Fully Nourished in Christ: Living by His Life
*Inspired by Ray Stedman’s Immeasurably More
"Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me, and I in them."
— John 6:56
At first glance, Jesus’ words in John 6 may seem unsettling. To His audience, the idea of eating His flesh and drinking His blood was offensive and deeply misunderstood. Yet Jesus was speaking about something far more significant than physical nourishment—He was revealing the essential truth of what it means to live in intimate union with Him.
Just as bread and water sustain the body, Jesus offers Himself as the true sustenance for the soul. His life becomes our life. His strength becomes our strength. His peace becomes our peace. This isn’t merely symbolic; it’s a living reality. Jesus invites us to share in His very life, moment by moment, drawing from His endless well of grace and truth.
The Vine and the Branches
Imagine a grapevine and its branches. The vine is the source of life, nourishment, and growth, while the branches cannot bear fruit apart from it. This is the relationship Jesus describes in John 15:5: "I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing."
Just as a branch draws life from the vine, we are designed to draw everything we need from Jesus. We cannot produce fruit by effort alone; it comes naturally when we are connected to Him. His life flows into us, producing joy, peace, patience, and every spiritual blessing already given to us (Ephesians 1:3).
The branch doesn’t strive to stay connected—it simply abides. In the same way, we are invited to rest in Jesus, trusting that His life within us is enough. We need not beg for what He has already provided; our role is to receive and live in that provision.
Living by His Life
Jesus modeled this relationship perfectly: "As the living Father sent me, and I live by means of the Father, so he who eats me will live by means of me" (John 6:57). Jesus lived in complete dependence on the Father, and we are to live in complete dependence on Him.
This is not about striving but about surrender—trusting Jesus to live His life through us. Every moment becomes an opportunity to rest in His sufficiency, knowing that He is fully capable of producing in us what we could never produce on our own.
A Prayer of Confidence in Christ’s Life Within
Father,
Thank You for the immeasurable gift of life in Jesus. I trust fully in the life of Christ within me, knowing that His presence is my true nourishment. I rest in the truth that I lack nothing because You have already provided all I need through Your Son. May His life flow freely in me today, bearing fruit that glorifies You. I rejoice in the intimate union we share, confident that Christ in me is enough for every moment. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Final Thought
Just as a branch naturally draws life from the vine, so we are called to live by the life of Jesus within us. There’s no need to strive or plead for what has already been given. In Christ, we are fully nourished and fully alive. Let’s simply abide in Him and watch His life bear fruit in us.