Study Desk

"I have come in My Father's name and with His power, and you do not receive Me [because your minds are closed]; but if another comes in his own name and with no authority or power except his own, you will receive him and give your approval to an imposter.

"But if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe My words?"

And Jesus went up on the mountainside and sat down there with His disciples.

One of His disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, said to Him,

When they had eaten enough, He said to His disciples, "Gather up the leftover pieces so that nothing will be lost."

When evening came, His disciples went down to the sea,

The next day the crowd that stood on the other side of the sea realized that there had been only one small boat there, and that Jesus had not boarded the boat with His disciples, but that His disciples had gone away alone.

So when the crowd saw that neither Jesus nor His disciples were there, they boarded the small boats themselves and came to Capernaum looking for Jesus.

"Do not work for food that perishes, but for food that endures [and leads] to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you; for God the Father has authorized Him and put His seal on Him."

Then the Jews began to argue with one another, saying, "How can this man give us His flesh to eat?"

And Jesus said to them, "I assure you and most solemnly say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood [unless you believe in Me as Savior and believe in the saving power of My blood which will be shed for you], you do not have life in yourselves.

When many of His disciples heard this, they said, "This is a difficult and harsh and offensive statement. Who can [be expected to] listen to it?"

But Jesus, aware that His disciples were complaining about it, asked them, "Does this cause you to stumble and take offense?

As a result of this many of His disciples abandoned Him, and no longer walked with Him.

So His brothers said to Him, "Leave here and go to Judea, so that Your disciples [there] may also see the works that You do.

For not even His brothers believed in Him.

But [afterward], when His brothers had gone up to the feast, He went up too, not publicly [with a caravan], but quietly [because He did not want to be noticed].

Jesus answered them by saying, "My teaching is not My own, but His who sent Me.

"If anyone is willing to do His will, he will know whether the teaching is of God or whether I speak on My own accord and by My own authority.

"He who speaks on his own accord seeks glory and honor for himself. But He who seeks the glory and the honor of the One who sent Him, He is true, and there is no unrighteousness or deception in Him.