Thursday 3rd Week of Easter A 2026

Jesus said to the crowds:
“No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draw him,
and I will raise him on the last day.
It is written in the prophets:

They shall all be taught by God.

Everyone who listens to my Father and learns from him comes to me.
Not that anyone has seen the Father
except the one who is from God;
he has seen the Father.
Amen, amen, I say to you,
whoever believes has eternal life.
I am the bread of life.
Your ancestors ate the manna in the desert, but they died;
this is the bread that comes down from heaven
so that one may eat it and not die.
I am the living bread that came down from heaven;
whoever eats this bread will live forever;
and the bread that I will give
is my Flesh for the life of the world.”

 

This Gospel is still part of the Bread of Los Discourse. This is where in John’s Gospel we will hear Jesus be emphatic and literal about his body and blood being food for eternal life. Many will leave him as they realize he isn’t speaking of symbology or parable.

 

His words today draw out the reality that if they had been listening to God in scriptures with open hearts they would see it leads to Jesus Christ. For all scripture points to Jesus and the old and new testaments are one salvation story.

 

But they did not read to understand and refused to believe what we as believers, and in hindsight, see clearly.

 

They used his words to stack his crimes against him. Their knowledge of his human origins stops them from opening up their mind. Because they had preconceived notions of how the Messiah would come. And their first selfish requirement was that the Messiah would support their own position and align with their ideas of God and their dysfunctional relationship with him.

 

But what they refuse to understand is that they must align their understanding with what is Gods will not the reverse.

 

And so, in unbelief and in stubbornness of heart they refuse to accept Jesus.

 

How are we doing today?

 

Are we also slow to give our life over for Jesus because we too refuse to let go unless Jesus aligns with what we demand for our life rather than accepting the gifts from God and build a life focused on the Word of God?

 

This world pulls us away and we must have the conviction to turn back and seek Jesus Christ and do his will in all things.

 

We are distracted and confused and we too don’t know the scripture well. So we miss the whole message and road map that is Jesus Christ. And so, we miss knowing his love for us and his forgiveness and we live shallow lives that are not what we were created for at all.

And anxiety owns us. We lay down at night with fear haunting us and get up anxious and tired.

It is no life for a child of God. But like the prodigal son we must stop and come to our senses and return to the Father who leads us to Jesus Christ. For in Jesus is our true life and true path to heaven.