayed response to the favor of the Lord. The divine economy is not stinted by any lack of prosperity. Everyone who prizes the invitation, taking it to heart, and comes to Jesus will be there.

Our emphasis is on the matter of Divine Grace: it's absence in the life of the wealthy man and it's grip upon the individual who can plead nothing in his favor, a person of misery and extreme want. The rich man in the parable wasn't concerned about his relationship with God and his ultimate destiny. Lazarus had no choice but to admit his hopelessness.

For us the grand theme of Holy Scripture is the redemption of mankind - the grand enterprise of human salvation conceived and carried out by the divine team of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. From its formation in eternity to its finale in the near future the Holy Trinity is occupied in the rescue of sinners as a priority of the divine agenda. At the centre of the throne in heaven stands the embodiment of the divine mercy and saving love in the person of the Lamb, Jesus the Son of God who by the power of love and self-sacrifice removes the stubborn barrier between God and men - the Lamb of God takes away the sin of the world through obedience to the Father and sanctification of the Spirit.

The Ascension is of vital importance to our understanding of Jesus. It is the coronation of the Son of Man (Daniel 7:13-14). Furthermore, in the Ascension we gain certification of our personal citizenship in heaven. It is assured by the One who pleads for men in the presence of the Ancient of Days. The Prince of the cosmos is our protector and provider, our counselor and consoler throughout the whole of our temporal life. More security for our souls welfare could not be offered. In divine terms our salvation is complete and being worked out and perfected as resident aliens in this world. Jesus Christ is risen and regnant.